A Train Line to Wollert

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OUR COMMUNITY URGENTLY NEEDS Seeking four State A TRAIN LINE TO WOLLERT Government commitments • COMMITMENT 1 Acquire the final 14 per cent of land required for the designated Wollert train Our community urgently needs a train line to corridor by undertaking and applying a public Wollert. Many residents currently face a acquisition overlay. two-hour one way commute to work, missing out on important social and family time. • COMMITMENT 2 Prioritise the Wollert public transport feasibility study, which is an action of the Victorian Infrastructure Plan (2017); with the inclusion of train capacity through Clifton Hill.

• COMMITMENT 3 Bring forward the planning and analysis for Melbourne Metro 2, incorporating train capacity through Clifton Hill to coincide with the construction of Metro 1.

• COMMITMENT 4 Provide a 10 minute premium bus service as the interim public transport service to Wollert, ensuring it does not delay development of a train service.

The City of Whittlesea is asking the State Government to A train line extension is essential within the next ten years secure the remaining land required to establish a train line as the population is expected to rapidly grow from 34,531 in from Lalor train station to the rapidly-growing communities of Epping North and 368 in Wollert in 2019, to approximately Epping North and Wollert. Currently there is no reliable public 94,868 people living in these areas by 2041.1 transport to these areas.

Commitment one: Acquire the final 14 per cent of land required for the designated Wollert train corridor by undertaking and applying a public acquisition overlay.

We understand that Transport for Victoria (TfV) is endeavoring This approach will: to purchase properties in the designated Wollert train corridor • Protect the corridor for public transport use as they become available. • Minimise acquisition costs as land will become more expensive to acquire as surrounding land is developed However, much of the outstanding land required is privately • Provide certainty for current and prospective affected owned and spread over fragmented land parcels and this property owners. At present, property owners are approach risks failing to purchase strategically critical land2 unclear as to what is permissible and over what timeframe that is essential to secure the train line. and compensation is not yet open to them even though there is effectively a restriction on their properties As development plans are being prepared for Wollert, it is • Allow for informed planning for related active travel recommended that TfV use Public Acquisition Overlay tools to infrastructure such as footpaths, bike paths and open space secure the train corridor as soon as possible. Map 2 (on page 4) shows the proposed train line extension and remaining land to be acquired.

CITY OF WHITTLESEA A train line to Wollert | 1 1 Hume Hwy Projected population increases to areas serviced by Wollert public transport corridor

CITY OF SUBURB 2019 2041 INCREASE IN RESIDENTS % INCREASE WHITTLESEA Hume EPPING NORTH 34,531 57,873 23,342 68%

Nillumbik WOLLERT 368 36,995 36,627 9,953% Metropolitan DONNYBROOK 232 52,664 52,432 22,600% Ring Road 30km Melbourne Airport

Moreland 20km Darebin Banyule Essendon Airport MAP 1: Geographic boundaries Tullamarine 10km Commitment three: Bring forward the planning and analysis for Metro 2, incorporating train of the City of Whittlesea Fwy capacity through Clifton Hill to coincide with the construction of Metro 1.

