Undercooked jobs target ignores Gungahlin

2023-07-26

ACT Greens MLA for Yerrabi Andrew Braddock has described today’s announcement of a new Canberra jobs target as undercooked.

“Aiming for 300,000 jobs in Canberra sounds great, but there’s no detail, and it fails to address the specific needs of our districts, including Gungahlin.”

On the 6 June, Andrew Braddock moved a motion in the Assembly calling for district-specific employment targets, and their inclusion in the city’s economic development strategy.  The Chief Minister supported that motion, along with every other member of the assembly present.

“Gungahlin is more than just a dormitory for Civic and Parliamentary Triangle workers,” said Mr. Braddock.

“As the first town centre since self-government, development in Gungahlin just hasn’t brought the same economic opportunities found elsewhere in this city.

“For all the talk about economic development, we’re not seeing the results close to where people live. This is why we need specific district strategies, not just vague territory-wide targets.

“We need to recognise that different parts of Canberra have different needs, and clearly present the associated opportunities in our districts.  A blanket target of 300,000 won’t cut it.”