The Watson Community Association recently made a submission in response to the Australian Heritage Village, Watson development application (DA 200915605)
The key recommendations from the WCA submission are:
- The WCA recommends strongly against a development of this scale, and considers it should be reduced. Excessive scale and density and low cost housing is an unacceptable mix.
- The land should have been opened to competitive tender.
- WCA disagree with the Community Title Scheme (CTS) structure which is proposed for this project.
- Any subsequent development should be designed so that blocks would take full advantage of solar orientation and stormwater.
- All exceptional, high and medium value native and habitat trees on the site should be saved.
- Significantly more urban open space should be provided within the development. Reliance on the adjacent nature reserve as a substitute for local open space would significantly downgrade the status of the Canberra Nature Reserve.
- All stormwater and bushfire risk mitigation should be internal to the proposed development, and not rely on any encroachment onto Canberra Nature Reserve.
- There must be a closed fence between the development and the nature reserve, and a mandated domestic animal containment policy. The entry point(s) into the nature reserve must lead to formed track(s), to avoid disturbance of sensitive vegetation.
- One or more of the existing buildings should be retained and devoted as public community facilities open to a range of local community groups.
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