Page 3405 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 14 November 2006
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I move:
That the report be noted.
This report is the result of an inquiry which began in April this year. The committee invited a range of stakeholders to express their views on the proposed variation. The committee would like to thank the Minister for Planning, Mr Simon Corbell, the senior ACT planning officials and stakeholders who assisted the committee during the course of this inquiry.
The committee agrees with several submissions that the cultural and heritage values of Woden need to be better recognised and enhanced. The Callam offices, the Woden health centre, the Woden cemetery and the library are being considered by the Heritage Council for registration. I would like to note that the ACT government has indicated it will retain community facility zoning in the territory plan under the restructured territory plan. The committee agrees with the recommendations by the Woden Valley Community Council and Professor Stewart from the University of Canberra that the implementation of the Canberra social plan should be a high priority for the ACT government.
The social aspects of ecologically sustainable development are just as important as the economic and environmental issues of concern. Given this, as well as at other additional sites in the Woden Valley, the redevelopment of the Woden bus interchange is likely to include a community facility. The committee welcomes the proposed rejuvenation of the mixed services area. Of course, though, some problems, one of which is noise pollution, are created when business and residential buildings are mixed together. The committee therefore recommends that noise attenuation measures be required for new residential buildings.
I would also like to discuss another issue that arises from conflicting land uses when permitted land uses not previously activated are used, in particular with regard to waste collection. As the Woden town centre is classified as zone B under the Environment Protection Regulation 2005, commercial waste may be collected from the area at any time between 2.00 am and 10.00 pm; therefore there is no need to comply with zone noise standards during these hours. As a result, the report recommends that the ACT Commercial Waste Industry Code of Practice and the Environmental Protection Regulation 2005 be reviewed so that there is some regulation of the hours during which waste can be collected from the mixed services area in Phillip and other areas as appropriate to adequately cater for residents’ needs.
Moreover, several submissions to the committee highlighted parking issues as a result of development. The committee agreed and has recommended that the variation include the provision of publicly accessible parking where a development displaces existing parking. However, the committee also recognised that encouraging an increased use of public transport is preferable to providing more public car parking.
It is recommended that the Phillip pool and ice-skating rink be retained and refurbished. This is essential for a range of social reasons, such as promoting mental
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