MAROONDAH PLANNING SCHEME

21.02 MUNICIPAL PROFILE 19/01/2006 VC37 21.02-1 Our city 19/01/2006 VC37 The City of Maroondah forms part of the north eastern boundary of the greater metropolitan area and is located 25 kilometres to the east of ’s Central Activity District. It presently has an estimated population of 93,440 and covers an area of 61 square kilometres. The municipality separates urban development from the semi rural areas of the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges. The City is bordered by the municipalities of Manningham (north), Whitehorse (west), Knox (south) and Yarra Ranges (east). The interface with these adjoining municipalities covers a diverse range of land uses, ranging from residential, industrial, rural residential and rural. Maroondah therefore has a unique responsibility in terms of its strategic planning functions. The Council must provide certainty and stability for the future planning needs of local residents but it must also develop and implement strategies which fulfil our role as a pivotal Council in the functioning of the outer eastern region. The City is traversed by a major highway, which serves as an essential link between the metropolitan area and the tourist regions of the Yarra Valley area. Maroondah is also a vital municipality for the fulfilment of the Eastern Freeway project and Scoresby Transport Corridor. It is proposed for the junction of these two arterials to be located near the western boundary of the municipality, making Maroondah a crucial element for the realisation of the plan to provide a direct, high speed vehicle link between the City, outer eastern suburbs and Dandenong. A metropolitan heavy rail line also links Maroondah with the City and then splits into two further lines as they exit Maroondah and enter the Shire of Yarra Ranges and the .

21.02-2 Our land use 19/01/2006 VC37 Maroondah is a substantially developed residential municipality with a blend of established neighbourhoods clustered around the main transport routes in the geographical centre, with developing areas on the periphery. Residential land use covers approximately 65% of the municipality, making it the dominant land use. Medium density dwellings are currently the predominant form of housing being established in the municipality. Community concern over the detrimental environmental impact caused by the increasing number of medium density applications in the municipality, has made it necessary to develop long term strategies which will link this form of housing with transport nodes and activity centres and limit the physical impact on the natural environment. A strong commercial and industrial base has also developed in Maroondah, with the commercial emphasis focused on the Ringwood District Centre and Croydon Town Centre. Major industrial development is located in the Bayswater North area. These two sectors account for approximately 15% of land use within Maroondah. Maroondah is also home to Melbourne’s third largest retail centre (retail employment accounts for 20.4% jobs in Maroondah) and while providing a well developed infrastructure, offers significant potential for growth. The City’s major economic strengths are its diversified industrial base comprising leading international companies and a vibrant and growing small to medium business sector. The manufacturing sector has defied the national trend and has grown to be the largest employment sector in Maroondah, accounting for almost 24% of those employed. The main industrial areas however are now experiencing rapid deterioration due to their physical age, building construction and mix of land uses. This decline has made it essential

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for the implementation of an integrated approach to land use and development along major roads such as Canterbury Road (Bayswater North), Bayswater Road, Dorset Road and sections of , Ringwood. On this basis, various components of the Municipal Strategic Statement will target these areas in attempt to provide long term planning strategies.

21.02-3 Our environment 19/01/2006 VC37 Maroondah City Council is committed to establishing a strategic program that maintains and enhances the high quality status of its natural and built environment. The municipality is physically dominated by two north/south ridgelines (Wicklow Hills Ridge and Loughnan - Warranwood Ridge) that have unique flora and fauna characteristics. These ridgelines have a prominent role in defining the environmental significance of the municipality, due to the extensive coverage of natural bushland and large canopy trees. While Maroondah supports a large residential community across all sections of the municipality, there are several areas that possess special environmental, biological, heritage or landscape characteristics. These areas have a highly sensitive environmental quality due to their land form, built or natural heritage values, bio-diversity or habitat type. In order to conserve the integrity of this environmental character, these areas must be protected from intensive and insensitive development. The beauty of the natural environment is derived from a mix of vegetation species, in particular, the range of exotic and native canopy trees which cover both the valleys and ridgelines in the municipality. It is this canopy vegetation which makes the residential areas of Maroondah unique in the metropolitan context and which requires the implementation of both statutory control and Local Policy to ensure that the vegetation is protected from degradation and removal. Unchecked levels and inappropriate forms of residential, commercial and industrial development in Maroondah may cause a significant decline in the significance of the unique environmental factors which exist in the municipality. Pro-active strategies, actions and Local Policies will be used to target high risk areas and issues.

21.02-4 Our community 19/01/2006 VC37 Since 1991, the overall population of the City of Maroondah has grown from 92,400 to an estimated 93,440. While this population increase has not been significant, there has been a gradual change in the age structure of the community. A slight decrease in our younger age group over the last 5 years, particularly amongst persons aged 10-19 years, has been significantly offset by an increase in the population of persons aged 75 years and over. The number of aged persons over 75 years is expected to continue to increase over the next 15 year period, in addition to an expected increase in the number of persons aged 40- 60 years. The main population growth areas for the City of Maroondah are located in North Croydon, North Ringwood, North Bayswater and South Kilsyth. The established areas of central Ringwood and Croydon have experienced a population decline, which is consistent with the trend experienced in other established metropolitan suburbs. While over half (53.4%) of Maroondah’s population is currently under 35 years of age, this will alter by 2021 where almost half (49.7%) will be over the age of fifty. Following the national trend, the large number of children born post WW II created a baby boom, which in turn led to greater demand for infant welfare, primary, secondary and then tertiary education during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. This will continue to have an influence on the demand for goods and services for at least the next 25 years.

