Gungahlin news

News - Community & business

GCC has a rapidly growing base of supporters on its Facebook page. We hit a milestone in June when Wendy Elliott became GCC fan number 300, and the numbers are continuing to grow. Our next target is 400 fans, which is important because it would represent one per cent of Gungahlin’s population, making it a valuable sample size for feedback.

And the Facebook Insights analysis shows us very few of our fans have selected the ‘ignore’ option. This means our fans remain actively interested in what GCC is doing, our notices, and responses to questions.

You can join our Facebook supporter base at facebook.com/gungahlin.

News - Community & business

If you value the work GCC does, how about becoming a part of the team?

We've had some great wins for Gungahlin over the last four years, in planning, urban design, public transport, energy efficiency, the environment and especially education.

But four years is a long time, and we urgently need fresh people.

We need someone to take over the GunSmoke advertising, so Damian can move focus on the design.

Matt Connors has had to resign, so we need a new vice president, someone who can backup the president at meetings and with the media. And thank you to Matt for all the work he's done over the last year or so in the role.

It is also time for me to stand down from the president role. I’m concerned that I haven’t been able to give enough time to the research and submissions for the many planning, transport and environment issues and consultations the ACT Government is throwing at us at a growing rate. I want to focus on this aspect, so need someone to take over as president.

You can help make your community a better place. Email me at president @ gcc.asn.au.

News - Community & business

Without business support, Canberra’s best community newsletter is finished.

Do you advertise in Gungahlin News?

Targeting of our previous supporters by Gungahlin News is hurting GCC finances so badly that the future of our highly regarded newsletter is in peril. Over the last year, we have lost as much as $4000 an issue due to our once strong advertising support being undermined.

Ironically, the Canberra Times started the Gungahlin News after GCC raised concerns about the areas that were missing out on the Chronicle! GunSmoke and the Chronicle have had a harmonious co existence for many years. The Chronicle’s weekly cycle allowed us to get time-critical information out to (part of) the Gungahlin community, and the bi-monthly GunSmoke allowed us more depth of discussion.

Let’s be really clear about what the circulation of your ad is. Gungahlin News goes to Gungahlin CBD, Harrison, Franklin and Forde. Within Gungahlin, the Chronicle goes to Hall, Nicholls, Ngunnawal, Palmerston and Amaroo. That’s it—straight from their “Media Kits”.

News - Community & business

The Canberra Times (Suburbs worse off after road cancelled, 5/8/2010) incorrectly stated that the proposed Monash Drive road route around the base of Mount Ainslie has been scrubbed.

The reality is that that the ACT Government has requested the National Capital Authority remove it from their plans. The NCA has agreed only to investigate and consult on the proposal, but has not agreed to any cancellation at this stage.

Gungahlin Community Council has serious concerns that if ACT Governments of whatever guise continue to fail to deliver fast, segregated, efficient and commuter-attractive public transport for our residents, then Monash Drive will prove absolutely essential.

If we continue to plan for cars with one person in each, then morning gridlocks will surely follow. The alternative road routes into the city are simply not there. It's misguided for people to hang their hopes on the Majura Road upgrade - while needed, it's a far longer route, and will be avoided by many people destined for Civic, Russell and further south.

In a car city, the only alternatives to building Monash Drive are four-laning Majura Avenue into Limestone, bulldozing the trees down Northbourne, or ever-worsening rat-running through the northern suburbs - none of them attractive solutions and all having serious impacts on residents of North Canberra suburbs.

The NCA will be attending our meeting on 11 August to discuss Monash Drive, and GCC will continue to oppose the road's removal from plans until an ACT Government delivers on effective public transport.

Also at the meeting will be David Dawes and other staff from the new ACT Land and Property Services Department. They will explain how their supermarket policy affects the shopping centre sites at Amaroo and Franklin, and the program for accelerated release of new residential land over the next few years.

We'll also use the meeting to further our concerns about the proposed pokie club land sale for the Gungahlin town centre, selection of an appropriate site for the mosque, bringing forward release of more commercial and retail land in the town centre, plus the urgent need for more community centre facilities in new areas such as Franklin.

News - Community & business

With the recent news of the National Broadband Network Company selecting Gungahlin as one of the first parts of Australia to receive the new high speed internet network we are surveying our residents on the current quality of their internet service.

Please complete the short survey from the link below. Feel free to do the survey and speed testing a couple of times at different times of the day and night.

The NBN company has advised that their will carry out community consultations as part of the process to determine exactly which 3000 premises will be initially connected. We hope the survey results will enable us to advise them of exactly which areas of Gungahlin are receiving the worst service and so should be included in the initial roll-out.

Survey: click here

News - Community & business

Our campaign for better broadband took a great leap forward today. Senator Stephen Conroy announced that Gungahlin is to be one of just five locations to get the second stage roll-out of the National Broadband Network.

This means that some 3000 homes in Gungahlin with the poorest internet service are going to get fibre to the home, with installations due to start in the second quarter of 2011.

