partners in creating new communities ISSUE 6 : JULY 2009
Going for Sustainable Growth: Urban Growth Boundary Re-drawn
The Victorian Government has unveiled its long-term policy prescription for local jobs and transport connections a lot sooner,” said Growth Areas Authority integrating land use and transport planning across Melbourne over the next two chairman Chris Banks. decades. Delivering Melbourne’s Newest Sustainable Communities is part of the State The blueprint outlines the rationale for re-drawing the Urban Growth Boundary Government’s ongoing agenda to link long-term land use to transport planning to include an extra 41,663 hectares based on an array of technical reports along with new employment for better-serviced suburbs. covering land capability, biodiversity, drainage, landscape values and transport The proposed new UGB aims to keep the majority of new development within services. three kilometres of either existing, planned or potential high-capacity public An extra 284,000 households need to be accommodated in Melbourne’s growth transport, with an emphasis on improved environmental outcomes and creating areas – with most of the growth occurring in the outer western and northern communities big enough to be supported by regional infrastructure. growth areas of Melton-Caroline Springs, Wyndham and Hume-Mitchell- A proportion of developable land will be used for commercial and industrial Whittlesea. uses, as well as open space, major roads and new public transport corridors with “The boundary changes are aligned to big-ticket transport and other the land remaining set aside for residential development. infrastructure projects to ensure residents in new suburbs have access to services,
The boundary changes are aligned to big-ticket transport and other infrastructure projects to ensure residents in new suburbs have access to services, local jobs and transport connections a lot sooner. Chris Banks - Chairman I]ZHiViZd[K^Xidg^V!'%%.#I]ZHiViZd[K^Xidg^VYdZhcdilVggVcii]ZVXXjgVXndgXdbeaZiZcZhh d[^c[dgbVi^dc^ci]^hejWa^XVi^dcVcYVcneZghdcjh^c\dggZan^c\jedchjX]^c[dgbVi^dcYdZhhd dci]ZWVh^hi]Vii]ZHiViZd[K^Xidg^Vh]VaaWZVgcdgZhedch^W^a^indga^VW^a^inl]VihdZkZg[dgVcn Zggdgh![Vjaih!YZ[ZXihdgdb^hh^dch^ci]Z^c[dgbVi^dc#
Urban Growth Boundary Overview Plan partners in creating new communities Growth In the West WYNDHAM GROWTH AREA MELTON-CAROLINE SPRINGS GROWTH AREA In Melbourne’s west an extra 17,738 hectares Major transport initiatives are driving development in the Melton-Caroline Springs Growth Area, including the of land is planned to be included in the UGB. Regional Rail Link and the electrification of the line to Sunbury. In the Wyndham Growth Area this will include These projects will relocate V-Line services to the Melton Service, with the construction of a new station at the areas of Truganina, Tarneit and Mount Caroline Springs scheduled for 2010. Cottrell. The line is also earmarked for duplication as new residents move into the area and require increased services. A critical constraint holding back development Planning the route of the new Outer Metropolitan Ring/E6 Transport Corridor is also an important in the area until now has been the lack of a consideration, with a more westerly route enabling new residential communities to be built both north and high capacity public transport service. south of the railway line. “That impediment is being removed with Urban development will be centred on a railway station at Rockbank as well as a possible second station east plans to build Melbourne’s first major new of the proposed Outer Metropolitan Ring Road. rail link in 80 years,” said GAA chief executive Peter Seamer. All land within three kilometres of the potential location of the railway stations and activity centres has been included in the draft UGB and will be marked out for urban development. “The Regional Rail Link running from the west of Werribee to Sunshine and then to Southern “Generally the Melton Highway is being taken as a boundary between urban and non-urban development.” Cross Station will mean we have extra Mr Seamer said. suburban services from Werribee, Sunbury and Craigieburn as well as new services to Wyndham Vale and Tarneit,” Mr Seamer said. The Regional Rail Link will have the capacity to run more than 20 peak-hour trains, Electrification servicing an extra 9,000 regional and to Sunbury - committed VTP* suburban passengers every hour. (See story project C a Mel ld ton Hi e ghway r F page 5). re ew ay MELTON TOWN CENTRE New residential communities in the west
