Liberals' Ed Cocks calls for a town centre for Molonglo Valley

There are set to be 86,000 people in the region by 2060, forecasts by ACT Treasury show, but planning strategies for the district showed the government had expected only between 55,000 to 60,000 people.

Liberals member for Murrumbidgee Ed Cocks said the new forecasts showed the need for the district to include a town centre. A group centre is currently planned for the district, which includes the suburbs Molonglo, Wright, Coombs, Whitlam and Denman Prospect.

Mr Cocks said examples of group centres included shopping districts in Mawson and Kippax but there was clearly a need for a larger hub in Molonglo like those in Woden and Gungahlin.

He said Molonglo residents were reliant on the Woden Town Centre, which was too far away for some.

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"In five years, Molonglo Valley will be larger than Weston Creek. 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," he said.

"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."

Mr Cocks' call comes after the Molonglo Valley Community Forum called for a town centre for the district last month.

The forum said population estimates showed there would be a substantial increase in the required provision of accommodation, shops, transport links and key amenities including schools and recreational facilities.

In response to the forum's calls, a government spokeswoman said a key element of the Molonglo Valley draft district strategy was the ability of the group centre to transition to a town centre "if needed to support a larger population".

The proposed district strategy for Molonglo indicated the group centre could become "more like a town centre, servicing a wider catchment than the district itself".

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