Canberra’s local shops, group and town centres are at the heart of our suburbs and districts. This is where you’ll find local businesses, services and public transport connections.
The ACT Government is exploring new ways to deliver more homes in these areas. Enabling more homes in these locations will deliver more jobs, services and community facilities for all Canberrans, making sure you have access to the things you need closer to home.
Local and group centres
To improve how local and group centres serve our growing population, we must investigate planning and non-planning interventions that will facilitate the revitalisation of centres within older suburbs.
Specific local and group centres were identified in the 2023 District Strategies to be investigated for potential new housing and job opportunities as well as being important meeting places and activity hubs.
Building a community-focused city where people can live closer to work and amenities will help meet the rising need for new housing, within the existing urban footprint, reduce travel times and carbon emissions and assist in improving general quality of life.
An important part of this work will be to facilitate change while also being sensitive to the character of established neighbourhoods. We need to make sure that as the city grows and we make way for new buildings and amenities, we still hold on to its unique identity.
Current projects
At this stage the specific local and group centres proposed in the District Strategies are in the planning investigation stage. Further information about the potential changes and associated public consultation will be updated in a link from this webpage to the ACT Government’s YourSay page.
Projects that are already underway to look at providing more housing, jobs and community facilities in local and group centres, include the following:
Following the previous changes to the Territory Plan, the ACT Government has agreed to work with the owners of the existing Kippax Shopping Centre on delivering a new concept design for an extended shopping centre. The proposed extension will result in an additional major supermarket being located within the design as well as an increased number of supporting specialty shops, approximately 160 residential dwellings and a community centre which will be run by the Territory.
The design will also include a suitable amount of basement car parking spaces and ensure that the public amenity and retail offering of the centre is increased from what it currently available and the current built form is renewed.
In early August 2025, small sections of the public carparks at the Hawker Group Centre will be temporarily closed for subsurface geotechnical investigations. The investigations are expected to take place over several days.
These works are part of Stage 2 site investigations undertaken by contractors on behalf of the ACT Government.
This will involve:
- Drilling and boring to determine subsurface conditions for soil, groundwater and contamination
- Tree assessments
- Traffic impact assessments
- Utility capacity assessments.
Next steps
These works will gather important data and insights to inform the future use of these blocks.
Once works are completed, a final report will be made publicly available.
Read more about Stage 1 site investigations report [PDF 31.3 MB]
Town centres
As Canberra grows, we need to adjust our city to better serve our increasing population and economy. We aim to update our centres to create more liveable, connected, and lively spaces. This means reducing urban sprawl, improving connections, and boosting economic growth. Our goal is to make it simpler for people to live, work, and access important services in the same area.
