Edition 131 April 2014 Designed by JM Publishing THE WILD SIDE OF GUNGAHLIN Smoke Signals Resounding SUCCESS! Download the latest Gunsmoke Next meeting: Wednesday 9 April 7.30pm - Gungahlin Library Gillian Yeend Yeend and associates FamilY lawlers Gillian Yeend is a Lawyer who own s a specialist Family Law firm in Gungahlin- Yeend and Associates. Her firm locally employs two other professional staff and three administrative staff. They assist clients with their legal matters arising from relationship breakdown. Gillian has been a the area and lights at the intersection at Hinder member of the GCC Executive and Hibberson Street. More childcare facilities and more locally based family mediation since 2013. services would also be a great addition to the area. Besides this, an Ikea could be great here! My husband and I built our house in Franklin in early 2010 having to Canberra from Newcastle Despite the challenging gardening conditions of in 2006. I opened my firm in June 2013 after a the Canberra climate, I love living in Gungahlin period of maternity leave. I wanted to work close and think it has great outdoor facilities and an to our home and childcare rather than facing the improving town centre. I have been impressed traffic into town each day. by the energy for committee work and passion for Gungahlin held by the GCC committee Owning a business located in Gungahlin, I joined members. I would encourage everyone to the GCC to increase my knowledge about attend a meeting. The information for the the plans for future growth and development meetings can be found on the GCC website or in the area. I have only ever been involved in the My Gungahlin website. legal based Committee’s so the exposure to development issues, community activity and consultation has been informative. My office is Gillian Yeend located on Anthony Rolfe Avenue, so I would love to see better parking for people working in www.yeendassociates.com.au GunSmoke is available online, and printed copies are President: Ewan Brown - [email protected] available through key shopping centres. To subscribe to the Vice President: Peter Elford - 0401 890 387 online edition visit www.gcc.asn.au and click on the “Sign [email protected] Up For Our Newsletter” button at the bottom of the page. To advertise your business or organisation in GunSmoke, please Secretary: Tony Ozanne - [email protected] visit our website. Treasurer: Brad Kane - [email protected] Disclaimer: Web Administrator: Dave Bockett - 0405 328 764 GunSmoke is published to allow residents to keep in touch [email protected] with their local community. The views expressed in Gunsmoke Public Officer: Kevin Cox - [email protected] do not necessarily represent the opinion of the editor, or 2 I Gungahlinmembers Community of the Gungahlin Council Community - Newsletter Council Edition Inc.131 April 2014 GCC Committee: James Milligan, Meegan Fitzharris, Michael Norfor, Gillian Yeend I From the President Ewan Brown GCC held our first business breakfast in late business community. The GCC foreshadowed February to seek to get local businesses more plans to replicate this function during the year. involved in broader local issues. I also indicated that the GCC intends to This was an extension of our Priority Target to embark on two significant projects in coming keep Gungahlin residents aware of developments months: in their region, by seeking to get the local 1. To conduct a survey of residents and businesses more involved. businesses to gain a very comprehensive set It was a resounding success with an of views on what services and facilities are still impressive attendance of over 70 local and required here in the Gungahlin town centre regional business representatives listening to and in the nearby suburban areas to make this ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher and CEO of region an even better place to live, work or play. the ACT and Region Chamber of Commerce, Andrew Blyth, discuss the opportunities for future 2. To mount a campaign to place planning business development in Gungahlin. emphasis on the provision of adequate parking I noted that it could be said that Gungahlin facilities around the town centre and in selected is almost “coming of age”! I mentioned moving suburban centres. Problems have or are to the district almost 20 years ago (partly to already emerging due to population growth and participate in a broadband trial) and 19 years later development. The completion of many of the being successful in getting the NBN connected! projects referred to in the opening remarks will Residents have seen significant growth and exacerbate parking issues unless remedies are development in other areas as well – but in considered and implemented. many cases not quite matching the needs of a total population of 48,000 with expectations of To progress these aims GCC will be seeking reaching 60,000 in 10-15 