Caroline Le Couteur, Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly, has issued media release – it calls for the Curtin Master Plan to be finalised before the development application is approved.
http://wvcc.org.au/le-couteur-calls-finalisation-master-plan-curtin-development/
Curtin Place Development – on the radio and print media
Our concern about the Curtin Place development proposal was featured in the Canberra Times on Wednesday 11 January: Curtin Call to Reduce Size of Development
and in the CT editorial on Thursday 12 January: Curtin Shops Proposal the Canary in the Coalmine (Destroying Canberra in to Save it?)
The Rally is reported in the Canberra Times 21 January: Curtin says no to high rise development
and in The Chronicle/Queanbeyan Age 24 January, p.4: Shops Saga Continues.
and there’s more recently: the Toilets Story in the Chronicle Tuesday 1 February
and the Canberra Times Thursday 2 February, Curtin Developers Deny Hardball Tactics in Threat to Hoard Up Shops.
The EPSD is considering all the objections to the development application: in the Canberra Times, Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development director-general Dorte Ekelund set to leave CT 2 February.
‘One of the incendiary issues around planning is public consultation on development proposals and whether it makes any difference.
Ms Ekelund is adamant it can.
“We’ve got such a well-educated and engaged community and planning is an innately political thing, because it’s about our democracy, it’s about how change occurs in the environment and there is always going to be people who are for something and people who are against something,” she said.
“The community knows a lot of stuff that our technical people might not be so close to, so consultation is really part of the planning process.
With the Curtin shops masterplan the latest planning battleground, Ms Ekelund said the proposal, including a six-storey building, was still a draft and there was still a development application to consider.
“There’s still a requirement to consider how the proposal fits into the context and how it contributes to the amenity and character of the area, so it’s still a matter we need to consider,” she said.’
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Radio interviews on Wednesday morning 11 January on 2CA 1206 (no link) and again later day; and
on ABC local radio Canberra (previously known as 666) Stoush over Curtin shops development heights
Several letters have also been published in the Canberra Times
- Disaster in Curtin (Scott Humphries, letters, Jan 5) The Curtin shops proposal makes no attempt to respond to existing character, and it will overshadow and dominate the public square.
- Six storeys are an unwelcome development for area’s amenity (Peter Graves, letters, Jan 12)
- Adjust the height (Jeremy McGrane, letters, Jan 13)
- Consultation? Don’t Ask (Penny Moyes, letters Jan 16). “This is what you’re going to get unless you scream“
- Public ignored on high-rise (Chris Emery) and Barr stays silent (John Mungoven) (letters Jan 17) The ABC flats redevelopment, and “a deep concern in our community about the direction, scale and frenetic pace of building development, planing issues and community consultation”.
- The real stakeholders (untitled online) (Chris Johnson) and Disease Taking Hold , (Murray May) (letters Jan 20)
- On submission roundabout (David Biles) letters Jan 29
- Development application stress could bring down the curtain (Peter Graves) letters Jan 31
- Curtin clash (Howard Carew, Peter Graves) letters Feb 2/3
Rally – 11am Saturday 21st January in Curtin Square
Please Walk or Bike to the rally if you can – parking is always tight, and will be very challenged on Saturday.
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Save Curtin Square
Protest Rally
11am Saturday 21 January 2017
Come along to hear about the development application, show your concern, sign the petition and hear how to make a response or objection
The facts
• it will be equivalent in height to a 8-storey building
• many existing shops have not been guaranteed space in the new building.
We say the risk to Curtin is too great
• the building will make parking more difficult for shoppers and visitors to cafés, gym, dentist and doctor
• the 50 apartments will make traffic problems worse for shoppers and nearby residents
• we will lose shops that make Curtin Square a unique and interesting place with its own identity
• we risk losing Curtin’s strongest feature—its sense of community
• we are not against development, but this one is not right for the square.
CRA newsletter for January
The Curtin Residents Association newsletter for January describes what is proposed in the Development Application for Curtin Place, and why we object.
The most effective things to do are to come to the rally, and to submit your own objection to the Environment and Planning Directorate. We will be posting some suggestions for objections soon. Closing date is 31 January.
The number of people at the rally will show the Minister the strength of our support for the Curtin square as a community facility. See you at the Rally Saturday 21 January 11am in the Square – Save Curtin Square!
Book launch – 4 pm, Thursday 8 December
Book launch for Curtin turns 50 at 4 pm, Thursday 8 December.
All are very welcome at the launch of the book Curtin turns 50: the story of a Canberra suburb 1964–2014. It is all about the history of your suburb. The book launch will be held in the square at Curtin shops. It is your chance to buy your own copy of this interesting and relevant book.
