Loss of Rose Cottage Horse Paddocks

- The ACT Government Horse Holding paddocks are currently located in 17 areas across the suburbs of the ACT. These agistment paddocks are linked by a comprehensive system of horse trails which provide safe routes for riding and extend across the entire ACT. The ACT trails are linked to the Bicentennial National Trail, a continuous route from Cooktown to Melbourne. Equestrian trails are rarely single purpose, they are used by hikers, joggers, dog walkers, bike riders and other recreational enthusiasts. Similarly, the horse holding paddocks are used by many in the local community for similar recreational pursuits.

- Agisting horses within the Government paddocks is highly valued by the families for whom this provides an option to own a horse. A high proportion of these people are women and children and owning a horse provides them with significant lifestyle pleasure. It encourages them to spend large amounts of time outdoors. It develops an understanding of the weather and current pasture conditions as they influence the horses' needs for food and warmth. It enhances an understanding of rural life by suburban families.

- The horse riding community hopes that our city's planners appreciate the need for pasture to keep horses, open spaces to enjoy riding and the benefits of horse ownership to the citizens of Canberra who do so. The provision of agistment and horse trails throughout this city is recognized as special on a local scale and unique on an international scale.

- Unfortunately, however, there has been a general downgrading of equestrian facilities by the ACT Government over the last few years. At least 10% of the agistment land has been taken back for residential and industrial development. This is despite the fact that there are at least 120 people on the waiting list for agistment in Government paddocks.

- The proposed development of the Rose Cottage Paddocks is another deep disappointment to the horse owners in Tuggeranong. Rose Cottage is one of the largest complexes in the ACT and taking any land at all lessens the viability of the complex. Rose Cottage has had its share of difficulties due to very large kangaroo numbers (kangaroos compete with horses for grass) and high levels of Paterson’s curse (which is toxic to horses).

- Tuggeranong has been particularly hard hit with the Government resuming horse agistment land. Hume paddocks have recently lost 65 hectares to industrial development. Gilmore paddocks are under threat from another substation development. Rose Cottage paddocks could be lost to a giant gas power station and further industrial development. The gas power station development will also cut across two equestrian trails, making riding impossible in this area.

- Horses are particularly sensitive and wary animals. They will be severely affected by the high levels of noise, air pollution, light, human activity and construction activity that will occur on the site should this development proceed.

- The horse owners have contributed their own money to build a large arena to ride on at Rose Cottage. This arena will be directly adjoining the new development and will therefore become unusable. The horse owners have contributed materials for a jump course which will no longer be able to be used. The arena and jump course are located on level land, essential for these activities.

- The loss of the Rose Cottage Horse Paddocks to this heavy industrial development will be a huge loss to both the horse owners and the local community. It will deprive them of a large area of continuous recreational open space and remove an important outdoors sporting activity that is pursued by many in the community.

for more information go to this website: http://canberrapowerstation.info/inf...
and click on the titles down the left column.

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