At a recent meeting of the Tuggeranong Community Council the National Capital Exposure Plan was discussed and a vote taken to find out Council members’ feelings on the subject.
The majority of people who attended the meeting were in favour of the Plan and wanted a clearer definition of the role of the NCA in planning in the ACT and better efficiencies in strategic planning processes. They liked the idea of:
- Removal of planning duplication
- Greater flexibility for the ACT government in the planning of urban areas, while still maintaining an appropriate level of Commonwealth engagement and the fact that
- The Commonwealth will retain powers necessary to uphold the national interest
But while the Tuggeranong Community Council agreed in principle to the Exposure Plan they did not want it to be seen that approval of the legislation means that they approve of development across the Murrumbidgee River at West Tuggeranong. Many people believe that this National Capital Exposure Plan legislation was set up to enable this development to occur, but the Council believe that infill would be more suitable for the needs of the Tuggeranong Community than this expensive greenfield development.
This development at West Tuggeranong was discussed at a Tuggeranong community Council meeting last year and while it was mentioned that such a development would in the future: increase the population of Tuggeranong; make the Hyperdome more the centre of Tuggeranong and create space for more houses in area. However most people felt that infill would achieve all of these aims as well as being most cost efficient re services etc. They were also concerned about: the environmental impact on the river corridor; need for a major bridge; the ranges on the western side having small valleys with steep slopes meaning it would be an expensive engineering operation and the fact that if people have to drive to Tuggeranong maybe they might continue on.
In the poll held last year and confirmed this year at our last meeting, most people voted against development of the West Bank.
Therefore while the Tuggeranong Community Council supports National Capital Exposure Plan it does not support development across the Murrumbidgee River at West Tuggeranong.