Context
The LCA held a meeting of Residents of Lyneham and North O’Connor at 7pm on Tuesday 12 December 2023 at the Lyneham Primary School Hall. The main purpose of the meeting was for local residents to inform the LCA of their views, to guide the LCA’s actions in 2024. Over 80 people attended.
Attendance details
Participants were invited to register beforehand, to assist with management of the event. About 35 people did so. Of those who signed in, 11 reside out of the LCA area. Prior to the meeting, 5 of those people, recognising they were not invited, contacted the LCA and asked if they could attend, and were welcomed. In all 83 people were present.
On the Friday before the meeting, BCC sent an email encouraging their parents and staff to attend our meeting, despite the meeting being for local residents.
Meeting structure
The meeting began with a welcome, followed by a brief history leading to the ACAT appeal and decision, and an outline of the legal steps open to ACTPLA and BCC from here.
Under the direction of the facilitator, the audience discussed the key question “What would you like to see happen to the car park land?” in groups of about 8, with a scribe in each group taking notes. Within their group each person was invited to give their name, street, and a brief statement of their views, before the whole group discussed the issues. After about 30 minutes, each scribe reported a synopsis of the views to the whole audience. Scribe notes were collected afterwards, and their transcripts appear below.
The meeting concluded about 8:50pm.
Group Feedback
Please note, handwriting was not always easy to read!
This feedback is organised by group, with individual comments followed by group summary. [non-local] indicates the comments are from someone outside the LCA area. Our heartfelt thanks to the scribes in each group for doing a fantastic job in sometimes difficult circumstances. Although people’s streets were collected, they have been omitted for privacy.
Group 1
1. Car park saved trouble for other streets. But done illegally. Has to stay but BCC must be fined severely.
2. Car park should revert to what it was before. No sympathy for BCC. Must have funds if legal action proposed.
3. NCC behaviour on many matters ‘most obnoxious’. Sorry for residents & car parking problems. Car park holds lots of cars. BCC were very deliberate in being underhand.
4. School traffic is a very big problem. Has to go along Brigalow St. Chaos. Banks up a lot, everywhere.
5. Planning rules are for good reasons. BCC has ignored lots of them. LCA should stand up for what the law and ACAT has said. Fines required. Ask ACT Government to cover LCA legal fees. Government caused problems.
6. BCC has $4M of unpaid taxes. Illegal demountables. Has LCA ‘had fisticuffs’ with BCC? BCC should pay heavily. Double fine & pay unimproved value of land of car park.
7. Can no longer come up Mouat & into BCC. Impacted by car parking on both sides. BCC have poked(?) […] in [..]. Approach Motel
8. No sympathy for BCC. Poor citizens. BCC has 60% responsibility and ACT Government 40% responsibility for letting it happen. Hotly political.
Summary
Residents didn’t cause the problem – BCC and ACT Government did. Together they must solve it, but the car park land should be returned to oval as it was.
Suggestions for going forward:
– Charnwood campus. Has that work finished? Any scope to ease problem here?
– Buses: interim solution. Motor or walking buses, with hockey centre as drop off/ assembly point.
– Original planning proposal from BCC – check number of kids projected and stated.
– If BCC pursue “all legal options”, they have lots of money. Demand transparency and ACT Government funding of LCA.
– Approach Lyneham motel re selling/takeover
– Election year: make this an issue. Lobby all 3 parties hard.
Group 2
1. People doing things that aren’t legal. Potential for more similar problems. Lots of traffic on Brigalow.
2. Concerned about safety – busy road plus car park driveway. Priority is safety.
3. Unsafe drivers. Can’t walk along there safely. Buses parked unsafely. School shouldn’t be there in the first place. They cut down tees without permission.
4. [non-local] Seen safety concerns & drivers not obeying road rules. Car park itself is not unsafe.
5. Don’t see safety issue. Lots of traffic. Not just school traffic.
6. [non-local] Engineer. Doesn’t see issue with car park. What if car park is not there? Would increase issues.
7. [non-local] Car park in current form isn’t safe. Little info from BCC.
8. Not approved. Bad precedent. Shuttle buses could be best option.
9. Concerned by rat racing along Lewin St. Bad precedent. Concerned by safety of car park and crossings.
SUMMARY
3 Key issues: (a) pedestrian safety, (b) congestion, (c) illegal use of oval “the principle”.
Concerns about where traffic wil go and impact on local residents.
Needs propose & safe drop off zone (possibly turn current oval car park into drop off)
Need traffic management plan.
Suggestion to make pedestrians use western side of Brigalow St!! (from BCC staff member)
Most local residents would like public open space but recognise that traffic and parking need to be addressed.
