Ed Cocks launches community campaign for Mawson upgrades

Liberal MLA for Murrumbidgee Ed Cocks has launched a community campaign to advocate for desperately needed and overdue upgrades to the Mawson Group Centre.

In 2015 the government’s master plan said the area was tired, run down and in need of improvement. The master plan, supported by local residents and businesses, called for urgent repairs, a new car park and land for a future additional supermarket.

Since then, the valuable goals of the plan seem to have been forgotten and Mawson has suffered a further eight years of decay. Now the ACT Labor-Greens Government has erased the plan from their planning website.

“The ACT Labor-Greens government seems to have abandoned this plan in favour of another eight years of decay and broken promises,” Mr Cocks said.

“This plan envisioned Mawson Place as a shared pedestrian zone with ground level shops and cafes, and offices and residences above. A Lonsdale Street of the South.

“The campaign's aim is to deliver a new vision for Mawson, recognising its importance as a hub of the South, with enough car parks for the population, a wide range of shopping options and improved pedestrian and cyclist connections.

“The ACT Labor-Greens Government has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars repeatedly asking what needs to change at Mawson but has failed to actually fix the problems.

“The community has told the government that a new car park, an additional supermarket, upgraded facilities, better public transport and improved pedestrian connections are all needed, Labor and the Greens just seems unwilling to make it happen.

“People in Woden deserve something like a Lonsdale Street of the South, why should our facilities and infrastructure lag behind other areas?”

The campaign can be joined at https://edcocks.com.au/new-vision-for-mawson