There’s an unspoken rule amongst some of the children who call Sovereign Hills home – if the garage door is up, it’s okay to come and play.

As the number of parents keen to give their children the outdoor-focused, carefree childhood they experienced growing up develops in the community, so too does the fun factor.

The Baird family built their first home in Barton Ridge three years ago and love the family-friendly atmosphere emerging in their backyard.

“We’re in between two cul-de-sacs and we’ve counted 20 kids between them,” shared mother-of-three Melanie Baird.

“They swim in each other’s pools, ride their bikes, make little bike jumps and play cricket on the road. They genuinely have a rule, if the garage door is up come and play, if the garage door is down, not today.”

The latest Census statistics are proof Sovereign Hills, which belongs to the suburb of Thrumster, is becoming a hot spot for young growing families.

Of Thrumster’s 417 residents, more than two thirds are aged 39 or under, with more people belonging to the 20-39 demographic than any other age group.

This is in contrast to Port Macquarie’s Census results which found more than half of the regional city’s 44,830 residents are aged 40 and over, while those aged 60 and above (15,446 locals) have the highest representation.

With space for more than 2,000 homes, Sovereign Hills will accommodate many more families over the next decade and is planning the infrastructure to support this growth.

In addition to the popular St Joseph’s Regional College and Discovery Early Education and Care Centre, a second childcare centre will be constructed in the Stirling Green precinct, and five regional playing fields will be created near the college to accommodate local and regional sport.

The most anticipated facility on the horizon is undoubtedly Stage 1 of the new town centre development, opening in late 2019, on the corner of John Oxley Drive and Main Street.

“We love it out here, but it will be good when the town centre goes up,” added Melanie, who, has started her own interior design company Habitat by Design, with a vision of making the service more accessible.

“I assist with colours, fixtures and fittings, ensuring there’s a nice cohesive flow throughout the house and it represents their style.

“They have to live there and be comfortable, and I don’t want it to be out of everyone’s price range. It’s for the normal everyday person who wants to love where they live.

“I do have a tendency for kids’ rooms. There are so many awesome products you can get for kids these days and you can have a lot of fun with their rooms,” the avid Instagrammer added.

With so much activity on the go, there should be no shortage of new children’s rooms for Melanie to work her magic on in the near future.

Likewise, open garage doors signalling it’s play time, as families continue to dominate the makeup of Sovereign Hills.