Page 1729 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 5 May 2010
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Then, a few months later—we are up to September 2005—we see the first sign that there is going to be a delay in the release of section 133 in Dunlop. A few days later, ACTPLA recommended that an issues management strategy be implemented for Dunlop local centre. A month later in 2005 the then planning minister, Mr Corbell, confirmed the scheduled release was originally going to be for April 2005 but had been delayed pending further detailed planning. Ten days later, a retail study was undertaken and then a few days later the auction of block 4, section 133, Dunlop commenced. It was actually sold for $1.09 million. That is a couple of years later than when the ACT government said it would actually take place.
A DA was lodged soon after and it took many months for ACTPLA to actually get back to the developer to give further information. After some toing-and-froing again, another DA had been lodged. It was lodged on 11 November 2009 with comments closing on the ACTPLA website by 29 April this year.
We do seem to have a little while yet to wait before the shops are constructed. However, my concern here is not with the developer. It is not with their plans for the site. My concerns are with the ACT government and the tremendous delay there has been in getting this community centre underway.
It is worth noting that Labor and the Greens have been silent on this issue. This has been a big issue for the people of Dunlop. It has been a big issue for many years. Mrs Dunne, who has been here since 2001, would know very well that the people of Dunlop have been concerned about their shopping centre for a long time. Not everyone in Dunlop is for the shops and it is fair to say that some people are not concerned about the local shopping centre.
However, in recent years we have seen that there has been a resurgence in local shopping centres. Any doubts about whether it would be viable, I think, are probably not as strong as they perhaps once were. But it has been an issue for many years and there has been an acute lack of leadership from the Labor Party. There has been an acute lack of leadership from the members for Belconnen, the members for Ginninderra, they being Jon Stanhope and Ms Porter and, of course, from Ms Hunter for the Greens since the last election.
So bad was the neglect of Jon Stanhope on this issue, despite this saga lasting years and years, that he did not even know Dunlop was planned to have shops. I will quote from a transcript of what he said on 10 July last year—nine or 10 months ago—on ABC radio at 9.35 am. The presenter on talkback radio said:
Good morning, Keith.
Keith said:
G’day, how are you doing?
Mr Stanhope said:
Good morning Keith.
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