Postal Address: PO Box 3701 Weston Creek ACT 2611

Phone: 6288 8975

Fax: 6288 9179

E-mail info@wccc.com.au

Website: www.wccc.com.au

Jeff Carl welcomed members of the committee and residents. Mr. Carl indicated that Colin Stewart and Bronwen Jones would talk on the Holder and Rivet Shopping Centres project followed by Wanda Kausz from PALM who would talk about ACTCODE2. Other business would then be attended to.

Mary Sexton, Di Patterson.

Colin Stewart conveyed to the meeting the outcomes of the survey work undertaken in Rivett and Holder in regard to resident's preferences on the re-development of the two shopping centres. Letter box deliveries were undertaken by a commercial distributor however it was believed that there was not good coverage as letterboxes with ‘no junk mail’ were missed and the survey was delivered with store catalogues and may have been immediately discarded with them. There was a 10% return of surveys - based on the likely number of households.

Workshops were also held in Rivett and Holder and attendances were minimal. School Principals have also been interviewed. Some, but not all, shopkeepers have been spoken to.

Many commented that the Rivett shops were not clean or safe and were very unattractive. Information from the Rivett surveys indicated a preference to shop at Chapman or Cooleman Court. Traffic calming in Bangalay Cres adjacent to the shops was seen as a requirement. In general the workshop and a walk at the shopping centre with informal talks provided re-enforcement of the findings in the survey.

The feedback on Holder was the dislike of the empty Service Station and the need for a newsagency. Residents saw an acceptable, but a small, community shopping centre as the preferred outcome. The informal walk around the shopping centre provided some good ideas and options to improve them. Access to the William Douglas Kennedy Park needs to be improved. The speed of the traffic passed the shops was also commented upon as well as the dilemma of slowing cars to gain access.

An over riding issue is the fragile economics of small shopping centres. The aim of the project is to come up with several options to present to PALM. The first outcome will be to draw up ideas, options and costs and then later for PALM to undertake the formal process later in the year.

General comments from the meeting included a total revamp of Rivett. Buying out the owners, bulldozing and re-starting, allowing houses and shops together to create a ‘high street’. Other suggestions were to re-create what has been achieved at Fisher and or Chapman. Colin Stewart advised the meeting that he had not visited other shopping centres in Weston Creek nor had he visited the centres at night to gauge their usage or the safety aspects of lighting, but he intended to do so in the near future.

General comments were that Holder was an attractive place to shop and the combination of a doctor and pharmacy are obviously helping the centre.

Mr. Carl thanked Colin Stewart and Bronwen Jones.

Jeff Carl introduced Wanda Kausz to the meeting. Wanda advised that she was a planner from PALM and was working on aspects of ACTCODE 2. ACTCODE 2 was a review of residential housing and development policies and was being encouraged by the Federal Government. The aim in the ACT is to use general national guidelines and customise them for the ACT.

One of the major areas being investigated is whether the guidelines will provide better design of housing and improved land development. It is not a ‘draft variation’ as yet; it is a discussion paper for input by 23 July 2001. The material contains changes to processes, definitions and the streamlining of regulations and ordinances. When the document is in the public arena as a ‘draft variation’ then specific issues can be identified and drawn out.

ACTCODE 2 is for design and siting as well as streetscapes, trees and the development of neighbourhood planning.

For established areas such as Weston Creek, Part 4 is important in looking at how new work impacts on existing communities - tree protection; front fences and street enhancement. Part 5 addresses privacy, setbacks and the overlooking of other leasees. The document is user friendly and provides a guide on what are considered options to achieve a planning outcome.

ACTCODE 2 can also be used to plan a community’s development to address issues such as changing population, and the needs of communities with different age profiles as well as address basic community infrastructure needs. Qualitative guidelines are seen as important as they attempt to address the perceptions and needs of a community.

Paperwork is available here tonight at the meeting and feedback is encouraged to the contact numbers. Ms Kausz indicated that she hoped to arrange a detailed workshop in Weston Creek in July.

