Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 7 Hansard (4 June) . . Page.. 1890 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

variation was released in April 2000, so this variation process has been going on for over two years.

The disallowance that Mrs Dunne has put forward affects two particular group centres. The part of the motion relating to Calwell is due to the lobbying of a person who owns a block in the area affected by the variation. The other part of the motion, relating to Kippax, is in response to concerns raised by residents around Kippax about the lack of action on creating a permanent library there.

Regarding the Kippax group centre, there has been a debate going on for a few years now about the future of the Kippax Pool and Fitness Centre and the vacant land between it and the Kippax Fair. The owner of the fitness centre, Mrs Liangis, put forward a proposal to redevelop this centre into a supermarket because the fitness centre was not economically viable by itself. I understand that the centre has now closed down. The previous Liberal government, in one of its efforts in developer-led planning, put up a separate plan variation, No 163, to allow this redevelopment to occur by extending the retail precinct to the fitness centre site.

The Kippax Fair owners then put up an alternative proposal for a second supermarket. The offer of building a new library as part of the development was used as bait in both proposals. This variation went to the former Planning and Urban Services Committee, which rejected the Liangis proposal and recommended that no change be made to the zoning of the fitness centre site.

The committee did however raise the need for a larger and more comprehensive community facility that incorporated the existing Kippax Health Centre, a permanent library, meeting rooms and other community services for the West Belconnen area. The existing Kippax Health Centre is showing its age and is poorly located, behind the Kippax Fair shopping centre. The library has been in a temporary building for many years, and it is about time a permanent library was built here.

I fully agree with this recommendation, and I am disappointed that debate over the development of community facilities in Kippax has dragged on for so long. I think that the development of community facilities is more important than the issue of whether there should be a second supermarket in Kippax.

The plan variation before us does not specifically set aside land for this community facility, but there is vacant unleased land in Kippax where such a facility could be located-namely, the blocks between Kippax Fair and the fitness centre. Under the variation there is no restriction on placing such a facility in a group centre. It is now up to the government to take the initiative and make a decision on what it is going to do with these vacant blocks and the adjacent health centre.

I am glad that Mr Corbell made the statement during question time today that the government is undertaking studies of the health and community services needs in West Belconnen and that decisions will be made on this by September, which will inform what happens to the vacant blocks in Kippax.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .