The Gungahlin Community Council has accused the Labor Party's Member for Fraser Bob McMullan of welching on his pre-election commitment to halt Federal Government office relocations to the Canberra airport precinct.

The Department of Defence has agreed to lease two new sites in the Airport's business park - tenants GCC says should have come to Gungahlin.

"If Bob McMullan had kept his promise to stop Federal Government departments from relocating to the airport, Gungahlin could well have seen its first major office tenancies through this Defence relocation," said GCC President Alan Kerlin. "Instead he's allowed another key tenant to be crossed off the list for Gungahlin. 

"Of all the Federal departments in Canberra, Defence is the most logical one to establish a base in Gungahlin. It is far too big to be in a single location. There are already thousands of Defence staff living in Gungahlin. And with the rapid expansion of Defence Housing throughout Gungahlin, there's going to be far more Defence people in our area. Instead, now there will be hundreds more cars every day joining the crush on the Majura Road "parking lot".

Before the 2007 Federal Election, Bob McMullan told the Gungahlin Community Council's meet the candidates meeting that establishing a solid employment base was the most important issue facing Gungahlin. He was strongly critical of the Howard government for allowing uncontrolled office relocations to Brindabella Park. While he conceded that he couldn't change airport sale contract conditions that allowed offices to be built at the airport, if the ALP was elected to government he could "dry up supply" of tenants for those offices by preventing any more departments moving staff there.

"But Bob McMullan is still blaming the Howard Liberal Government. Mr McMullan has been in Government for two years, and these are decisions made on his watch. He can no longer blame someone else - it is time for Mr McMullan put his money where his mouth is and start delivering for the people of Gungahlin."

Mr McMullan claimed yesterday that "mistakes were easy to make but hard to fix."

"He's got that right," said Mr Kerlin. "And he's made a big one here. But it will be the residents and struggling business operators of Gungahlin paying the price for many years to come.

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