Mr ADAMSON - 1996-10-10
A number of concerns have been expressed about the occupation of the former Dundas House in Parap by the Christian Outreach Centre. What are the government's long-term plans for that site?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the interest shown by the member for Casuarina in this matter will be appreciated by the people who live in the neighbourhood of Dundas House. Honourable members will be aware that, at about this time last year, it was decided that the Dundas House site would be made available for redevelopment and it was to be sold at auction. We had very strong intervention, purportedly on behalf of the residents in the area, from the member for Fannie Bay who very strongly opposed the sale of the Dundas House site for redevelopment, suggesting that there was no support for that in ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr REED: People listening to this broadcast may be more interested in the answer than the member for Fannie Bay, if she would allow them to hear it.
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Strong representation and intervention from the member for Fannie Bay resulted eventually in the government withdrawing the Dundas House site from auction and acceding to her wishes that the facility be retained for community use. The facility was handed over to the Christian Outreach Centre which took occupancy earlier this year and has been using the facility to provide accommodation, principally for people from outside of Darwin. Of course, when that announcement was made, it was welcomed by the member for Fannie Bay, who supported the Christian Outreach Centre being given access to the facility and the retention of the facility for community use. Sadly, since that time, the member for Fannie Bay has suggested that there should have been community consultation in relation to who went into that facility under the community use proposal. Of course, she conveniently overlooked the fact that it was already zoned for community use.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr REED: If I have to speak over you, I will.
The community use zoning allowed for the Christian Outreach Centre to be provided with the use of the facility in accordance with the wishes of the member for Fannie Bay. However, she now criticises me for not putting it on display for public comment. Of course, conveniently, she also criticises me for putting on public display a proposal for a development at the Narrows, another location in her constituency, because that did not suit her.
Contrary to the member for Fannie Bay's representations on behalf of the residents in the neighbourhood of Dundas House, there have been numerous representations to my office, both written and by telephone, indicating that people in the area are unhappy with the community use to which the Dundas House facility is now being put. Indeed, suggestions have been made to my office in recent times that the facility should be offered for redevelopment as a residential development. I am inclined to follow those suggestions and to auction the site for residential development. Accordingly, following discussions with the Christian Outreach Centre - which has done its utmost, I think, to have the services it provides operate on a basis compatible with the surrounding neighbourhood, but unfortunately has been unable to do so - it has agreed to relocate. My department is cooperating with the Christian Outreach Centre to find it an alternative site. I have written to the residents of Weddell and Charlotte Streets to advise them that the Christian Outreach Centre will be ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr Bailey: That the member for Fannie Bay will be responsible for all of this?
Mr REED: People are more interested in this than you are, quite obviously.
The letter indicates to the people of that neighbourhood that we are seeking to find an alternative site for the Christian Outreach Centre to which it will be relocated with some government assistance. In turn, the vacated site will be advertised for rezoning. The intention will be to rezone the area to `specific use'. That will maximise the public comment that people in the neighbourhood will be able to make in relation to the future use of the building. That zoning will provide specific development controls on height, density and open space which will apply to the use that the block can be put to. The process will also provide neighbours with an
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opportunity to have their say on the type of development at 2 levels, first on the rezoning and, secondly, when development consent is sought. That way, maximum opportunities will be afforded for the neighbourhood to have input on the type of development, the scope of development, the density of development and the amount of open space that will occur on that specific site.
The sad aspect of this is that, without the intervention ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr Bailey: It has taken this long for you to consult with the public.
Mr REED: Exactly. It has taken this length of time. Without the intervention of the member for Fannie Bay, residential development would now be in place on the Dundas House site.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: Without her intervention ...
Ms Martin: You are a bully.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: Without her intervention ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr REED: You do not want to listen, do you? You do not want people to hear the facts.
Mr Bailey: What you are saying is garbage.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: Without her intervention, the site would have been auctioned last November or December. It would have been redeveloped by now, and I think that everyone in the neighbourhood would have been much happier than they are with the present outcome which has come about principally as a result of the lobbying by the member for Fannie Bay.
Ms Martin: You never spoke to the residents.
Mr REED: You do not want to listen.
Page 1659
I am pleased that the matter will be resolved now to the satisfaction of the residents, although perhaps to the dissatisfaction of the member for Fannie Bay. I look forward to providing the residents in that neighbourhood ...
Mr Bailey: You did it to spite them. You put a motel there to spite ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: I look forward to providing the residents in the neighbourhood with maximum opportunity to have their say with regard to the scope of development that will be undertaken on that particulate site for a facility that I think will enhance the quality of their neighbourhood.
