Page 4618 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 27 November 2019
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Secondly, the Coombs peninsula contains an area of pink-tailed worm-lizard habitat which should be protected. This lizard is listed as vulnerable, both nationally and in the ACT. Because of the environmental values of this area, the Conservation Council has been fighting since 2010 to protect it. In the Seventh Assembly, there were discussions about the estate development plan for Molonglo. It tended to be called the Coombs tip in those days, but the Coombs peninsula, a more appropriate name, was left out of the maps for development because it was recognised from the beginning that this is an area of considerable environmental sensitivity.
Thirdly, and one of the reasons for that, is that the peninsula is next to a really narrow part of the reserve. It is less than 200 metres wide at that point. Research has shown that very narrow reserves do not adequately protect biodiversity. This peninsula would be a great way to widen the reserve at the narrowest point.
Fourthly, the site has beautiful views along the river and would be ideal for recreation, as Mrs Jones has talked about. You could say, “Why on earth would you need more space for recreation when you have the Molonglo gorge just next to you?” I think that that probably is a valid question, but the answer is that the Molonglo gorge has an awful lot going for it but flattish space is not one of the attributes of being a gorge. It is a real asset for the people who live in Coombs, Wright and Denman Prospect to be next to the Molonglo gorge and the river reserve there. I recognise the recreational value of that 100 per cent, but there is also some positive to having reasonably flat space.
And there is another positive. I am aware that the Suburban Land Agency is in discussion with residents close to Holdens Creek about the possible location of a considerable amount of playground equipment there. There may be space on the peninsula to have some or all of that playground equipment without compromising environmental values. The area in Coombs around there is a high-density area; I know that the space is currently being used and I am sure that it would continue to be used. Finally, only 30 dwellings are planned. If we took this land off the land release program, it would make no material difference to the ACT’s housing supply. Also, I do not think that there was any likelihood that it was going to be used for affordable housing. The Greens are concerned about having space for affordable housing, but I am not thinking that changing this will make any difference to land supply for affordable or social housing in the ACT.
These views, from me in particular and the Greens in general, should come as no surprise to anyone. They are 100 per cent in line with the recommendations of the planning and urban renewal standing committee on draft variation 360 Molonglo River reserve. I am the chair of that committee and fully supported the recommendations, which were unanimous. The recommendations were that the Coombs peninsula be (a) considered for environmental and recreational purposes; (b) withdrawn from the land release program while this consideration is completed; and (c) rezoned by draft variation 360 to the hills, ridges and buffer zone.
The last recommendation brings me to my amendment. Mrs Jones’s motion is excellent, but I would like to add the one element that is not in it: rezoning the
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