The NCCC, Watson Community Association, Friends of Mount Majura, The Conservation Council ACT Region and the Village Building Company have signed a deed of agreement to minimise environmental and traffic impacts associated with The Fair residential development on the Australian Heritage Village site in north Watson.
Both the Canberra Times and the City Chronicle have run articles outlining some of the concerns raised in the deed of agreement that has been entered in for the Australian Heritage Village site redevelopment. These articles have been reproduced below:
WIN News ran a piece on 11 March 2010 about how a legal challenge to the redevelopment on the Australian Heritage Village site has been averted: [youtube]c3KlOZEnSH4&rel=0&showsearch=1[/youtube] Note: copyright of the material in the video clips resides with the WIN Television. Usage permitted in accordance with the Australian Copyright Act 1968, Section 42: Fair dealing for purpose of reporting news. Source: WIN News (Canberra) – 26 November 2009
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 Friends of Mount Majura recently made a submission in response to the Australian Heritage Village, Watson development application (DA 200915605)
The North Canberra Community Council recently made a submission in response to the Australian Heritage Village, Watson development application (DA 200915605) The key recommendations from the NCCC submission are that the Development application should be rejected on the grounds of problems identified in the following areas: Apparent improper process Traffic impacts. Impacts on the Mt Majura Nature Reserve
In the 13 October 2009 edition of the City Chronicle, journalist Elliot Woods writes about the despondency of Watson residents and community environmentalists feel in their unsuccessful attempts to defend precious endangered woodland and buildings around the Australian Heritage Village.
The Federal Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett AM MP has rejected a request from the Watson Community Association to protect remnant White Box, Yellow Box and Blakely’s Red Gum grassy woodlands on the Australian Heritage Village redevelopment site. The correspondence from the Department is reproduced below:
The Watson Community Association has concerns with regard to the proposed redevelopment of the the “Australian Heritage Village” as described in Territory Plan (Draft) Variation 261. A summary of the Draft Variation 261 as originally proposed was as follows: “Draft Variation 261 proposed the following:Summary of the Proposal Part Block 2, Blocks 3 and 5 Section 75 are currently subject to the Entertainment, Accommodation and Leisure land use policies under the Territory Plan. Block 3 Section 75 Watson is currently known as the Australian Heritage Village, which was originally built as a tourist facility and now would require refurbishment to operate …