Page 1660
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the interest shown by the member for Casuarina in this matter will be appreciated by the people who live in the neighbourhood of Dundas House. Honourable members will be aware that, at about this time last year, it was decided that the Dundas House site would be made available for redevelopment and it was to be sold at auction. We had very strong intervention, purportedly on behalf of the residents in the area, from the member for Fannie Bay who very strongly opposed the sale of the Dundas House site for redevelopment, suggesting that there was no support for that in ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr REED: People listening to this broadcast may be more interested in the answer than the member for Fannie Bay, if she would allow them to hear it.
Page 1657
Strong representation and intervention from the member for Fannie Bay resulted eventually in the government withdrawing the Dundas House site from auction and acceding to her wishes that the facility be retained for community use. The facility was handed over to the Christian Outreach Centre which took occupancy earlier this year and has been using the facility to provide accommodation, principally for people from outside of Darwin. Of course, when that announcement was made, it was welcomed by the member for Fannie Bay, who supported the Christian Outreach Centre being given access to the facility and the retention of the facility for community use. Sadly, since that time, the member for Fannie Bay has suggested that there should have been community consultation in relation to who went into that facility under the community use proposal. Of course, she conveniently overlooked the fact that it was already zoned for community use.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr REED: If I have to speak over you, I will.
The community use zoning allowed for the Christian Outreach Centre to be provided with the use of the facility in accordance with the wishes of the member for Fannie Bay. However, she now criticises me for not putting it on display for public comment. Of course, conveniently, she also criticises me for putting on public display a proposal for a development at the Narrows, another location in her constituency, because that did not suit her.
Contrary to the member for Fannie Bay's representations on behalf of the residents in the neighbourhood of Dundas House, there have been numerous representations to my office, both written and by telephone, indicating that people in the area are unhappy with the community use to which the Dundas House facility is now being put. Indeed, suggestions have been made to my office in recent times that the facility should be offered for redevelopment as a residential development. I am inclined to follow those suggestions and to auction the site for residential development. Accordingly, following discussions with the Christian Outreach Centre - which has done its utmost, I think, to have the services it provides operate on a basis compatible with the surrounding neighbourhood, but unfortunately has been unable to do so - it has agreed to relocate. My department is cooperating with the Christian Outreach Centre to find it an alternative site. I have written to the residents of Weddell and Charlotte Streets to advise them that the Christian Outreach Centre will be ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr Bailey: That the member for Fannie Bay will be responsible for all of this?
Mr REED: People are more interested in this than you are, quite obviously.
The letter indicates to the people of that neighbourhood that we are seeking to find an alternative site for the Christian Outreach Centre to which it will be relocated with some government assistance. In turn, the vacated site will be advertised for rezoning. The intention will be to rezone the area to `specific use'. That will maximise the public comment that people in the neighbourhood will be able to make in relation to the future use of the building. That zoning will provide specific development controls on height, density and open space which will apply to the use that the block can be put to. The process will also provide neighbours with an
Page 1658
opportunity to have their say on the type of development at 2 levels, first on the rezoning and, secondly, when development consent is sought. That way, maximum opportunities will be afforded for the neighbourhood to have input on the type of development, the scope of development, the density of development and the amount of open space that will occur on that specific site.
The sad aspect of this is that, without the intervention ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr Bailey: It has taken this long for you to consult with the public.
Mr REED: Exactly. It has taken this length of time. Without the intervention of the member for Fannie Bay, residential development would now be in place on the Dundas House site.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: Without her intervention ...
Ms Martin: You are a bully.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: Without her intervention ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr REED: You do not want to listen, do you? You do not want people to hear the facts.
Mr Bailey: What you are saying is garbage.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: Without her intervention, the site would have been auctioned last November or December. It would have been redeveloped by now, and I think that everyone in the neighbourhood would have been much happier than they are with the present outcome which has come about principally as a result of the lobbying by the member for Fannie Bay.
Ms Martin: You never spoke to the residents.
Mr REED: You do not want to listen.
Page 1659
I am pleased that the matter will be resolved now to the satisfaction of the residents, although perhaps to the dissatisfaction of the member for Fannie Bay. I look forward to providing the residents in that neighbourhood ...
Mr Bailey: You did it to spite them. You put a motel there to spite ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: I look forward to providing the residents in the neighbourhood with maximum opportunity to have their say with regard to the scope of development that will be undertaken on that particulate site for a facility that I think will enhance the quality of their neighbourhood.
Page 1660
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016