Buyer Information Presentation –Feb 2021

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

We would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land of where we are building, Whitlam, and where we stand, the Ngunnawal People.

We pay our respects to elders past and present and acknowledge any emerging elders that are with us today.

What we’re talking to you about during this session:

1. Who is the Suburban Land Agency

2. Estate overview

3. Energy Rebate

4. How to buy in Whitlam

Welcome!

Who is the Suburban Land Agency?

We are the Agency that designs, develops and sells land on behalf of the ACT Government.

We help build new communities in Canberra such as Whitlam.

We aim to balance social, economic and environmental benefits for all Canberrans.

We are responsible for delivering neighbourhoods that are sustainable, inclusive and diverse.

“creating great places, where communities thrive”

Estate overview

Gough Whitlam’s LegacyThe Suburban Land Agency is proud to be developing the new suburb of Whitlam, which has been named after one of our better known Prime Ministers.

Gough Whitlam was Australia’s 21st Prime Minister, holding that position from 1972 until 1975. When we commenced the planning for Whitlam we knew that we wanted to honour the legacy of Whitlam in some way.

Whitlam was a strong advocate for the arts. He was responsible for approving the purchase of Jackson Pollock’s painting ‘Blue Poles’ which today can be found in the National Gallery of Australia. The purchase of the painting, and price paid, was very controversial at the time, but has proved a sound investment.

Whitlam was also committed to the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This photo was taken in 1975 when Gough Whitlam was returning lands back to the Gurindji people in the Northern Territory, and began the process of Aboriginal land reform in Australia.

This legacy has been an influence on the design of Whitlam – in particular, the playgrounds and open space in Whitlam reflect some of these elements. A theme of ‘Arts and Culture’ has been used to name the streets in the suburb.

Location and proximity

Whitlam is also very well connected. The nearby arterial roads of William Hovell Drive and John Gorton Drive mean that whether you are going north or south, or even interstate, you will be there before you know it.

Whitlam is the fourth suburb to be built in the Molonglo Valley, and the first to be the north of the Molonglo River.

Whitlam in the Context of Molonglo

The Molonglo Valley will eventually be home to 50,000 residents, of which 5,500 will be in Whitlam its self.

The planning for a future town centre in Molonglo Valley is underway, and a further 2-3 suburbs will be built to the east of Whitlam, as shown on your screen

Transport connections in and around the Molonglo Valley will be first class. The ACT government is currently planning the completion of John Gorton Drive, which includes a bridge over the Molonglo River that will provide an excellent connection between Whitlam and the existing Molonglo suburbs. Additionally, design work is currently underway for the duplication of William Hovell Drive up to Belconnen.

It is also worth noting that the major roads in Molonglo Valley are all being planned with the future provision of Light Rail in mind.

Whitlam is being built adjacent to 2 Nature parks and a river reserve. These areas will not be built on in the future – so when you buy in Whitlam, you will always have a close connection to nature

Stages and Unique Features

Whitlam will provide an abundance of green space for you to enjoy. It is a lower density suburb than nearby Coombs, Wright and Denman Prospect, with more open space and a higher proportion of single residential blocks.

We have placed high importance on providing amenity, green spaces and tree canopy cover. The green colouring on the slide shows the open space network, which will be well served with a path network that should enable you to walk or cycle through Whitlam with very little interaction with roads.

There will be a government primary school provided in Whitlam, and a local shopping centre. The suburb is being constructed in stages, with Stage 1 currently nearing completion and stage 2 just getting underway. The school and local centre will be located in Stage 3, which is expected to commence construction next year.

Amenity and Community Spaces

(Left) Recreation space with bbq and basketball half court space - (Right) a local playground. These are both being provided in Stage 1 of Whitlam. A large neighbourhood park has been designed for Stage 2 of Whitlam

Community Development - Mingle

The Suburban Land Agency will also be rolling out its award winning Mingle community development program in Whitlam.

Mingle is a community development program designed to build vibrant and sustainable communities within new estates in the ACT.

Mingle works to identify community needs and interests, and with the help of residents, facilitates targeted events, activities and social interest groups.

All activities aim to encourage new residents to get to know each other, feel part of their community and become involved in community life.

Facilitated by the Suburban Land Agency, the Program aims to implement community activities which are ultimately owned and championed by local residents.

Whitlam Estate Requirements

• Housing Development Guide – Block Details Plans: available on the Suburban Land Agency

website – suburbanland.act.gov.au/whitlam under the sales information tab

• Verge Bond

• Noise affected blocks

• Courtyard Walls

• Large block side setback

The Housing Development Guide and Block Details Plans, provided as part of your sales pack, are key tools to help you know about each block so you can pick one that best suits your needs.

