Canberra Times Letters to the Editor: Moving Borders

Letter to the editor:

Why do the Ginninderry developers need a project-specific, essentially private ‘‘trust’’ to manage environmental issues, especially the superb, but privately owned, closed Ginninderra Falls section, located in the large NSW part of the overall development (‘‘Riverview seeks EIS exemption for Ginninderry’’, April 2, p2)?Despite the developer’s conscientious work on those matters, they really should be solely a government concern, and the falls section, including a wide buffer zone around it, should become a National Park.Reportedly, there are joint governmental meetings being held to look at (logically) moving the border so that all of Ginninderry, and similar land, is sensibly in the ACT.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

Ginninderry response:

The Environmental Management Trust that is being put in place to manage the Ginninderry conservation reserve is not “essentially private”. All residents of Ginninderry and any other individuals who may be interested will be members of the Trust and able to fully participate in its activities.  It will be governed by an independent board with its own funding and staff. The Board will include elected community representatives, two representatives from Aboriginal stakeholder groups (as nominated by them), a representative from each of the ACT Government, NSW Government and Yass Valley Council and one representative from the development manager for the Ginninderry project (Riverview projects (ACT) Pty Ltd). An early report on the possible structure of the Trust and its Board can be found here: details are now being finalised and the Trust is proposed to be in place before the end of 2018.

Ginninderra Falls will be included in the conservation reserve. This follows the NSW Government’s rejection (September 2012) of a proposal for the formation of a national park, following their examination of a proposal put to them by the Ginninderra Falls Association.  Whilst not a national park the Falls and Gorge are proposed to be placed in an “E2 Environmental Conservation” zone which affords a very high level of environmental protection. The reserve will be managed by the Environmental Management Trust to meet or exceed the conservation objectives of the zone.

The Ginninderry project includes adjacent land in both the ACT and NSW.  Extensive investigations and discussions with Government service providers and infrastructure agencies on both sides of the border have demonstrated that the management of the growing community is feasible with or without an alteration to the border. Whether or not the border moves is a matter for the Governments concerned.

We welcome input on aspects of the project and if following your review of this material, you have any questions please call us on 1800 316 900 and ask to speak to one of the project team or email enquiries@ginninderry.com