Voyager Seeks Six Apartment Blocks on ACT-NSW Border

Canberra builder-developer Voyager Projects has slipped across the border into New South Wales with plans for 138 apartments and townhouses across six buildings in neighbouring Googong.

Voyager—started 13 years ago by Peter Naylor and his family—wants the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council to allow the series of three-storey buildings on just less than a hectare of vacant land across from Googong’s town centre.

Town Planners Urbane Studio told the council the $57.3-million construction at 43 McFarlane Avenue would be aimed at low to moderate income earners.

Plans by Canberra-based DNA Architects show 89 of the 138 units will be two and three-storey townhouses.  The remaining 49 apartments will be a mix of one to four bedrooms.

All six buildings will be connected to a single level of basement parking for 233 vehicles.

The plans call for 2900sq m of communal open space, much of which will make up a central park area between the buildings.

There will be seven entry points between buildings to the central courtyard.

▲ Town Planners Urbane Studio told the council the development would be aimed at low to moderate income earners.

Pointing to the Queanbeyan-Palerang Local Environmental Plan of 2022, Urbane said the development would provide higher density housing close to the town centre.

“The proposal will facilitate the supply and delivery of new affordable accommodation within a desirable location, close to existing transport options and amenities,” Urbane wrote.

“The proposal improves the relationship of the surrounding environment with the future town centre through an extensive and high-quality landscape proposal which contributes to the vibrancy of Googong township.”

Construction of the $143 million Googong town centre began in 2018.

Developed by Peet Limited and Mirvac, the master-planned township is expected to house 18,000 people across 6200 dwellings as it reaches completion over the next 10 years.

When finished the 780-ha site will boast 1800 new houses as well as the core business and retail section of the neighbourhood.