Speak to the professionalsYour design professional such as a builder or architect will be able to help you out with specific design requirements but we just wanted to point out a couple of specific points of interest.

As part of the planning of Whitlam, we have put a lot of effort in to ensure great public spaces and streets of high quality that will look good not just now, but for the life of the estate. This goes down to carefully selecting specific street tree species and including more mature trees where possible. To maintain high quality streets, a $1000 bond related to your verge will be required to be paid at settlement. This bond is to encourage you to maintain the verge in front of your house, which is the area between the block boundary and the street. When you’re home is complete, you can claim the bond back from the Suburban Land Agency upon providing evidence that the verge is back in its original good condition. More details are provided in the sales documents and Housing Development Guide.

To further make the streets more appealing, all large blocks, or blocks over 500m2, will not be allowed to build a garage right on the side boundary of the block. You will need to have it set back at least 1.5m away. This will try to make sure that buildings are not built right up next to each other and the breaks in the buildings will make a better experience being in the street and living in your home.

Certain blocks that are facing open space, pathways or the main road within Whitlam will also be required to have courtyard walls, and some walls are required to have transparent fencing. There are details on these walls in the Housing Development Guide in your sales pack. This will make sure the streets are inviting and not built up with large blocked fences.

Whitlam Estate Requirements

If you’ve driven past Whitlam, you will see that the location of Whitlam offers some amazing views. As part of these views, you will also find some more sloping blocks. Building on these sloping blocks gives you the opportunity to design a home with great views and an interesting and innovative floor plan. We encourage you to consider a split level build to match your home to the slope of the land, this will help you get the most out of your block. We also encourage you to minimise cut and fill. A maximum height of 1m is allowed for any retaining walls at street front level and next to open space areas, to make sure cut & fill is minimized.

Home Energy Rebate

Reduce your energy use and be rewarded

We want your home to be…

• More comfortable

• Cheaper to run

• Better for the environment

Encouraging more sustainable choices

$10,000 rebate for eligible buyers who…

1. Build an all-electric home

2. Choose a light coloured roof

3. Have a 5kW solar PV system

4. Choose an energy efficient hot water system

5. Keep cooking appliances electric

6. Install electric heating & cooling

7. Invest in energy monitoring & management

8. Put in electric vehicle charging

Make the choice to…

Build an all-electric home

Canberra’s electricity network is now powered by 100% renewable energy, so when you make the choice to build an all-electric home, you are minimising the greenhouse gas emissions generated by your home. You are also avoiding costs associated with gas connection and gas usage, as well as the upfront construction costs of connecting to gas and running gas plumbing through your home.

Make the choice to…

Choose a light-coloured roof

The colour of your roof can make a big difference to the temperature of your home and the surrounding area. Darker colours absorb more heat from the sun, while lighter colours reflect the heat back away from your home. Having a lighter coloured roof can help reduce your energy bills by keeping your roof cavity cool during summer and lowering the overall temperature of your home.

Make the choice to…

Choose an energy efficient hot water system

Hot water accounts for around a third of the energy consumption in your home, so choosing a highly efficient system will significantly reduce the amount of energy you need to power your home.

Make the choice to…

Keep cooking appliances electric

We want you to choose an electric oven and stove to avoid use of gas in your home and to ensure you’re home is being operated by renewable energy sources. There are a range of different types of electric ovens and stoves, so you can choose one that suits your needs and budget.

Make the choice to…

Install electric heating and cooling

We want you to choose electric heating and cooling, rather than gas. This will ensure your heating and cooling is offset by solar power and increase the efficiency of your home over summer and winter. Heating and cooling the spaces in your home accounts for about half of the total energy consumed in your home, so it needs to be efficient. There are several types of electric heating and cooling available, so you can choose the best option for your home.

Make the choice to…

Invest in an energy monitoring system

Put in electric vehicle chargingHave a 5kW solar PV system

We want you to invest in an all-electric future. To meet the requirements under the rebate, you will need to include a 5kw solar PV system in your home, as well as an energy monitoring system, which will optimise the use of electricity in your home to reduce your power bills. Finally, you will need to install a power point in your carport or garage that can permit an electric vehicle to be charged in the future.

How to claim your rebate?

