The electorate of Molonglo is named after the river which runs through the central area of Canberra and forms Lake Burley Griffin with the Scrivener Dam.   The word Molonglo is derived from an indigenous aborginal word of the traditional owners, the Ngunnawal people, which means " like the sound of thunder".

The Molonglo electorate returns 7 Members to the ACT Legislative Assembly under the ACT's Multi Member, Hare Clark electoral system.    For more information on the Hare Clark system and the 2008 ACT Election click here.  Molonglo takes in all of the inner north and inner south suburbs of Canberra.   It also includes most suburbs in the Woden Valley, all of Weston Creek and all but one suburb in the fast growing centre of Gungahlin. Map of Molonglo (.pdf external link) Molonglo is a diverse electorate which I am proud to represent.  It covers all of the important national instituions in central Canberra, the City centre, heritage listed suburbs and new, modern urban areas.

I am working hard to advocate the interests of residents in the Molonglo electorate.  Here you will find some of the issues I have worked on during the current term of the Assembly.

• North Watson woodlands preserved ( photos and text)
• Urban Open Space Project protects public land
• Gungahlin Police Station goes 24/7
• Community Fire Units expand in Woden and Weston Creek
• Phillip Oval protected and upgraded
• Inner South suburbs get new Community Centre

Community Fire Units expanded in Woden and Weston Creek

In April this year I announced the delivery of an extra 10 Community Fire Units (CFU) for the ACT to provide residents with added protection from the threat of bushfire.

The ten new CFUs are the result of $244,000 in funding provided in the 2007/08 Budget. The ten new units come on top of the 28 already established by the government in recent years and takes the total number now to 38.

Community Fire Units provide Canberra residents living in high bushfire risk areas with the training, equipment and support to protect their homes in the event of a bushfire.

Residents with a CFU are able to play a proactive role if a bushfire threatens their area on top of all of the preparedness activities.

The CFU program was first introduced in the ACT four-and-a-half years ago as part of the government’s response to the January 2003 bushfires. It had been recognised that the community needed to have more involvement in the preparation and protection of their homes.

At the announcement I  handed over a CFU trailer to members of the Huon Place / Derwent Street Lyons CFU team. Residents from Lyons wrote to me arguing their case for a CFU to be established in their local area and I am proud to now deliver this trailer and equipment to them.

They are part of ten new CFU teams to have undergone extensive training with the ACT Fire Brigade since August last year.

There are now over 900 Canberra residents signed up as CFU members, which is a great achievement by the community in partnership with emergency services and the government.

These units are not meant to be a replacement for the ACT’s fire services, but rather to complement the ACT Fire Brigade and the ACT Rural Fire Service. It is about shared responsibility - together the whole community can work towards maintaining a safe and secure city.

You can now contact the CFU team at actfb.cfu@act.gov.au (the email address in the pamphlet no longer works). You can also download an information pamphlet (PDF 101KB).