The Tuggeranong Community Council’s Planning and Development Sub-Committee is working on two very important submissions dealing with issues that will have a major impact on Valley residents. The first is a submission to the ACT Government on the Eastern Broadacre Study. The Study deals with the future development of the eastern ACT from Hume to Majura as an employment corridor. The plan also calls for the expansion of Hume as a heavy industrial area. This will have an impact on all Tuggeranong residents. The deadline for submissions is 17 November and the TCC encourages individuals to formally comment. The latest details can be found on our website at www.tuggcc.com
The other major planning issue facing Tuggeranong residents is that old perenial, Tralee. Queanbeyan City Council is again calling for submissions after re-advertising the proposal to build homes at Tralee. The TCC put forward a submission in January stating it objected to homes being built under the Canberra Airport’s high noise corridor because Tuggeranong residents feared it would lead to aircraft being re-routed over their homes. At our last meeting with the Chief Minister said he also indicated that aircraft flightpaths would be moved over Tuggeranong if Tralee went ahead. The TCC believes Tralee would better suited for industrial use and as an extension to the Hume Industrial Estate. Everyone is advised to make a representation to Queanbeyan City Council on Tralee because all previous submissions have been discarded now it is going through a whole new process of consideration. Visit “Latest News – Plans on Exhibition” at www.qcc.nsw.gov.au or visit our TCC website for more information.
The ACT Government’s Business and Industry Development Department has called for community comment on a clean ACT economy. It is seeking ideas and suggestions on what society can do to work towards a 40% reduction in carbon emissions. For more details visit the TCC website. Tuggeranong residents are also invited to participate in discussions on the community’s vision for Canberra in the year 2030. The “Time to Talk” initiative includes a comprehensive website to captuire ideas from residents. It also encourages wider community discussion in what we want our city to be like in the future at www.canberra2030.org.au
The 22nd Tuggeranong Festival kicks off on 26 November. The Tuggeranong Festival is the longest running festival in the ACT and always a great day out for the family. The TCC will be joining in festivities. Members will be manning an information booth, rallying new members and meeting and discussing issues of concern to the community. For the Festival’s program, see www.tuggeranongfestival.org.au
The next meeting of the TCC will be held on Tuesday 2 November commencing at 7.30pm upstairs at the Tuggeranong Southern Cross Club. The agenda will include a resenation from the Uniting Church on aged residential and care facilities planned for Gordon and discussion on future plans for the Tuggeranong Hyperdome. We look forward to seeing you there.
Darryl Johnston
President
The Tuggeranong Community Council held its own “Great Debate” as part of the 2010 Federal Election Campaign with the candidates standing in the seat of Canberra and seeking to represent the ACT in the Senate attending a General Meeting held on Tuesday 3rd August. Invitations were sent to all ALP, Liberal, Greens and Australian Democrats candidates along with invites to other Community Council’s members and community organisations in the Tuggeranong Valley.
From 7:30pm, each of the candidates offered their own introduction and then members of the public were given an opportunity to question candidates on issues that concern them and their community. It was a very intersting meeting and there was no Election Worm on the night!
The TCC will next host a Special Council meeting on Thursday 12th August to consider the Eastern Broadacre Study. This meeting will be addressed by ACT Planning and Land Authority Project Manager, Belinda McNeice.
The Eastern Broadacre Study covers the future development of the eastern half of the ACT from Hume in the south to Majura in the north inlcuding Symonston and the Jerrabomberra Valley. This large area has been identified as a future employment corridor with the development of light industrial, commercial, tourist and transport related activities.
The TCC believes the Eastern Broadacre Study has major implications for the Tuggeranong Valley and the Special Meeting on 12th August is an opportunity for residents to have their say on this important subject.
This meeting will also be held in the upstairs function room of the Tuggeranong Southern Cross Club commencing at 7.30pm.
The TCC always welcomes new members who wish to make a positive contribution to their community. For more information visit www.tuggcc.com.
The Tuggeranong Community Council has taken its fight against plans for a residential development at Tralee all the way to Federal Parliament. The TCC Vice President, Col Petrie and I, had a very successful meeting recently with senior staff of the office of the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure, Regional Development and Local Government, Hon Anthony Albanese MP. The meeting was arranged at the TCC’s request by the Federal Member for Canberra, Annette Ellis MP who also participated in the discussions. We were very pleased with the hearing that we were given and encouraged by the support from our local member and the Minister’s office.
