Letter writer SUE DYER, of Downer, when clearing her shed, came across the 1990’s vision for Gungahlin… a world of “two and three storeys; human-scale housing” and canals! 

PERHAPS the Gungahlin Community Council could start a heritage library of crucial “missing sentences” and their contexts, given the recent disappearance from “refreshed” planning statements for central Gungahlin of a sentence about the centre’s role in providing services and facilities for residents in surrounding suburbs (“Government still messing with Gungahlin centre”, Paul Costigan, CN April 15).

In tackling how planning and development blurbs have changed over time, the council could do worse than start with scene-setting documents from the late 20th century for central Gungahlin. 

A COVID-19 era-induced clean out of a back shed this month revealed a six-page pamphlet: “A New Vision – Gungahlin Urban Village and Light Rail” (circa 1990). 

In summary, this central urban village proposal contained “houses, shops and offices”, all “intermixed”, with the buildings generally being “two and three storeys; human-scale housing”. 

Groups of buildings were to have a “distinct architectural character” and be “energy efficient”. 

“Generous landscaping, parks” and inclusions like “fountains and sculptures” were considered “an integral part” of the design of the village and its receipt of light rail. 

As was a range of community, sporting and recreational use “facilities”, together with “a gallery”, “a theatre”, “a community hall”, “canals”, “a leafy plaza” and the creation of a “relaxed pedestrian orientation”. 

The whole village would be “relatively car free”, with “everything… within walking or cycling distance”. 

The light rail, after reaching the village, would travel, eventually, in a “loop within the village”. 

“Diversity”, “vitality” and “sustainable development” would underpin the promised “cosmopolitan” lifestyle. All in all, “what could be better than a softly landscaped environment, complemented by sensitively developed housing”.

Unfortunately, the recording of sentences that have gone missing for Gungahlin or anywhere else could become quite a time-consuming, if not a heart-breaking, exercise.

Sue Dyer, Downer

We have become a ‘police state’

WHEN did parliament enact (without a referendum) a change to our constitution (in relation to blocked borders)?

Now we are forbidden to go interstate contrary to the constitution, which allows for free interstate trade and movement.

We have also become a police state, “laws passed” without public consultation to become another money grabbing measure likened to draconian measures bordering on Gestapo methods. 

Alas no media rant such as was portrayed when Wuhan took extreme measures to “lockdown” that city, but here not a protesting word.

In 2003 when the SARS virus struck, Australia took virtually no health steps yet there were worldwide deaths, one wonders why such a panic in this instance when millions of people die of Malaria each year as well as similar numbers dying worldwide of the common flu virus. 

One should check the internet to see just how many deaths worldwide occur through diseases and the common flu virus without the panic this epidemic wrought.

Talk about media frenzy gone wrong when there are many major problems we face that are just as important such as ridding us of this local, out-of-hand ACT government that has bankrupted its citizens to the tune of $3 billion and is exacerbating the situation by wanting to go further into debt with a useless light rail going south of Civic. 

It’s about time our elected members in opposition and the community lodge a “no confidence” vote to get rid of these inept arrogant fools.

R Leister, Amaroo

I was always going, Michael

I ENJOYED reading my old colleague Michael Moore’s column last week (“Belco Bill in with a big chance”, CN, April 16), but allow me to correct one small factual error. 

I did not “resign from the Assembly” to accept the ACAT post of appeal president, as Michael said. I indicated I would not be contesting the next election and served out my term finishing up on October 17 (election day was October 18, 2008) and then taking up my new role in November 2008. 

I think Michael has confused me with our former mutual colleague Brendan Smyth who did resign from the Assembly in 2016 to take up a senior government job thereby facilitating the entry into the Assembly for several months of the man who saved Tharwa during the 2003 bushfires, the legendary Val Jeffery.  

Bill Stefaniak, Belco Party candidate for Ginninderra 

Tragedy in age of the virus

BUSY mother hauls her overflowing shopping trolley to the car at Jamison shops on Tuesday and loads up. Drives off leaving a 24-roll pack of toilet paper behind! 

Mick Wales, via email