Queanbeyan-Monaro Greens

MEDIA RELEASE

11 May 2012

Environment and heritage at risk under new Queanbeyan City plan

Queanbeyan City’s new Local Environmental Plan (LEP) fails to protect important natural areas, including parts of the eastern escarpment and the Queanbeyan River, the Greens said today.

Heritage buildings in Queanbeyan’s CBD are still not protected and the historic precinct surrounding Queanbeyan railway station is threatened by nearby industrial development following a rezoning adopted as part of the new LEP.

Queanbeyan City Council (QCC) approved the LEP late on Wednesday evening before a packed gallery of around 60 people. The draft now goes to the NSW Planning Minister who must determine whether to approve or amend it. Read the rest of this entry »

MEDIA RELEASE

26 April 2012

Jumping Creek site unsuitable for large-scale development: Greens

The Greens are calling on Queanbeyan City Council to reject a rezoning proposal that would pave the way for a large-scale housing development on land near Queanbeyan River.

“Queanbeyan City Council (QCC) is proposing to rezone Jumping Creek Estate south of Greenleigh, paving the way for a potential 250-lot housing development,” Queanbeyan-Monaro Greens spokesperson Katrina Willis said today.

“The Greens believe the proposed development would have major negative impacts on water quality, bushland and wildlife including ecological communities and species listed as threatened under NSW and Commonwealth law. Read the rest of this entry »

Australian Greens Leadership change

The Queanbeyan-Monaro Greens send a big thanks to Senator Bob Brown for his incredible commitment and dedication to the Greens over decades.

Bob has been a beacon of inspiration in an often bleak political landscape, speaking out for the environment, peace, human rights and social justice. Read the rest of this entry »

Some people are spruiking Queanbeyan’s building boom but it’s not all good news.

Read our letter to the Editor in response to The Canberra Times article of 9 April “Building bonanza changing face of Qbn”.

Yes, Queanbeyan is in the middle of a development boom (“Building bonanza changing face of Qbn”, The Canberra Times 9 April) but it’s not all good news.

The bonanza benefits developers, real estate agents and council’s revenue base but at considerable cost to key features of the city, including those that attract people here in the first place.

Not everyone is cheering the neglect and loss of our older style homes. It’s a classic tactic to buy them cheap, often as deceased estates, hold them for years and let the houses run down before pleading that they couldn’t possibly be saved and seeking approval to demolish. Read the rest of this entry »

MEDIA RELEASE

30 March 2012

Greens to contest 2012 Queanbeyan City Council elections

The Queanbeyan-Monaro Greens will contest the 2012 Queanbeyan City elections, offering a strong voice for protecting our local environment and a commitment to fostering sustainable development.

Greens spokesperson and lead candidate Katrina Willis said the Greens would work hard to have at least two representatives elected to the city council on 8 September.

“The Greens first contested the local elections in Queanbeyan in 2008 and just missed out on securing a seat on council, by 313 votes,” Ms Willis said today. Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes you never know where a bright idea will take you.

March 23 this year marks the 40th anniversary of a small step that changed the world.

On that day in 1972, in the Hobart Town Hall, a group of people resolved to form the United Tasmania Group (UTG), which was the first environmental party in the world. The decision was taken amid the battle to save Tasmania’s Lake Pedder from being flooded to create a hydro-electric dam in the state’s south-western wilderness. Read the rest of this entry »

MEDIA RELEASE

27 February 2012

QCC rates and charges decisions cause for concern: Greens

Queanbeyan City Council (QCC) risked placing an unfair burden on low-income renters and homebuyers with two major decisions on rates and charges, the Queanbeyan-Monaro Greens said today.

QCC will exempt commercial and industrial development from its new Section 94 Development Contributions Plan, thereby placing all the burden of meeting the cost of new facilities and infrastructure use onto new residential developments.

The Section 94 charges levied on each unit in a new development will increase to almost $5000, up from around $2000. Rural-residential development charges will rise from $913 per dwelling to $5029.
Read the rest of this entry »

MEDIA RELEASE

23 December 2011

Sale of parks a backward step for Queanbeyan community

Queanbeyan is set to lose eight parks and parcels of open space after the NSW Planning Minister approved Council’s request to reclassify the land for sale.

It is understood council has already approved sale of the land.

The Queanbeyan-Monaro Greens today described the move as a backward step for the community.

“The loss of this open space is a retrograde step,” Greens spokesperson Katrina Willis said. Read the rest of this entry »

Queanbeyan City residents, community groups and business operators should be consulted about the Council’s proposal to extend the special rate variation (SRV) for the foreseeable future.

Council has approval from the State Government to apply a 5.8 per cent SRV for three years. This rise is on top of the general rate increase approved each year for local government.

While the SRV was applied only in the first of the three years, it has become part of the rate base and is having a compounding effect on subequent rate rises. In 2012-13, the general rate increase will be 3.6 per cent.

Now Council wants the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART), a NSW Government body, to approve an ‘ongoing’ SRV after the current three-year SRV expires in July 2013.

After the consultation process on a three-year SRV in 2009-2010, Council revised the rating formula but provided no opportunity for the community to consider the social and economic implications of its decision. The decision particularly affected rates levied on small properties such as units.

The community needs to be consulted about extending the Special Rate Variation for years to come. After all, this is revenue we all contribute to fund the costs of running the city. Such a substantial, ongoing rate rise will have social and economic implications that should be discussed.

Katrina Willis
Spokesperson
Queanbeyan-Monaro Greens

Greens across the country are celebrating the approval today by the House of Representatives of a package of bills that will trigger a clean energy revolution in Australia. Greens deputy leader and climate change and energy spokesperson Senator Christine Milne described today as very proud day for Australia.

“All of us can hold our heads high, knowing that we are taking the first vital steps in tackling the crisis, protecting this remarkable and unique planet of our for future generations, and building a cleaner, healthier, vibrant Australia for all of us,” Senator Milne said.

The bills go to the Senate where they are expected to be passed next month, just ahead of the next round of international negotiations on climate change.