MELBOURNE CBD Bringing forward the planning and analysis for Metro 2 will • Access to public transport and traffic management are address a range of issues as it will increase the capacity of the identified by residents as two of the top three issues of rail network by 20 per cent,7 and enable the development community concern in the City of Whittlesea’s Annual of the Wollert train line which is needed to cater for our Household Survey. growing communities. Eighty-two per cent of Epping North respondents reported TABLE 1: Key implementation milestones for securing the corridor that they sometimes or often have difficulty getting to places • Limited access to public transport and the consequent by car and public transport, respectively.9 At present, to MILESTONE TIMEFRAME traffic congestion and long commute times have a serious access services and jobs residents must drive or use multiple Protect corridor within the Planning Scheme (Transport for Victoria) 2019/2020 impact on the wellbeing of families and individuals. bus services that are sparsely located and at times infrequent. The Epping North community is burdened with significant Purchase the remaining sites to complete the corridor (Transport for Victoria) 2018/2020 traffic congestion and poor access to public transport, with • A train line is essential to support the business growth Completed Wollert Public Transport Corridor Feasibility Study (Transport for Victoria with support from Council) 2020/2021 many facing a two hour one-way commute to work.8 This and development expected from Epping being designated Corridor alignment and concept design (Transport for Victoria) 2020/2021 oppressive commuting situation will become far worse once a Metropolitan Activity Centre. 65,0001 by 2030 new residents are established in Wollert The train services are vital for the future development Fund planning of the rail extension 2020/2021 and Epping North, most using the same route for their of Epping as a Metropolitan Activity Centre and regional daily commute. Further, the City of Whittlesea experiences hub. There are 23,000 jobs arising from the Cooper high rates of social exclusion and family violence that Street employment area and wholesale markets in this Commitment two: Prioritise the Wollert public transport feasibility study, which is an action of the are exacerbated by the lack of train services and traffic precinct.10 In addition a train line will support visitors and Victorian Infrastructure Plan (2017); with the inclusion of train capacity through Clifton Hill. congestion. Likewise the lack of public transport further staff to access the Northern Hospital, which has the busiest increases already high living costs for mortgaged stressed emergency department in the state, treating nearly 88,000 Infrastructure Victoria’s 30 Year Infrastructure Strategy • The Wollert train line is planned for and expected households. patients annually11 and employing 3,000 people.12 recommended that a feasibility study on ‘Wollert public The integration of a train line in the long term planning transport links’ be completed within 0-5 years.3 The State and design for Epping North was intended to encourage Government adopted this recommendation and timeframe high density development and activity centres around Commitment four: Provide a 10 minute premium bus service as the interim public transport service in their Victorian Infrastructure Plan (2017).4 It is critically the proposed transport interchanges. The Epping North to Wollert, ensuring it does not delay development of a train service. important that the feasibility study be developed as soon as Strategic Plan, approved in 2002, identified a planned possible, due to the following reasons: public transport corridor, the strategic intent of which There is currently a pressing need for improved public solution to the already established community of 40,000 continued into the Aurora Development Plan, Cooper Street transport to the areas of Epping North and Wollert. Because people by 20201 but will not be sufficient for a growth area • Wollert is one of the fastest growing areas in Australia5 Employment Area Plan and the Wollert Precinct Structure population growth is outpacing the realistic provision of a of approximately 100,000 people at the time development It is critical for residents’ liveability that the Wollert train Plan. It is also nominated in Plan Melbourne 2014, Growth train line, increased public transport services are required is complete.1 Provided there is no delay to the development line be operable as soon as possible to service areas Corridor Plans (Growth Areas Authority [now Victorian in the interim. The current potential option of delivering a of a complete train service, a rapid bus service could be that currently have very limited public transport and are Planning Authority], 2012) and Network Development Plan, 10 minute premium bus service will provide a short term established as an interim measure. expected to significantly grow – the development of Wollert Metropolitan Rail (PTV, 2012). has commenced. (see table on page 3) • Following through with strategic plans that influenced 1 forecast.id (2019), City of Whittlesea Population Forecasts. 8 City of Whittlesea,2016 Annual Household Survey; 20.8. per cent of Available: www.forecast.id.com.au/whittlesea [accessed May 2019]. Epping North respondents to the City of Whittlesea 2016 Annual Household • Significant lack of access to public transport peoples’ housing investment 2 Planning and Environment Act 1987 Panel Report Amendment C130 to the survey responded that they are more likely to spend 90 minutes or more Across the City of Whittlesea, it is estimated that more The State Government’s planned train line influenced Whittlesea Planning Scheme 12 August 2013, p. 30 travelling to/from work, compared to the City of Whittlesea average than 37,000 residents do not have adequate access to the decision of many residents to purchase property in 3 Infrastructure Victoria, Victoria’s 30-year Infrastructure Strategy, December of 9 per cent. 9 6 2016. Recommendation 1.3.9, page 57. City of Whittlesea,2016 Annual Household Survey; public transport. Even with the extension of the train line these areas and as such these communities have high 4 Victorian Government, Victorian Infrastructure Plan, 2017 (page 140), 27 per cent (sometimes) and 55 per cent (often) report to Mernda in 2018, this figure is expected to increase with expectations that the Wollert train line will be delivered to https://www.vic.gov.au/infrastructureplan.html, accessed May 2018. having difficulty getting to places by car and public transport. population growth. support their housing investment and their livelihood. 5 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2019).Regional Population Growth, Australia, 10 City of Whittlesea,Epping Central Structure Plan, 2017-18 (cat. no. 3218.0). Accessed May 2019: https://www.abs.gov.au/ Adopted December 2011, amended December 2013, p. 3. AUSSTATS/[email protected]/Lookup/3218.0Main+Features12017-18?OpenDocument 11 Northern Hospital, About Us. • Provide important analysis for the provision of Metro 2 6 The City of Whittlesea Integrated Transport Strategy, 2014, identifies that Available: http://www.nh.org.au/about-us. The Wollert public transport corridor feasibility study “about 80 per cent of residents are within an acceptable walking distance of 12 City of Whittlesea,Epping Central Structure Plan, public transport services” (page 52). Our figure of 37,000 reflects 20 per cent of Adopted December 2011, will provide analysis on the ability of the rail network, the City of Whittlesea population at 2014. amended December 2013, p. 8. from Clifton Hill Junction to Flinders Street Station to 7 The Age, State election will be a tale of two toll roads, but what about rail? – accommodate additional services and will be a useful input 29 May 2018, citing research by engineering consultancy Arup, https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/state-election-will-be-a-tale-of-two- into analysis for the provision of Metro 2 tunnel. toll-roads-but-what-about-rail-20180529-p4zi3x.html, [accessed July 2018]

