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.