After looking for housing elsewhere in the region, Abdul Rahim and his wife Uzma Aziz
quickly decided Jacka was the perfect place to call home.
Jacka is a new small-scale neighbourhood nestled in the Gungahlin area that nurtures
sustainable and connected living just 20 kilometres north of Canberra’s city centre. Once
completed, the 700 dwellings will house about 1,800 people. The couple moved into their
new home in March 2025.
Mr Rahim said having lived in Canberra’s north side since 2016, they loved Jacka’s proximity
to everything.
“Casey Market Town is walking distance for us, as are the Amaroo shops too,” he said.
“During Ramadan, we visit the big mosque in Gungahlin, and it’s only about an 8-minute
drive from here.”
He said the appeal of the area also centers on how it caters to people of different religions.
“For Hindu families living in Jacka, the temple is just around the corner,” Mr. Rahim said.
As Jacka continues to develop and grow with more housing, it will have its own shops and
local centre. Being less than five kilometres from the centre of Gungahlin means there is
access to existing schools, shops, medical centres, group centres and recreational facilities.
Jacka also has its own netball courts.
Mrs. Aziz said their choice of land within Jacka was due to its proximity to a reserve within
the suburb. It is this sustainability and nature focus that also drew in the couple.
Suburban Land Agency (SLA) is part of the ACT Government and is passionate about building
connected and vibrant neighbourhoods across Canberra. SLA’s vision is to create sustainable
places where communities and environments thrive. SLA aims to support affordable living, a
safe and healthy population, social inclusion and diversity, housing choice and
environmental sustainability.
Mrs. Aziz said this was the first time the couple had gone all electric.
“We have the EV (electric vehicle) charger installed as well, so it means in the future we can
buy an electric car,” she said. It is also their first time using solar.
“I work from home, so it is extremely useful because I’m using electricity the whole day,”
Mrs. Aziz said.
The couple also used all the available rebates at Jacka — an energy rebate worth $7,000,
which is on offer for building an energy-efficient, all-electric home as well as landscape
rebate worth $6,000 (or $7,000 for corner blocks), which encourages planting a climate-wise
front garden. They’ve even educated other residents on the rebates.
The couple also took up the offer of free plants for new Canberra landowners: for close to a
century, the Yarralumla Nursery has provided new landowners in Canberra with free plants
to establish their gardens.
The ACT Government’s Plant Issue Scheme supplies Canberrans who have purchased a new
residential block of land with plants suitable for local climate and soil conditions.
New landowners must prove their eligibility and then are entitled to $220 worth of plants
per block. There are three plant packages to choose from, which include a range of locallygrown trees, shrubs, hedges, and ground covers of various sizes.
Multigenerational living
While the couple don’t have children yet, they said the home and surrounding area are well
suited to multigenerational living — for hosting their parents on overseas trips, or in the
future if they decide to start a family.
“We have an extra room available where we have a separate kitchen, a separate ensuite, and
a separate entrance from the back,” Mr. Rahim said.
“We can accommodate multiple generations in our home, offering privacy as well as the
option to come together and spend time with the whole family.”
To make an enquiry on the land available to purchase, head to suburbanland.act.gov.au/jacka/land-sales
