Page 5610 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 17 November 2010
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stops in the Molonglo Valley. Whilst I acknowledge that this is important, these bus stops will be redundant unless we have adequate bus routes to service these shops. As I have discussed with local residents, Weston Creek is like a saucer, with Cooleman Court at its lowest point, so walking or cycling in the area can be difficult purely due to the geography. Having to walk uphill to or from Cooleman Court with shopping can be difficult, particularly for the elderly or people with young families. It must be acknowledged when looking at transport options for the area that the geography of the area is considerably different from that of north Canberra, for example.
Traffic developments will need to be monitored and planned for. A main arterial route into the Cooleman Court area is Streeton Drive and controversial changes were made to this road late last year when a bike lane was modified and the road was reduced to one lane in parts. Developments in Molonglo and North Weston will only bring more people along this route, increasing traffic congestion.
Commercial development in Cooleman Court was recently completed and it is not surprising when you see the level of demand currently levied on the area and the increased demand that is projected. The centre itself was recently upgraded by its owners, Mirvac. The centre now boasts both a Woolies and an Aldi supermarket, an attractive prospect for people from outside the area.
There are a number of very good reasons why we need a master plan established for the Weston Group Centre. It has been articulated to me passionately by members of the community and I have outlined those reasons. The Weston Creek Community Council is one organisation that has been advocating for such a facility to receive a master plan for some time. I would like to acknowledge the work of the deputy chairman, Tom Anderson, who is also acting as chairman, who has provided me with some invaluable information and insight into the current developments and needs of the Weston Creek community in general; also the hard work of the members of the committee, including Simon Hearder, Heather Hughes, Mal Ferguson, Maisie Griffiths and Pat McGinn.
I understand that the government is producing a list and I understand that that will be tabled in the Assembly in June next year. But it is very important to make the point that the case for the Weston Group Centre needs to made, it needs to be at the top of the list and we need that master plan in this Assembly next year.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Planning, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation and Minister for Gaming and Racing) (7:56): I thank Mr Hanson for raising this matter and for the opportunity to talk about master plans, facilities and means of nurturing renewal in out city. I would also like to take the opportunity to advise the Assembly of the approach that the government is taking to the preparation of master plans in our important community hubs, most particularly group centres and town centres.
The government has committed considerable resources to an ongoing program of preparing and implementing master plans. In each case the government engages with local communities, local businesses and others who use the centres as part of their daily lives. In addition, we ensure that master plans deliver on the shared vision carefully crafted in close collaboration with local communities.
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