Chair Notices

BCC Welcomes Connect Up 2617 Findings and Calls for Coordination Action

The Belconnen Community Council (BCC) welcomes the release of the Connect Up 2617 findings report, which provides vital insights on the social wellbeing of residents in Belconnen and Bruce.

The BCC was proud to participate in the project’s advisory group and acknowledges the researchers and community members who contributed to this important work.

“This is exactly the kind of community-led evidence base we need to drive better outcomes for Belconnen residents,” said BCC Chair Lachlan Butler.

A central finding of the report is the lack of social infrastructure and accessible third places for people to gather in the Belconnen Town Centre, and the clear impact this is having on the wellbeing of the people who live, work, and socialise in the area. For the BCC, this confirms long-standing concerns consistently raised by  residents.

While the Council recognises the efforts of individual ACT Government directorates, the findings show that siloed work may not be delivering the improvements needed on the ACT’s wellbeing indicators.

“The dial simply isn’t shifting enough, and we need a dedicated cross-directorate mechanism to coordinate and deliver social infrastructure in our town centres,” said Mr Butler. “No single directorate can do this alone.”

The BCC also highlights a fundamental tension: the ACT Government has encouraged and financially benefited from, the rapid densification of the Belconnen Town Centre. With that growth comes a responsibility to invest proportionally in the public realm, community spaces, and local amenity that make higher-density living viable.

“You can’t continue driving density and collecting the revenue while failing to deliver the social infrastructure that makes density work,” said Mr Butler. “Our community deserves a fair return on its contribution.”

The BCC calls on the ACT Government to respond to the Connect Up 2617 findings with a concrete action plan, including a funded, coordinated mechanism for social infrastructure and the cohesive uplift of the Belconnen Town Centre across the public realm, transport, employment, streetscapes, and strategic planning.


About the Belconnen Community Council

  • The Belconnen Community Council (BCC) is a non-partisan, volunteer-driven organisation that aims to be at the forefront of advocating for our region, making it an even more attractive place to live, work, and enjoy life.
  • The BCC represents the interests of its members and the community to the ACT Government and other stakeholders on various matters affecting the people who live, work, and play in the Belconnen District.
  • The Belconnen Community Council receives support and funding from the ACT Government

Media Contact

Lachlan Butler

Chair, Belconnen Community Council

Phone: 0438 458 220 | Email: chair@belconnen.org.au

 

 

Chair Notices

A quick update from the BCC on what has been happening in Belconnen.

A quick update from the Belconnen Community Council on what has been happening in the Belconnen District this month:

  • Developing the next ACT Climate Change Strategy.

    • Presentation and opportunity to ask questions.

  • Fraser Oval Refresh Project

    • Community invited to provide feedback on the concept design.

  • REMINDER: West Belconnen Urban Support Precinct.

    • Have your say on future non-residential infrastructure.

  • Motion passes assembly on rapid bus restoration.

    • At least one rapid bus service will be restored to West Belconnen by Term 3 this year.

——

Developing the next ACT Climate Change Strategy.

Presentation and opportunity to ask questions.

  • The ACT Government is inviting the community to help shape the next ACT Climate Change Strategy.
  • As part of the consultation process, an online information session was held to explain the strategy, outline the priorities being considered, and give people the opportunity to learn more about how they can contribute to the discussion.
  • Watch the presentation, ask questions, and provide feedback here.

——

Fraser Oval Refresh Project

Community invited to provide feedback on the concept design.

  • Fraser Oval is set for a refresh to create a safer and more accessible outdoor space for Fraser Primary School students and the wider Belconnen community.
  • The Education Directorate has released the concept design and is now inviting community feedback between 26 February and 23 April 2026.
  • View the concept design on the YourSay Conversations page.

This is a map of the Fraser Oval concept plan with Tiliyard Drive along the left side. In the bottom left, an outdoor stage is proposed. Irrigated playing fields in the centre. Yarning circle at the top and cultural planting to its right. On the right side below the cultural planting is a pump track with a nature play area below that.