NBN boss Mike Quigley told IT News that one of the key factors in choosing Gungahlin was the strong community-based campaign on poor internet speeds.

This is a credit to Russ Gillon who set up www.actbroadband.net, Senator Kate Lundy who has campaigned on the issue for years, and Gungahlin Community Council volunteers such as Kevin Cox who have agitated for change for so long.

Telstra still has plenty to answer for, so don't miss our meeting next Wednesday 14 July where local Telstra GM Chris Taylor will answer your concerns.

News - Community & business

Are you sick of poor internet service in Gungahlin? Still stuck on ADSL1 or even worse: dial-up? Have you been paying for higher speed ADSL services that instead run like dial-up or have you been forced to sign up for an expensive and relatively slow wireless service?

If so, then don't miss our meeting on Wednesday evening 14 July. Telstra Countrywide General Manager Chris Taylor has agreed to front up and answer your questions and concerns about the service Telstra has been providing for Gungahlin residents over recent years.

Mr Taylor's appearance at our meeting was triggered by a complaint from him about the accuracy of claims made by us and campaigner for better ACT broadband service Russ Gillon in an article in Gungahlin News (see tinyurl.com/26ynxgs). Mr Taylor wrote that he was "bemused" at the claims made, so we invited him to come to our meeting to explain where it was that we've all got it wrong…

We'll also be asking him why we should cop paying full price for services that Telstra deliberately 'shaped' as a way to cope with their congestion problems.

Our meetings are at the Palmerston Community Centre (behind the shops) from 7.30pm. Please make sure you let others with broadband problems know about the meeting.

The ACT Government has announced the appointment of Gai Beecher as the inaugural Principal of the new Gungahlin College. Ms Beecher was previously the Principal of the highly regarded Campbell High School.

I was invited by ACT Education head Dr Jim Watterson to represent the Gungahlin community on the selection panel for this vacancy. It was a great honour to be involved in making this decision that is so critical for establishing the College's pivotal role in the future of our town centre and our wider community. My particular areas of focus in the selection were how the candidates would ensure the college curriculum feeds into the courses offered by our local universities, so our kids can stay home while studying instead of being distracted working to pay the rent, how they would manage the multi-million dollar operation and entwine the college with the broader community, and how they would address concerns about bullying and cyber-safety.

News - Community & business

News - Community & business

For some years, Gungahlin Community Council has been lobbying to have the Gold Creek Homestead on Gungahlin Drive preserved as a community asset. Once a favourite venue for wedding receptions, this important link to our area’s rural history has been left to decay as discussions with the ACT Government dragged on.

The Government has been keen to use the land for an aged care facility. We’ve been OK with that for part of the land, but only if the Homestead itself, outbuildings and the land they are on remain in the community’s hands. Our objective has been for community access and productive living history involving traditional crafts, community markets, meeting spaces and the like.

This week we were advised by the ACT Land and Property Services of some progress at last. They are talking with a community organisation about operation of the Homestead along the lines of the CERES community garden in Melbourne (www.ceres.org.au), including a community arts and crafts centre.

If you're sick of woeful internet service in Gungahlin, you may have been looking forward to our 9 June meeting with Telstra Countrywide’s General Manager Chris Taylor attending to answer our broadband criticisms.

Unfortunately, he’s requested a deferral to our 14 July meeting. Put it in your diary now - it’s sure to attract a crowd.

Instead for our June meeting, we have invited several key people from the ACT Government to provide follow-up information on a number of the ACT budget announcements.

First have Edwina Robinson, Urban Waterways Coordinator, ACT Department of Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water to talk about the wetland park to be built behind the scout hall, and she wants to get some feedback from residents on the plans.

Then we have Tom Elliott and Kristin Blume from Territory and Municipal Services to talk about where to from here for the various public transport, park’n’ride, bike’n’ride, bus lane and other transport projects. There are some exciting changes coming up that should make things a lot easier for Gungahlin commuters.

See you at the Palmerston Community Centre, behind the shops, Wednesday 9 June at 7.30 pm

News - Community & business

Gold Creek School was one of 10 schools to be able to take part in an excursion to the Australian Defence Force Academy.  The initiative was coordinated by the Defence Transistion Mentors (DTM) who work within the schools of ACT.

The role of the DTM is to support students and families from the Australian Defence Force and to promote an awareness and appreciation of the three services.

ADFA welcomed 100 students and gave them a glimpse of life as a cadet.  It was a fantastic opportunity to see the facilities and amazing resources availble to the military students whilst they study.

The students from the variety of schools wre split into mixed groups and new friendship have ben forged across the Capital, as well as interest in future study at the Academy.

Kane Taylor, has written a short article summarising his experince of the day.

My experience at the ADFA activity day by Kane Taylor Year 10.

On Tuesday 18^th May 10 students from Gold Creek school went to ADFA along with 9 other schools. The day started off with the crowd being split into two groups. One went with the PT instructor Mark McLennan to do an obstacle course and the other with Corporal Toonan to do a PT circuit.

