4,000 residents challenge poor planning

Maya123 said :

The only way in the long term to limit developments like this is to limit population, and that’s up to the Federal Government

Well the current and previous Federal governments are certainly trying to limit the growth of Canberra.

The only way in the long term to limit developments like this is to limit population, and that’s up to the Federal Government (rather than local) and choices individuals make. The major parties would rather have more people. If you don’t want developments consider who you vote for, and don’t have large families, because after all people have to live somewhere.

Acton said :

…..It would be so much better if residents in Canberra stuck by each other in a common cause to preserve what we love most about the city we have all chosen to make our home.

That sums it up very nicely – what we have now is divide and rule, with too many people taking the “I’m alright, Jack” view of the world until they’re affected – by which time it’s too late.

I’m not affected by the plans for Yarralumla, and I don’t know anyone who is – so in that sense, I have no interest in it, but I am concerned at an increasingly common style of development which is over the top, and appears to have much more to do with maximising profits than with the now hackneyed arguments about environmental and health benefits. Dismissing people who have such concerns as selfish NIMBYs or BANANAs is glib and simplistic, and somewhat deluded when coming from individuals who think that more intensive development will be a magic panacea for high housing costs.

Watto23: It is most unfortunate that some Canberrans should accuse others of nimbyism, when what is really happening is one group of residents is simply trying to protect those very aspects of this city we all love. There are many things wrong with the LDA’s proposal.
– backtracking on the 2011 plans and ignoring previous concerns and consultations;
– loss of green spaces, walking tracks, trees, bush and habitat;
– doubled in population size through the imposition of 1,600 new dwellings up to eight storeys high
– traffic congestion and adverse infrastructure impacts;
– inadequate parking at local shops;
– lack of detail on buried asbestos;
– failure to deal with heritage issues of the Brickworks.
Is it wrong for a group of residents to oppose property developers driven by financial self-interest?
Is it wrong to ask whether this local government is simply after land revenue to fund a light rail fantasy?
If residents are NIMBYs, then so too is any community, anywhere, that has a connection to their land and seeks to protect the natural environment and essential character of their home. Just think of the groups throughout history you could accuse of nimbyism.
When you suggest that residents do not have genuine, well thought out arguments and reasoning may I point out the numerous detailed submissions put up over the years on this subject. They are here: http://www.yarralumlaresidents.org.au/planning-development/brickworks/
Over 4,000 people signed the petition calling for the plans to be withdrawn and reworked.
It would be so much better if residents in Canberra stuck by each other in a common cause to preserve what we love most about the city we have all chosen to make our home.

Has anyone noticed that Canberra is an island of green in a sea of brown?

Why cover when we can just build multistorey in all the group centres.

The whole brickworks development only makes sense if light rail went to woden and not gun-middle-of-nowhere.

Do the Liberals have a detailed position on this? Steve Doszpot may be presenting the petition to the Assembly, but does that mean that a Liberal Government would only allow the development to go ahead if it was reworked along the lines suggested by the YRA?

As I keep saying, just like every other development its sounding more like nimbyism and less like genuine well thought our arguments and reasoning. As soon as that happens your arguments get dismissed far quicker, whether they are valid or not.

Traffic is definitely a concern, but to suggest building a new overpass is never going to be taken seriously. However ensuring the current traffic can still flow without being on residential streets is not an unreasonable expectation.
Same with parking, if they can widen the road enough to put 45 degree parking in, that would help.

Asbestos comments show that the YRA have no expert knowledge of how best this is handled. Building on top of it pretty much eliminates asbestos being an issue.
There may be 400 residents opposed, but i bet there will be high demand for such an inner suburb location.

I’ve seen firsthand the government’s total contempt for citizen petitions. Your only recourse is to vote them out at the next ACT election … as if!

build a traffic overpass near the Mint

Not going to happen. This option was priced at $100 million which would eat into any profit they are planning on making.