To the Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory

This petition of certain residents of the Australian Capital Territory draws to the attention of the Assembly that:

The Department of Urban Services is intending to release and sell a block of land, section 79, block 3, adjacent to Giralang Primary School and Preschool on the west corner of Canopus Street and Menkar Close.

These residents are very concerned about the impact on the environment of the school as a result of building townhouse dwellings on this site. In particular, the residents are concerned about the security of the school and the children, and increased traffic congestion. The information now available from the report dated 15 October 2001 and commissioned by the Giralang P & C, Block 3 Section 79 Giralang, author Mike Stapleton-Town Planning Consultant that has been provided to Planning and Land Management in the Department of Urban Services, strongly supports the basis for these concerns.

An alternative land use proposal to build a community garden park addresses the community's concerns raised in a previous petition tabled in the last Legislative Assembly and at the public meeting held on 25 October 2001. A community garden park in keeping with the original "community use" purpose for this land, is now being developed, through the work of the Giralang Action Group, an active group that includes membership from the Giralang community and Giralang Primary School P & C Association, and the Ginninderra Creek Catchment Landcare Group.

Your petitioners therefore request that the Assembly, as an urgent priority, review the release and sale of this land for the purpose of residential development, and immediately: