55. Woden Valley Community Council
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| Please provide a brief summary of your suggestion. | The premise of the Woden Valley Community Council submission is that Woden Valley residents want to have pride in their Town Centre! The Woden Valley requires new accommodation for Woden Community Services, an entertainment area, community facilities, a cycle network from the suburbs to the centre, open green spaces, a new southern cemetery and naturalisation of the creek at the Woden Town Park. Road upgrades - Intersections should be upgraded at Launceston St and Irving St and a slip lane turning left into Hindmarsh Drive from Melrose Drive Bus network upgrades - park n rides should be located in the north of Woden and in the south at Farrer (on the Athllon Drive and Beasley St intersection), bus bays should be longer to accommodate more buses and space for drop offs. |
| What services do you believe are most important for the Territory? | Healthy Living Woden requires investment in infrastructure to support the ACT Government's Healthy Living initiative: Sites should be identified for facilities that do not return a profit, for example, a community/arts centre, a CIT, a multi-purpose sports hall and a publically funded swimming pool. Investment by the government in these facilities will provide confidence in Woden and facilitate investment by the private sector in cafes and restaurants that are close to where people want to live. |
| How can the Government deliver current services more efficiently and productively or to better meet the needs of Canberrans? | The Woden Community Service provides important programs to the community and the WVCC supports their funding request for a hoarding service and a youth mental health non clinical service. Woden Community Services have been asking for a Community Services Hub to co-locate the delivery of their services for many years. Their current accommodation is not adequate, it is located over four locations and has poor access, particularly to the child care. In the 2012-13 Budget, the Government committed $0.55 million to investigate options for a Community Hub in the Woden - Weston Creek area. The results of this study have not been released. A new facility to accommodate the staff delivering these very important programs could be planned on the east west pedestrian link and bring activity to the central area. This facility could also host a community/arts centre. |
| Are there particular services that you consider the Government should stop delivering or should deliver in a different way? | Higher Education (CIT) should be located in each town centre. A CIT learning centre would improve learning outcomes, help attract young people to the area and bring activity to the Woden Town Centre. The 2015-16 Budget included a measure for the CIT to actively seek opportunities to provide a community campus in the Woden Town Centre. The proposed move to Woden would provide CIT with a more modern learning environment and have the advantage of being more accessible for the public and closer to public transport. The outcome of this work has not been released. A modern learning centre would help with educational outcomes and provide Woden with the benefits that jobs in higher education provide a community. The WVCC recommends that the Woden CIT is not closed and instead: - provides allied health courses with innovative ideas to realise synergies with the Canberra Hospital; - provides aged care and child care courses; - includes a STEM centre of excellence; and - an analysis to determine ways to capitalise on Woden's economic advantage of hosting the Canberra Hospital should be undertaken. Identification of opportunities to develop health education and a health 'Hub', (including healthy living policies and sporting facilities) would be developed into a strategy to retain a sustainable CIT campus, create job opportunities, better health outcomes and contribute to urban renewal policies. |
| Are there any new ways to generate revenue and/or services you consider that the community should make a direct contribution to (a fee for service)? | With densification, Woden has the potential to contribute significant revenue, through further rates and payroll taxes, to the ACT Government's fiscal position. While this is a legitimate objective, it needs to be balanced with the objective of the WVCC, which is to enhance the social and economic well-being of the growing community. |
| What can the Government do to make Canberra even more liveable? | A new southern cemetery A funding commitment is required to construct a new southern cemetery. This is required for the cemetery needs of the growing population and to stop the short term solution, which permanently appropriates three hectares of Eddison Park. Environment Yarralumla Creek revitalisation project - Woden Wetlands / Channel naturalisation. While welcoming the work underway through the ACT Healthy Waterways project, funding should also be provided to naturalise the Creek at the Woden Town Park to provide a natural environment for people to relax and enjoy. Road infrastructure improvements - intersection upgrades eg Launceston St and Irving St Bus infrastructure improvements to encourage people to use public transport - eg more park n rides and longer bus bays to allow for drop offs. |