Buses suggested – shuttle buses.
Change location of bus stops?
No right turn into Longstaff St. No parking on Lewin and Boyd.
Coming from Mouat St to Brindabella for drop off – next to motel and bike path.
Group 3
1. […] impact – pedestrian cyclists – increased volume – less safe – use roundabout – overcome by using roundabout at shops
2. [non-local] Misled by the school & sold […] by school. lost playground. Caring about all the community. – volume of car park is ridiculous. Don’t impose.
3. Not a personal problem, but is for others. Outrage at lack of process.
4. Safety – planning due to lack of due process by Gov’t. Solution: purchase the motel for car park. Move some students, eg to Charnwood
5. opp. crossing – Gov’t and BCC need to be accountable – expansion of school? Not room for parking – speed limits not only school times. Safety.
6. Ride/walk to Lyneham shops – BCC has done the wrong thing and nothing done – gov’t not enforcing.
7. traffic – rat run in Ashton. As above for the points.
8. as above
SUMMARY
BCC changes; lying to their clientele
Government: not following due process – tied in with BCC not abiding by the laws
Safety: both Brigalow and others with traffic congestion at various spots in Brigalow; pedestrians
Solution: Buy the motel, move students to Charnwood. Issues of expansion–has to be stopped. Management of school an issue – fait accompli. Turn car park into basketball/netball courts.
Future of the car park land: Public Land! if stays as bitumen, non-car park – turn into basketball courts.
Options. use hockey centre car park. Shuttle buses.
Group 4
1. High handed action not to be rewarded. Want to see park developed and more nature/tree based, for use by the community.
2. Sense of entitlement. Solve their own problems. It is illegal. Public land.
3. Echo above. Maintain open space. Playground. BCC to come up with their own transport plan that isn’t reliant on individual cars. Remain public land.
4. Walk children across driveway, witnessed near-misses. Legal issues held to account. Would like to see playground.
5. Worked as lollipop person. No to can car park as it creates chaos. It will affect local residents.
6. Value walking to school/shops safely. No impact should be placed on locals. Up to BCC to figure out a plan that doesn’t impose unreasonable impact. Want green space. Don’t reward BCC for what is has done. no public land overlay lifted. No concerns people parking on street. Automobile dependent families put on park ‘n’ ride, buses, bikes, public transport. No sports fields.
7. Alternative options to public transport. Want to see a playground. Concerns over scope-creep. BCC can find alternatives. Concerns over safety in car parks – not being able to see small children. Onus on BCC to come up with transport plan that isn’t just build a car park.
8. Concern that if they close the car park, forces people into narrow streets. Sense of entitlement & blatant disregard for planning & law.
SUMMARY
1. Find alternative car park location. Hotel on Mouat St.
2. Remediate car park & improve the current open space – playground
3. Buses & shuttles options for kids (reduce cars)
4. traffic survey
Community – have land remain for them.
Would like to see spread out parking
Hotel on Mouat – is that an option for a drop-off point? Make a private contract/arrangement.
Flat land remain – mobility issues
Want to see:
– playgrounds
– open grasslands
– additional tree planting/shade
– water additions
– bike path
– 24/7 access
Want to see these traffic arrangements:
– more focus on shuttle bus – parents to pay for buses
– alternative drop-off locations
– Utilise hockey/netball car parks for drop-off points to lessen impact on local residents
Analysis of where kids come from to see if buses can be coordinated.
Group 5
1. Resident parking permit system in Lewin & Brigalow. Reduce size of BCC. return public land.
2. Regulate BCC. Return car park to public land. BCC move out to somewhere else.
3. Traffic concerns. Lollipop is good. Should remain public land.
4. [non-local] Work BCC. car park
5. Remain public land. Limit parking to one side of street. laws enforced at beginning of 2024.
6. Remain public land. Make sure we think through all implications before changing things too fast.
7. [ non-local] remain car park. Oval as playing spaces. Car park with exit behind motel into Mouat.
8. [non-local] Heavy traffic is a problem. Better solution for all. Ask parents to be mindful. Have a teacher on traffic duty.