——

REMINDER: West Belconnen Urban Support Precinct

Have your say on future non-residential infrastructure.

  • The ACT Government is drafting a master plan for an urban support precinct in West Belconnen.
    • An Urban Support Precinct accommodates essential infrastructure, services, and facilities that support the functioning of the surrounding residential community.
  • Rather than waiting for formal consultation, the BCC has launched an early survey asking a simple question:
  • What non-residential infrastructure and amentity does West Belconnen need?
  • More information and the survey can be found here.

This is a map showing where the proposed West Belconnen Urban Support Precinct will be located, in West Belconnen near the Ginninderry Development

——

Motion passes assembly on rapid bus restoration.

At least one rapid bus service will be restored to West Belconnen by Term 3 this year.

  • The BCC welcomes the motion that passed the Legislative Assembly on 25 Feb that will see at least one rapid bus service restored to West Belconnen by Term 3 this year.
  • Belconnen residents disproportionately wore the brunt of the latest timetable, and it wasn’t designed to deliver a good outcome. This is why Transport Canberra needed to add new services in West Belconnen within days of the latest timetable’s launch.
  • Stripping the frequency of bus services out of the outer suburbs was clearly the wrong call.
  • The BCC will continue to advocate for the reinstatement of both rapid services in Belconnen, and for the delivery of the new rapid service and Belconnen Transitway as promised.
  • Belconnen residents deserve a public transport system that connects them to opportunity, not one that leaves them behind.
Chair Notices

Developing the next ACT Climate Change Strategy

The ACT Government is inviting the community to help shape the next ACT Climate Change Strategy.

As part of the consultation process, an online information session was held to explain the strategy, outline the priorities being considered, and give people the opportunity to learn more about how they can contribute to the discussion.

If you weren’t able to attend, you can watch the recording of the session here.

Community feedback will help inform the next phase of the ACT’s climate policy, so it’s a good opportunity to hear directly from the government about what’s being proposed and where they’re seeking input.

Got a question? Ask it here:

https://app.sli.do/event/w1LdXPZxTu28TLiQ3YEsRZ

Got feedback? Provide it here by 19 March:

https://yoursayconversations.act.gov.au/climate-change-strategy

Chair Notices

West Belconnen Urban Support Precinct

Have your say on future non-residential infrastructure.

  • The ACT Government is drafting a master plan for an urban support precinct in West Belconnen.
    • An Urban Support Precinct accommodates essential infrastructure, services, and facilities that support the functioning of the surrounding residential community.

This is a map showing where the proposed West Belconnen Urban Support Precinct will be located, in West Belconnen near the Ginninderry Development

Chair Notices

February Update

  • West Belconnen Urban Support Precinct.

    • Have your say on future non-residential infrastructure.

  • 2026 Bus timetable changes

    • New services for West Belco required within days of the new timetable. Petition to keep the R2 and R3 bus routes for West Belconnen closes end of month.

  • Big Splash.

    • Public meeting held last night, deadline for Big Splash to respond to latest regulatory action extended by five days, and petition closes next Tuesday.

  • Hawker Tennis Centre

    • BCC seeking clarity on the future regulatory action to be taken. Petition closes next month.

  • Kaleen Sports Centre

    • Should basement parking count towards a developer’s minimum recreation facility requirements?

  • Environment Consultations

    • Key long-term planning documents currently open for input.

  • Dunlop Shops

    • Woolworths closure at Dunlop Shops announced. Petition launched to show community support for local shops.

  • MLA Updates

West Belconnen Urban Support Precinct

Have your say on future non-residential infrastructure.

  • The ACT Government is drafting a master plan for an urban support precinct in West Belconnen.
    • An Urban Support Precinct accommodates essential infrastructure, services, and facilities that support the functioning of the surrounding residential community.

  • Rather than waiting for formal consultation, the BCC has launched an early survey asking a simple question:

  • What non-residential infrastructure and amentity does West Belconnen need?

  • More information and the survey can be found here.

——

2026 Bus Timetable Changes

New West Belco services announced

  • Transport Canberra announced it will boost the frequency of the 12 and 13 following strong community feedback and network data.