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V S u " n b $ u $ ry A large pocket of high quality grassy woodland is proposed to be protected within R o a $ d the UGB, and will not be available for urban development so that important habitat is # " ) " ! " protected for endangered species. $ Diggers Rest on the opposite side of the Calder Freeway to Sunbury is proposed to be
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Growth in the Hume-Mitchell-Whittlesea area will be brought into the UGB extending
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Ro b rg Park and will connect the area to Melbourne Airport and beyond to the south-west and via
So t Morang the E^ to Epping and the Metropolitan Ring Road to the south-east. Epping p ield Lalor “All together these projects open up big opportunities for the area with urban T omasto n development possible around Mickleham. We’ll also use the natural cradle effect of the Broadmeado s
acana Keon Park eastern and western hills to frame and contain future development,” Mr Seamer Melbourne’s North - Hume-Mitchell-Whittlesea Land Use and Transport Initiatives Map
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d The C o A rail extension from Cranbourne to Cranbourne East has been identified in # rr i NCTION ILLA E d CLYDE o r Victorian Transport Plan as a long-term priority, further shaping planning in the area. ! Preserving and finding new habitat for the endangered Growling Grass Frog and the " Southern Brown Bandicoot are also priorities. # Melbourne’s South-East Land Use and Transport Initiatives Map Outer Metropolitan Ring / E6 Transport Corridor Project The Outer Metropolitan Ring / E6 Transport Corridor will be a nearly 100 UÊÊÃiÀÛiÊ>ÃÊ>Ê«ÀÌ>ÌÊÌÀ>ÛiÊ>`ÊvÀi} ÌÊÀÕÌiÊÌÊÌiÀÃÌ>ÌiÊ>`ÊÀi}>ÊÊ kilometre long high-speed transport link for people and freight in Melbourne’s destinations north and west, creating new road and rail transport links through the Werribee, UÊ ÊÀiÃ`iÌ>Ê>`Êi«ÞiÌÊ}ÀÜÌ Ê>Ài>ÃÊÊÌ iÊÀÌ Ê>`ÊÜiÃÌÊvÊÊ Melton, Tullamarine, Craigieburn / Mickleham and Epping / Thomastown areas. Melbourne It will be a freeway standard road, capable of up to four lanes in each direction UÊ «ÀÛiÊ>VViÃÃÊÊÌ ÃÊ>ÀÊi«ÞiÌÊVÀÀ`À]ÊÜ V ÊVÕ`iÃÊÛ>ÊÊ and four railway tracks in the median for interstate freight and high-speed Airport, Werribee, Melton, Melbourne Airport, Mickleham and Donnybrook passenger trains between Werribee and Kalkallo and a freeway standard road This transport corridor is central to the Government’s $38 billion Victorian elsewhere. Transport Plan and crucial to the social and economic development of communities in these areas. Once complete, the project will: UÊ VÀi>ÌiÊLiÌÌiÀÊViVÌÃÊLiÌÜiiÊiÞÊÌiÀ>Ì>ÊÌÀ>ëÀÌÊ ÕLÃÊÃÕV Ê>ÃÊÊ A recommended transport route has been identified. Melbourne Airport, Avalon Airport and the Port of Geelong Construction on the projects is not expected to start before 2020.
New rail link to serve the growth suburbs in Melbourne’s West A major new rail link will serve the growth suburbs in Melbourne’s west and The new rail link will provide residents in the growth areas of Tarneit and ensure new communities have access to fast and reliable train services. Wyndham Vale with access to affordable transport services. Regional Rail Link will create up to 50 kilometres of new track and run from New rail stations will be located in Wyndham Vale and in Tarneit. As new West Werribee to Deer Park and through to Southern Cross Station. communities in the growth areas develop, additional stations can be opened It will separate regional and suburban rail services across the west into at Truganina and Tarneit. dedicated tracks for the first time. The $4.3 billion project is the biggest single investment in the metropolitan This will improve reliability for Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo V/line services rail system since the city loop was built and the first major new rail line for and free up capacity for more trains on the Werribee, Craigieburn and metropolitan Melbourne in 80 years. Sunbury lines. Work on the Regional Rail Link is expected to start next year.
