The following is a summary of the Chair’s report from the Hackett Community Association’s Annual General Meeting that was held on 22 September 2009:
Nine well attended Committee meetings have been held since the last AGM in 2008. After the closure of the Blue Gum Lounge the Committee moved to ACT Sports House, where it currently meets on the 3rd Tuesday of most months. HCA members are entitled to attend the Committee and listen in.
The last year was a very mixed one for Hackett. There is still a great deal of indifference and unfortunately of NIMBY.
On the other hand, we also have a very active group of people who are working very hard indeed on Hackett’s behalf both in the HCA and in other groups, and they have had some successes.
Traffic will be an on-going problem for Hackett, especially with the ACT population expected to reach 400,000 by 2020 as recently announced. HCA has continued to explore relief options with Roads ACT and held a public meeting in November 2008. While there was general agreement that something needed to be done, there was also considerable disagreement as to what. Traffic lights at the intersection of Phillip and Majura Avenues seems to be the preferred options. Roads ACT unsuccessfully put traffic lights forward for the current ACT Budget and will try again next year. Some relief may be provided in the longer term by the development of Majura Parkway, but this has a number of problems of its own that are being addressed by the NCCC. The Hackett traffic problems have recently received some media attention.
HCA was represented at the opening of the Majura SES new base in Hackett and has supported the Clean-Up Australia Day 2009. It supported the creation of a Hackett community garden and while a fund application to the ACT Government was unsuccessful, the Committee still supports this project in the longer term.
NCCC created a North Canberra website http://northcanberra.org.au/ and Hackett and HCA have their own segments.
Traffic concerns will continue to be a subject for HCAactivity and any member who wishes to be involved should join the traffic working group.