Page 829 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 9 March 2016
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The Weston group centre was developed in the 1970s to service the residents of Weston Creek. The Weston group centre serves as a key social and economic hub for Weston Creek, offering a range of shops, facilities, services and employment, including the Cooleman Court shopping centre. Weston Creek has a population of approximately 23,650 people, and is made up of a slightly older population than the rest of Canberra. The area has a median age of 40 years, compared to the ACT-wide population of 34 years of age.
The Molonglo Valley district is being planned and developed to the north of Weston Creek. Once complete, the Molonglo Valley will have an expected population of 55,000 people, with a number of small commercial centres and a main commercial centre. The Weston group centre, along with other centres in the area, will continue to support Molonglo Valley residents in a transitional manner until shops and services are established in the Molonglo Valley.
The Weston group centre is serviced by both private and public transport. Bus services provide connections to the surrounding suburbs of Weston Creek and to Woden and the city. Within the Weston group centre master plan study area, there are 1,345 car parking spaces, including 1,004 public car parking spaces. In the main commercial area in the Weston group centre—around Cooleman Court and the services area—there are 1,043 car parking spaces, including 838 public car parking spaces.
The ACT government completed a master plan for the Weston group centre in December 2014. The master plan was well received by the community and key stakeholders. The Weston group centre master plan sets the long-term vision and the planning guidelines for the centre’s future development. The master plan sets out what is important about the Weston group centre and identifies opportunities for enhancing the qualities of the centre. It identifies opportunities for growth, while maintaining the centre’s unique character.
The master plan responds to the ACT government’s and community’s vision through the ACT planning strategy for a more compact and efficient city. The ACT government’s aim is for a city where everyone can take advantage of and enjoy its network of centres, open spaces and modes of travel for a sense of wellbeing and participation in a vibrant civic and cultural life.
Extensive community engagement was held through the master plan process, in particular with Weston Creek residents, local businesses, community groups, ACT government agencies and private interest groups. Background analysis and the community engagement process helped to identify priorities for improving the centre to meet the community’s needs and aspirations now and into the future. The Weston Creek community is an active community, with over 1,000 people attending various meetings and workshops, including completing surveys or taking part in conversations, during the course of the Weston group centre master plan process.
The Weston group centre master plan sought to address the local challenges that were identified during comprehensive community engagement and background analysis.
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