New Native Grassland Reserves Two areas of highly significant native grassland will be preserved in separate biodiversity conservation in Australia. reserves in Melbourne’s west. The areas to be preserved are based around Mt Cottrell, south east of The Victorian Government has committed to establishing two grassland Melton, and around Little River, west of Werribee. reservations to protect around 15,000 hectares of habitat that will be They include the largest contiguous network of higher quality grasslands managed to improve their quality. and many sites within them are home to threatened species, including Plains The volcanic plains grasslands are only found in Victoria and are of Wanderer, Grassland Earless Dragon and the Striped Legless Lizard. international significance. Reserving these areas will offset up to 6,900 hectares of native grassland A selection of smaller reserves to the north, including grassy woodlands, potentially affected by proposed changes to the UGB. stony knolls and floodplain grasslands will also be protected. Native grasslands are among some of the most important areas for partners in creating new communities Contributing towards sustainable growth Melbourne’s newest communities will have the infrastructure they need sold at $404,000 per hectare in September 2007. Whereas nearby land sooner because of a new Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution (GAIC) in Melton that was outside the UGB sold at the same time for $37,000 a that will raise vital funds to be put towards building new roads, schools, hectare. parks and transport. It’s a similar story in the south-east, where a 40 hectare property in “The Brumby Government is taking action to ensure families in new Pakenham sold in November 2007 at $474,000 per hectare, whereas nearby communities have the infrastructure and services they need,” Planning land outside the UGB in Clyde North, sold at the same time for $36,000 per Minister Justin Madden said. hectare. The charge, first announced in 2005, will take a portion of the value increase A number of exemptions to the GAIC have been announced by the from properties that are included in Melbourne’s Urban Growth Boundary, Government including: and give it back to new residents for the infrastructure communities need. UÊÊÊÊ >`ÜiÀÃÊÜ Ê >ÛiÊÌ iÀÊ«ÀV«>Ê«>ViÊvÊÀiÃ`iViÊÊ>ÊLVÊvÊ Mr Madden said the proposed expansion to Melbourne’s growth boundary land on two hectares (5 acres) or less will not incur the GAIC when they would not proceed without the charge. sell (it will however be payable if the land is subdivided); “It would be completely irresponsible for any government to open up new UÊÊÊÊ >`ÜiÀÃÊÊÃ}wV>ÌÊ«>ÀViÃÊvÊ>`]ÊÜ ÊÀiÌ>ÊÕ«ÊÌÊÌÜÊ iVÌ>ÀiÃÊ land for development without securing the revenue to pay for new schools, for their own residence and subdivide the rest of their land, will not incur roads, community facilities and services, public transport and healthcare.” the GAIC on up to two hectares they retain for their own home; The GAIC will help meet a portion of the cost of new State infrastructure in UÊÊÊÊ >`ÊÌ >ÌÊiiÌÃÊÌ iÊVÀÌiÀ>ÊvʺÕ`iÛi«>Li»Ê`ÕiÊÌÊ>ÌÛiÊÛi}iÌ>ÌÊ the growth areas, so that Melbourne can grow to a sustainable city of five and other considerations will not attract the GAIC; and million people. UÊÊÊÊ >`ÊV>ÃÃwi`Ê>ÃʺÌÜà «ÊâiûÊÜÊÌÊLiÊV >À}i`° While acknowledging concerns by landholders about the new charge, GAA Mr Madden reiterated the GAIC would not apply to land inheritances, family chief executive officer Peter Seamer said land values increased significantly transfers or to farmers who want to retire on their land. People wanting to when rezoned from farming to urban development. stay on their land will not be charged the GAIC as it only applies when it is “History has shown that when land is rezoned from farming to urban sold or subdivided. development, property prices can rise up to ten times in value,” Mr Seamer A special Hardship Relief Board will also be established to consider personal said. hardship cases where the payment of GAIC may be waived. To take a real example from an independent market valuation, a property For further information contact the GAA on 9651 9600. inside the UGB in Plumpton, in Melbourne’s growing outer western suburbs,
CONTACT US The Growth Areas Authority is always interested in your This publication may be of assistance to you but the The Growth Areas Authority views about our programs and initiatives, and the issues Growth Areas Authority and its employees do not Level 6, 35 Spring Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000 covered in this newsletter. guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and Phone: (03) 9651 9600, Fax: (03) 9651 9623 If you would you like to receive regular email updates on therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other the work of the Growth Areas Authority, please register via consequence which may arise from you relying on any [email protected] our website www.gaa.vic.gov.au information in this publication. www.gaa.vic.gov.au
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