Opponents of the ACT government's decision to sell off tennis courts from the Telopea Park School have called for a longer public consultation period if the plans are to proceed.
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The school community was angry to discover the government had transferred the land on the corner of New South Wales Crescent and Telopea Park West, currently home to tennis courts and a changing pavilion. Plans for the Manuka childcare centre to use the land have been strongly opposed by Telopea's Parents and Citizens Association and school board.
Association president Paul Haesler said he was "deeply disappointed" by a meeting with Education Minister Joy Burch last week, during which the community was told to shift its focus to consideration of how to spend $800,000 in compensation for loss of the land.
"The minister outlined an absurdly tight timeline, including barely six weeks for the school community to be consulted on a 10 year master plan for the future development of the school," Mr Haesler said.
"She indicated that this plan must be finalised quickly to allow the construction of childcare facilities and the bulldozing of the existing tennis courts as soon as school finishes in December this year."
"As the government would be well aware, politics is a dirty, dirty game, and I make no apologies for playing the government's game by the government's rules," he said.
The government plans to sell it to the current childcare centre site, so it can be used by the Canberra Services Club.
Government wants situation resolved
On Friday, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said consideration of other possible sites for the redeveloped childcare centre was continuing and the government wanted the situation resolved.
"The government is not relying on the P&C to identify other options, we are doing that ourselves," he said.
"This involves a much wider net than was originally sought, so that is largely a conversation with [the childcare centre] in relation to how much further away from their current site MOCCA would consider to meet their particular goals."
Mr Barr said a change in the planned development of the tennis courts was still possible and that officials were working to a timeline of "as soon as possible".
"The question is if there is another site for a childcare centre that is further away from the current Manuka site and whether that will suit MOCCA."
"I don't want this issue to drag on forever. We will make a decision ... if we can find another option, we will."
Opposition education spokesman Steve Doszpot hit out at the continuing uncertainty and said Ms Burch had done nothing to protect the interests of the school community.
"The government's handling of the situation between Telopea Park School and MOCCA has been disgraceful in terms of trying to ram through a government position without adequate consultation with the community," he said.
"Andrew Barr first protected the land in 2009 by making sure it was only to be used for educational purposes for Telopea Park School. This latest move has been a total back flip on the 2009 decision."
