The ACT Government's latest alternative site for Manuka Occasional Child Care Association's relocation has struck fresh opposition from the community.
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Caught in a dispute over re-locating the centre to Telopea Park School's tennis court, the government proposed a fresh site behind the Griffith shops, including parkland, which would free up land in Manuka for the Canberra Services Club redevelopment.
Griffith Narrabundah Community Association foundation member Jerry Fitzgibbons is unhappy the association's executive agreed with the Land Development Agency's request on June 12 to keep the latest proposal under wraps.
Mr Fitzgibbon said it was not right for the Government to push aside a child care centre to facilitate a commercial development by the Canberra Services Club and Defence Housing.
"At the same time [the government] want to take away community facility land, and want to find other community facility land and they can't find it, because there isn't any," Mr Fitzgibbons said.
He said the GNCA executive kept the proposal from other board members until the Canberra Times on June 27 revealed the new site.
"That's when I found out about it and it turns out the association hasn't really told anyone about it, they were going to make up their mind, and then tell people what their decision was, which I thought was un-democratic." Mr Fitzgibbons said the committee would discuss the issue on Wednesday night [July 8].
"I'm lobbying to get the committee to oppose taking urban open space, I'm pretty startled they haven't because the association started up about 15 years ago to stop the taking of community facility land in that area."
In April the Canberra Times reported LDA and Education and Training Directorate instructed principal Kerrie Blain not to tell Telopea school's board or parents and citizens about the previous site until the government had prepared a communication strategy.
GNCA president John Edquist said he had agreed to the LDA's confidentiality request, assuming the agency needed the time to prepare a brief on the issue. "Some people believe we shouldn't be talking to the Government at all, and we should not have kept it confidential." But Mr Edquist said it would be churlish not to listen to proposals.
He would be consulting members, and at this stage the relocation was a possibility, not a done deal. He could see the benefits of giving up a small amount of grasslands. Mr Edquist said the community would like MOCCA to remain at its present location, but if that was not possible, other sites had to be considered.
"Some people are vehemently opposed and don't want us to give up a single square metre of existing open space, where others are quite happy with the idea, or would be if the government could show there were valid reasons why MOCCA couldn't remain where it is and had looked at a number of alternative sites and this one was the best one, which seems perfectly reasonable as well."
He said several parcels of land partially bounded by Throsby Crescent would be affected, including an old derelict municipal works depot which had not been used for some time.
"The LDA intends to knock it down and take down the fences. It is not exactly the most beautiful structure at the moment, I think it would be something of an improvement and that would be used for parking for MOCCA.
A nearby resident, Suzanne Gabrielle is opposed to the childcare relocation and says the land is rat-infested. Mr Edquist said this was another reason for knocking down the empty depot.
"I guess what is the government going to offer the community for giving up 1800 sq m of grassland?" Mr Edquist said.