During the discussions I outlined that the TCC was opposed to the construction of homes at Tralee and under the flight-path of Canberra Airport. The TCC’s position was reaffirmed in a survey of Tuggeranong residents it had conducted in late 2009. The message from the survey was loud and clear, Tuggeranong residents are concerned that if homes are built a Tralee that it will eventually lead to the relocation of aircraft flight paths over Tuggeranong.
TCC Vice President, Col Petrie, spoke of his many years experience as a building inspector and the impact of aircraft noise in Sydney that led to an expensive sound-proofing program of homes. We suggested a way to break the impasse was to allow the land at Tralee to be developed as an extension to the Hume Industrial Estate.
Ms Ellis and the Minister’s staff supported our concerns and reaffirmed the Minister’s view, as stated in the Aviation White Paper, that housing is considered an inappropriate development near airports and especially under airport flight paths. We left the meeting encouraged by the support that Tuggeranong residents had been given by Ms Ellis and the Minister’s Office. Meanwhile the TCC will keep a watching brief on Tralee, its possible impact on Canberra Airport and Tuggeranong residents.
Since taking on the role of President of the Tuggeranong Community Council (TCC) in November 2009, I have met with many members of community groups, organisations and individuals seeking to engage with the new TCC. During that time, I have met with members of Canberrans’ for Power Station Relocation Inc (CPR) Group. In my discussions with CPR, I have been disturbed to find that some CPR members feel aggrieved by certain verbal and written comments made by the past President of the TCC. As the new President of the TCC, and on behalf of the TCC, I confirm that I do not support those comments and apologise for any hurt or damage that such statements may have caused CPR and its members. In view of all the evidence I have reviewed, I recognise that CPR was not officially formed until 12 May 2008 and therefore CPR can not be blamed for any aggressive behaviour or disruption to any TCC or public meetings which may have occurred prior to that date. It follows that CPR can not be held accountable for an incident that allegedly took place at a meeting on 28 April 2008. I find no evidence that CPR have deliberately disrupted any TCC meetings. As the new President of the TCC I also disassociate myself from comments attributed to the past President and reported in the Southside Chronicle in early 2009. I understand that CPR had attempted on a number of occasions to seek a positive working relationship with the TCC and CPR has only worked to inform the Canberra community of issues of concern to all residents of Canberra. I sincerely wish that, by offering my apologies on behalf of the TCC, we can put these issues behind us. I trust that we can now look to the future and to working together for the overall benefit of our community.
Darryl Johnston
President
Tuggeranong Community Council
The issue of random roadside drug testing in the ACT will be further considered at the next meeting of the Tuggeranong Community Council on Tuesday 2 March. While drink driving remains a major factor in road accidents in Australia, drug driving is also a cause for concern, particularly in the ACT. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Australia rates first place in the world for abuse of MDMA (Ecstasy) out of 99 countries, 2nd place for abuse of Amphetamines and 10th place for abuse of Cannabis. Meanwhile, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the ACT ranks number one in Australia for abuse of Ecstasy, 3rd for abuse of Amphetamines and 4th place for abuse of Cannabis. Not only are Council members concerned about drug abuse in the ACT, they are also concerned that people are driving on our roads while under the influence of these illegal drugs.
Read more…
Dear Tuggeranong resident,
You are invited to comment on the attached “Conversations with the community” a draft communications strategy. (scroll down/read more to preview online or click here to download the document as a PDF)
The aim of the strategy is to:
- assist the TCC Executive in communicating better, with you and other interested people, and
- inform the TCC Executive how it should communicate with government and other organisations on your behalf.
Your contributions will be reflected in the final communication strategy, for endorsement by the TCC membership.
Comments for the strategy will be closed on 25 March 2010.
Best regards,
Darryl Johnston
President
TCC
We invite you to leave your comments below:
Read more…
Happy New Year and welcome to 2010.
I expect a busy year ahead for the Tuggeranong Community Council as we deal with issues that impact on our community and work to build a strong, positive, inclusive and effective voice for Tuggeranong residents. I also want to build a council that is run by its members and one that works hand-in-hand with other community organisations and groups. To this end we will begin 2010 with the launch of the new TCC committee structure at our first meeting for year on Thursday 4th February. The new structure is designed to give members a greater role in the running of the Council and in the decision making process. I believe this structure will go a long way in improving our links with government, other community organisations and Tuggeranong residents.
Read more…
