There’s many debates about lowering our use of cars.

I have recently visited a new township outside Queanbeyan (outside Canberra) – called Googong. It looks and sounds great if you want to spend less on land and have a desire to have a brand new house in a brand new suburb/township in the country.

According to the blurb on Googong, it has been awarded a six star rating by the wonderful Green Building Council of Australia.

On my visit toGoogong I could see no real evidence of anything really above the standard we should expect as the most basic. The most outstanding feature for me was that to get there you have to drive down a small country road. There is no other option – as there is no way you could safely cycle and do not even think about walking.

So a new settlement can be granted six star rating even though the residents have no other choice than to use a car. Makes you wonder.

Any developments should not be based first on the use of the car with no priority given to other forms of transport.

George Monbiot makes the point about this  in relation to the UK government – click here.