THE Molonglo Valley Community Forum (MVCF) has expressed “profound disappointment” after the 2021-22 ACT Budget, handed down this afternoon (October 6), revealed that the Molonglo Commercial Centre will be delayed two more years. 

Interim spokesperson for the MVCF, Ryan Hemsley, said the delays are incredibly frustrating for residents of the Molonglo Valley, who have had to rely on neighbouring facilities in Weston Creek since 2012, which are already under significant pressure. 

“Today the ACT government has reneged on an explicit promise made at last year’s election to ‘fast track’ work on this important commercial precinct,” he said.

“This will leave residents of Molonglo without access to local community and retail facilities for at least another decade.”

Mr Hemsley accused local members  of being “well aware of the difficulties Molonglo residents have faced” in terms of equitable access to shops, community facilities and other critical services, as well as the impact this has had on residents of neighbouring districts. 

“This inexplicable two-year delay will only serve to further entrench these existing inequalities as the Molonglo Valley continues to grow over the course of the next ten years and beyond,” he said. 

Mr Hemsley said that residents were eager to collaborate with the ACT government to ensure first class development outcomes for the Molonglo Commercial Centre, which has been planned since 2006. 

The MVCF has reached out to the Minister for Planning to request clarification on why this delay has occurred despite his assurances in April 2021 that the first land release was on track to occur in 2021-22.