30-dwelling Yarralumla public housing proposal approved

A proposed public housing development in Yarralumla has been speedily approved despite a long list of concerns from nearby residents.

The $6 million, two-storey project will replace the old Solander Court complex at 2 Schlich Street, which has been sitting derelict for more than four years.

The site will become denser, rising from a dozen units to 30 one (18), two (10) and three-bedroom (2) units with courtyards.

The Yarralumla Residents Association did not oppose the development but assisted nearby residents with their concerns, which included the increased density and size, traffic and parking, loss of trees, the resumption of a south-facing ungazetted park and a lack of consultation.

President Peter Pharoah said the YRA had always supported appropriate, salt-and-pepper public housing that blended in with the landscape.

“What is disappointing is it’s taken four and a half years for the government to actually do anything about the site,” Mr Pharoah said.

He said the tenants were given very short notice to leave, but the property was then left vacant, except for a squatter.

Local SES members even practised anti-terror drills in the deteriorating complex.

“To me, that’s criminal, and since [Chief Minister Andrew] Barr’s come in, we’ve got less government housing than we had 10 years ago,” Mr Pharoah said.

He also criticised the government’s lack of consultation, shoving it out just before the caretaker period.

Mr Pharoah said while the block would be largely cleared, the verge trees would be protected, and a condition banned construction vehicles from parking there, although he questioned whether that would be enforced.

Residents had been concerned about traffic issues from increased street parking, but the Notice of Decision said TCCS would deal with that later if it emerged.

Mr Pharaoh said that could be a problem as EPSDD always underestimated traffic and parking volumes.

“Traffic management in Yarralumla is a problem because Yarralumla is set to double in the next 10 years in population and the streets aren’t very big for highway-style movements,” he said.

There was also the broader issue of insufficient infrastructure to support new housing developments such as the Brickworks and the Forestry school projects.

“The CSIRO Forestry development is going to happen across the road, and they’re going to have to put significant infrastructure into that because the stormwater and sewage systems in Yarralumla haven’t been maintained since self-government,” he said.

“And when you double the population, they’re going to have to put huge mains in, probably in front of this development, sometime in the future.

“They carry on developing things incrementally or disjointed incrementally rather than having a look at the long-term requirements for that particular development.”

Overall, the YRA welcomed the public housing, which would blend in. But more consultation would have improved the outcome, Mr Pharoah said.

Conditions imposed include protection of the retained and verge trees and more information to be provided on the internal pedestrian network, communal clothes drying area, driveway sightlines, hazardous materials, and a waste and recycling plan.

The development application was submitted in September. It attracted 16 representations.