years. greater input from the local business community The GCC feels that residents are still not well to ensure that a solid business perspective is serviced in this region. included. However a number of projects are underway The GCC has also set a ‘target’ of having all – a leisure centre, enclosed oval, an ACT major roads into Gungahlin as dual carriageways Government office block with a shopfront and the within five years. This certainly caused a stir Commonground accommodation block. but in balance it mainly needs Horse Park drive Future expectations include a cinema to be added to the list if the Gundaroo Drive complex, another major hardware store, another secures funding in this year’s ACT Budget. club, extensions to the Raiders’ Club and to the In view of the anticipated substantial growth Woolworths supermarket opposite, a mosque of Gungahlin over coming years with the and Capital Metro light rail. settlement of new suburbs (including Casey, I indicated that I had developed a list of things Kenny, Bonner, Throsby and Moncrief) there is a that locals do not have to leave Gungahlin for and need for significant planning consultation on the that I was gradually ‘ticking things off’! I stated provision and timely development of facilities for that I hoped that ‘it speeds up’. the area to accommodate the requirements of The GCC’s key message is that there is a population likely to exceed 60,000 residents. still so much potential to increase and further Transport issues (in and out) are of critical diversify the business base in Gungahlin and the importance and the usual approach for ‘catch- event was convened to encourage developers up’ or remedial developments will not offer and businesses to become more optimistic satisfactory solutions in the short-to-medium about ways to make Gungahlin a more dynamic term. continued > Gungahlin Community Council - Newsletter Edition 131 April 2014 I 3 CURRENT ISSUES • Community services 1. GCC wants a review/development of a new • Hardware store(s) Master Plan for the Town Centre to reflect the • Good schools needs of the rapidly growing population in the • Child care area. A previous Plan (2008), following a small • Aged persons facilities community response, sought to retain a ‘quiet village’ type atmosphere for the Town Centre. Committee Update Significant population growth and the strong We welcome Stuart Todd, Branch Manager. likelihood of Light Rail terminating in Gungahlin Gungahlin, People’s Choice Credit Union, to the now strongly suggest that a review should be committee to strengthen the essential connection undertaken to ascertain current community with the community sector we initiated last year. attitudes. I wish to thank Meegan Fitzharris for her GCC proposes that another community valuable contribution to the committee in the short survey/consultation process be undertaken to time she was involved. Former and prospective seek input from residents, visitors and workers. political candidates are a great resource for More facilities and amenities have been or are voluntary community committees because they being provided in the region thus contributing have a very well developed understanding of the to residents’ expectations that even more views of local residents and have a genuine interest development would be beneficial to avoid having in the community. to travel out of the region. I take pleasure in announcing that James Focus needs to be placed on significant Milligan has agreed to take on the role of diverse commercial development to provide more Communications Director to improve our employment and shopping opportunities for communications with the local community. We Gungahlin residents. (Key stakeholders need to want many more people reading Gunsmoke be convinced of the value of locating or living in online, we want more people to attend our monthly Gungahlin in order to engage in development and meetings or view proceedings online, we want to attract new staff!) more feedback on issues we raise and we want Traffic problems feature prominently in our top to see the business community engaging with us priority issues. Recent statistics show Gungahlin to a greater degree. James will be able to plan a having 3 out of the top 7 accident spots in program so that we can become more successful Canberra. Two of these are covered in our urgent with these aims. Budget funding requests. We have joined a committee to bid for funding Our scorecard of amenities, facilities and to run a Gungahlin Festival in 2015. services that Gungahlin residents DO NOT have At our last meeting we learned of problems to leave the district for include: resulting from the transition of TransACT cable services to the NBN. We plan to feature NBN • Supermarkets updates more prominently in coming months. • Library Gunsmoke will be published June, August, • Health Centre October and December in 2014.