  • This will increase the frequency of the 12 to match the R2, and the 13 to have 20 minute frequency.

  • This is the frequency Transport Canberra told the BCC to expect when we met with them in December, but not what we saw when the timetable was released.

  • This only reinforces what the BCC and local residents have been saying for months: stripping the frequency of bus services out of the outer suburbs was the wrong call.

  • We’ll keep advocating for full reinstatement and the improved bus services Belconnen was promised before the election.

  • A petition to keep the R2 and R3 closes at the end of the month, and can be found here.

——

Big Splash

The future of Big Splash is at a critical point.

  • Save Big Splash held a community meeting on last night to hear from key decision-makers. The recording can be found here.

  • The owners of Big Splash have until next Friday to respond to the government’s notice of intention to terminate lease.

  • The Save Big Splash petition closes on Tuesday, and is very close to overtaking the petition figures seen with the Philip Pool in just four weeks. The petition can be found here.

——

Hawker Tennis Centre

Seeking clarity on regulatory next steps. Petition closes next month.

——

Kaleen Sports Centre

Should basement parking count towards a developer’s minimum recreation facility requirements?

  • The developer hoping to redevelop the Kaleen Sports Club certainly thinks so (they even sought legal advice that is included in their DA).

  • Their DA states that 1,773m2 of indoor recreation space has been provided (meeting the requirement of at least 1,400m2). 1,773m2 is a significant reduction from the 3,823m2 currently used as a club and an indoor recreation facility.

  • However, on closer examination, 772m2 of this is basement parking. Excluding this, there is only 1,052m2 of indoor recreation space in this proposed redevelopment.

  • We have yet to see how the new ‘outcome focused’ planning system will respond to proposals like this, but its difficult to see how this stacks up as a good outcome.

  • With more proposals on the horizon that will reduce access to community facilities, how the planning authorities respond to this proposal will directly impact community confidence moving forward.

  • More information can be found here.

——

Environment Consultations

——

Dunlop Shops

——

MLA Updates
Chair Notices

BCC Update for 2026

The first update: We are currently looking for volunteers to join a Belconnen’s 60th Birthday sub-committee.

If you have ideas, skills, or simply want to be involved in helping shape how this milestone is celebrated, we’d love to hear from you. Please click here to complete a short survey by 12 February to register your interest.

The second update: There will be a significant shift in how the Belconnen Community Council (BCC) will operate in 2026.

This year, the BCC will be piloting a new way of informing and engaging with the community. We will be moving away from monthly town hall–style meetings and toward pre-recorded sessions, alongside regular digital updates.

This change follows a period of reflection on what has worked (and what hasn’t) with our current meeting format. Attendance has remained low and relatively narrow, and we’ve consistently heard that the structure doesn’t work for many people, whether due to time commitments, accessibility, or the way discussions can sometimes unfold.

So what’s changing?

In 2026, the BCC will trial a more flexible, issue-first engagement model that includes:

  • Pre-recorded guest presentations shared online
  • Community questions collected and addressed either in writing or through follow-up sessions
  • Regular updates from the committee on advocacy work and priorities

Why we’re doing this?

The goal of this change is to make our activities more accessible, more constructive, and more representative of the wider Belconnen community.

Moving to pre-recorded sessions means you can:

  • Watch presentations at a time that works for you
  • Take time to think about the content before asking questions
  • Engage with topics you care about, without needing to sit through a two-hour       meeting
  • Participate in Q&As in a more thoughtful and considered way

It also allows BCC to respond to issues more quickly, rather than waiting for a rigid monthly meeting cycle. Some months may include several sessions, while others may have none, the key difference is that you can choose what to watch, when to watch it, and still have the opportunity to contribute.

We’ll be trying new technology and new approaches as part of this pilot. Some things may not work perfectly at first, and that’s okay. We’ll be evaluating as we go, learning from what works (and what doesn’t), and adjusting along the way.

As always, we welcome your feedback and ideas as we try something new.

Chair Notices

Big Splash deadline passed. It’s time for action.

