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St. Aidans letter to local residents

Wed, 04/08/2010 - 9:23pm — webmaster

The following letter was placed in the letterboxes of residents around St Aidans school.

 
3 August 2010
 
Dear Neighbour,
 
Firstly, we would like to thank-you for your understanding during the past 12 months while works have been undertaken on the Corinda campus of St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School.
 
Secondly, we wish to invite you, and the members of your household, to join us for an information evening:
 
On Wednesday 18 August 2010 at 6:00pm
In the Meeting Room, Charma Place
10 Ruthven Street, Corinda
St. Aidan's Anglican Girls' School
 
The evening will start with a short tour of the Corinda campus including the recently completed Charma Place (Junior School Library) and Christine Hartland Centre.  This will be followed by a short information session presented by Urbis (our Town Planners) outlining the impact to the draft Sherwood Graceville Neighbourhood Plan on St Aidan's and how that impacts the plans for the School in the future.

 
We will also be joined by Cr Matthew Bourke and Cr Nicole Johnston.
 
If you wish to join us, please RSVP by calling our Receptionist on (07) 3373 5999.
 
We look forward to welcoming you to our School.
 
Yours sincerely
Karen Spiller
PRINCIPAL
St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School

Comments

Sat, 21/08/2010 - 2:01pm — Dreamer

St Aidans meeting 18 August - more questions than answers.

 

I attended the St Aidans information evening on 18th August, so I could learn more from Urbis, their Town Planners, of their future development plans.
 
Residents raised many questions and at times it became quite heated, sadly many issues raised by residents were met by silence.
 
I walked away more concerned than before, with more questions than answers.   I also began to wonder what role did Cr Matthew Bourke play, as he appeared to me to be representing just one rate payer. If I wasn’t suspicious of St Aidans before, I was by the end. Some issues of concern for me are:
 
1. The town planner explained the basis for the school’s 5 storeys was on account that their neighbour the Qld Railway was considering a plan to build 5 plus storeys over the Corinda Railway Station.  
 
Firstly, how does the school get access to this information – it was the first I was aware of any QR plans?  Cr Matthew Bourke jumped in quickly to quash any concerns of furture development by QR, he explain the concept is not and will not happen as both council and the state government are apposed.
 
So QR are not building 5 plus storeys over the station.
 
A resident asked the question on my mind, if QR is not allowed to build 5 storeys, then the whole basis for the schools submission has dissolved, it no longer has legs, therefore St Aidans do not have a basis for a 5 storeys application any more. I agree! 
 
I waited for Cr Matthew Bourke to stand up and tell us council will review the basis for the application and will apply to dismiss St Aidans proposal, but he remained silent. The school remained silent and no one answered this question. Somehow it has legs all of its own it would seem. 
 
Does that mean I too can propose 5 storeys in my backyard, afterall the school sits in a community of residental houses mostly DCP, who are all subject to an 8.5m house restriction, the school is our neighbour why should they get special treatment just in the name of education. After all, many years ago the school at another of their community meetings to resume Harrowby Street in favour of St Aidans Way told the community it didn’t intend going over 500 pupils as it was marketing itself as a ‘small boutique school’.  The storeys keep changing, so with the QR proposal buried, why is St Aidans proposal still on the table with council?
 
2. Residents asked how is that a ‘DCP’ house in Kathleen Street is allowed to be demonolished without any community consultation and a library built in its place? Where is the protection for this DCP house? If you or I wanted to demonilish a DCP house and rebuild, we would be subject to the rules protecting DCP properties.
 
Cr Bourke provided a long conveluted answer, in essence all I heard was that money speaks louder than rules. The school was given about $2million from the government to build a Library, they had to be expedient to use up this money and this meant principles about DCP protection intended to protect old homes and allow the community the chance to object - all went out the window. It seems it is ok if you are offered a large sum of money from the government.
 
So if I get a large bucket of money from the government to build me a big new home and that bucket of money will run out if I don’t take advantage straight away, will council and the state government waive all the rules for me, so I can build a big shiny new building and get rid of that lovely old character pre 1946 timber home – I think not.
 
