Molonglo 3 East: worth the wait

The Molonglo 3 East Future Urban Area (FUA) will be developed last, likely to be built from west to east. This will mean that the last suburb in the Molonglo Valley will be built within a kilometre from Molonglo Stage 1, where it all started. The irony of this is not lost on those who wish to cycle to Civic, as the most direct route would be through both these suburbs. Still, Molonglo 3 East is shaping up nicely and will be worth the wait.

Ring fencing Molonglo 3

Molonglo 3 East is in an early stage of planning and the significance easily missed driving by. In the Planning Design Framework the ACT Government outlines what it does and does not want, however, the intention is to leave plenty of space for good urban planning. 

Molonglo Valley Stage 3 timeline 2004-2040

This article is a chronological list of the Molonglo Valley Stage 3 development stages and contains the key documents to download. It is mostly for reference purposes.

Evolution of the Molonglo Valley

The Molonglo Valley is not flat and that is well known but it does cause problems. In Molonglo 3, on the north of the river, the gradients can be a challenge.

Molonglo Valley: conflicts between environment and active transport goals

Can the construction of direct and fast cycle highways be reconciled with environmental management? Crossing the Molonglo River is not so easy. ACT Environment is blocking the way. The Reserve Management Plan creates challenges to build cycle infrastructure in the Molonglo Valley.

Molonglo River Reserve cycling summary

The Molonglo River Reserve protection makes the development of the Molonglo Valley future urban area difficult. Here is a summary of the Molonglo River Reserve Management Plan from the perspective of cycling.

Urban development in 8 steps

Good active travel infrastructure in the ACT requires some understanding of urban planning. The ACT Government provides many documents that are very detailed, and often highly technical, so that it is easy to become overwhelmed. A simple explanation of urban planning in Canberra is a good start.