Page 3041 - Week 08 - Thursday, 25 June 2009
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committee had just signed off on a report recommending the draft variation to the north Watson site. I was the only member of the planning and environment committee who turned up. I was the only elected member who went who was invited to go. I was the only member who accepted the invitation to turn up and I went, and I represented my position, the position that I took to the planning and environment committee, which produced a unanimous report to vary the territory plan.
Mr Hargreaves: I remember somebody here getting sacked as the chair of that committee.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves!
MRS DUNNE: At that meeting some of the residents said they wanted to express to the minister their concerns about the north Watson development and, as an elected representative, I undertook to facilitate their representation. They knew that my views were different from theirs, but I undertook to represent their views and take them with me so that they could represent their views to the Minister for Planning. On 3 September, I wrote to him. I sent him an email which said:
Last night I attended a community meeting about the future of North Watson—the Canberry Fair site. It was a very well-attended meeting with some strong views expressed.
As the only elected member at the meeting I undertook to represent to you the views of the meeting. I would like to meet with you as soon as possible to pass on the concerns and desires of the people at the meeting. I suggested that some of the members seeking election in the Molonglo electorate who took the time to attend the meeting might attend with me.
I asked if we could have a meeting. After a bit of backwards and forwards over a couple of weeks, the reply came back:
I am still considering the issues raised in the Planning and Environment Committee report on the draft variation and do not propose to take any further action on the matter before the election … I would suggest that a meeting early in the term of the next Assembly would be appropriate.
That meant Andrew Barr was too cowardly to meet constituents in the run-up to an election so that they could express to him—
Mr Barr: What rubbish!
MRS DUNNE: the views that I was prepared to come and listen and hear.
Mr Barr: I was at the North Canberra Community Council meeting, Vicki. You weren’t there, I was.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Barr!
MRS DUNNE: That was not the meeting, it was a special meeting, a separate meeting, organised by people who were concerned.
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