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The baby boomers themselves have had fewer children than their parents, lessening the demand for youth services and leading to the fact that there will be fewer young adults in the future. The following trends have been identified for Maroondah over the next 20 years:

Population forecast by age

AGE/YEAR 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 (ACTUAL)

0-4 7.6% 7.4% 7.1% 6.4% 6.0% 5.8%

5-9 7.5% 7.0% 7.0% 6.7% 6.2% 5.8%

10-14 7.3% 6.6% 6.7% 6.7% 6.5% 6.1%

15-19 7.3% 6.6% 6.3% 6.6% 6.6% 6.5%

20-24 7.7% 6.9% 6.5% 6.3% 6.5% 6.6%

25-29 7.9% 8.2% 7.0% 6.7% 6.5% 6.6%

30-34 8.1% 8.3% 8.1% 6.9% 6.6% 6.4%

35-39 8.0% 7.8% 7.9% 7.7% 6.7% 6.5%

40-44 7.3% 7.4% 7.5% 7.7% 7.6% 6.7%

45-49 7.4% 6.8% 7.1% 7.4% 7.6% 7.5%

50-54 5.9% 6.8% 6.3% 6.7% 6.9% 7.2%

55-59 4.2% 5.2% 6.1% 5.7% 6.1% 6.3%

60-64 3.4% 3.8% 4.6% 5.5% 5.2% 5.6%

65-69 3.2% 3.1% 3.4% 4.2% 5.0% 4.7%

70-74 2.8% 2.9% 2.7% 3.0% 3.8% 4.5%

75-79 2.0% 2.4% 2.4% 2.3% 2.6% 3.3%

80-84 1.4% 1.5% 1.8% 1.8% 1.7% 2.0%

85-89 0.7% 0.9% 1.0% 1.1% 1.2% 1.1%

90+ 0.3% 0.4% 0.5% 0.6% 0.7% 0.8%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

In the short term, most of the population growth will be in the middle age groups. The period from 2001 to 2021 will be characterised by population growth of people aged 50 plus, while it is anticipated that almost all other age groups will decline in total numbers.

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Projected population

75+

60-74

40-59 2021 25-39 2016 15-24 2011 2006 5-14 2001 1996 (Actual) 0-4

0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00% 30.00%

Given the shortage of available vacant land supplies in the municipality, Maroondah’s total population is likely to remain relatively static in the long term, however household size is likely to decline, adding to the demand for medium density housing. From a peak population of approximately 94,500 people in 2001, there will be a slow decline of nearly 2,500 people over the next 20 years if current trends continue.

Total population

95,000

94,000

93,000

92,000

91,000

90,000

89,000

l) 01 06 11 16 21 ua 0 0 0 0 0 ct 2 2 2 2 2 (a 96 9 1

Estimated population to 2021

1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 (ACTUAL)

Population 91,110 94,423 93,787 92,883 92,194 91,974

Although it is expected that the population growth will remain relatively neutral, housing stock is forecast to increase. As the population ages and children leave home, the average household size will decrease and older residents are expected to follow the national trend and move into smaller residences on compact, low maintenance lots.

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No of households and household size

37,000 Number of Households 2.9 36,500 Average H/hold Size 2.8 36,000 2.7 35,500 2.6 35,000 2.5 34,500 2.4 34,000 2.3 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021

Projected household size and number of households to 2021

1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021

No of 35,062 35,174 35,733 36,117 36,470 36,826 H/holds

H/hold 2.80 2.68 2.62 2.57 2.53 2.50 size

Maroondah has historically developed at a conventional residential density, with approximately 82% of housing stock, being single detached dwellings. Medium density housing construction however, has steadily increased over the last five years and is expected to continue to increase, in order to meet the demands of the population and increased housing choice.

21.02-5 Our economy 19/01/2006 VC37 The City of Maroondah is a key structural segment of the eight municipalities that make up Melbourne’s Eastern Region. Within the state of , this region alone accounts for over 25% of all new business start ups. The economy of Maroondah is dominated by a strong retail sector, which is an important contributor to local economic stability. This land use component provides employment for approximately 25% of the workforce in the municipality and contributes significantly to the local economy. The retail sector is anchored by two main business centres - Ringwood District Centre and Croydon Town Centre. In particular, the Ringwood District Centre has a regional catchment, which attracts revenue and activity from both Maroondah and other municipalities in the north east region. Retail centres in Maroondah retain approximately 87% of the total available spending on retail goods and services from the trade area residents, with the remaining 13% of retail spending directed to shopping centres outside the trade area. There are significant tracts of under utilised industrial land in the Bayswater North and Ringwood areas, which have the potential for re-development. Vacant land holdings in these industrial precincts are also sizeable and will provide considerable capacity for future industrial expansion. The development of a high quality industrial estate in Croydon South has also increased employment and created investment opportunities within Maroondah. The Merrindale Industrial Estate has provided an impetus for both national and international investment and is considered a vital component in the creation of a skilled industrial workforce. It also provides an excellent example of the quality of industrial development being sought in Maroondah.

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