Six years after the school closure and five years after the Flynn community first lodged a proposal for a lifelong learning and community centre, most of the school is vacant and the community is shut out. An investigation into the Community Services Directorate found hidden agendas, unacceptable work practices misinformation and integrity issues.
Flynn residents’ groups asked the major parties what they would do to fix things.
Who was approached?
Flynn community representatives approached both the Canberra Liberals and ACT Labor for the Labor-Greens alliance and met with Liberal MLA Vicki Dunne and ALP Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher and asked for written commitments from them.
What was asked for and the responses
In view of the history of past treatment and unacceptable practice found in the investigation, each party was asked what it would do to fix things, in particular:
| What was asked for | Canberra Liberals response | ACT Labor response |
|---|---|---|
| Commit to the proper negotiation of the Flynn community proposal in line with the findings of the investigation and the recommendation of the 2009 school closure inquiry? | Yes | No |
| Work together on a lifelong learning and community centre at Flynn and a community-based cooperative approach to running it? | Yes | Unclear |
| Restore Flynn community access to the Community Resource Centre, hall and meeting rooms? | Yes | Unclear |
| Remove the negotiations from CSD staff implicated through the MindPath report in past poor processes? | Yes | No |
What are they offering – You decide
- The Canberra Liberals: my commitment to the Flynn community is to reset consultations on the John Flynn Community Group (JFCG) proposal for a community facility to meet the needs of the Flynn community. … we will work together … to create a community centre based on the proposal put forward by JFCG and endorsed by the Belconnen Community Council. In that negotiation I commit that those involved on the part of a Canberra Liberal Government will not have participated in the previous “consultations”. I believe we need to start again, from scratch as a sign of good faith.
- ACT Labor: the Minister has undertaken to look at ideas for a Flynn community consultation committee structure that would fit within the existing community hubs model and provide a mechanism for continuing community involvement. Such a model would allow management of the centre to be undertaken by a tenant at the Centre … I would suggest that the development of this model should not hold up the current E0I process
