Katy announces what the closed schools will be used for.

emd, to answer your question CAP Policy is to reopen Cook, Hall, Tharwa and Flynn in accordance with the overwhelming expressed desire of the residents of those communities. The others may be reopened depending on the wishes of the community.

However, what should happen to the sites right now, is…. nothing. We are six weeks out from an election in which one of the major issues is school closures. The Government had no mandate to close them as they went into the 2004 election on a lie. They held two sham consultation processes when the first was shown to be too shonky even for ACT Labor to get away with. Then just before we enter caretaker period there is an urgency to lock the deal down. Anyone would think the sites had already been promised to someone…
The really tantalising question is, if ACT Labor is returned to majority government, will they rediscover their 2006 cash strapped status and throw the Heraldic guilds and puppet theatre groups out on their arses before selling the land off for one of those attractive and functional new housing developments? The most accurate indicator of future behaviour, is past behaviour.

Ps: hutch…..you are not being too harsh, but I fear you may be a tad oversensitive. Note that the moderator had no problem with me leaving my ‘status’ off my posts, only tomtom. Out of politeness I responded to his criticism because he had, as I said, a fair point in that I’m the one sticking my head up.

Mike Crowther
CAP Candidate for Ginninderra

Personally (and without going into individual schools) I would have thought that where there remained a reasonable number of students, those schools could have been treated as separate adjacent campuses (campi?) of one school – i.e. save the money by combining the management and principal. This is already being done by Burgmann and Good Shepherd in Gungahlin.

Specialist teachers could also shuttle between campuses as needed during the week. And where needed, classes can be combined across two years – this is what the new schools such as Harrison have, so why couldn’t it be retrofitted?

This way the “critical mass” savings would be gained, but the local schools in walking distance from homes could also be retained.

Schools are major parts of the glue of local communities. The loss of a school, and the locking in of car-based school commutes, should be avoided if at all possible.

On a side issue, I was intrigued to see that while Andrew Barr inherited all the worst of the school closures public duties, and then had be the front man for two entire consultation processes as well, when it came to presenting the potentially positive outcomes of that consultation, that duty was taken by someone else (all in the name portfolios of course). He’s been getting a pretty raw deal at the hands of his own people…

Fascinating to hear the nimby brigade out on the ABC this morning triumphing the Canberra City Council’s decision not to use school sites for housing as a major “win for the community”?

How does higher housing prices benefit the community? I’d love to know.

I’ll wear being called a hack quite proudly….. I do love mr ferrets suggestion that I’m the cm though, I could use a nice office

That dastardly ALP MLA Dennis Woolworths eh, I KNEW YOU WERE A HACK!

Just had a look at this website that has full details on all the sites in this community consultation process:
http://www.dhcs.act.gov.au/redeveloping_the_community_sites

I’m told that no decision has been made yet on the North Curtin site because there is a lease in place until 2009 that would be affected, so they need to do some more work before making a decision.

woolworths

Good to see that the community groups at the Chifley site (Melrose Primary School) are closely tied in to the Health & Wellness Hub concept – hopefully they’ll work in well with YMCA, who have been there for many years. But I am still not voting ALP on the grounds that they didn’t listen when we said we still need a school to cope with the large numbers of babies being born in Chifley/Pearce (the highest fertility rate in the Woden district).

I notice there was nothing about Curtin in the media release from Katy G’s office. Have they just picked the most controversial sites to make a decision on pre-election, or have decisions been made on the other sites and TAMS just aren’t telling us what’s been decided?

Mike Crowther if you’re still reading, what do CAP believe should happen with the former school sites?

School closures aside and my opinions on them, I do like the idea that they have seemed to have attempted to create ‘hubs’, i.e. like minded organisations grouped together according to aims, targetted demogragraphics etc.

At least there is something vaguely positive to see here

Who does Tom-Tom work for? Judging by his completely misplaced arrogance, I assume is our beloved Chief Minister.

Come clean Tom-Tom

Really, this sounds like the best outcome from the whole thing.

We have taken our medicine and closed schools that cost the budget too much money to run. The budget is now strong and the government is reinvesting in schools in growth areas.

The place where the schools used to be is now cheap office space for community organisations or to be used for much needed aged care and supported living facilities.

