Page 5607 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 17 November 2010
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native flowers or names of surveyors. Weston Creek as we know it now has been primarily occupied as residential area since the late 1960s.
The first suburbs established in Weston were Waramanga and Fisher, followed closely by many others. Weston Creek has always been a popular place for young families to settle. There are many families now who can claim to have been there since the original inception of the area. It is not hard to see why as a local resident. The area is a beautiful place to live and raise a family. In fact, in 2006 the National Capital Development Commission stated that Weston Creek was “one of the most picturesque parts of the national capital”.
With many of these original families now ageing, there is a changing demographic in Weston. Currently there are almost 23,000 people living in the area. At the last census 27 per cent of the population were over 55 compared to a national average of 24 per cent. The ACT population projections for suburbs and districts 2007-19 predict that Weston will become the district with the oldest population, with a median age of 41 years in 2019. This median age will be driven by a high proportion of persons aged over 85. There will be a 62 per cent increase in persons aged 70 to 80 years by 2019. An ageing population across Canberra, in particular in Weston, will provide a changing dynamic to cater for. Increased health and public services are going to be needed, as is increased access to public transport and community facilities.
In contrast, the new development in North Weston and the planned developments in what is known as Molonglo Valley will bring an increase in the number of young families in the area. The population projection study highlighted above states that new suburbs tend to have high fertility rates as they are attractive to those starting families. That is why when they focus on population projections in Molonglo they project with the high level of construction planned from 2011 that this district will experience very steep growth.
This study states that Molonglo will see a large proportion of the ACT’s growth across the next two years, increasing by around 10,200 out of the ACT’s total projected 50,350-person increase. This means that over one-fifth of the total population growth for the ACT will be centred in this area. When faced with facts such as this, it is difficult for the government to deny that this is an area of utmost importance. The Molonglo Valley development has begun and is set to accelerate in 2011 with construction commencing in the new suburbs of Coombs and Wright. Coombs alone is projected to have a population of 5,500 by 2019, followed by Wright with a population of 2,500. Future developments are projected to bring an additional 2,600 people to the area. Given the anticipated prominence of the young families in this district, the median age for all Molonglo suburbs is projected to be quite low, between 29 and 31 years.
The increased population growth in Molonglo represents 36 per cent of the Weston Creek population. Without development in the Molonglo itself, it is without doubt that this will have a huge impact on Weston Creek facilities, in particular the Cooleman Court facilities. The community facility needs assessment report for stage 2 of the Molonglo development states:
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