(Welcome everybody) Welcome to you all this evening and a special welcome to visitors attending tonight.
More than 140 people attended a memorial service on Friday 14 August, for our highly respected TCC President, Eric Traise who passed away last month. The service was held at University House at the Australian National University. It was attended by family, friends, TCC members, former RAAF and Air Services Australia colleagues and local politicians. The number and caliber of those who attended was testament to the high regard and respect in which Eric Traise was held throughout the community.
The Committee of the TCC would like to take this opportunity of thanking our Federal member, Gai Brodtmann for her presentation to Parliament on behalf of our late Eric Traise, presided over by the Deputy Speaker of the House. TCC members Max and Beverley Flint escorted Mrs Carole Traise to the proceedings with members Albert Orszaczky and his wife Sandra also attending.
Wayne, our Vice President, attended the official re-opening of the Town Centre Park after a series of major upgrades. The upgrade includes: new bollards around the car park, new seating, upgrading the whole pergola area, refurbished existing BBQs, installing new irrigations systems, planting new turf and upgrading paths to the lake. It is fortunate that these upgrades have been completed for September so all residents and visitors will be able to enjoy Spring in our Town Centre Park once again.
On behalf of the TCC, I attended a meeting of the Tuggeranong and Region Business Forum, a group formed to stimulate business in Tuggeranong and the surrounding region. It was interesting to hear the guest speaker from the National Capital Commission talking about the possible development of West Tuggeranong. They advised that with the number of constraints in the area e.g. geographic (steep slopes), National Park, Heritage and environmental, there would only be space for 15,000 people, a very low number for what would be a major financial investment.
I mentioned last time about the park bench to be placed at Tuggeranong Town Park dedicated in memory of our late friend Rusty Woodward. . Rusty was a member of the TCC, the founding president of the 55-Plus Club, the driving force behind the establishment of the Tuggeranong Senior Citizens Centre and a tireless worker for the ACT Lung Life Support Group and the Council on the Ageing The dedication was held on Sunday 9th August and was attended by her family, members of the TCC and 55 Plus Club. In a dedication speech, past TCC President, Darryl Johnston, said the park bench was dedicated at a time when the TCC reflected on the community contributions of other TCC members who have passed away including Alison Ryan and more recently Eric Traise.
I had calls this morning from the ABC and the Canberra Times about this morning’s Canberra Times Article More Canberrans going than coming, starting off with the comment “Canberrans might abe leaving Tuggeranong and flocking to Gungahlin but more still are leaving the capital altogether”.
I commented that the fact that the First Home Buyers allowance only goes to people buying new houses tends to make some young people move to new developments eg Gungahlin.
I also commented that with the development at South Quay, plans for a retirement village at the old Urambi school site, government housing at Chisholm and Monash , the large development proposed around the Archives site on Athlon drive and some town houses appearing in Kambah that this trend might soon be reversed . I also mentioned with the CIT coming to Tuggeranong next year this might also help change this trend.
Glenys Patulny, Acting President