FIRST STAGE OF GOOGONG DEVELOPMENT APPROVED

Queanbeyan Mayor, Cr Tim Overall has welcomed the decision by the Joint Regional Planning Panel to approve the development application for the first stage of the new town of Googong.

The Panel met in Queanbeyan this afternoon and approved the development application for the first 337 residential lots.

"This is a very pleasing step forward for the development of the new town of Googong and brings us one step closer to seeing homes on the ground" Cr Overall said.

"The new town of Googong is the biggest and most exciting residential development outside of Sydney and will not just create a new subdivision, but an entirely new town.

"Council and CIC Australia have been working together to plan this new town for many years and it's great to see it's almost here."

When completed, Googong will be home to about 16,000 people, living in 5,550 dwellings of varying sizes. To support the new residents and existing communities it will also contain about 40,000 square metres of retail/commercial floor space in the town and village centres, considerable physical and community infrastructure and about 183 hectares of open space including a major common area representing about 23% of the total site area.

CIC Australia's Project Director for Googong, Mark Attiwill, says the township's concept has been recognised together with its commitment to innovation, sustainability and leadership in urban development. Earlier this year, Googong was rewarded by the Urban Development Institute of Australia (NSW) for ‘town founding' and for its concept of a sophisticated, country style town environment with a wide choice of living and employment opportunities that will evolve to meet the changing needs of residents over many decades.

"Googong will have a high degree of self containment across services, facilities and employment, as well as a strong commitment to infrastructure, including water management and renewable energy," says Mr Attiwill.

To provide the infrastructure and facilities for this new town, Council and CIC Australia have developed a Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA), which is in the final stages of its development. This VPA contains $283 million of infrastructure funded by CIC Australia which includes local roads, sports fields, a multipurpose centre, indoor sports centre, aquatic centre, water infrastructure and much more.