Working with the Community
VBC continues to place greater emphasis on the communities it is creating, as well as the bricks and mortar of each estate. Our developments include parks and recreational facilities, and the Company hosts regular family fun days, information events and Christmas functions.
South Jerrabomberra
Along with a wide selection of high quality affordable housing, South Jerrabomberra will boast over 400 hectares of open space with jogging tracks and cycle paths winding their way through this parkland. A botanical gardens will be created adjacent to a rehabilitated Jerrabomberra Creek.
An enclosed swimming pool and aquatic centre will be a feature of the development as will the District Park, which will have a particular emphasis on teenage facilities, including skateboard ramps, basketball courts, tennis courts, cricket pitches, playing fields and a new scouts and girl guides hall. Recycled water will be used to keep the botanical gardens and surrounding parklands green all year round.
South Jerrabomberra will have a range of community spaces and facilities available to all people of the wider Jerrabomberra community. Plans are under way for a new affordable non-government secondary school and land is allocated for public primary and secondary schools, a childcare centre, a medical centre and shops.
136 hectares have been set aside as employment land. This will provide opportunity for local businesses to expand and for people to work close to home.
The Arboretum
We believe in contributing to the communities in which we work and we actively pursue opportunities to be able to give back when we can.
We were therefore, very pleased to be able to contribute to one of the ACT’s major environmental and tourist initiatives “The National Arboretum”, in May this year.
Our sponsorship of the Arboretum includes naming rights of the proposed Visitor’s Centre which is due for completion in 2013, and sponsorship and management of an annual event over a ten year period.
The event will consist of a musical extravaganza and is in its early planning stages.We are working co-operatively with the Department of Lands, The Arboretum Board and the Chief Minister’s Department to create an icon event that is set to become one of the range of activities to be included in Canberra’s Centenary celebrations in 2013.
The National Arboretum is a 250 hectare site which will consist of a mosaic of permanent gardens, outdoor sculptures, cafe/restaurant, visitor centre, hotel, bonsai display, children’s garden and playground, reflective pavilion and a spacious outdoor events space.
The sponsorship was announced on May 10th, 2010 by the Chief Minister, John Stanhope who said: “I am delighted that Mr. Winnel and his board share the vision for this wonderful legacy that is being built for our nation’s capital and this contribution by the Village Building Company towards the design and construction of the visitor centre complex is great testament to the faith they have in this project,”