9. [non-local] Keep car park
10. dangerous. Keep public land. There will be legal challenges
SUMMARY
Residents:
– retain public land
– need traffic and parking controls
– school should move to Charnwood
BCC people:
– retain car park – make it one way
– remove no right turn to Archibald
– parents be mindful of residents and kids
– teacher supervision around parking & kids coming to or from school
– bring back direct buses
Group 6
1. My issues are traffic jams, dangerous driving, parking for the school. Better use of drop-off/pick-up zones.
2. School will continue to grow. Need to give the school needs solution.
3. Public spaces for the long term.
4. Regulations not done. Squatting on land to get BBC way. Do it legally.
5. Unhappy with process. Government should be working with community to solve issue.
6, 7. Public space. Unhappy with ACT Gov’t inaction. Verging on corruption. A form of squatting. Unhappy with process. Concerned about future building. Land has been protected for future. Restrictions added. Redesign it to be safe.
SUMMARY
– make car park legal, with consraints
– make the drop-off/pick-up safe
– reduce overflow into adjacent streets
– change will occur. Needs long term solutions
Group 7
1. Traffic congestion. Also in Lewin St. Made school much bigger than previously which has caused problems.
2. Concerned about following the proper processes for land they don’t own. Children’s safety should be part of consideration.
3. Aggrieved that on this and other occasions Brindabella doesn’t follow rules. Concerned at loss of public school.
4. As above including illegal demountables, unauthorised removal of trees on public land.
5. Should be kept as open space. Pubic land.
6. [non-local] It will be worse without car park. More unsafe without a car park.
7. Opposed to donating public land to private schools. Should be used as public recreation land.
8. Opposed to privatisation of public land by stealth. Don’t believe it will remain a car park. Expect high rise residential will be there eventually at vast profit to developer.
SUMMARY
Traffic congestion, safety. Concerns safety decreased or increased by car park removal. Concerned about illegality on multiple occasions. Open space: 7 of 8 want car park returned to open space. Object that gov’t historically didn’t enforce their own rules. Convert existing small car park to drive through drop-off. Strong support for shuttle bus. Some doubt where it would be from.
Group 8
1. Lease has been approved (??)
2. Safety. Shuttle necessary. Attacked re car park. Conspiracy theories? Fait accompli
3. Necessary. Modify it.
4. Fait accompli. Congestion a problem.
5. Poor BCC parents. Drop-off etc. Dustbowl, walking paths
6. BCC arrogance. Leased to 2029. Access is pride.
7. Fait accompli. Egress is problem.
8. Open space despite urban infill.
SUMMARY
Car park will stay – fait accompli
BCC plan for drop-off?
traffic consultant
maximise use of green space
Parents of all 3 schools should be consulted.
Car park problems must be dealt with. Number of parks is adequate.
Safety of children a priority
? Footbridge over Mouat S
Separated cycle paths are very safe.
Car park situation is BCC’s fault.
Walking bus from hockey centre?
How many students at BCC? More than proposed?
Buy motel land?
LCA should lobby! (election)
Retain public land
traffic and parking controls
BCC should move??
Enter from Brigalow, exit to Mouat
Gov’t and BCC have not followed due process
Congestion – upper Lyneham, etc, Brigalow
Bad example for students – ok to break the law!
Alternative car park – motel on Mouat?
Pedestrian safety
Congestion, rat-racing
Restore public open space
Traffic management plan
Return car park to public space
Existing car park –> drive through drop-off
Shuttle bus
Conspiracy?
BCC should move?
Gov’t to buy motel for BCC
Group 9
1. Back to original land. Green spaces.
2. Uniting chruch member. Use of church by school – mixed feelings on use.
3. Angry about the size of the school. Move some years to Charnwood.
4. Against car park. Public place for residents not school. Develop elsewhere. Bulldoze the fence, what would happen.
5. Absolutely wrong & residents should protest.
6. Concerned genie is out of bottle & overbuilt. Afraid they might say ‘we are here now’.
7.Annoyed about creeping of private land onto public spaces.
SUMMARY
– Have school rehabilitate creek area
– Public land. Use shuttle buses. Land back to the community
– Penalise school with some kind of regenerative project, but car park remains.
– Not happy with process of school expanding
– Buy motel and use as car park
Emailed feedback
Those who couldn’t attend (and those with thoughts afterwards) were invited to email their views, collected below.
Thanks for organising the meeting last night. I was sorry that I had to leave early because of ill health, but I was glad to see people rallying to the cause. It was also a shame that the meeting appeared to be ‘stacked’ by BCC staff & parents who were very vocal, to say the least.
Last night I didn’t come up with any ways forward for the car parking issue, perhaps because of my health issues. It appears to be a wicked problem. But I think that there is a way forward. The solution is for BCC to front up and buy the motel. Then they can build the multistory car park which is what they clearly need. They need to take on a loan, buy land and behave like grown ups. I’d appreciate it if you could include this proposal in the report on residents’ views.
