News and Media
18 September 2009
Defence families live it up in Canberra’s big backyard
Canberra as a destination can be simply described as a city in the midst of native bushland. Shopping in the city one minute, and enjoying the countryside and surrounds moments later, Canberra’s natural surroundings and vast parklands and reserves provide a big backyard for over 347,000 residents to kick around in.
Home to government and the public service, for Defence members and their families, living in Canberra holds a number of benefits. With major Defence establishments, including ADF Headquarters, HMAS Harman, Australian Staff College, the Royal Military College and Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra is viewed as a hub for Defence activities. In any given year, Canberra is home to 13,500 Defence employees, including approximately 6,000 serving Defence members, and with the Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC) near Bungendore becoming fully operational in December 2008, more and more families are making their way to the nation’s capital.
Perhaps it’s the proximity to the Defence action or the fact that it holds many opportunities for families, but more and more families are staying put and back-to-back postings are becoming more common.
Defence Housing Australia (DHA) manages close to 2,000 properties for Defence families in Canberra, one of the highest levels of Defence housing around the country, second only to Sydney and surrounds. In Canberra there is a mix of DHA housing, from one-storey traditional homes, apartments and townhouses to inner-city apartments. The majority of our newer homes are located in the north of Canberra, with 53 percent of properties in the Gunghalin and Inner North area. 21 per cent of our homes are located on the other side of town in the Jerrabomberra and Queanbeyan areas. In close proximity to shops, transport and schooling, and only 12kms from HQJOC, Queanbeyan is a fantastic location for those members working at this facility.
Canberra is unique to many other major capital cities. When it comes to considering the housing needs of your family, nothing is far away. In Canberra you can get from one end to the other in less than 45 minutes and every suburb has a nearby shop, school or park. Add to this the fact that Canberra has one of the largest Defence populations there are countless opportunities to support and meet other Defence families.
Just like a move to any new location though, Canberra is not without its challenges. For many, Defence families alike, childcare is an ongoing issue. Choosing where to live goes hand in hand with childcare, schooling and employment availability, but in Canberra, a residential address is often required before you can register your child for these. The best solution for members is to submit your Pre-Application for Relocation as early as possible, and whilst speaking to child care facilities, secure your home on HomeFind. Two different state education systems operate side by side in the ACT/ Queanbeyan region, and whilst it may seem that Queanbeyan and Jerrabomberra are just another suburb of Canberra, these schools fall under the NSW education system, with some minor differences, particularly around the timing of school holiday periods. However, families living in these NSW suburbs do have access to schools in the ACT
Whilst childcare can be difficult to secure at short notice, the transient nature of Defence living means that as one family is moving into Canberra, another may be moving out. And with Canberra’s Defence population, there are a number of Defence-based childcare centres. Access to places at the Defence child care centres is determined through the Defence Priority of Access Guidelines (Defence POAG), and further advice can be obtained from the Child Care Access Hotline or the Defence Community Organisation.
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On any given day, Canberran’s are out enjoying the abundance of parklands, exercise fields, lake areas and nature reserves. With the average housing block size ranging from 450 to 750sqm, residents are treating the capital as their big backyard. Although some DHA homes with large backyards exist in the outer suburbs of Canberra, our housing stock is developed in line with community standards, and with new housing developments in the region, averaging around 500sqm. Smaller housing blocks also mean landscaping and gardens are more manageable for Defence families.
Canberra’s extreme climates, with average temperatures between minus (-) 2 and 35 degrees has meant that housing has to be developed to handle the conditions. DHA’s newest homes are 5-star energy compliant and are generally built north-facing, where the development permits, and incorporate drought resistant plants and alternative landscaping materials such as tan barks and pebbling.
In response to these climatic conditions, we are considering a variety of environmental options to assist families in maintaining their homes and gardens. This has included grey water tanks that comply with local government requirements and the trialling of synthetic grass in some DHA properties.
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Naturally, efficient cooling and heating of the home is a key consideration when living in Canberra. Heating in DHA homes is predominantly ducted gas although some homes have reverse-cycle or in-wall heating.
In summer, whilst it may get to 35 degrees during the daytime, unlike many cities, the night time temperatures drop considerably due to Canberra’s altitude, with the average minimum temperature 13 degrees through even the hottest months of December and January.
Currently, evaporative cooling is installed in most of DHA’s newest homes. Although reverse-cycle air-conditioning is installed in some homes, evaporative cooling is a preferred cooling method and is well suited to Canberra’s humidity levels, using fresh (not recycled) and temperature-controlled air. For those homes without cooling, members using their own portable evaporative coolers have found these to be effective. Some provisions are also available for reimbursement of labour costs in the installation of window mounted cooling units. Cooling is a key consideration in the building and purchasing of DHA homes, and it is expected that by 2017 all DHA homes in Canberra will have some form of established cooling.
If you have any questions about Defence Housing in Canberra, contact DHA on 139 DHA (139 342).