26/03/2026
𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐉𝐎𝐁𝐒 & 𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐀𝐇𝐋𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐄❓ 𝐎𝐑 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒❓
ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ – ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜʏ ɪᴛ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀs
On 25 March 2026, the ACT Legislative Assembly debated the Gungahlin Town Centre Economic Activation motion, moved by Andrew Braddock MLA.
The motion was based on strong community evidence, including the Gungahlin Community Council Survey 2025 (1,320 responses), which found:
🔅91% of Gungahlin residents work outside the district
🔅82% want the Government to attract more commercial businesses
🔅Ongoing frustration with limited retail, no cinema, and a weak night‑time economy
📊 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐍𝐄𝐖 – 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐀𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒
- The ACT Government’s own Gungahlin East Listening Report backs this up (https://yoursayconversations.act.gov.au/download_file/view/12847/2630).
- Residents clearly said they want a shift away from development that is mostly apartments and supermarkets, and instead called for:
🔅A better commercial mix, not just housing
🔅Missing retail options, with many residents naming stores like:
- JB Hi‑Fi, Officeworks, and Harvey Norman
🔅The ability to shop locally rather than travel to other town centres
🔅Development that actively supports economic growth and jobs
🔅Employment hubs or space for a federal agency, so Gungahlin isn’t just for “sleeping"
This feedback directly reinforces the 2025 survey results and shows a clear, consistent message from the community. (https://gcc.asn.au/gungahlin-community-survey-2025-2/)
⚠️ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐘
Government amendments were passed that weakened key parts of the motion, after receiving support from opposition members in the Assembly, including:
🔅Clear direction to prioritise jobs and commercial land use was softened into general land‑release language
🔅Strong action on long‑term vacant sites (like the cinema block) was reduced to merely “considering” changes
🔅Accountability and urgency were reduced, delaying real outcomes for Gungahlin
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 — 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐣𝐨𝐛𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭.
(Timestamp 3:00pm onwards - https://broadcast.parliament.act.gov.au/vod/player/c3dc796d62114d899b91cd5c6b6a9b71?i=a48db43f9c4742f3a5d79c738f118edf-119)
🏙️ WHY THIS MATTERS
Without strong, enforceable commitments:
🔅Prime town centre land risks being taken up by more residential towers
🔅Local jobs continue to lag behind rapid population growth
🔅Gungahlin misses out on shops, entertainment, and a real night‑time economy
🔅Long daily commutes remain normal for most residents
The evidence is clear from community surveys and government consultations.
📞 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐘𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐈 𝐌𝐋𝐀𝐬 𝐀 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. Leanne Castley MLA James Milligan MLA Suzanne Orr Michael Pettersson MLA Suburban Land Agency
✅ ASK FOR:
🔅Strong protection of commercial space in Gungahlin Town Centre
🔅Real enforcement against long‑term vacant development sites
🔅Concrete steps to deliver local jobs, retail, and employment hubs
🔅Decisions guided by community evidence, not just residential yield
📢 Gungahlin has said it clearly:
🔅We want more than apartments.
🔅We want jobs, retail, entertainment and a town centre that works.