Meeting with the Planning Directorate
Meeting with the Planning Directorate of the ACT Government.
Following an exchange of letters with the Minister, and with the Minister’s encouragement, two Committee members from the Curtin Residents Association met with the Project Manager for the Curtin Group Centre Master Plan. The meeting was helpful in rounding out our understanding of the process by which a development proposal for 44 Curtin Place will be evaluated. As we understand the situation, the Government has yet to receive a proposal from the developer, although discussions between the Government and the developer are ongoing. Given the extensive planning and consultation captured in the Draft Master Plan, it would be appropriate if development proposals were to be evaluated against that Draft Plan. However, advice to the Committee is that, until the Plan is finalised, evaluation will be against the current, much less prescriptive, rules. Accordingly, we have written again to the Minister requesting that the Plan be finalised as soon as possible.
Plant and cake stall
Plant and cake stall at the Curtin shops from 9 am to 12 noon, Saturday 26 November.
The Curtin Shops Garden Group is raising funds for the restoration of the John Curtin Garden, which is the garden at the shops on Carruthers St with the stone wall which names our suburb. Most of the plants are already in but the Garden Group now needs to pay for brickwork (steps, ramp and garden border) as well as preparing the surface and installing a seat.
The Garden Group will have a good selection of plants, cakes and other items for sale. There is also a raffle with prizes donated by Curtin businesses. Come along and buy raffle tickets, delicious cakes or locally grown plants—the group would appreciate your support. For more information contact Evan Mann on evan.mann@netspeed.com.au.
CRA Committee meetings
Curtin Residents Association Committee meetings.
Following the Association’s incorporation earlier this year, the inaugural Committee met weekly to build the membership, engage with immediate concerns such as the 44 Curtin Place proposal, and set up various back-office arrangements. At its meeting on 10 November, the Committee decided to hold meetings on the first Thursday of each month. Members are encouraged to put items on the agenda for that meeting by writing to the Secretary, Chris Johnson, at info@curtinresidents.asn.au.
The Association’s Annual General Meeting will be held in October.
WVCC support for CRA
The Woden Valley Community Council (WVCC) has supported the Curtin Residents Association with an annual subsidy along with a start-up grant. The Treasurer, Monica Pflaum, accepted the WVCC’s offer and thanked the Council on behalf of the Curtin Residents Association at their meeting on 2 November. The Association’s President, Robin Stanton, was elected to the WVCC at the same meeting.
Questions on planning for Curtin shops sent to ACT Election Candidates
The following email was sent to Candidates in the Electorate of Murrumbidgee about the Proposed Development of 44 Curtin Place (Curtin Shops)
We are writing to you as a candidate for the seat of Murrumbidgee in the upcoming ACT election.
The Curtin Residents Association (CRA) is a recently established community group intended to support the Curtin community to maintain and enhance the qualities of the suburb. The CRA has been involved in discussion among Curtin residents on the Master Plan for the Curtin Group Centre being developed by the ACT Government. I imagine you are aware that a draft Master Plan was released in November 2015 and that the final version is due to be approved after the election.
In recent months, the owners of one of the blocks of shops in the Curtin Centre (44 Curtin Place) have proposed replacing the existing single storey building with a multi-storey shopping and residential building.
The owners have undertaken consultations with Curtin residents including through a series of community meetings. The CRA appreciates this consultative approach and acknowledges the owners’ long association with the Curtin Group Centre.
However, the CRA has concerns about some aspects of the proposal which are inconsistent with the recommendations of the draft Curtin Group Centre Master Plan. There is also concern that the proposal may be lodged and assessed as a development application before the final Master Plan is issued and its key recommendations incorporated in the Territory Plan. The 44 Curtin Place website envisages that demolition could start by October 2017.
We are seeking advice of election candidates as to their views. The first of the two attached documents contains four questions on aspects of the proposal to develop 44 Curtin Place. The second contains more detailed background on the proposal and CRA’s position with respect to it; the results of public consultations conducted in connection with the Curtin Group Centre Master Planning process; relevant suggestions and recommendations of the draft Master Plan; and about CRA itself.
We hope you will be able to provide us with answers to the questions in a form that would allow us to place them on the CRA website for Curtin residents, and the public more generally. We think you will find answering the questions relatively easy. Please contact us, however, if you would like to discuss any of the questions before answering them or
if you have any concern about your response being placed on our website.
We aim to start putting answers on our website from the beginning of October and we would ask for your response no later than Friday 7 October.
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Chris Johnson Honorary Secretary, Curtin Residents Association m 0401 498 684 e info@curtinresidents.asn.au w www.curtinresidents.asn.au