The obstacle course was lots of fun and a great team work builder. The ropes were the hardest part and many people had difficulties to get across. After the obstacle course, we did the exercise. First we went for a light jog, where we stopped off to do some difficult push ups. Back at the gym, we did the circuit which was a real killer on the abs!

After all the physical activity was done, we all went to get lunch in the mess. We had a fantastic lunch, it was better than some clubs that I have been into to, there was pool and foosball. I would love to go back there again.

Later, we were given a comprehensive tour of the ADFA facilities.

News - Community & business

INNER NORTH COMMUNITY FAIR, HAWDON OVAL, HAWDON ST, DICKSON 
Sunday 16 May 2010 
11am til 3pm

To celebrate the planned Dickson and Lyneham wetlands. 
There will be a wetlands display, a selection of local and organic food, live music provided by the Canberra Musicians Club and Ecopella, a clothes swap, fashion parade of pre-loved clothes, a smoking ceremony and more.

Further details at:
http://www.environment.act.gov.au/water/constructed_wetlands/proposed_dickson_and_lyneham_wetlands

News - Community & business

The big news this last week was the ACT Budget, which saw more than three years of lobbying on a number of fronts by Gungahlin Community Council finally pay off.

The focus on public transport solutions was much needed for the many Gungahlin people who have to commute out every day. More efficient and faster public transport will see more people out of their cars, in turn making the drive easier for everyone else, reduced tax dollars spent on the insatiable beast that is road construction, and reducing rat-running through North Canberra suburbs.

We proposed a large park’n’ride at EPIC and a dedicated ‘tidal’ bus lane on Northbourne back in 2008, and now the first is happening and the second is likely.

The government has funded our proposal that the land behind the Scout Hall opposite Burgmann School be converted into a wetlands ‘learnscape’ – a recreational town park with a difference that doubles as an outdoor classroom for the neighbouring schools and provides a stormwater source for irrigation of the oval.

We were once told that a single 50 metre pool was out of the question, but now a full aquatic centre is to proceed.

There are funds to look at a solution to the traffic problem in our town centre’s main street. And the Preschool to Grade 2 school we’ve been lobbying for more recently in Franklin will proceed.

The week also saw the ground-breaking ceremony for the Harrison Childcare Centre, an idea first proposed by GCC in November 2007.

At this month’s meeting (Wednesday 12 May, 7.30 pm Palmerston Community Centre), all the planners will be on hand to discuss the concept planning for the new suburb of Kenny, between Harrison and the Federal Highway.

Make sure you bookmark our 9 June meeting too – Telstra Countrywide General Manager Chris Taylor has agreed to come and respond to our criticisms of the broadband service in Gungahlin.

News - Community & business

Telstra Countrywide General Manager Chris Taylor has taken exception to claims about poor broadband in Gungahlin made in a recent article in the Gungahlin News.

Russ Gillion, who set up the website ACT Broadband to vent his disgust at the shoddy treatment Gungahlin receives for broadband, claimed that Telstra's equipment is not up to scratch for meeting the needs of our fast-growing population. We have to agree.

But Telstra's Chris Taylor wrote to Gungahlin News claiming:

"I was extremely bemused by the inaccuracies in the article in terms of the internet situation in Gungahlin. The quotes attributed to Mr Gillion are a gross misrepresentation of the situation.
 
"Would it be possible for you to provide me with the contact details for both Mr Gillion & Mr Kerlin. I would be keen to meet with them to clarify the facts of the situation"

Putting aside that the GM of Telstra for the region doesn't seem to know how to do a simple Google search, we are keen to meet with Mr Taylor so that he can "clarify the facts". Rest assured we will leave him with no doubts about how residents feel about the broadband service Telstra delivers to the people of Gungahlin.

We have invited him to our GCC meeting of 9 June. We'll advise if he accepts the invitation.

News - Community & business

Calling all Gungahlin residents. So you think that Gungahlin was only recently settled as the latest town centre. Wrong!

Experience and celebrate the history of early pastoralists in this region. The upper Ginninderra Creek area was keenly sought after and the Gillespie family had numerous land holdings stretching across the creek's numerous flows - in the good years.

10.30am sees the open day begin with President GCC Alan Kerlin unveiling a heritage sign at Elm Grove - a heritage listed property on the northern most section of the ACT in Bonner.

To get there take the Mulligans Flat Road north and take the second Mabo Boulevarde junction and follow the signs to Elm Grove (about 2km from turn off).

10.50 Monaro Bush Dancers
11.30 Sing Australia Choir
12-2pm Storytelling
12 and 1.30pm Gungahlin Rural Fire Service demonstrations
1pm Mark Carmody leads a garden tour
2pm Sheep Shearing demo
ALL DAY: Archaeology dig for the kids supervised by the Canberra Archaeology Society (gold coin to join in)
Car Clubs display
Queanbeyan Art Society painting
National Trust Stall
Viewing of the 'Stakeout out of Canberra' DVD

Food on sale or bring a picnic Come enjoy the beautiful Autumn. Good coin entry (proceeds to National Trust).

Day finishes at 3pm.