A RESIDENTS’ action group says they’d be “crushed” to see their local playing fields demolished for the expansion of the Kippax Fair Shopping Centre in Holt. 

The group is fighting to save the fields after the ACT government rezoned the area for major commercial development last year.

Chris Watson, chair of Save Kippax Playing Fields, has walked across the ovals for more than 50 years and says it would be a “tragedy” to see the area go.

“They’re used for sports, recreation, relaxing and all sorts of things. We see people here all the time,” says Chris.

“We’re not saying that we don’t want any development of the centre. We are not against an expansion. This particular proposal is just the wrong idea.”

Belconnen’s rapid population growth has seen calls for more shops and parking in the centre since 2013. The demand is being particularly driven by Ginninderry, a suburb expected to reach 30,000 people over the coming decades.

Originally, the ACT government’s 2015 draft master plan recommended a redevelopment of surface car parks out the front of the centre, a suggestion that Chris and the action group believe would be better for the community. 

However, the government says separate community consultation from the owners of the Kippax Fair Shopping Centre saw support for retail expansion over the playing fields. This would eventually see a variation to the Territory Plan and the government is now calling for expressions of interest from developers to build on the fields.

“We believe the majority of people are against using the ovals for development,” says Chris.

“At one meeting the Belconnen Community Council asked people to raise their hands if they supported development over the fields, one person in a room of about 80 people did.

“There’s going to be a larger population and more densification in the years to come, we have to hang on to the green space we have.”

Glenys Byrne, another member of the action group, says the development is irresponsible in the face of climate change.

“One of the objectives of the redevelopment of the oval is to not see an increase in urban heat, but allowing construction on a green space is completely illogical with that,” she says.

“The first proposal out the front was a sustainable development option that met all the objectives including climate-change action, something we think the government has now ignored with this new proposal.”

The group is also extremely worried about the increased flood risks associated with the development, as evidenced by a 2020 report that was not released until after the rezoning of the fields.

The report, updating the results of an original 2015 study, was commissioned by the ACT’s planning directorate and found that the development could increase the risk of flooding danger for residential blocks if mitigation measures, estimated to cost about $2 million, were not undertaken. 

It also found the initial proposal recommending redevelopment of the car parks presented no major flooding risk.

Planning Minister Mick Gentleman said the study was sufficient for rezoning the land and showed that flooding and drainage issues in the area could be managed.

“Recommended floodway improvement works, and water sensitive urban design works are not considered to be critical for public safety for the future development of the site,” said Mr Gentleman. 

“The future developer will be required to undertake their own due diligence and works as part of their development in line with the 2020 study.”

Despite the issues raised by the Save Kippax Playing Fields group, the government strongly stands by its community consultation process, saying they engaged in “an extensive listening exercise”.

They say this included a community panel, involving the Belconnen Community Council, which agreed the centre’s expansion over the playing fields could “result in an excellent outcome if done well.”

However, according to the Save Kippax Playing Fields group, the consultation was not representative of the community.

“The community panel was a closed-shop affair; we had no idea about that sort of thing,” says Glenys.

“They were supposed to present a number of options and at the end of the three meetings they just embraced the one choice to expand across the ovals. 

“We feel we are not being represented by the government or by the community council.”

According to a report published by the government, the community panel agreed “if existing green space is to be provided for retail expansion, the green space must be replaced and enhanced”.

Whether such measures will be taken is yet to be seen. Mr Gentleman said work is underway on the first stage of the expression of interest and is anticipated to commence by the end of May.

Following this, the land will go to a competitive sales process.

It comes after the government deemed the owners of Kippax Fair “not eligible” for a direct sale of the land.

To Chris and the action group though, there are a whole range of issues that have not been given the consideration they deserve. 

“It’d also see the demolition of a former walk-in health centre which would be terrible,” he says.

“The building is designed to look after people’s mental and physical health. That’s needed here in West Belconnen, especially given the last year.”

“There’s also a need right now for a quality, well-designed playground for young children and Kippax sadly does not have that.

“They had to fight to hang on to Central Park in New York, well we are fighting for Kippax, to keep this green space for generations now and generations to come.”