A re-elected Labor government would look at tougher penalties for the owners of local shops who leave the spaces vacant or unused, Planning Minister Chris Steel says.
Mr Steel said it was disappointing to see some shopping centre owners engage in what amounted to land banking.
"I think we've seen at shopping centres like Richardson, and other shops like Duffy, shop owners who have done the wrong thing by the community by leaving them run down and untenanted for too long," Mr Steel said.
"As part of our plan to encourage renewal at local shops, a re-elected Labor government will investigate tougher measures for property owners who leave their local shop spaces vacant or unused.
"If a building owner can't tenant a local shop or redevelop their facilities to make them viable they should sell them to someone who can."
Mr Steel said local shops were different to other commercial areas because they were important community hubs.
"Canberrans should rightly expect shopping centres to be well maintained and contain open businesses or community services," he said.
Mr Steel said in response to a petition calling for action on the dilapidated Richardson shops, which have been completely vacant since 2022, the government would look at how land around the shops could be leased to stimulate renewal.
Three undeveloped blocks of unleased land are located between the skate park and the Richardson shops.
"The government will look at releasing these blocks to stimulate renewal at the centre and promote a range of diverse of uses including 'shop top' housing and more commercial and retail facilities," Mr Steel said.
"As we encourage more housing at shopping centres, we will also be looking for shop owners and developers to do their bit and invest in modern, well-designed shopping precincts for all Canberrans."
The Richardson shops petition, which closed in April, attracted 317 signatures and called on the government to seek an update from the owner, and advise the Assembly of what it could do to force action at the site.
The petition said the supermarket closed in May 2019, the last tenant left in 2022 and some retail space had been empty for nine years.