2 | CITY OF WHITTLESEA A train line to Wollert CITY OF WHITTLESEA A train line to Wollert | 3 MASONS ROAD

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KEY CATEGORY % SITE PROPERTY CATEGORY KEY Requires PAO 14% 01 100B YALE DRIVE EPPING 3076 Requires PAO 02 132-140 COOPER STREET EPPING 3076 State State 30% Cooper Street 03 135 OHERNS ROAD EPPING 3076 BOUNDARY ROAD Employment Area DCP 04 139-145 BOUNDARY ROAD WOLLERT 3750 Proposed GAIC WIK Council 3% BRIDGE I Cooper StreetNN ROAD 0605 165-195 O'HERNS ROAD EPPING 3076 Proposed GAIC WIK 17% Employment Area DCP WOLLERT 0706 180 CRAIGIEBURN ROAD WOLLERT 3750 Proposed GAIC WIK Agreed via S173 15% 0807 185-187 COOPER STREET EPPING 3076 Masterplan 04 Cooper Street 0908 188A OHERNS ROAD EPPING 3076 State 9% Employment Area DCP 1109 20 DEVENY ROAD EPPING 3076 Masterplan 1210 20 JOVIC ROAD EPPING 3076 Masterplan Masterplan 12% 1411 25A ROCKFIELD STREET EPPING 3076 State 1512 27-39 MILLER STREET EPPING 3076 Requires PAO 06 1613 28D ROCKFIELD STREET EPPING 3076 State 1714 297D HARVEST HOME ROAD EPPING 3076 State 1815 320-494 HIGH STREET LALOR 3075 State 360Q HARVEST HOME ROAD WOLLERT CRAIGIEB 1916 State URN ROAD 3750 2017 40 DEVENY ROAD EPPING 3076 Masterplan 2318 426 HIGH STREET LALOR 3075 State 2419 42D FULLARTON DRIVE EPPING 3076 State 2520 42D GAMMAGE BOULEVARD EPPING 3076 State

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C HIGH ST PROTE BARRY ROAD Senior Advocacy17% Advisor VI 15% E W ROAD

BARRY ROAD 9217 2242 MCKIMMIES ROAD [email protected] MCKIMMIES ROAD whittlesea.vic.gov.au

Prepared October 2019