Welcome all to our final meeting for 2013. I’m sure you’re all feeling like me and wondering where this year has gone. It seems like I’ve just packed up the Xmas tree a few weeks ago and now I’m getting harassed to put it up again!
So what’s happened since our last meeting? Several things I can report. The TCC hosted a meeting of the Combined Community Council Executives on 9th November. We try to focus on issues of common interest and the main ones discussed were loss of outdoor recreational facilities and space, planning shortcomings in town centres, and the City Plan which was open for public comment.
At last meeting, Wayne King gave us some information about the solar farm that is proposed to be built on the land bordered by Isabella Dve, Monaro Hwy and Mugga Lane. This is currently used for horse agistment. Representatives of the developer Zhenfa attended our Committee meeting on 14th November and gave us an update of their plans. Their Development Application has been with ACTPLA and is open for public comment until 20th December. I’ve emailed the details to all members and invited comments which the Committee will consider before deciding if the TCC will comment on the DA. Some of our members who agist horses on this site are not happy.
The Executive is meeting with the Chief Minister on 10th December. We have provided a list of the topics we want to talk about but since we only have 30 minutes, we have had to limit the topics. They are Lake Tuggeranong water quality and what can be done about it; preserving jobs in Tuggeranong, referring particularly to keeping DSS here; road bottlenecks, securing funding for Ashley Drive duplication; CIT facilities in Tuggeranong and the Calwell aquatic centre, waiving the ‘late fee’ to enable the project to proceed.
Since it is our last meeting for the year, I think it’s worthwhile having a quick look at the year that was. We got off to a good start with having the Chief Minister at the Feb meeting. Apparently the first time we’ve had a Chief Minster at a TCC meeting. This was followed in March with Shane Rattenbury as the TAMS minister and Greens leader. We had to wait until August before we saw Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson. We also had an interesting mix of other guest speakers from various Government depts (Roads, Housing, Land Development Agency, Sport and Recreation) and their consultants who’ve undertaken a variety of studies and wanted community feedback. We’ve organised several petitions, passed various motions, convened a ‘Meet the Candidate’ night for the Federal election and participated in Lake Clean-Ups.
I think it’s also a fitting time to thank the many people without whose contribution the TCC would cease to be. To the last Committee and my Committee, thank you for volunteering to keep the TCC going. We all think it serves a very useful forum for Tuggeranong residents to raise any issue that concerns them.
To our politicians, Federal and local, thank you for your ongoing attendance, your reports on what you’ve been up to and your willingness to field questions. We value your contribution and we hope that you value the opportunity to talk openly with some of your constituents.
Finally and most importantly, I’d like to thank our members who turn up every month and contribute their views on the various topics on the agenda.
I wish you all a safe and happy time over the Christmas/New Year holiday period and look forward to getting together again in February next year.