Canberra Liberals MLA Ed Cocks is calling for a Town Centre for the Molonglo Valley after the ACT Government’s recent population projections predict the region will become home to far more people than previously planned.

The Molonglo Valley is expected to grow to 86,148 people by 2060, rather than the previously forecast 55,000.

“In five years, Molonglo Valley will be larger than Weston Creek,” Mr Cocks said. “In 10 years, the population of Molonglo will be greater than the Woden Valley area, and by 2040, Molonglo will be bigger than Woden and Weston Creek combined.

“Currently, the Molonglo Valley, like Weston Creek, relies on the Woden Town Centre. The increase in the size of the Molonglo Valley population will exacerbate the existing problems with Cooleman Court, and road access to and from Molonglo suburbs.

“With a projected population of over 85,000, it’s not good enough to expect people from Molonglo to travel all the way to the Woden Town Centre for the important facilities and services they need.”

A group centre, Mr Cocks explained, is effectively a larger local shopping centre like Mawson or Kippax, whereas a town centre is a larger scale regional hub such as Gungahlin or Woden. A group centre has more restrictions on shops and facilities than a proper town centre does.

“A Molonglo Town Centre would attract greater investment, attract the larger scale stores that we all want to see, and can give us the entertainment and recreational options people in Molonglo deserve,” Mr Cocks said.

“Woden is too far away for many Molonglo residents, and Cooleman Court is already overloaded. I want to see a Molonglo Town Centre that means you don’t have to get into your car and drive somewhere else to get the things that you need.

“The Labor-Greens Government has a track record of failing to provide the facilities and services the community requires. The bridge project is considerably behind schedule; we still don’t have a police station in the Molonglo Valley; and the Government hasn’t finalised a location for the fire station. It has been a decade worth of missed opportunities and broken promises.

• Contract awarded for the new Molonglo River Bridge (16 February)
• Liberals say Molonglo Valley needs a police station (30 August 2022)
• Union says systematic failures leave firefighters short (20 January)

The ACT Government stated that land in the Molonglo Group Centre is on the ACT’s Indicative Land Release Program, and the first sites are scheduled to be released in 2023-24.

“The suburb of Molonglo (which includes the Group Centre) will become the active hub of Molonglo Valley and will provide for the growing population of Canberra’s newest district.

“With commercial, retail, residential, and community facilities, Molonglo will provide future employment opportunities and create places for residents of the Molonglo Valley to work, live, and play.

“The group centre will also become Canberra’s first all-electric commercial centre, delivering on the ACT Government’s commitment to remove mandatory gas connections to new suburbs as part of its Climate Change Strategy.”