Villages viability debated

Meredith Hunter (Parliamentary Convenor of the Greens, Member for Ginninderra) yesterday introduced into the Legislative Assembly as a Matter of Public Importance - the viability of the ACT's villages -(page 1813). Five other Members spoke on the Motion – including each of the other Members for Ginninderra – Jon Stanhope, Mary Porter, Vicki Dunne, and Alistair Coe. The Opposition Deputy Leader and Shadow Minister for Economic Development, Business and Tourism, Brendan Smyth, also spoke.

Meredith Hunter's speech observes that

"In the lead up to the 2013 Centenary of Canberra celebrations it should be noted that many of the villages that now form part of the ACT were in existence well before the birth of Canberra in 1913. Families from these villages, Hall, Tharwa, Pialligo, Stromlo, and Uriarra and the villages themselves became a vital part of the new Canberra.

If we take Hall as the first example, their Progress Association itself is 105 years old and its school was opened in 1911. Descendants of those early families remain in the district and many of the original buildings are still standing".

We particularly welcome the link made with the Centenary of Canberra. In our recent meeting with the Chief Minister we urged that support be given to the Hall School Museum, and the Hall-Tharwa Walking Trail proposal, as part of the Centenary.

After identifying some of the more recent pressures and challenges – including school closures – she suggests that

"In the ACT we need a range of initiatives to assist local residents and community groups, to lure the city dwellers and tourists to our villages. However, the residents of these villages cannot be expected to do this alone, and the Greens believe that the Government should enact its commitment in the Labour/Greens Parliamentary Agreement, by undertaking a consultative master planning process with villages and implement the agreed outcomes - Mr Speaker at a minimum the villages of Tharwa, Hall and Pialligo should be part of the Government's tourism strategy".

Given the challenges we face as a small community in trying to discover who is responsible for what, and dealing effectively with the full range of government agencies, the administrative change that she proposes is particularly interesting:

"Government should allocate specific officers the responsibility of working with the smaller communities so there is a clear understanding of their needs, the infrastructure required and development proposed. This would enable proper consultation and consideration of all issues when government changes are being considered for the villages."

Chief Minister Jon Stanhope reflected on the school closure, and gave generous acknowledgement of the Progress Association:

"I have had recent conversations, as I know have other members of the Assembly, most particularly with the progress association of Hall in relation to certainly community facilities, their maintenance, their enhancement, a future, a future life and an enhanced life and visibility most particularly of the Hall community. I have to say that I am most impressed by the energy, the focus and the determination by the Hall progress association to grasp the opportunities that their unique and beautiful village presents in terms of a new identity and a new future. I certainly do think that, out of the change that Hall certainly has had visited on it as a result of decisions that the government has taken, the community do understand that there are opportunities to be grasped and they are certainly looking to the government to work in partnership with them in relation to that.

I certainly commend the Hall and District Progress Association—I met with three of its membership, led by their president, Alastair Crombie, I think two or three weeks ago almost—for the most constructive discussions on issues that they wish to pursue, the sort of partnership and assistance that they believe the government might be able to provide in areas such as enhancement of the historic, heritage school facilities, landscaping, the potential for a men's shed, support for a heritage-listed museum, resurfacing of the tennis court and the games court and a refurbishment of perhaps the hub to some extent of Hall, namely, the area around the showground and the showground pavilion. Suffice it to say that I was most impressed by the attitude, the energy and the very positive focus of the progress association in relation to the need to identify, then to grapple with and grasp and to achieve, the opportunities that their particular situation presents them.

I might just say that the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services is currently working with project manager Hindmarsh, who are in charge of all the new work at the former school sites, to further develop proposals that have been negotiated, most particularly with the Hall community broadly but most specifically with the progress association, in relation to enhancements that we have agreed to fund and support in Hall."

In his speech, the other new local Member Alistair Coe comments on the school closure:

"Villages in the ACT, including Hall, do not demand much from Government. They don't expect to be excessively subsidised or use welfare as a substitute for hard work. All that the villages in the ACT desire is a Government that realises suburban policy is not suited to rural villages, and that their unique circumstances should be considered.

The community rightly expects that Government ensures their needs are met and aspirations can be realised. They would expect that the ACT Government would realise that a school can survive and flourish in a village like Hall and that the Government should facilitate this."

He also gives some welcome, and appreciated, recognition of the Progress Association and community website:

"Hall has a number of active community groups including the umbrella organisation, the Hall and District Progress Association. The association has been active in many areas of late, including advocating for keeping the Hall Primary School open (an effort the Canberra Liberals supported), making submissions and giving feedback to ACTPLA and running what has to be one of the best community website in the ACT: www.hall.act.au

I commend Alastair Crombie and his team for all the good work they do."

Further extracts from speeches, and links soon.

Jon Stanhope on Hall »