[4] To be developed in three stages over more than ten years, the district will contain a principal town centre and a secondary group centre, with residential suburbs located to the south and north of the Molonglo River; located to the west of Lake Burley Griffin.

To accommodate future expected population growth and housing demand, The Canberra Spatial Plan, already in development at that time and formally released during 2004, proposed increased urban density along established (road) transport corridors.

Mr Rohl said the NCA had informed the ACT Planning and Land Agency of its decision which was based on environmental reports.

[14][15] For the purposes of Australian Capital Territory elections for the ACT Legislative Assembly, the District of Molonglo Valley is within the Murrumbidgee electorate.

It is within relatively close proximity of the city; approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) west of the Canberra central business district.

The first two suburbs in Molonglo Valley were Wright and Coombs; they are named for poet, environmentalist and Aboriginal land rights advocate Judith Wright and prominent public servant and economist H. C. "Nugget" Coombs, the first Reserve Bank Governor.

It is also expected that the development of the Molonglo Valley district will act as a link between the town centres of Weston Creek to the south and Belconnen to the north.