Googong's green side
Googong's bright green future.
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There are plenty of reasons why Googong was awarded the Green Building Council of Australia’s first 5-Star Green Star – Communities rating in 2016; a rating that was reaccredited in 2021, and confirmed and extended to 2026 in recognition of the deliverables achieved since the original certification. |
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Integrated Water Cycle management system
Our Integrated Water Cycle management system reduces Googong’s potable water use by about 60% and allows us to recycle over half of the township’s waste water, helping us keep the town greener all year round. In addition, non-potable water is plumbed back to every Googonian home. In fact, Googong’s 18,000 residents will use less water than just 6,500 residents in an average Australian community.
The Australian Water Association published an article on the Googong Integrated Water Cycle system titled, Building a water resilient town, which can be viewed here.
Open Space Strategy
The town’s been planned to ensure that facilities are within walking or cycling distance from residential areas, reducing car usage. 23% of Googong is dedicated to open space which includes kilometres of walkways, bike paths and bush trails, as well as playing fields, playgrounds, dog parks, a restored chain of ponds, tennis courts, netball courts, a pump track, skate park, and more. We will also deliver an indoor pool and sports centre and an outdoor tennis centre, as part of our commitment to delivering sustainable lifestyle opportunities for residents. Googong Open Space Strategy can be viewed here.
Building Design Guidelines
Every single home in Googong has been built to exceed required BASIX sustainability standards. To limit energy and water consumption Googong homes are required to meet 40% energy reduction and 50% water reduction targets. Homes have either a 2000 or 4000 litre water tank for laundry and non-potable uses (in addition to access to recycled water as noted above), and front gardens are to be completed within 12 weeks of occupation to enhance streetscapes and limit the impacts of Heat Island Effect in the neighbourhood. Googong building and design guidelines can be viewed here.
Community Garden and social groups
Googong has a thriving community garden (and another is planned) where residents can meet to grow veggies, flowers… and friendships! We have an active Googong Landcare Group, and a Wombat Rescue community group (to help treat wombats in the region with mange), and there are many social and sporting groups to help connect residents in the town. The Googong Hogs (AFL and netball) clubs are well established in the town, as are the Googong Monaro Panthers soccer club and the Tinderry Scouts; we have a strong affiliation with Queanbeyan Whites Rugby who are planning to open a social club in the town in the years ahead. There are lots of social groups too including our seniors group, the Googong Retros, Googong Playgroup, and many more. Contact our Community Manager to find out more.
Community Manager
Our Community Manager is employed to help residents establish strong community networks, host residents only functions and events, as well as public community events, set up clubs and help organise sporting groups, education programs, stakeholder engagement strategies, and more. If you are a new (or existing) resident, make sure your contact details are up to date to be advised of resident-only events and functions, receive copies of our Googonian Gazette newsletter, and important advice on the progress of the township. We will also give you a Googong picnic hamper welcome gift when you move in, so email Samantha at community@googong.net to be kept in the loop.
Pink Tailed Worm Lizard Conservation Area
We go above and beyond to preserve the natural environment around Googong. Before construction commenced at Googong a 52 hectare Conservation Area was established to protect the vulnerable Pink Tailed Worm Lizard on the towns eastern boundary. In 2019 Googong established $1m Fund to Save the vulnerable Pink Tailed Worm Lizard and extend the conservation areas. The fund comprises a $495,000 grant from the NSW Government’s Saving Our Species Program and a matching contribution from Googong Township developers Peet Limited and Mirvac. The fund will support a six-year conservation project including the establishment of a 30 hectare Sanctuary, to be managed by the Molonglo Conservation Group with support and future custodianship from Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council.
A copy of the Googong Saving Our Species program brochure can be downloaded here.
For further information click here.
Smart Cities technology
Googong is set to become a showcase for technology-based urban living securing a $1.1 million grant from the federal government’s Smart Cities and Suburbs Program in 2019. The grant that will establish Googong as a high-tech neighbourhood, helping reduce everyday community service costs, including waste management, utility consumption and the maintenance of amenities.
For further information click here.
Recycled Roads
Googong is giving new life to recycled products through the installation of six netball courts and adjacent carpark made from an asphalt mix of soft plastics, glass, toner and reclaimed road. A first for the ACT/Queanbeyan region, the recycled road product, known as Reconophalt, has been successfully trialed in the netball precinct, before being used more widely on the remaining roads at Googong from 2021 onwards. A kilometre of road (two lanes) paved with Reconophalt can contain 500,000 plastic bags and packaging equivalents, 165,000 glass bottle equivalents and toner from 12,000 used printer cartridges.
For further information click here.
Cat Containment Policy
In 2021, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council introduced a Cat Containment Area Policy for Googong, in recognition of the sensitivity of the fauna in the Googong Dam and Foreshores in particular. For further information click here.
Electric Charging Stations
There are electric charging stations embedded in the town.
