Members of the Committee of the Weston Creek Community Council (WCCC) attended workshops on the Open Spaces Development Plan for Weston Creek to assist the ACT Government in identifying issues in respect of managing open spaces in Weston Creek.
The management strategy for parks and sportsgrounds released by Planning Minister Gary Humphries in January 1998 did nothing to address the lack of provision of facilities in Weston Creek (see The Valley View 13 January 1998 page 1 and 5).
The provision of good quality open space and well managed parklands is not happening in Weston Creek. There is a major discrepancy between the suburbs in Weston Creek and other parts of Canberra in respect of well-managed open spaces.
A number of school ovals in Weston Creek have been given the lowest ranking for maintenance and the Weston Primary School oval was closed to students as it was considered too dangerous. The strategy plan did not appear to show any improvement in the management of parklands and sports grounds in Weston Creek.
Another issue raised was that Weston Creek has not been allocated a single town or district park in the plans, even though we have a population of 24,000. Such a park, if allocated to Weston Creek, would have the highest level of maintenance under the plan. Equivalents in other districts include Fadden Pines and the Kambah Adventure Playground.
In the current budget climate the WCCC holds little hope of achieving a district park.
The report ‘Woden and Weston Creek’s Urban Parks and Sportsgrounds – Plan of Management’ Nov 1998 prepared by Mandis Roberts Consultants is a useful reference work released by the ACT Government. ISBN 1 86331 458 X Publication No. 99/2577.