Community, government must work together

Check out Chief Minister Barr’s duplicitous Media Release of 5 August announcing a panel of community representatives to be called for to advise government on a detailed masterplan for Manuka Oval. It appears that Barr capitulated to community pressure in this election year. On the same day he rejects the developers GWS/Grocon’s LDA “solicited” unsolicited bid. This proposal involved commercial and apartment development to cut into the oval and impose on all the heritage sites of the public recreational land both inside and outside the oval. Sounds great – Barr has listened to community. Until you realise that the out of town elite GWS are welcome to be part of any future development tender process and that the Territory Plan Variation will be in train by the end of 2017. Business as usual. Barr appears relentless in his drive to see development pay for the upgrades to Manuka Oval despite the fact he has earlier this year announced a further $3 to $10m to fund player change-rooms/facilities and media. Simultaneously LDA chief executive, David Dawes, of Glebe Park notoriety, states that government will now take the lead and that the questionable GWS community consultation will be used. This is despite the fact that the final downsized Manuka Green development as submitted to government was never open for community consultation but was an orchestrated GWS/Grocon presentation at the Bradman Room at the oval. And GWS occupy a preferred position as the Giants have been shepherded by LDA through the desired development process. Stakeholder Consultation Meetings were held back in 2014 on 5 August in Canberra hosted by the LDA and on 18 August called by the AFL Commission in Melbourne. The economic modelers, MacroPlan Dimasi , LDA, GWS and AFL Commission were “stakeholders” at both and the government Events team attended the Canberra integrated development discussions. Conspicuous by their omission were cricket, local AFL, community, local traders and heritage or National Trust representatives. Focus was only on the elite out of town AFL team which in 2014 was in financial distress requiring AFL $2.35m funding in addition to their annual $20m. Curiouser and curiouser the AFL Commission at the Melbourne “stakeholders” meeting said they’d be prepared to invest in new player change rooms/facilities at Manuka. At the same meeting they state under AFL Priorities that “there are no plans to expand AFL activities at Manuka, by the AFL”. This of course contradicts the GWS officials spruiking the commercial and residential Manuka Green development. AFL maintain that they always contribute to player amenities at ovals where their teams play and in Sydney they have previously invested millions of dollars in the SCG, ANZ Stadium, Blacktown Olympic Park and the Showgrounds, home of the GWS team. Mr Barr to this day has not taken up this AFL offer despite his public whining that AFL with their multi billion dollar media deal should be contributing. The LDA and Grocon are valued clients of the MPD economic modelers and all worked together with GWS to “release the prized land package”. Cox architects who were paid $3.14m by the LDA for the current MO Master Plan went to work for Grocon. And so it goes. Despite government assurances consultation on the second and third Cox phases introducing a hotel and possible apartment development outside the oval has not occurred. Barr’s Labor government has lost all credibility in regard to proper community consultation.

Greg,
Why is it that Liberal MLAs often can not be found attending community meetings until close to the election or when individuals decide they are standing for preselection as candidates?