3.   A couple of slides from the St Aidans Master Plan were shown by the town planner. And did those few slides create a lot of unanswered questions! What more is there to find in the Master plan that was not shared.  Council referenced to their Master Plan within the Sherwood/Graceville District Neighbourhood Plan, but the plan was never made available to the public.  As the district neighbour plan is a public document and it makes specific reference to St Aidans Master Plan, the Master Plan needs to be made available to the public. I want to see the entire Master Plan, as the little offered at the meeting was alarming. If the school seeks transparency in their actions and genuinely seeks consultation with affected residents I put to St Aidans and Cr Matthew Bourke and the council - provide us the community with a copy of the full St Aidan’s Master Plan. 
 
4. The school representatives were at pains to water down their Master Plan, it is just a ‘concepts’  a few ideas, it doesn’t really mean anything. That is what was offered as more and more people spoke out with concern. I have ideas, thoughts, concepts, but I don’t pay money to my own town planner to explore those options, then put it in writing, title it my master plan and submit it to council. Of the little shown to us I was concerned about:
  • Retirement Units near residential homes at their Ambierra site. As the cul de sac presents access problems, the site drawing shows a proposed ‘road’ running right through the adjoining community park to give access to the aged facility. Outrageous! The question was asked by someone what is the purpose of this aged facility? The town planner said to accommodate nuns and not one of the school’s representatives disagree, they remainded silent. The same question kept being asked by residents over and over and disputed its use for nuns. Only after a great deal of proding, outcry from residents and someone suggesting the age facility was really about a profit making venture, did eventually St Aidans Deputy confirm the option is to explore uses of the land for raising more funds for the school. The school seems to have no qualms about how they affect residents, in the name of profit making it is alright to build a road through our park and an aged facilities next to residents and build 5 storeys in a DCP community. It all seems to be very one sided to me, so who is standing up for the rest of us rate payers?
  • A number of residents asked the school the purpose of buying the adjoining houses located in Scott Street. The Deputy and town planner both confirmed its purpose is for teacher accommodation. It seemed this answer was also not accepted as the same question was asked over and over again ‘why then does the school need to rezone the houses from residential use, if it’s purpose is residental use?’ This question was too difficult to answer.                                                                                                                 Why go to the expense of paying a town planner to make a rezoning application to council to rezone from residential use, when the purpose is for residential use. Doesn’t make sence to me and those comments were expressed by residents at the meeting. Repeated the questions kept coming that the school is not being transparent, is not telling the residents its real intentions for these sites – this was met to defening silence.
  • Issues of parking problems and the concerns for safety due to the increasing traffic conjestion were not adequately addressed. It was mentioned that a two or three storey underground park is planned under the current car park site. But when asked if this will accommodate all their teachers, visiting parents, student parking needs and visitors – there was silence. I for one see the difference in the streets around the school during school recess, there is not a car in sight and the residences have their streets back.  I’ve heard some say the parking problem is in part due to rail commuters, I say take a look at the streets during the next school recess, then tell me again rail commuters are part of the prolem – I think not.
 
I know there were many people who could not attend due to the timing of the meeting, I however call upon you to go if invited, this session was most enlightening for me by showing a piece of their grand Master Plan.
Sun, 22/08/2010 - 11:32am — Philip

Matthew Bourke Fails Residents - Again

I would like to thank "Dreamer" for posting this summary of the discussion and issues relating to St Aidan's Master Plan and some of the issues surrounding the local master Gracevill / Sherwood Local plan.
The approach and stance taken by Matthew Bourke is in line with the modus operandi taken by Campbell Newman, Jane Prentice and Matthhew Bourke in relation to the Bus Depot - have a secret plan,  try and push it through without any consultation, when found out try some Clayton's consultation, say you will listen but ignore any feedback and then secretly push it through as you had always intended.
Matthew Bourke doesn't represent his consituents -  he has shown this on almost every issue. And to think otherwise is dreaming. He supports only what Campbell Newman says and does.
Organisations such as St Aidan's don't employ town planners to do nothing and without having a clear idea of what they want. This is dishonest, and interesting coming from a Christian organisation. Onw should have expected more.