Flynn community groups condemned the ACT Government’s Budget announcement for Flynn following a week of illegal and unabated demolition works at the Flynn Primary School.
“Unlawful demolition works at the school this past week leave no doubt that the Budget announcement for Flynn will do no better at protecting heritage or meeting the needs of the local community,” according to Flynn community spokesperson, Roger Nicoll.
“We would like to be able to welcome $4 million in spending, but the bitter experience of the past 12 months has left our community members horrified.”
“Documents obtained through Freedom of Information have thrown large question marks over the integrity and viability of relocating two childcare centres into the building at a cost of $4 million — a vast sum for the few new childcare places created by the move.” Actions of the DHCS department leading up to this decision are now the subject of an Independent investigation.”
“With many millions of dollars earmarked to do just some of what Flynn Primary School and community centre used to do, all reasons for closing the school and keeping it closed are now gone.”
”The need to expand Macgregor Primary School to make room for the increasing child numbers makes a mockery of the school closure myth that there were too many empty desks in the North West Belconnen region to keep the Flynn school and centre open.”
“More than $8 million of spending (2010–2012) has been allocated to try to stop Flynn Primary School ever being a school when just two suburbs away, a further $5.6 million is earmarked to build rooms for the increased numbers of children.”
“It is ludicrous to be forking out all this money when the Education Minister has said it will cost only $2 million to re-open Flynn as a school and community centre.”
All this comes at a high price for Flynn residents, who are still waiting for the ACT Government to negotiate their proposal for the future use and management of Flynn Primary School, as promised in 2009. In its expenditure of $8 million, the ACT Government has focused on providing accommodation for regional organisations rather than meeting the local needs of the Flynn community, who have no other local facilities or services.
Internal demolition works have been carried out at the school over the past seven days, despite the absence of an approved development application and while heritage matters are still before the ACT Supreme Court. Multiple requests to halt the works have been made to the Chief Minister, Attorney General and DHCS Minister.