Another idea for Lewin St: See Gerard St Alexandria. When the old railway yards nearby became a business hub that street became a parking lot & rat run.
Residents & Council built out the pavement with trees & garden beds so that the pavement gardens took up a lot more of the road… cars had to wend their way through & could no longer go at speed. Reduced area for parking & residents only parking during business hours.
Anyway check it out. Gerard St Alexandria. Alexandria Residents Action Group: https://arag.org.au/category/roads/
As a 40 year Lyneham resident whose children have attended the local public schools , we have watched the BCC expansion and problems develop as a consequence.
The Brindabella Christian College when established in Lyneham was a small school creating minimal traffic problems, it is the additional buildings and expansion,(not included in local planning) with the expectation that they could occupy what ever public land they wanted, that has created problems.
The takeover of public land for a carpark is not the first regulation the BCC has ignored, there have been others.
The school removed several trees along the creek without permission.
When the BCC wanted to expand and build their gymnasium on the park land. I submitted to a community forum that as it was a restricted site, and if they wanted to expand they should consider another larger site.
If the decision to remove the illegal carpark is reversed, it with set a precedent that all public recreational space is under threat from money making enterprises.
In my opinion this sets a very bad educational lesson (from a school) to every student
That one can do what you like, ignore the law, take public land, and upset all your neighbours including the Uniting Church, another Christian body
Solutions should be ..
Remove the fence and carpark as directed by the court
Move to a bigger site where the school can expand, or move some of the students enrolled to another site, like their other campus at Charnwood to reduce local traffic congestion from out of area students. or>
Purchase the motel site for the schools carpark and
Remove the fence and turn the illegal carpark into a public facility for everyone, like basketball courts.
My name is [deleted] and we own a property on Lewin Street. I have grand children attending Lyneham Primary. I have no link to Brindabella Christian College (BCC). My husband and I attended the meeting on Tuesday evening.
The comments from all groups were surprising. While safety of children was mentioned, it did not seem to be the highest priority for most attendees, but rather the preservation of green space. Perhaps because there were few young parents there – most attendees appeared to be elderly or retirees. I would be keen to see the response from young parents.
I feel that we need to be realistic:
- Yes, the ACT government and BCC have not followed due process.
- As a school, BCC needs a carpark.
- Removing the carpark will not improve safety or lessen traffic in the area.
- Removal of the carpark will place the BCC staff cars back onto the nearby streets – e.g. Lewin Street – this results in garbage collection difficulties and difficulties in passing other vehicles when driving in these streets. Perhaps many of the attendees do not live on these streets.
- The green area between the three schools of BCC, Lyneham Primary and Lyneham High is large. While it is desirable to maintain public green spaces, removal of BCC’s carpark will not provide a significant or special ‘green’ area. Having been developed as a carpark, the ground will be extensively compacted and need extensive rejuvenation to be anything green.
I feel that the LCA should be lobbying the ACT government to improve traffic management specifically during drop off and pick up peak times, on Brigalow Street as a matter of urgency before a child is injured or worse.
Focusing on the matter of ‘inappropriate due process’ is a waste of time and effort and will not address the actual issues of traffic on Brigalow Street. I’m not sure why the oval is still seen to be under threat. In fact, more creative suggestions for the whole green space would be good.
I agree with the last person whose post is shown on your website: although the action was clearly illegal and the green space should have never been developed, we need to focus on the fact that there is now a growing school on the site and how to ensure this occurs safely and with minimal traffic disruption. The key problem with the car park is that is creates an unsafe environment for walking and cycling. The ACT government, BCC and LCA must now work together to design a solution which uses what space is available to achieve a safe carpark and exit and egress design for pedestrians, cyclists and cars. A safe kiss and drop at both BCC and Lyneham Primary is desperately needed before a child gets seriously injured. This should be the focus of the action. The ACT government’s new active travel design guide should be used to introduce a safe entry and exist to the carpark and safe circulation around the street for everyone. Also BCC should pay for more buses for the their children to prevent the traffic as far as possible in the first place.
Thank you for organising last week’s meeting for residents. I have lived in the area since long before BCC took over the school on Brigalow St, and have watched with dismay as they increasingly disrupt our suburb.
- attempting to take over a large portion of Lyneham Oval in 2015,
- felling of over a dozen mature trees on its eastern border,
- ignoring the enrolment restrictions placed on it in order to secure development approval for the junior school building,
- relocating portable classrooms instead of dismantling them as required for the same development approval,
- operating the early learning centre without appropriate facilities,
- holding classes in buildings with no certificate of occupancy, and
- commencing construction of two buildings without approval (currently the subject of stop work orders).