Telopea School parents want NSW Crescent in Barton closed and made part of the Montgomery Playing Fields, to overcome traffic safety issues and to protect land from developers.
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The suggestion stems from meetings with Greater Western Sydney Giants and Grocon, who have consulted parents on their $800 million Manuka Green development at a board meeting, and a separate Parents and Citizens Association meeting.
Telopea Parents and Friends Association president Paul Haesler says parents appreciate GWS's willingness to consult, in contrast with a debacle with the ACT government last year over a proposed land swap of tennis courts on Montgomery Playing Fields.
"Foremost in our minds, this proposal would have been known to the government last year. We felt throughout last year the government's desire to expand Manuka Oval was what was driving the whole land swap program," Mr Haesler said.
"There is a degree of nervousness and distrust over the whole thing. GWS seem genuine in their desire to consult with us. We are engaging in consultation in good faith.
"My biggest concern is transparency over governance, the way the government is claiming on one hand to have nothing to do with it, and all these shallow connection to the developments. It is a worry, you know."
Parents had raised closing NSW Crescent at the March board meeting. Board chairwoman Jacinda Still told The Canberra Times the street's intersections were dangerous for children, despite the 40km/h speed limit.
Mr Haesler said parents realised residents and school buses would still need some access arrangement, but closing the dangerous street could help protect the playing fields from being separated from the school.
"We fought for the tennis court last year, and won for about the fourth time in 20 years, and while ever there is some connection to the school and that land, it is just going to keep happening," Mr Haesler said.
Board meeting attendees were surprised with comments GWS chief operating officer Richard Griffiths made in The Canberra Times afterwards. In the article Mr Griffiths said people at the meeting agreed and understood the Manuka Oval upgrade, and the precinct was a positive for Canberra, and there was no impact on school facilities or infrastructure.
Ms Still said she had since written to GWS to clarify the board's position.
"We certainly didn't give any level of agreement to [the Manuka Green]," Ms Still said."It wasn't put to us for that purpose, it was there to provide information about development. We were pleased GWS had taken a pro-active approach and consulted with the school and its board with its proposal."
Any development would need to carefully balance and consider impacts on Telopea Park School because it would fundamentally change that area and have significant impacts on the school.
"It wasn't clear all those potential impacts on the school had been taken into account, or thought about, by GWS," Ms Still said.
Building a large number of units in the area would put more pressure on enrolment numbers, which were already over capacity.
GWS declined to comment on what was discussed at the two meetings. A spokesman said: "We look forward to further consultation with both groups and listening to the parents and citizens association's additional ideas in relation to a range of other concepts they have tabled."
Mr Haesler said parents would oppose leasing Montgomery Playing Fields during construction, even though they leased part of the land to Manuka Oval on game days.
Mr Haesler said some local residents at the P&C meeting were hostile and aggressive and rude towards GWS, which was unhelpful. "It got a bit ugly at times; the parents were quite polite in contrast."
