DECEMBER 2021
Our final newsletter for 2021.
HCA AGM
At our Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, 26 October 2021, the following people were elected to the Committee:
Chair – Chris Mobbs
Deputy Chair – Scott Obara
Treasurer – Brook Clinton
Deputy Treasurer – Greg Hughes
Secretary – Bruce Smith
Deputy Secretary – Kay Murphy
Member – Brett Davis, Terry de Luca, Barbara Mobbs, Maureen Dawes
The draft minutes of the AGM will be made available on the HCA website soon.
Here is a summary of some HCA and other organisations activities during 2021 that are helping improve our great suburb.
Community engagement
The HCA engages with the Hackett community through a range of activities including:
- its website https://hackett.asn.au
- Hackett Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/HackettCommunity/ which has over 700 followers.
- Welcome pack for new residents: The four-page leaflet includes quick facts about Hackett, and contact details for other Hackett organisations, businesses, schools, ACT Government services, ACT MLAs and Federal MPs. It is provided to real estate agents selling houses and units in Hackett, and new owners and renters.
- Hackett Neighbourhood Watch: has continued providing on-going support by including HCA news on the front page of its monthly newsletter.
Changes at the shops
In February 2006, Steve and Arthur Savoulidis bought the Hackett IGA. Not only running IGA, but they would also later set up Wilburs and then Rusty Mals. But this year they decided to sell up. We extend our thanks to the outstanding contribution they and their families have made to Hackett over the years. We wish them all the best with their next endeavours. The HCA welcomes Bikram, Gary, AJ and their team as the new owners of Hackett IGA who took over in November.
We also welcomed the arrival of Alex the Pizza Guy and his establishment of 3rd Space in June.
The ACT Government upgraded pathways on Mills St and the north side of IGA in April, while an additional table was provided in June.
In September, Blue Gum Community School received a community arts grant from the ACT Government to work with a local artist, Faith Kerehona, to create and paint the mural on the brick wall behind the shops on Mills St. Earlier in the year, Blue Gum installed a tile mosaic mural in the frame near IGA. The mural depicts images of plants and animals and other features the students have seen during their visits to Mt Majura.
Hackett Oval trees
The HCA applied to have these trees listed on the ACT Tree Register, because of their historical significance (see report on our website) and their landscape value for our suburb, but this application was rejected. The HCA has sent a request to Minister Chris Steel seeking a review of this decision. We hope we will receive a favourable response.
Enhancing Hackett’s green spaces
Hacket has five parks (those near the streets of Gilruth, Bragg, Caldwell, Tyron and French), the oval and the gardens at the shops. Following the HCA submission to the 2020-21 ACT Budget consultation process, tables were provided in the Gilruth and Bragg Street parks in 2020. The HCA provided a submission (no.78) into the 2021-22 ACT Budget process requesting the provision of tables in Tyron, French and Caldwell St parks, and at the northern end of the Hackett Oval under the trees near the carpark. Unfortunately, our request did not receive funding. We will try again in the next round.
Three Hackett groups contribute to improving our parks through grants which the HCA administers:
- Gilruth Park Support Group received an Adopt a Park 2019-21 grant ($4,990) project called “More Shade and Seating”. This has provided six shade trees and thirty bird attracting shrubs; painting existing benches; and provision of ten large rocks.
- Hackett Community Collective received an Adopt a Park 2019-21 grant ($3,740) to develop a plan for enhancing gardens and open space at the shops. Community consultation was delayed due to Covid-19 restrictions and will be commencing soon.
- Bragg St Park Volunteers received a Nature in the City 2020-21 grant ($9,100) to create swales in the Park which were built in August 2021.
HCA… sowing the seeds for another green space project
- In June the HCA was approached about creating a native revegetation area in Hackett.
- In July the HCA had discussions with ACT Government officers about suitable sites, including parks in French, Tyron, Caldwell and Bragg Streets, the space near Kellaway St, and spaces on the north and south side of the oval. Kellaway and Bragg St were not suitable because they are in a bushfire zone and Bragg was having swales built. The most suitable location would be the south side of the oval.
- The HCA subsequently included a note in its August newsletter and the October newsletter of Neighbourhood Watch seeking EOI from residents interested in progressing this proposal. We received a lot of interest.
- Maree Wright is convening this project (known as the “Bit at the end of the oval”). Maree is also involved with the Hackett shops gardens project – see website https://hackettparks.weebly.com/
Composting grant
The HCA administered the grant given to the Hackett Compost Collective (renamed Capital Scraps) from the ACT Government’s Community Zero Emissions Grants Program 2019-20. The project called ‘Small measures count for a lot with community composting’, has involved setting up composting bins on the north-west side of IGA on Mills St. Additional bins have since been installed in Watson, Ainslie and Braddon. This network of composting units are fed by kitchen scraps from many households in Hackett and beyond. In the last two years, Brook Clinton has collected over 20 tonnes of kitchen waste and turned it into great compost which is later given to residents as valuable soil conditioner. Each tonne of kitchen scraps composted saves the equivalent of more than 1 tonne of CO2 (methane prevented).
Clean Up Australia Day
Led by Terry de Luca, we participated again in Clean Up Australia Day in Hackett on Sunday 7 March 2021. There were 24 volunteers, who collected around 20 bags of rubbish, particularly from the SES Depot/oval area, Phillip Avenue and the Antill Street nature strip.
HCA records in ACT Heritage Library
In April 2021 our Secretary, Bruce Smith, arrange for copies of our minutes, papers, photos and other documents from 2002 (when the Association was formed) to 2017, to be donated to the ACT Heritage Library.
Equipment for use by community groups
The HCA has the following items for its use and for lending to other Hackett community groups. If you would like to borrow any of these, please send an email to info@hackett.asn.au.
- Gazebo 3mx3m
- Two power leads each 20m long
- Wheelable esky
- Electric 8 litre urn
- 70 metres of garden hoses
- Collapsible table
- A-frame poster board and a blackboard.
Thank you
The above community-driven activities would not have occurred or thrived without the commitment of many volunteers. Have a safe and enjoyable Christmas and New Year. We look forward to working with you in 2022.
Committee
Hackett Community Association