Submit your claimSubmit the application form and required evidence to the SLA

Required timeframeApplications must be submitted within 30 months of settlement and 6 months of certificate of occupancy

Find out moreRead the Eligibility GuidelinesContact the SLA

Invest in a Sustainable Future in Whitlam

We hope that buyers in Whitlam will take advantage of this great energy rebate package to build more sustainable homes that will lower your energy costs, create a more comfortable home all year round, and help reduce Canberra’s greenhouse gas emissions.

How to buy in Whitlam

Buying a block in Whitlam

• 92 blocks released in Stage One and Stage Two of

Whitlam

• Block sizes from 330m2 to 792m2

• Prices from $310,000 to $515,000

• Refer to the block list for settlements dates.

• Limit of ONE blocks per sales appointment

• Get your paper work sorted

• Blocklist and the Sales Pack are available on the

Suburban Land Agency website.

Depending on the block selected, there are different potential settlement ranges, please check the block list on our Whitlam website. You will find the information under the sales information tab.

The blocks highlighted in Orange are the ones currently for sale and these blocks sit within different stages of the development.

Before you get started

We encourage all buyers to read through the Guide for Buying Land from the Suburban Land Agency, as this document will guide you through the purchasing process. In addition to this:

We strongly encourage all registrants to commence discussions with banks, Solicitors and other advisors, to ensure that you are in a position to purchase a block when the book to buy appointments commence.

If you are successful in selecting a block, you will be required to pay your exchange deposit of 5% of the purchase price, immediately after your selection and sign and return your sale contract with 48 hours of receiving it.

At this point your contract will be counter signed by the SLA and the contract is exchanged. Each block will then settle in the time range stated on the block list. At settlement you will be required to pay the remaining 95% of the purchase price.

Key dates and sales process

• 8 February: New Whitlam land release

• 12:30 - Tuesday 23 Feb: Book to Buy registrations open

• 12:30 - Thursday 25 Feb: Registrations close

• Thursday 4 March: Appointment allocation draw

• Friday 5 March: Appointment notification

• Tuesday 16 March: Block selection appointments

• The sales pack which includes the Sale Contract, Housing Development Guide, Crown Lease, Sale Conditions, Key Dates and Requirements, Block selection checklist and Appointment of Agent form has been released.

• If you have registered your interest in Whitlam a link to the registration page where you register your details to be allocated an appointment time to purchase a block will be emailed to you prior to the opening of registrations or this link will can be found on the SLA Whitlam website.

• Registrations for sales appointments will open at 12:30pm on Tuesday the 23 of February 2021 and will be close at 12:30pm on Thursday 25 February 2021. There will be 200 appointments booked for the 92 blocks.

• Appointment times for this Whitlam event will be randomly allocated to buyers in a sale process overseen by ACT Gambling and Racing Commission. This will occur on Thursday 4 March. To be clear, appointments will not be allocated in a first in best dressed manner as we have previously done, so it does not matter at which point in the 2 day window you register for an appointment time. The appointments will be randomly allocated.

• It is important to note that Civium (our appointed agents for this release) and the Suburban Land Agency will be completing duplicate checking of registrants to ensure that multiple registrations are not completed.

• The name that is listed on the registration, must be present on the sale contract for the purchase. Names can not be substituted, so please take care to ensure the name used for registration is the correct name to go on the sale contract.

More information about the sales process – part 1

• Successful registrants will receive an email advising them of their allocated appointment time and the requirements for confirming the appointment. This will include providing additional proof of identity information.

• On Friday 5 March, successful registrants will be advised of their appointment day and time. There will 6 appointments allocated per hour, from 8am until 6pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, commencing Tuesday 16 March.

• If you select a block during your appointment, you will receive a confirmation email from Civium and instructions on how to pay your deposit and where the sale contract should be sent to for execution. Once executed the sale contract will be couriered back to the Suburban Land Agency’s solicitor. The instructions will include:

• The buyer must pay their 5% deposit immediately after selecting their block and send a transfer confirmation to Civium and the SLA.• The buyer must sign and return their executed sale contract within 48 hours of receiving it.

• Once the deposit is paid and a correctly executed contract is received by the SLA’s solicitor (Meyer Vandenberg), then the contract will be exchanged.

All the information and dates discussed are listed on the "Key Dates and Requirements" form which is included in the Sales Pack and can be downloaded from the SLA website.

Questions? The sales suite located in Molonglo Valley is open on Wednesday and Saturdays please call Civium to book an appointment.

More information about the sales process – part 2

Questions?

For more information on Whitlam visit suburbanland.act.gov.au/whitlam

Or call Civium on 1800 910 204/

Thank you for watching