Update: The Save Big Splash petition is already at 1636 signatures – you can find the link to the petition here.
—
The deadline has passed. It’s time for the ACT Government to follow through on Big Splash.
With the deadline for Big Splash to comply with its Crown lease conditions now past, the BCC has written to both Minister Steel and Minister Berry regarding the next steps.
The future of this site is at a critical turning point. The ACT Government must step up to ensure it isn’t lost to history.
What we are calling for:
🔹 No Rezoning: Minister Steel must provide certainty by categorically ruling out any rezoning of this site.
🔹 Proactive Enforcement: We need the Government to be proactive, prompt, and transparent with further enforcement.
🔹A Real Vision: With the possibility of the site being sold or the Crown lease being terminated, the Government must define a clear vision for the site’s future.
One in four Canberrans live in Belconnen, yet we have zero of the ACT’s seven public pools. With over 73,000 more people expected in our district by 2065, assets like Big Splash are vital for our health and liveability.
How important is Big Splash to you and your family? Should the ACT Government step in to secure its future as a public asset?
We’ll be tracking the Government’s response closely and will post updates on our Facebook page and through our mailing list
Chair Notices

Belconnen Promised Better Public Transport. Instead, Services Are Being Cut

BCC Media Release: Belconnen Promised Better Public Transport. Instead, Services Are Being Cut.

The ACT Government made clear promises to Belconnen before the last election: more bus services, a new rapid route to Ginninderry, and Stage 1 of the Belconnen Transitway. These commitments reflected years of advocacy and acknowledged what residents already knew: the ACT’s largest district needed better public transport, not less.

The ACT Government’s proposed 2026 bus timetable seeks to break these promises.

Under the new timetable, the R2 and R3 rapid services will no longer run beyond Belconnen Interchange. Residents of Belconnen’s outer suburbs will lose their direct rapid connections to the city. In their place: local routes running less often. For these residents, catching a bus will become harder, slower, and less convenient.

“Belconnen was promised more. Instead, we’re getting less,” said Belconnen Community Council Chair Lachlan Butler. “On the information provided, these cuts won’t just inconvenience people, they will penalise those who have the fewest alternatives living on the edges of the network.”

The Government has indicated that the cuts respond to upcoming roadworks on Commonwealth Avenue Bridge, which will disrupt travel across Canberra for the coming years. However, Belconnen residents look set to disproportionately bear the brunt of this disruption. Rather than strengthening public transport to help people through this period, the Government has chosen to weaken it for Belconnen.

These changes will hit some of Belconnen’s most vulnerable residents hardest. For Canberrans who cannot use private transport, a less frequent and less direct bus network is not just an inconvenience. It is a barrier to participating in daily life.

Meanwhile, the Belconnen Transitway remains unfunded, and responding to the feasibility study looks to have slipped from 2025 to 2026. Despite the election promise, five weeks ago the Minister for Transport Chris Steel refused to commit to delivering it this term.

“The Government was elected on these commitments,” said Mr Butler. “A year later, the gap between promise and delivery of improved public transport options is widening and Belconnen residents have every right to be asking why.”

The Belconnen Community Council calls on the ACT Government to reverse the cuts to rapid services in Belconnen and deliver the new rapid service and Belconnen Transitway as promised.

Belconnen residents deserve a public transport system that connects them to opportunity, not one that leaves them behind.

Chair Notices

BCC Submission: Inquiry into barriers and opportunities for participation in community sports in the ACT

The Belconnen Community Council (BCC) appreciates the opportunity to contribute to this inquiry.

As a representative body for the residents, students, and businesses of the Belconnen district, the BCC regularly engages with the community on issues that affect local participation, liveability, and wellbeing. Community sport is a key pillar of these factors.

This submission draws on feedback from local clubs and residents to highlight the barriers and opportunities shaping participation across Belconnen and the wider AСТ.

This submission recommends that the Committee focus on how better planning, practical support, and fairer pricing can strengthen the physical, human, and financial foundations of community sport across the ACT.

Read our full submission here.