Community Alliance Party

Around 60 people attended the meeting, convened by the Community Alliance Party in association with representatives from the Mental Health Carers Network, that was held on 15th August at the Hughes Community Centre, to discuss the car park development.

The meeting heard how this project is another example of the flawed planning process in the ACT.  It had been “called in” to overcome allegedly frivolous objections.  Several speakers were able to show that the objections are by no means frivolous and that lower-cost, lower impact and more attractive options exist to ease the traffic problems at the Canberra Hospital.

It was pointed out how the demolition of the existing car park represents a waste of a large amount of concentrated energy.  The structure is only 10 years old and quite sound.  It would be replaced by a 9-storey structure that will dominate the whole hospital campus, spilling large amounts of light at night.  In addition it would dominate the planned mental health precinct in the south-west corner of the campus.  Towering to the north of the precinct, it will overshadow the area that, by international standards, should be designed to provide an environment of peace and quiet.  It was shown how the attempts to “soften” the visual impact of the structure are laughable.

The meeting was shown that the most attractive alternative would be to use the existing surface car park on the other side of Yamba Drive.  A 3-level structure on the site would suffice, and the long, narrow shape is more efficient for car parking than a square multi-storey building.  Access would be by a foot bridge over Yamba Drive.  This would allow the existing car park to be used for high security and disabled parking.

In fact it was questioned whether the mental health facility should be located in this area at all, with its proximity to several major traffic hubs.  Calvary hospital is a more attractive option from this point of view.  This brought up the observation that the Mental Health Carers Network had not been part of the “consultation” process and had not even been made aware of the 2006 announcement of plans for a new mental hospital.  These appear to have been in limbo for 3 years and have now surfaced in conjunction with the plans for the car park.  With the projected expenditure of over $1B on health facilities, it is clear that these will be with us for a long time.  This makes real consultation all the more imperative.

The meeting heard how the deficiencies in design expertise in the Health Department make meaningful consultation problematic.  There appears to an emphasis on public relations rather than on addressing real concerns.  These are more likely to be met with spin than with a reasoned response.  This is symptomatic of many government decisions, such as school closures or the relocation of the Independent Living Centre at Weston.  A meeting between government representatives and mental health carers in February had not been presented with any plans for the new facility despite the existence of preliminary designs in a pamphlet published in 2008.

The meeting was attended by a representative of the ACT Health Department who apologised for the absence of the Minister and presented information related to the concerns expressed at the meeting.  It was pointed out that the consultation started in July 2008.  In November 2008 an article appeared in the Canberra Times inviting input and invitations were extended to neighbouring facilities and interested parties such as the RSL.  A meeting was held in December.  The planning application was submitted in March 2009 and only 3 submissions were received.

Deputy Opposition Leader, Brendan Smyth, also attended the meeting.

In summary, the meeting was provided with a broad range of views by representatives from many sectors.  It was an excellent example of how the Community Alliance Party can facilitate greater involvement of the community in issues that affect all of us.