I’m a Tuggeranong resident, and for many years, Gungahlin always seemed to be full of bright, shiny, new things compared to us on the southside. Gungahlin, which makes up most of the Yerrabi electorate, was the new area that appeared to get all the attention and money, hence the song reference to ‘Shiny Happy People’ by R.E.M from 1991. Yerrabi also includes Mitchell, the village of Hall, and a couple of Belconnen suburbs.

In actual fact, people first started moving into Gungahlin over 30 years ago, so it is no longer the newest district. The population of the district is now heading towards 100,000 and recently, I chatted with local member for Yerrabi, Leanne Castley MLA, about the issues that Yerrabi residents talk to her about.

Gungahlin, of course, has the much-touted light rail into the city. However, a recent survey by the Gungahlin Community Council found that 91 per cent of working residents are commuting outside the district daily and cited the need for improved road infrastructure and a trial Rapid Bus service to other major employment centres such as Woden, Tuggeranong and Brindabella Business Park.

While the government likes to talk about the success of the light rail and the take-up of it, many people wonder why such a rapidly growing district, which was always planned to grow quickly and be large, is perpetually playing catch-up with road infrastructure, with duplication efforts completed, underway, and still needed.

Projects such as Horse Park Drive duplication, Gungahlin Drive duplication, and a Barton Highway flyover are all sought after by locals. Why on earth these infrastructure issues aren’t addressed in the planning is beyond me. As a comparison, when the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened in 1932, it was built with a lot of future capacity for cars, trains and trams – far more than was needed at the time. These forward planning exercises don’t seem to have landed with the ACT government, which is constantly behind when addressing the needs of the district.  

Another lesson the ACT government seems unwilling or unable to learn is the economic impact of closures for the light rail construction. When the light rail was going into Gungahlin, many businesses struggled and folded. Now we see similar catastrophes for businesses in Civic due to light rail construction impacts.

The same survey also revealed other community priorities, including the need for economic development in the town centre, healthcare access, planning concerns, safety concerns, and environmental priorities.

It seems that, despite being a newer area of Canberra, Yerrabi has many local suburban maintenance issues. Potholes, broken streetlights and the like are among the common issues that residents raise.              

Gungahlin residents are also still waiting for the long-promised cinema complex – although this is an issue with the developer, rather than the government.

So, while to Tuggeranong residents, Gungahlin seemed to be the new area, with lots of money spent on it, it has its own issues: some in common with the rest of Canberra, and others unique to the district.