Wagga property experts question gated communities and its suitability in the region

Characterised largely by high fences, round-the-clock security and communal facilities, these segregated communities are largely popular overseas and only found in pockets of major cities or off the Barton Highway, in Murrumbateman, which is closer to home.

Local architect Glenn Sewell said when done right, gated communities can promote an inclusive society.

"I've been to some of these types of communities and it works well in right locations and certainly for senior housing, it offers greater security which I think there would be an element of people in Wagga who that would appeal to," Mr Sewell said.

"Gated communities probably promote an inclusive lifestyle or a community-minded lifestyle.

"But, I think the overwhelming pattern of development here is nothing like gated communities."

Mr Sewell said isolated examples could work in the city, despite Wagga largely comprising of estates and low-density dwellings.

"I think it would be fine, but it would only appeal to people who want that type of lifestyle, like those in community stratas," he said.

Developer Daniel Donebus said there was a similar living arrangement under a community title, many years ago near Boorooma.

"Community titles are like big versions of strata title; everyone has their own block of land, but that is the only part that is exclusively yours," he said.

"These titles have facilities, like parks and playgrounds, which are all communal, without being gated and it did provide for people to have a house and not having to maintain their yards.

"While that concept seemed to go well at the time, I haven't seen much of that happen since."

Mr Donebus questioned whether people in Wagga would pay for this type of living arrangement.

"The most important factor in addressing this kind of demand, is that you have to give the people what they want," he said.

"Gated communities come with compromises and a lot of costs. Are people prepared to pay for it in an environment like Wagga?

"Doing it properly involves security, with substantially ongoing costs."

Mr Donebus said developers and builders are largely focused on subdivisions because of the demand it attracts.

"There is so much demand and while they're screaming for subdivisions to be processed, it's the largest area of demand that gets the first attention," he said.

"I don't think there has been that impetus to look elsewhere."

Developer and Wagga City Councillor Kerry Pascoe said it would be a challenge for communities to accept these types of villages.

"Gated communities are an excellent idea and opportunity for someone to look at that situation, because the standards of the road network and service on these types of sites are less than if it was a normal block of land in a council spread," he said.

"But, it's a matter of getting the people to accept these gated communities in this area.

"Where you've got a larger area like Newcastle and Wollongong, there's more chance of gated communities, but in my view I think it's a good idea and someone has just got to bite the bullet."

Mr Pascoe denied Wagga's crime rate would fuel a gated community and said estates are the "norm" for Wagga, which will likely never change.

"I don't think we've gone that far in crime, where people need to lock themselves away," he said.

"I don't see any problem with it happening in Wagga, just not on a huge scale, and I think there would be certain areas that would lend themselves to gated communities.

"I don't think it would impact the community feel."

Father-of-six Dom Byrne was not sure whether he would support a gated community, if it was proposed in Wagga.

"Gated enclaves don't really solve the crime problem as criminals just move to softer targets," he said.

"I also wonder if residents of such enclaves would feel more free, or whether they would feel like prisoners in their own town?"