Council invites the Weston Creek community to the 28 June 2023 Public Meeting. This meeting will focus on waste water and urban open space.
ICON Water intends to upgrade Canberra’s waste water systems as the population heads towards the 500,000 mark. Daniel Iglesias TCCS, Executive Branch Manager, will be discussing the draft Urban Open Space Strategy (see https://yoursayconversations.act.gov.au/managing-our-urban-open-spaces). If time permits, we will also discuss the content of the revised constitution and voting procedures.
EVENT: JUNE 2023 PUBLIC MEETING.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, 28 JUNE 2023. TIME: 7:30 PM
LOCATION: WESTON CREEK COMMUNITY CENTRE, off PARKINSON STREET
The meeting will be webcast live via our Facebook pages. Questions that we receive will be presented to the speakers. Please let us know your question in advance by email or the Facebook pages.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE WILL NOT BE A PUBLIC MEETING IN JULY 2023
CHAIR’S REPORT
Just to be sure, there will not be a Weston Creek Community Council Public Meeting in July 2023. This decision has been taken for a few reasons, including that no major agenda items impacting Weston Creek likely to emerge, the cold weather making it that little bit harder for people to come out and to give our volunteers a mid-year respite.
Continuing with the theme of public engagements for Council, the ACT Government has flagged they are open to a more flexible approach to the way Community Councils engage with their local communities in this post Covid environment. While we have some ideas, we can’t do anything definitive until the Government provides clear guidance through the annual grant documentation. We are also open to suggestions for alternative delivery options. Please let us know of any “light bulb” engagement ideas you may have through a quick email to info@westoncreek.org.au.
The Planning Act 2023 has now been passed by the Assembly and significant portions of your Council’s input into the draft legislation has been included in the final version. This should mean the Planning Directorate is subject to a robust set of guiding principles as it goes about consideration of development proposals. It also means the previously much maligned “call-in” powers held by the Planning Minister have been repealed, in favour of a provision that provides for the entire Legislative Assembly to consider proposals considered to be Territory Priority Projects. This means there will be opportunity to directly lobby MLAs about projects, rather than learn about them after the decision has been taken.
Council advocated strongly to ensure the Territory Priority Projects provision had the strongest legislative protection. What this means is that in future controversial developments that may have a political implication cannot be decided by the Planning Minister alone.
The next steps with the Planning Review include the governance review, settling the District Strategies and the Territory Plan. Council has already provided significant feedback on the draft documentation, which is available on Council’s website. We thank those individuals who took the time out of their lives to provide valuable input.
The content of the 2023-24 Territory Budget will be known by the time you read this newsletter. There will be some very modest investment in the Weston Creek area. Funding for the Joint Emergency Services Centre on Cotter Road will be included. Most disappointingly, however, no decision has been taken about a permanent police presence for Weston Creek or the Molonglo Valley. The Molonglo Valley Community Forum is also bemused. Council has made our displeasure known and you may have seen some media on the issue.
Provision of reliable internet services is essential. Internet installations need to be of a high quality but not undermine community safety or amenity. Council has been receiving comments about NBN upgrades in the local area not being conducted in a professional manner. Of concern are former Telstra pits in the Weston Creek District (and presumably other Canberra Districts) left open for a significant period after work is completed. Our understanding is these pits await asbestos remediation work, and it can take up to 12 months for remediation to occur. We have been in touch with Independent Senator David Pocock on this issue because he has been lobbying NBN Co for better internet services yet had not been made aware of the issue with exposed pits. Pleasingly, Senator Pocock and his Office took our concerns seriously and included them in their conversations with Government and NBN Co. We also had a conversation with Senator Pocock’s office about the future need for fixed line internet considering the quality of 5G wireless now available. We understand the Chief Minister holds a similar view. If you become aware of such a pit, please let us know (via email to info@westoncreek.org.au).
We are pleased that Icon Water has undertaken to present at our June Public Meeting about the need to upgrade waste water infrastructure and technology to improve performance on a range of measures and increase the capacity to treat Canberra’s waste water. They are asking customers and the community to take a short online survey to learn about the projects planned, test some ideas, and share their feedback. They have also arranged a draw to win prizes up to $500 for people who provide feedback. Scan the QR code below to take the survey!
CELEBRATING WORKING TOGETHER AND ACHIEVING.
The Weston Creek Community Council (WCCC) continues to be a forum for residents to meet, share ideas and to convey concerns to government. We are non-partisan, advocating for the best services and facilities for the people of Weston Creek. To continue to function successfully we need community input and feedback. We really need volunteers to join your Council to assist with a few tasks. Innovative ideas and skills are valuable and appreciated. Tasks could include moderating social media, setting up meeting facilities, advocacy and engagement, grant application writing, video recording and editing, asset management or a more formal position on Council’s committee. Do you have a little bit of spare time, and want to contribute to something in your community? If yes, please contact us.