The fact that Stanhope has named the people that are going to get these places proves that he will do it – who in their right mind would promise things to rape crisis centres, Sids & Kids, ACTCOSS and St Vinnies if they were planning on going back on their word?

Some opponents of school closures will never see a positive outcome because they are too blinkered about it all. But realisitically, this is a great outcome for students, families and the Canberra Community.

I am disappointed as I thought that C.A.P might be the shinning light over the current darkness which is ACT politics.

Maybe it’s just me, but Mike Crowther response stinks of the arrogance that I expect of the mainstream political parties. The “they don’t do it approach” doesn’t work for me and seems plainly childish. I expect you to set the new morale standards, not just be the same as the rest. I expect more from you and frankly, you should expect more from yourself.

A simple “Sorry I overlooked that; I will make sure I do it from now on” would have been suffice (basically your first paragraph). The work you did on Saturday at Belconnen Mall has just been washed down the drain for me personally.

As a (non-party affiliated) young voter I will think twice before giving C.A.P my vote… if I am being too harsh or unfair I would love to hear some feedback!

I’ll vote for any party that takes it’s obligation to reduce costs to constituents and minimise government control, ownership and regulatory influence over land and planning issues whilst stiving to maximise the return to tax payers of any land under government control that can be sold off unincumbered to the highest bidder.

Honestly people, if redevelopment as up-market units works better for the botton line than handouts to public service households then so be it.

Thats a fair enough comment tomtom. I’d assumed most RiotACT posters already knew that, but I will make sure it is on all posts from now on just in case.

…and of course the Liberal & Labor candidates who also post here under nick-names will do the same wont they.

Mike Crowther
CAP Candidate for Ginninderra.

For those who want the schools left as they are, please tell me how long the buildings need to remain as mausoleums to an education utopia long gone?

One teacher per child in a supported learning environment 5 metres from your own front door would be great, but at some point economics do have to play a part. Maybe not the most important part, but a part none the less.

If we want to have better public transport, more community services and a somewhat sustainable city, then some degree of urban infill (properly planned and managed, with that magic word: consultation) is necessary. I like the green space and large blocks, but there’s a lot to be said for closely knit urban communities where essential services are within walking distance and employment is a public bus (or light rail!) ride.

mike crowther is the community alliance party candidate for ginninderra, a fact he should note whenever he makes public political commentary.

peterh said :

shame that the mount neighbor school was sold to developers for an old age retirement units facility….

and they are planning to tear down the covered playground…

Could have been worse though Peterh, just think townhouses or flats…

I thought the playground was staying though? I have kids at both St Thomas and Mt Neighbour pre-school and I take them to the playground quite a bit after playing on the oval, or after school.

Seems like a pretty good outcome. It’s important that oldies can live in normal suburban areas, not shoved out into weird ghettos. It’s kind-of odd that they’ve pre-allocated space to specific groups, I’d have expected them to build the space and then see who merited getting some of it, like the old Downer primary business incubator.

Sounds like Mt Neighbour school is the place to be! Such enterprising young folk who must live there.

I think the buildings should be kept intact, but I also believe they should be opened up in the evenings under careful supervision so that homeless people have a place to sleep for the night, like in The Pursuit of Happyness.

I was at the Cook site ‘consultation’. The meeting voted overwhelmingly to have the site left in situ. (Despite attempts by the GHD ‘facilitator’ to put words in our mouths on the night). Seems ACT Labor is still as deaf as ever.

I also find myself agreeing with teepee, the most accurate indicator of future behavior is past behavior. If Stanhope is returned with a majority, todays promises wont be worth a spent piss.

mt neighbour school is already being used for community use, the local youth use it for urban art and rock throwing practice..

I am skeptical. Last election they promised they wouldn’t close schools. This year they said they MIGHT use the land for housing. Once the election is out of the way I suspect that land sales could be back on the table.

Maybe that is unfair and cynical, but we can only judge Stanhope by his form.

North Curtin isn’t on the list…

People who can’t live alone without support of some kind such as the mentally ill, physically disabled and learning disabled. Also the homeless.

Work will be undertaken at both Rivett and Mt. Neighbour sites to prepare them for aged and supported accommodation. what is supported accomodation?

Can’t have noisey kids annoying the oldies.

shame that the mount neighbor school was sold to developers for an old age retirement units facility….

and they are planning to tear down the covered playground…