Page 556 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 14 March 2007
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As demand for access to accommodation within these facilities is high, the number of facilities limited and turnover low, Property Group runs an application register to manage interest from community groups for accommodation in multipurpose buildings ...
As offers of accommodation are made on a first come, first served basis, it could take some time before an offer of accommodation is forthcoming. Furthermore, I have heard that community groups are queued up for the closed school sites, so there is certainly no shortage of potential tenants.
ACTCOSS notes in its submission to the 2007-08 budget process than in 2003 ACTPLA published the first stage of the “community facilities needs assessment” which covered northern Canberra, followed in 2004 by the report for stage 2, which took in the second half of the city. There was to be a final report, stage 3, but this has not yet been publicly released. Another report has also been completed for the City West area but it is also yet to be made available. I hope to see those very soon. To quote from the ACTCOSS budget submission:
This process has now been in progress for well over 5 years, and yet we are still to see any response to any of these investigations from the ACT Government. ACTCOSS calls on the government to formulate a meaningful response to these issues with a strategic action plan to improve access to appropriate premises.
While the Greens would like community organisations to have access to more sites in the long term, we also recognise that communities of many of the closed schools want to have the option of the schools being re-opened. It is quite evident that demand for these sites from all sides, be it members of the public, community groups or private business, is very strong.
Thus far the ACT government has confirmed that its property group within TAMS is considering the future of these sites in accordance with its surplus property policy and guidelines. But the Minister for the Territory and Municipal Services is yet to explain the time frame that the group is working to or what progress it has made. The policy paper requires a property evaluation and options paper to investigate:
what the best future use options are for that Property. Additionally, the evaluation will determine the best possible use of the Property having regard to the requirements and needs of the:
(1) Agency;
(2) ACT Government; and
(3) community.
In addition, the evaluation guidelines state:
To determine what represents the “best economic value” for the ACT Government, all properties identified as potentially surplus must have a cost benefit analysis prepared. This should address all proposed options to enable adequate consideration of the options prior to making a decision.
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