Page 5608 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 17 November 2010
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It is likely that many existing facilities in Weston Creek will be utilized by future Molonglo Valley residents.
I think that is particularly true in the early stages until facilities are adequately delivered in the Molonglo Valley. And I think our experience of Gungahlin has shown that this government crams as many people into new suburbs as it can before public amenity is delivered.
Cooleman Court is the community centre for Weston Creek and many adjacent suburbs and it needs to be treated as such. The government must be aware that there are a number of issues regarding the provision of facilities to meet the growing population; otherwise they would not have chosen to undertake a parking survey of the area in 2009. They must be aware, but they are just choosing to ignore the problem, hoping it will go away.
In December 2009 TAMS chose to address the issue of parking in the area by commissioning a study into parking issues at Cooleman Court. Roads ACT conducted a parking survey over three days and it showed that the parking lots near the shopping centre were operating at full capacity during peak demand. The survey also showed that parking facilities for people with disabilities were insufficient. I know, as a regular user of that facility, that you do not need a survey to tell you that.
In an attempt to make the parking statistics look better than they were, TAMS chose to include the car parking at the Irish Club, the Canberra Church of Christ, the Uniting Church and the Weston Creek Children’s Centre. However, these are all private venues with their own customers and car parking requirements. This is not parking available for general use. The survey also counted car spaces at the tennis courts on Namatjira Drive and other car parks some distance from the centre. It is commonsense that these car parks are not serving the shopping centre.
Parking issues are only going to get worse with an ageing population accessing the centre that require parking close to entrances. Parents of students currently attending the Islamic School will also begin to shop at Cooleman Court, along with workers brought into the area by the development work in the Molonglo Valley. Common sense tells us that facilities without adequate parking nearby will make it difficult for people with young children, the elderly and those with disabilities to access them. The majority of parking in the area also currently has a two-hour limit. It is important to acknowledge that this may not be the best option for access to community facilities.
Parking facilities are an essential part of infrastructure, and without adequate parking people will choose not to shop at Cooleman Court nor use the community facilities available, and this will have a flow-on effect for commercial premises in the area with people not able to pop into the shops on their way home from work as they simply will not be able to find a park. People of the area will also be forced to travel further afield to such areas as Kambah or Woden to access essential services. A lack of potential for growth will then mean that businesses are less likely to invest in the area.
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