A high school has been announced for Googong as the development celebrates 10 years since its establishment.
A year 7-12 school will be up and running by the first term of 2027, the NSW government said, more than 10 years since the first residents moved into the town.
The nine-hectare site was officially transferred to the Department of Education in May 2024, and master plan options are in the works.
Googong project director Malcolm Leslie said the high school was a major step forward for the development.
"We've been knocking on the door of government all the time saying, 'Hey, Googong is growing, you need to get schools here because the people are coming'," Mr Leslie said.
"This is a huge announcement to get the government to agree to the funding of a high school so early.
"It will also complement the existing public and private schools within the township, meaning that Googonian families will have greater access to exceptional learning options right on their doorstep.''
Googong currently has public and Anglican primary schools, which cater up to year 6.
High schoolers have to catch a bus to schools in Queanbeyan or Canberra.
The new high school will be located next to the future town centre, a few minutes from the existing primary school.
It is being designed with "modern classrooms" and a multi-purpose hall for sports and performance.
The public primary school opened with seven kindergarten classes in 2023, with a school body of more than 420 students.
Mr Leslie said they were expecting to see greater demand for housing now a high school had been announced.
There are currently about 2500 homes in Googong, housing about 7000 residents.
Developers are hoping there'll be more than 18,000 people living in a projected 6500 homes by 2034.
"If you've got a high school-aged kid and you're thinking about moving, it would have to be a bit of a negative to move somewhere where you've got to go 15km to a school," Mr Leslie said.
"People are looking for amenities, obviously, so we've worked long and hard to plan for schools, get schools in as early as we can.
"It would be a big tick in your box to say, 'Yep, there's a school right next door'."
Googong was established in 2014 as a joint venture by developers Peet and Mirvac. The developers have a state planning agreement with the NSW government to provide infrastructure such as roads, playgrounds, and sporting facilities to the town.
The median house price in Googong is currently about $1.04 million, CoreLogic data shows.
A one-bedroom, one-bathroom townhouse opposite the public primary school was listed in June for $525,000.
The developers said an average block in the town was 480sqm, which sells for about $500,000.
More than 70 per cent of Googong's current residents work in the ACT, Mr Leslie estimated, the majority working remotely.
He said people were looking for bigger lots at affordable prices.
"We're an important choice factor in the regional market. Our land for sale is considerably more affordable than any of the competitors in the ACT," he said.
