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On this day in 1970, The Canberra Times reported 200 people came out on a chilly night in Torrens, the Woden Valley to express their concern about the use of about four acres of land between the school and shopping centre. It was an Canberran example of a community rallying against the planners.
The land situated between the shopping centre and the school was initially set aside church and community services. However, the churches chose a different site to set up and the land was then reallocated by the National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) for group housing. The Torrens community was not consulted when the NCDC made the decision.
A number of people who belonged to the Parents and Citizens Association objected to the decision and sent four delegates to the NCDC to argue the case. The central reason for the objection was that comparatively, Torrens had less parkland than Farrer and Garran.
The group stressed that the land between the shops and school was perfect for any leisure activities. They also argued that the future needs of the school and community were being ignored as voluntary organisations needed a community hall.
The group's challenge enjoyed some success as one-and-a-half acres of open space was added to the one acre that the NCDC had set aside for community purposes. The commission provided Torrens residents with one year to demonstrate that the community can make good use of the remaining two acres close to the school, and if they fail to do so, it would then be used for group housing.
![The front page of The Canberra Times on July 16, 1970. The front page of The Canberra Times on July 16, 1970.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/232169359/f26d6ed0-47e3-4752-86a7-0c9a1463d4c6.png/r0_0_887_1317_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
In response to the commission, the Parents and Citizens Association formed a separate organisation to push for the retention of the remaining two acres to be used for community purposes. They set up the Torrens Development Association.
The Torrens Development Association pushed forward in a highly professional manner as they conducted surveys gathering the opinions of local about the land's future use and distributed pamphlets titled "Your Land Is In Danger" to residents. This demonstrates the power of the local community when they come together.