Mr. Carl thanked Ms Kausz for the overview of ACTCODE 2 and would be happy to discuss the use of the July WCCC meeting as a workshop.

Mr. Carl advised the meeting the current WCCC honorary Auditor Sue Galvin, had moved to Melbourne. Mr. Gary Rake of Rivett had volunteered to audit the books of the WCCC in the capacity of an honorary Auditor. Mr. Carl moved a vote of thanks to Sue Galvin for her efforts over the last several years and that Mr. Rake be the new WCCC auditor. Moved Jeff Carl, seconded Bob Sutherland. Accepted unanimously by the meeting.

Superintendent Alan Castle advised the meeting that the AFP were still concerned regarding the number of arson attacks in Weston Creek. Burglaries were down and the number of incidents at the Woden Bus Interchange had fallen.

The Joint Emergency Services facility in Woden was expected to be operational by mid 2002.

Questions from the meeting centred on traffic flow near the new DHA construction site. The large double bogey trucks were a concern however their use would diminish as the earthworks were completed. The number of work vehicles and the access to the site was of concern to the residents given that the location of the temporary offices blocked the line of sight. The vehicle entry onto Stretton Drive was obviously a danger to residents and the workmen themselves. Mr. Castles advised the meeting that he would talk with the project coordination company.

Mr. Carl invited Mr. Jack White NHW coordinator for Duffy to address the meeting. Mr. White advised the meeting that the coordinators in Duffy and the newly extended NHW areas of Weston and Holder, were acting as community facilitators and helping people contact the right person when there was an issue of concern.

The Executive was well aware that the moratorium on the area was coming to an end and community input on ‘what next’ will be required. There is the community need to be involved, meeting PALM objectives in providing for the exiting community and perhaps additions to that community. The ultimate decision will be that of those elected in the October 2001 ACT Legislative Assembly election.

This project being managed by the University of Canberra will be undertaking a survey of residents in August as the next stage of this investigative project. If residents would like more information on the project please contact the WCCC.

The WCCC celebrates its 10^th anniversary in July 2001. Bob Sutherland undertook to generate some bi-partisan publicity in the free local newspapers.

Mr. Carl advised the meeting that the Executive had meet with representatives of the Chief Ministers Department and secured a 33% increase in the WCCC operating grant. In addition agreement was reached that individual Departments and Agencies could contribute to the cost of advertising meetings at which they were the guest speaker to meet their community consultation obligations under the ACT Government "Community Consultation protocol".

Mr. Sutherland advised the meeting of the provision of $80,000 for electronic connection for Weston Creek residents provided by the ACT Government (see ACT budget paper no 3 page 79 2001-2002). This was in the form of 2 connections to Canberra Connect. This is a closed loop Intranet which only allows access to the ACT Government website. It is not an open Internet connection.

The initial suggestion is that this be located in the government owned building leased to the Weston Creek Community Assn (no links to WCCC). However a number of attendees at the meeting including Jacqui Burke MLA questioned the location and considered that although the funding has been approved perhaps other locations need to be factored into the decision. The removal of the ACT Government electronic kiosk from within Cooleman Court is an issue that needs further discussion especially with Cooleman Court management and the shopkeepers. The Executive of the WCCC will discuss this with Ms Burke in detail.

The Executive of the WCCC late last month addressed a meeting of concerned Woden Valley residents who were attempting to form a Woden Community Council. That meeting discussed the various models under which community councils in Canberra operated and covered some of the issues which have impacted on Weston Creek. The WCCC indicated that they would provide advice where appropriate to assist those residents.

Mr. Graham Camage, the leasee of the ex Holder Service Station, advised that he had submitted a DA 4 months ago for a change of lease purpose because the site was not economical for a petrol station. His first preference is to develop a quality residential area. His second preference, if the DA is not approved, is a truck washing facility for heavy trucks and earth moving equipment which is within the lease purposes.

The minutes of the WCCC are on our website at www.wccc.com.au and our e-mail is info@wccc.com.au

If any attendees had changed their ISP could they please advise the WCCC.

Meeting closed 9.30pm

Next Meeting:

Wednesday 25^th July 2001