Like much of the Inner North, Ainslie is looking magnificent at the moment with its autumn colours. Taking the dog for a walk up Tyson Street I heard the sound of a cork being twisted out of a wine bottle and there in the gum trees were two pairs of gang-gangs. So lucky to have such endangered birds visible in our landscape. It’s good to see the Government trying hard to protect our Urban Forest and the Garden City urban design.

The Redevelopment of the Ainslie Football Club site.

A confusing array of development applications are being tactically lodged by Spacelab on behalf of the Ainslie Football and Social Club with the aim of a significant commercial and residential development on the football oval grounds in Wakefield Avenue Ainslie. The first of these DA’s seeks a subdivision of the sport and recreation site into three blocks. Two of these blocks covering a big chunk of this land will have the lease purpose changed to carparks. This DA is tactical because it seeks a subdivision of the existing block without the opportunity to test the impacts of the proposed future development. The NCCC is appealing ACTPLA’s approval of this subdivision and seeking a comprehensive assessment of the proposed redevelopment and potential loss of green recreation space to commercial redevelopment.

Local Public Housing Residents are being forced to relocate.

In March, the NCCC put out a media release (see website) asking the Government to reconsider evicting public housing tenants from homes that they had lived in for decades as part of their Growing and Renewing Public Housing program. ACTCOSS has put out a media release with a number of community groups expressing their alarm regarding the ‘impact of this program on vulnerable Canberrans living in ACT public housing and are writing to urge you to end all forced relocations under the scheme and instead revert to a voluntary, opt-in program of relocation’. https://www.actcoss.org.au/news-events/media-release/open-letter-calls-act-government-end-forced-relocations

The letter to Minister’s Berry and Vassarotti outlines the vulnerabilities of these residents demographic.

  • 87% are women living alone or with children
  • 61% have physical or psychological disabilities, chronic health conditions, or are carers
  • 17% are single mothers with dependent children and
  • 14% identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people.

Ainslie has one of the highest proportions of public housing and we would like the Ministers to provide some reassurance to these vulnerable Canberrans.

Tree Register

The ARA was successful in getting a number of trees in a Park placed on the provisional tree register giving them greater protection from damage under existing laws. Shout out to the ACT Conservator of Flora and Fauna and the staff at City Services for their help through this process. The area is clearly understaffed and increased resources will be fundamental if the objectives of the Urban Forest Strategy and Variation 369 are to be achieved.

Ian Hubbard Chair Ainslie Residents Association

 

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