Dickson Residents Group Media Release
REZONING DICKSON’S COMMUNITY PRECINCT A BACKWARD STEP FOR NORTH CANBERRA
Dickson Residents Group spokesperson, Ms Jane Goffman, attacks the LDA for direct violations of core principles of the ACT Government’s community engagement policy and asks that the rezoning variation be withdrawn. The Dickson Residents Group is calling on the government to uphold the Territory Plan which takes in both the Dickson Neighbourhood Plan and Dickson Master Plan, stop the lies and cover-ups and prepare a proper planning study to guide future development in the area.
“The rezoning proposal for high density apartments on two large blocks of land is premature, underbaked, and poorly timed. It endangers valuable community and recreation assets that future populations need. We need a proper planning study before anything else happens, and we desperately need a planning authority with guts and vision to take the lead on this rather than pick up the pieces once the LDA has bulldozed through.”
Dickson Residents Group spokesperson and town planning consultant Jane Goffman said “We believe that a sensible plan for the community precinct that takes in the much-loved Dickson Pool, the wonderful ANCA Gallery, child care centres, a popular gym, church, dance studio, community service centre and hotel, will enhance and contribute to the health and overall wellbeing of North Canberra. People are interested in transforming the creek corridors into linear parkland, in community gardens and arts facilities, live music venues, aged care services and possibly even a retirement village. But coming up with any real plan involves actually listening to what people want, promoting dialogue, encouraging new ideas, stimulating discussion and the LDA has shown zero interest in doing any of these things. The only interest they’ve shown is to procure a set of leases, hoodwink the unsuspecting residents who live in the area, ignore and insult the intelligence of the people who take the time to get involved, so they can rezone and flog the land for as much as they think they can get.”
“We can do a great deal better than this, and the fact is we expect real planning and transparent processes not conjobs, it’s time for the government to prove they’re serious about a liveable sustainable city and get on top of this, either do a proper planning study and take on board the aspirations people have for this valuable community precinct and the projected need for community services as the population of North Canberra grows and ages, or stop pretending this is a democratic government” Ms Goffman concluded.