Dickson Precinct Community Group

Newsletter No 1 - April, 1997

ISSN 1328-6404 (electronic edition)

The Dickson Precinct Community Group is a community consultative group that provides advice to Canberra Places of the ACT Department of Urban Services on the upgrading and enhancement of public places and facilities in the Dickson area.

The DPCG was formed at a public meeting conducted by Canberra Places on 27 November 1996. Members of the Group are Geraldine Barkworth, Marie Coleman, John Holland, Bob Howse, Keith Lockwood, Stuart Mackenzie, Ian McShane, Steve MacNeill, Wayne Rumble, Joyce Sanders, Cecelia Skene, Kate Stewart, and Tom Worthington.

The Newsletter is intended to keep you informed of the activities of the Group and to seek your feedback on plans for the enhancement of Dickson's public places.

Dickson Precinct Survey Form

The work of the DPCG will be guided by the results of a September 1996 survey conducted by the Department of Urban Services of Dickson residents and people who shop or work in Dickson. In the survey people were asked to identify their likes and dislikes of the Dickson area and nominate issues for the DPCG to focus on. Responses to the survey came from Dickson residents (43% of responses), shoppers (38%) and people who worked or ran businesses in the area (17%). The main points to emerge from the survey were:

Best things about the Dickson area: 51% of respondents said that the range of retail, commercial and recreational facilities in Dickson was the best feature of the suburb. 15% commented on the pleasant and established character of the suburb.
Worst things about Dickson: 27% of respondents reported roads and traffic management as the worst feature. 16% nominated untidiness and maintenance of the area as a concern.
Main issues for the Dickson Precinct Group to focus on: Survey respondents indicated that the highest priority for the Group should be traffic/transport (21%), followed by development issues (19%), maintenance (16%) and character and amenity (15%)..
How would you like to be informed about future developments?: The survey indicated that the preferred methods to hear the DPCG activities was by a newsletter/letterbox drop (59%) and newspapers (13%).

Summary: Traffic management and the general appearance, upkeep and amenity of the shopping centre and surrounding areas emerged as the two major areas of concern from the survey. The DPCG will in the first instance focus its efforts in these areas.

Concern about planning and development in the Dickson area also featured prominently in survey responses, and the Precinct Group will take note of these concerns in its work. Responsibility for advising the ACT Government on planning matters rests with the Local Area Planning Advisory Committee No 3, which covers the Dickson, Downer, Hackett and Watson area. The Precinct Group will keep in touch with the LAPAC on planning matters that impact on the Dickson area, and pass on community views as it can.

Dickson Precinct Community Group Activities

Discussions with Canberra Urban Parks and CityScape Services

The DPCG has met regularly during 1997 to consider the results of the survey and discuss a program of works with the Department of Urban Services. On 3 March the Group met with representatives of Canberra Urban Parks and CityScape Services (which undertakes horticultural maintenance, cleaning and rubbish removal services at the Dickson shopping centre) to discuss community concerns about untidiness, litter and general upkeep of the area. On 20 March representatives from these organisations joined the Group for a walk around the shopping centre to inspect problem areas identified in the survey.

UPDATE: In response to complaints about litter in the shopping centre, Canberra Urban Parks may trial Sulo rubbish bins with lids in place of the existing open bins in the vicinity of Woolworths Supermarket.

Traffic Management in the Dickson Precinct

In March 1997 the Department of Urban Services released a draft local area traffic management implementation plan for the Ainslie-Dickson area. The stated objective of the plan is to protect the residential amenity of the area, and it addresses a number of concerns about traffic raised by survey respondents. The implementation plan was on public exhibition in the Woolworths supermarket window until 27 March. Readers are reminded of a public meeting at the North Ainslie Primary School, 6.30 pm, Wednesday 16 April 1997. Officers of the Department will outline the findings of the study.

Canberra Planetarium and Observatory Visit

On 29 January member of the DPCG accepted an invitation to inspect the Canberra Planetarium and Observatory, located at the Canberra Tradesmen's Union Club, (The Downer Club). The Observatory is the only public observatory operating in Australia, and receives upwards of 15,000 visitors per year, including many school groups. Clare Williams, Duty Astronomer, described the problems of light pollution and other issues associated with operating an observatory in an urban area.

How to Contact Us

The DPCG maintains a letterbox and notice board at the Dickson Public Library. The letterbox is the most convenient way of contacting us. The notice board displays the DPCG's operating rules and guidelines, meeting minutes and other information about the Group's activities and plans. We are grateful to the Dickson Public Library for providing this facility.

We are interested in hearing from other organisations or community groups who have particular views or concerns that they would like the DPCG to consider. Please write a brief submission and drop it in our letterbox in the Dickson Library.

Can You Help Sponsor the Newsletter?

The Dickson Community Precinct Group is seeking sponsors to cover the costs of printing and distributing this newsletter. If you can help please drop a note in the Library letterbox or telephone Ian McShane on 247 6088. Sponsors will be acknowledged in the newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you!

This newsletter is available at the Precinct Group's notice board in the Dickson Library and can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.tomw.net.au/dpcg/ Distribution of the Group's newsletter on the Internet is courtesy of the Australian Computer Society.