Comments on site reports

Purdon's consultation and consequential reporting on the Mount Neighbour site was based upon the premise outlined by the ACT Labor Government that the site was in such a "dilapidated" condition that it would have to be sold. The community was never given any choice or chance to discuss sale of the site. The government has shown a true determination to sell the site and has repeated this description of the site several times.

This was a false premise - the condition report for the site describes no such dilapidation and in fact the site had the third-best average condition rating of all primary school sites under consultation. It also had the third lowest cost to bring the site up to standard.

Unfortunately this means that the Purdon report on this site is moot.

Furthermore, consultation on the future use of this site was inadequate as it skipped an entire stage of the process afforded to other sites, and did not allow opportunity for the local community to have a true voice.

Once again the Mount Neighbour community was disenfranchised and misled by the ACT Government, just as it was as a result of school closure. The government needs to realise that no matter how many times the untruths are stated, they simply do not become more true.

This community should be consulted from scratch, with a view to determining the true needs of the local community before deciding how the site should be best utilised to ultimately serve those needs.

The whole entire valley has a lack of aged care. This decision is about future planning. The stats don't lie. It is the parents that are maintaining the family home as the children either move into inner Canberra apartments close to uni and facilites or move abroad. People wish to stay in the same area. Plus they need a large infill site to locate it close numerous facilites including shops and transport. i actully feel proud they have chosen this site for aged care because they are valuing the area in the same way I do. Its close proximity to the parkway, bus transport, shops and the lake down the road.

I so agree they seem a little obsessed with old people. But then again according to tradition to be a consultant you must be old [and wise(?!)]

As for affordable housing the current offering by the government is 2 bed 1 bath houses on 250sqm in the outreaching suburbs. This to me is not a house and I would prefer to pay a similar price for my 3brd ex govie in Kambah on 750sqm. Affordable housing of the government's current type would actually devaule the area and the buyers would be worse off as the potenial for capital gains is almost nill. The only people who win from this situation is the government from land sales and the developer.