Googong
Googong is a town located within the Queanbeyan–Palerang Regional Council government area, south of the Queanbeyan Central Business District.
The Googong area incorporates the township of Googong, and the developed areas of Fernleigh Park, Little Burra and Mount Campbell Estate. It borders Jerrabomberra and Karabar to the north and Environa to the west. It is about 10 kilometres south of the Queanbeyan central business district. Its citizens tend to use the infrastructure of the neighboring city of Canberra, about 15 kilometres to the north-west.
History
Googong is situated on the country of the traditional owners, the Ngunnawal Aboriginal people, and five Aboriginal groups have identified custodial connections to the area. European farmers and settlers began occupying the environs of Googong in the mid-19th century, which was named after one of the largest properties in the area. However, the meaning and origin of the word "Googong" is obscure.The first part of the original stone homestead was built in 1845 and was occupied by Alexander McDonald, an employee of the Campbell family, who were early European settlers of the Canberra region. The homestead was later renamed "Beltana". The area around Googong has several historic features including the old London Bridge Homestead and the London Bridge Arch, a remarkable natural limestone bridge formed over thousands of years by Burra Creek. The nearby Googong Dam, fed by the Queanbeyan River and numerous creeks, is by far the largest in the ACT region. It was completed in 1979.
The township of Googong occupies an area of 780 hectares which sits within the Parish of Googong, an area of land between Burra and Queanbeyan, east of Jerrabomberra Creek. It is being developed as a joint venture between Peet Limited and Mirvac, and will eventually be home to around 18,000 people. Googong Foreshores is the name given to the area around Googong Dam, which is separate from the town of Googong and is managed as a water catchment, wildlife refuge, and public recreation area. Park Care volunteers help to protect the national and cultural values of the Foreshores.
Planning for the township of Googong began in the early 2000s, with approval to begin the re-zoning process granted in 2006. The findings of the Independent Queanbeyan Land Release Inquiry, issued by the NSW Minister for Planning in September of that year, recommended the site as the future residential growth area for the City of Queanbeyan. In November 2007, the NSW Department of Planning issued a Section 65 certificate enabling the public exhibition of the draft Local Environmental Plan which was available for public comment until February 2008. The re-zoning of the site to allow residential development was approved in December 2009.
At that time it was announced that Googong would have five neighbourhoods, a town centre and four local shopping centres, as well as 183 hectares of open space to provide recreational, ecological and visual amenity. As part of the project, developers Peet and Mirvac undertook a Voluntary Planning Agreement to dedicate land and undertake construction works valued at over $300 million. They included road and intersection upgrades on local access roads and the construction of community facilities including a library, community centres, indoor pool and sports centre, sporting fields and open spaces, as well as gifting land for a public primary school, public secondary school, and fire station. The Development Control Plan for the township of Googong was approved by Queanbeyan City Council in October 2010. The final plan was formally adopted in June 2013. Civil construction commenced at Googong in 2012 with the first residents moving in during February 2014.
Culture and arts
Googfest
Googfest is a regional music festival hosted by the developers of Googong, Peet Limited and Mirvac. The festival was launched in 2015 and has previously featured music acts including Dami Im, SAFIA, Sneaky Sound System, The Aston Shuffle, Joe Camilleri and The Black Sorrows, and Travis Collins attracting more than 10,000 people each year.Rural Fire Service Open Day
The Googong Rural Fire Service Open Day offers members of the community the chance to meet local crew from the Jerrabomberra Creek Rural Fire Brigade and the Queanbeyan Fire and Rescue service to discuss fire safety in the region and at home. The open day also features local Landcare, sports groups and wildlife careers and is hosted by Googong's developers, Peet Limited and Mirvac.KiteFest
KiteFest is Googong’s annual kite festival which is held at Rockley Oval on Father’s Day. The event often features notable kite enthusiasts as well as on-site entertainment.Population
At the Census, there were:- 7,444 people in Googong.
- Of these 49.9% were male and 50.1% were female.
- The median age was 32.
- Of people aged 15 years and over, 61.7% of people were in a registered marriage and 14.7% were in a de facto marriage.
- Of people were attending an educational institution, 34.3% were in primary school, 19.1% in secondary school and 20.7% in a tertiary or technical institution.
- The most common responses for religion in Googong were No Religion 36.2%, Catholic 26.6%, Anglican 12.2%, Not stated 4.2%, and Hinduism 3.3%.
Commercial areas
- Googong North Village Centre opened in Googong’s first neighbourhood with a supermarket, café, hair salon, beautician, various other shops, GP clinic, dentist, physiotherapist, allied health services, discount pharmacy, vet, real estate agent, and a Community Centre
- Googong Town Centre: Plans for a $143 million town centre were revealed in 2018 in Googong Central, the town’s second neighbourhood. Work is scheduled to be completed on supermarkets and the retail precinct in late 2025/2026.
Education
Sustainability
The Googong Water Recycling Plant is part of an $133 million integrated water recycling system which was funded, designed and built by Googong’s developers and gifted to the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council who manage the site. The recycled water is delivered through an existing network of purple-coloured pipes and taps, distinguishing it from potable water. It will be used across Googong’s public green spaces and delivered to all Googong residents, schools and businesses for non-potable uses such as watering gardens and flushing toilets. The system will recycle over half the waste water used on site, and reduce potable water consumption in the town by 60%.Googong was awarded the Green Building Council of Australia’s first 5-Star Green Star – Communities rating in 2016. The township was given a 5-star rating based on several its initiatives including its integrated water cycle management system, open space strategy and building design guidelines. Launched in 2003, Green Star is Australia's largest voluntary and holistic sustainability rating system for buildings, fitouts and communities. Following a re-accreditation process, this rating was confirmed and extended until 2026 as the township delivered on the several sustainability initiatives promised as part of the original certification.
Googong has used ‘reconophalt’, a recycled road product, to install six netball courts and an adjacent car park within the township. The recycled road product is made from an asphalt mix of soft plastics, glass toner and reclaimed road. The product is currently undergoing trial, with the aim is for the product to be used to build roads within the township.
The Pink-tailed Worm-lizard is listed as ‘vulnerable’ under Commonwealth and State legislation and a large population of this species has been identified as occurring within the eastern part of Googong. Under part of the approval of Googong under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, Googong has committed to establish, rehabilitate and dedicate to public ownership a 54ha fenced Pink-tailed Worm-lizard Conservation Area to protect this species. The township developed a second conservation area in support of the Pink-tailed Worm-lizard, which included $1m joint funding from the New South Wales Government and Googong’s developers Peet Limited and Mirvac.
In February 2021, a cat containment policy was proposed for Greater Googong. Cats are currently encouraged to be kept indoors. Cats are prohibited on public land which is zoned for 'environmental conservation'. This includes the parkland adjacent to the Googong Foreshores, as well as the Pink-tailed Worm-lizard Conservation Area. Cats found in these are likely to be controlled by rangers.