What do you value about the site?

The YMCA facilities at the Melrose site are an important part of the Chifley community, as they provide a hub for community service activities for babies through to senior citizens. The play equipment at the former school site is used by local children, so I don't want to see it replaced by multi-unit residential development. Other community groups, such as dance classes and kids sports, have also used the school hall in the past - we need to retain a hall for hire by community groups. We also need to open up the other existing facilities to community use, such as allowing local artists to use the pottery kiln in the art room, or organic gardening groups to make use of the gardens and compost areas set up by the school.

The possibilities. We have lost our school, our pre-school is hanging out in limbo, we have no central hub. The possibilities, ... that the building could be a community hub with complimentary services that support and enhanch each other.

The retention of the buildings for community use is important - and the existing tenure of the YMCA demonstrates that such use is viable and meets existing needs.

But it's also valid for us to point out that the landscape surrounding the school buildings has huge community value. Governments view vacant land and see dollar signs. Why can they not accept that undeveloped land - green spaces, walking paths - also has a high value? The current rage for 'in-fill' development in Canberra (and the general real estate mania in this town) have muffled any conversation about what makes Canberra a good place to live - its open spaces. The government is welcome to put a price tag on the land around the Melrose site - but it must accept that, if the site is worth a million bucks to developers, it's worth at least that much to the rest of the community, in its natural state.

I strongly support the idea of using the facility as a community hub. I would suggest that part of the existing facility would provide an ideal location for teaching vocational training courses for students with disability, particularly college aged students preparing for post school life. While there is currently much talk about Trade Centres to address the current skill shortage there is little voice given to the data that shows people with disability are a very under-represented group in vocational training and in employment. Current mainstream training facilities are stretched to capacity and lack sufficient flexibility. Incorporating training opportunities such as this, for students with disability, in to a community hub model truly supports the inclusive nature of our community.

I agree with the suggestions offered by both "emd" and "cats". A vocational training facility for people with a disability could be established at the site and could incorporate a horticultural VET course using the established gardens and compost area thus utilising resources already existing. Such a facility would provide people with a disability to have more contact with members of the wider community whilst gaining skills and qualifications leadfing to employment opportunities. Much of the infrastructure is already in place as the main requirement would be classrooms.