Written by Alan Kerlin Tuesday, 19 June 2007 17:00
UPDATE 20 June 2007
Minister Andrew Barr has at last responded to our urgent request for a meeting - just a few days before the period for public submissions closes. Unfortunately the response does not address the GCC's key concern - that the Homestead under the direct and exclusive control of the developer of the adjacent aged care facility would be a community facility in name only, with community access largely lost.
The correspondence follows.
Our reply to the Minister's letter (below):
From Kevin Cox
To BARR@act.gov.au
Date 20-Jun-2007 09:16
Subject Gold Creek Homestead
Dear Minister,
This is a response to your email to Alan Kerlin of the GCC regarding the change of Territory Plan for the Gold Creek Homestead Site.
We have no issue with the change in the Territory Plan but we have two issues with what happens next. We would like to request that no further action other than the change of plan be taken on the Gold Creek Development until we can meet with you and resolve the issues. We have arranged with Pierre Huetter to have a meeting in early July. We believe the following suggestions will result in better outcomes for the government, the community and the developer. The reason the outcomes will be better is that responsibility for community facilities is made clear, costs can be better contained and the developer has less uncertainty in their bidding process.
Control of community facilities
Putting the community facilities under the complete and sole control of the developer and then the owner of the Aged Care Facilities is not in the best interests of the community.
A possible alternative is for the land identified for community use, to be zoned for community use. Ownership of the community use land and these facilities should remain with the ACT government. Management of the community facilities should be through a management committee which could include 1) a member of the aged care facilities management. 2) a representative of the residents in the aged care facility 3) 2 members of the facilities users group 4) a member of the GCC.
Funding of community facilities
Putting the development of facilities as part of the lease conditions has proved to give poor community outcomes. Leasehold purchasers factor in a cost of the community facilities but they are "invisible" and simply result in a reduction in the price obtained for the land with the construction - perhaps - of second rate facilities. A better solution is to charge the full price for the land that is sold to the developer but to earmark all the funds (after development and selling costs) from the sale to be spent on community facilities including refurbishment of the homestead.
Kevin Cox and Ian Ruecroft.
GCC
The Minister's response:
From BARR <BARR@act.gov.au>
Date 18-Jun-2007 12:24
Subject Response to email on 10 May 2007.
Mr Alan Kerlin
President, Gungahlin Community Council
Dear Mr Kerlin
Thank you for your email of 10 May 2007 regarding the future of the Gold Creek Homestead.
I note the Gungahlin Community Council's concern arising from the press release that the Homestead itself would be used exclusively for the purposes of an aged care facility, however please allow me to clarify this point. It is envisaged that the successful aged care provider would manage the Homestead, and that as part of the lease conditions for the site, this provider would be required to:
Restore or refurbish the Homestead in an appropriate manner to allow the building to be used by the community; and
Provide the community access to the Homestead for a range of activities that might include meetings, exhibitions, markets, office space for a community arts/craft co-ordinator or even a weekend café.
The lease conditions for the site are also intended to foster the development of the Homestead precinct as an arts and crafts centre, which might include additional buildings to accommodate activities such as wood turning, pottery and needlecraft. The inclusion of these activities, available to the broader community and residents, would be a significant point of difference, offering a unique lifestyle development at Gold Creek.
I understand that it is on the basis of the above, detailed at a meeting held on
21 September 2006, that the Gold Creek Homestead Committee supported the Territory Plan Variation proceeding. I can assure you that this is still the intent. The management model cannot be predetermined by the Territory Plan variation; the function of the variation is to ensure that the land use policies that will facilitate the appropriate uses for the Homestead are in place.
Thank you for raising your concerns with me. I hope this information is of assistance. If you would like to discuss any of your concerns further, I would invite you to contact my planning adviser, Mr Pierre Huetter, on 6205 0011 to arrange a meeting.
Yours sincerely
Andrew Barr MLA
Minister for Planning
11 May 2007
The Gungahlin Community Council has grave concerns about an announcement made this week by new Planning Minister Andrew Barr on the future of the historical Gold Creek Homestead. You can read his announcement here.
It seems to indicate the entire Homestead site will be rezoned for an aged-care facility. This is very much at odds with previous assurances that the homestead would remain as a community facility, funded out of the proceeds from the adjacent aged care facility to be developed on surrounding land...
You can read a full explanation of the process to date by GCC Public Officer and Gold Creek Homestead Committee Member Ian Ruecroft here and see a historical timeline for the Homestead here: Gold Creek: Reflections of Canberra's Rural Heritage.
ABC News has reported calls from the National Trust for the homestead to be heritage listed here.We have written to the Minister today seeking an urgent meeting to discuss our concerns, as follows:
Dear Minister Barr
The Gungahlin Community Council seeks an urgent meeting with you to discuss concerns about your announcement this week that, to quote your media release, "the site of the Gold Creek homestead is to be proposed for aged care accommodation."
Our key concern is the impression we have been given from your announcement, reinforced by a quote in your media release, that "the Gold Creek Homestead building, which has been significantly modified over time, could perhaps also be refurbished and integrated as part of an aged care facility."
This is at odds with previous assurances the Gungahlin community and the Gold Creek Homestead Committee have been given about the future of the homestead as a community facility.
The following is from an email from ACTPLA:
"On recommendation of the Committee, ACT Planning and Land Authority has conducted the planning feasibility study for the site which recommends that part of the site be used for a retirement village that would cross subsidise the restoration and upgrading of the Homestead and the preservation of the site area as open space. The Minister for Planning, Simon Corbell has now considered the recommendations of the planning feasibility study and has asked for the Gold Creek Homestead Committee be invited to reconvene to consider the proposals before the Territory proceeds with any further work."
It was on the basis of this that we agreed for the land to be rezoned. That is, that the homestead would be retained, and it and open space around it would remain available as a community facility and managed by a specific-purpose community organisation, and that the proceeds from the development would go towards the costs associated with establishing this facility.
The impression we now have from your announcement is that the entire site once rezoned will be given over to an aged-care facility developer, with the future of and community access to the historical homestead itself to be entirely at the whim of this developer.
Clearly this is not what was agreed to, and we are deeply concerned that your media release misrepresents the community position on the matter. While we recognise that there will be an opportunity to comment via the ACTPLA public notice period, we are urging you to meet with us as a matter of urgency, and to reconsider this Territory Plan variation.
Regards,
Alan Kerlin
President
Gungahlin Community Council
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