Page 1739 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 5 May 2010
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planned to have no community facilities in it. That was a substantial planning mistake. Let us be frank, when the planning was done originally, they got it wrong. Back in 2003-04 it was realised that they got it wrong, but somewhere along the line Mr Stanhope was never brought up to date with this. Mr Coe is not criticising Mr Stanhope for not having a detailed knowledge of every development application that goes on in his electorate. He is criticising him—and rightly criticising him—for not knowing when there was a major planning change—
Mr Coe: A territory plan variation.
MRS DUNNE: A territory plan variation in relation to one of the biggest suburbs, perhaps the second biggest suburb in his electorate, and he did not know anything about it. He did not know that we had done that. We know that the Chief Minister does not read reports. He is above all of that. Obviously, he just takes for granted the people of west Belconnen—people who live in Dunlop will vote for him, even if he shows that he does not care about them at all.
Mr Coe has rightly said that local centres do a great deal for the local community. They provide a focal point for many aspects of local community life. They create an interaction between business and the community which we see in so many other places. There is local business support through things like sponsorship for local community activity. There is the potential for social interaction and community support for one another because we provide a place where people can meet. There is, of course, local amenity. The suburb of Dunlop is sadly lacking in local amenity. If anyone drives around it they will find it is a suburb with a beautiful aspect. The new parts of the suburb are developing around the water features—
Mr Coe: Outside of Kerrigan Street.
MRS DUNNE: on the outside of Kerrigan Street, on the far west of Dunlop, right up near the border. There are fantastic aspects. Great work has been done by the developer in creating a great environment. Members have touched on the fact that public transport is dreadful. It is very difficult because of the shape of Kerrigan Street—that long, looping street. It is a very long walk for most people from where they live to where the buses go, through the main part of Dunlop. It is badly planned.
This was a very important issue at the time of the 2003 bushfires. There is, effectively, only one exit from Dunlop. The other end of Kerrigan Street, where it goes through Fraser and onto Tillyard Drive, is Lhotsky Street—all the way up to Tillyard Drive. There are huge traffic problems for the people who live in Fraser. There are considerable issues about access to and from the major part of Dunlop. This was highlighted during the bushfires in 2003 when people were asked to evacuate the suburb. There is, effectively, only one way out—through Kerrigan Street where it joins Ginninderra Drive. That is a particular problem for us.
Another issue which is important to us relates to the interaction between any potential local centre and any potential childcare. When I have visited and spent time in Dunlop, I have found it a bit hard. You cannot go and visit the local shops. I recall one hot, windy February morning I was spending time trying not to be blown away when
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