Pilot Edition

What this means for you

Flood-free access between Whitlam, Denman Prospect, and the broader northern Canberra road network is now a matter of months away, not years. The Valley’s road spine will finally be complete.

Molonglo fire and ambulance station construction complete

The $65 million Molonglo Emergency Services Station — Canberra’s largest — has completed construction. ACT Treasurer Chris Steel confirmed in last week’s Budget: “With construction now complete on the new Molonglo Emergency Services Station we’re delivering and planning for additional first responders in one of our fastest growing regions.” ACT Fire & Rescue will operate from the station on Cotter Road, between John Gorton Drive and Steve Irwin Avenue. A commissioning period follows before the station becomes operational.

Source: ACT Government Media Release, 20 May 2026

Whitlam School 2027 enrolments open — deadline 5 June

ACT public school enrolments for 2027 are now open, with applications due by 5 June 2026. Whitlam School — confirmed to open for Term 1, 2027 — will cater for up to 780 students from preschool to Year 6. Starting year levels will be announced in mid-2026. Students in the Whitlam priority enrolment area are currently attending Evelyn Scott School in Denman Prospect. The application window closes in just over a week.

Source: ACT Government Media Release, accessed 26 May 2026

ACT Budget 2026–27: $58.8 million for community services

The 2026–27 ACT Budget, handed down this week, included $58.8 million in new funding for Canberra’s community sector — among it a $23.7 million permanent uplift for community services, $15.4 million for homelessness services, and $14.8 million for community legal assistance. Chief Minister Andrew Barr described the investment as continuing the government’s focus on reducing disadvantage. For a Valley with a growing and young population, long-term stability of community services matters now and as the district matures.

Source: Canberra Daily, 25 May 2026

Molonglo is now officially Canberra’s sixth town centre

The National Capital Plan has been amended to reclassify Molonglo as Canberra’s sixth town centre, formally paving the way for commercial development, community facilities, and investment alongside residential growth. The Suburban Land Agency is leading design and staged land release over the next 15 years. The Valley’s population is projected to reach around 70,000 by 2050, and this reclassification is intended to ensure infrastructure keeps pace.

Source: Australian Government / Minister for Infrastructure, accessed 26 May 2026

$1.065 million

Median house price across the Molonglo Valley for the December 2025 quarter — up 11.8 per cent over the year. First-home buyer activity drove much of the growth, particularly in the $750,000 to $1 million range. Denman Prospect reached a median of $1.095 million, a 27.3 per cent gain over five years. In Wright, the current median house price is $1.24 million.

Source:  Domain / Allhomes — 17 April 2026

If you have been putting off the walk through Namarag — the Molonglo River Corridor Reserve — winter is actually the best time to do it. The river runs clear, the grass is pale and still, and you will almost certainly have the trail to yourself on a weekday morning. There is something worth seeing near the bridge construction too: watching a 200-metre span materialise in a gorge you probably drive past without much thought is one of those things you don’t quite believe until it is in front of you. Walking access from Thancoupie Crescent in Whitlam is open, with a 70-metre walk from the carpark to the lookout. Take it before it becomes the landmark everyone wants to photograph.