PRINCES HIGHWAY / BACKGROUND GEELONG ROAD CORRIDOR URBAN DESIGN REPORT FRAMEWORK APRIL, 2015 For Wyndham City Council © Planisphere 2015. Wyndham City acknowledges the Kulin Nation peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land and pays respect to their Elders, past and present. This Publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. PROJECT CONTROL STATUS VERSION CHECKED PM CHECKED PD DATE RELEASED Background Report Draft 1 CE MS 26/03/15 Background Report 2 CE MS 01/05/15 CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................5 The Project ........................................................................7 Project Objectives ..............................................................7 The Study Area ..................................................................9 The City of Wyndham .........................................................9 2 BACKGROUND REVIEW ..................................................11 Council Strategies ............................................................12 Approved Council Policies & Guidelines ............................15 Structure Plans .................................................................19 Traffic Studies ...................................................................25 3 STUDY AREA FEATURES .................................................27 Precincts .........................................................................29 Potential Gateways ...........................................................33 4 ISSUES & ANALYSIS ........................................................35 Future Growth & Farmland Precincts .................................37 Westleigh Drive, Alfred Road & Riverwalk Precincts ............39 Werribee River Precinct & City Centre ................................41 East Werribee Employment & Rail Corridor Precincts ..........43 iv © 2015 1 INTRODUCTION © 2015 5 Melton Melbourne Study Area Corridor Dandenong Port Philip Bay Geelong Frankston Wyndham City Council | Princes Highway / Geelong Road Corridor THE PROJECT PROJECT OBJECTIVES Wyndham City Council and Planisphere is in the Wyndham City Council outlined the following process of preparing an Urban Design Framework objectives at the beginning of the project: for the Princes Highway / Geelong Road Corridor. • To recognise the importance of the role • To consider the role of canopy trees in road The purpose of the Urban Design Framework is corridors play in providing an entrance to reserves and the landscaping themes to to articulate a vision for the Corridor and provide Wyndham’s suburbs. contribute to the character of the precinct and guidance to how the Corridor will be developed to to lessen impacts of Urban Heat Island effect. make a positive contribution. • To establish a vision for how future development will contribute to a positive sense • To consider how road infrastructure and other The project has five stages with this document of place and community identity. public realm works might be undertaken to contributing to Stage 2. reflect the role of the Corridor. • To analyse the Corridor’s planning context Stage 1: Project Inception and make recommendations on appropriate • To ensure that recommendations for works by Stage 2: Background Research mechanisms to achieve a coherent transition Council or other agencies in the subject area between precincts. consider maintenance practices and budgetary Stage 3: Draft Urban Design Framework for constraints. Consultation • To identify mechanisms that will contribute to an improved public/private interface condition • To identify key works that can be undertaken in Stage 4: Consultation and upgrade the public realm to support the the public realm to establish the Corridor as a forecast changes to the precinct. major gateway that is attractive and safe to use Stage 5: Finalisation of the Urban Design by pedestrians and cyclists Framework • To provide specific guidelines for Council to use as a decision-maker, to ensure that • To investigate planning scheme controls to development in the public and private realms guide: are of a high quality, amenity and have a » Advocacy for future Precinct Structure positive interface with the Corridor. Plans, » Guidance in permit applications, » Public realm works / capital works / landscaping © 2015 7 Werribee St Werribee Synnot St. Princes Highway Geelong Road Princes Freeway Wyndham City Council | Princes Highway / Geelong Road Corridor town grew steadily, helped by the railway line from Melbourne to Geelong. The Werribee train station THE STUDY THE CITY OF became a focal point for development and was the beginning of the central business district, with the AREA WYNDHAM development of civic and community buildings and The study area begins at the junction of the Princes The City of Wyndham is located south west of a post office in 1904. Highway and Princes Freeway, at the Werribee turn the Melbourne CBD, midway between Melbourne Wyndham began experiencing rapid population off from Melbourne. It extends into the Werribee City (30km) and Geelong (35km). growth in the 1960s and its population doubled Centre running down Synnot Street, crossing the between 1961 and 1971 to more than 12,000 Werribee River and continuing south-west down The Princes Highway running through the City of Wyndham and Werribee was once the main arterial people. The growth in Wyndham in the 1960s the Geelong Road and connecting back to the was primarily centred to the north of the original Princes Freeway. The study area continues along road from Melbourne to Geelong. In the decades since the Maltby bypass was constructed, the Werribee township, particularly Hoppers Crossing the Freeway and terminates at the future Outer where the first residential development began in Metropolitan Ring Road. This location marks the ribbon of residential development along the old highway has grown and extended, and the centre 1963, attracting new migrants from all regions who boundary of the Urban Growth Zone which is also appreciated affordable, family homes that Wyndham the boundary of Metropolitan Melbourne. This area, of Werribee has matured into a thriving activity centre and transport interchange. offered. The opening of the Maltby bypass in 1961 in the future, is to become highly visible and will be removed Melbourne-Geelong traffic from the centre the front door to Wyndham travelling in bound to The Werribee River runs centrally through Wyndham of the Werribee township and enabled the further Melbourne. Vale, Werribee and Werribee South providing a development of Werribee. distinctive natural disruption to the Werribee Plain, The study area extends for a distance of Today, Wyndham has continued to grow at approximatively 16km from Hoppers Crossing to with the striking K Road Cliffs exhibiting a dramatic drop-off at the Werribee River Park. a fast pace and is one of the fastest growing south-west of Werribee. municipalities in Victoria. The landscape of Wyndham served as a place of particular significance to local Aboriginal people for The City is strategically located within commuting thousands of years. The Werribee River was an distance to Melbourne and Geelong with important landmark that acted as a border between good access to key roads, public transport, three Aboriginal clans of the Kulin Nation. The River airports and ports, as well as providing for major marked out the territory of the Marpeang bulluk clan industrial development and intensive agricultural to the west, Kurung jang balluk clan to the north- opportunities. east and the Yalukit willam clan to the south. The Werribee continues to be the City’s main centre, name Werribee is thought to have been derived supported by Hoppers Crossing and Point Cook. from a local Aboriginal word for spine or backbone, Tourism is an important aspect of the City that possibly because the Werribee River and valley supports a diversity of activities and visitors. resembles a backbone. Wyndham is projected to continue experiencing The rural township of Werribee began in the early rapid population growth into the future with the 1850’s, with the original name Wyndham. In the population expected to grow by 91.17% between early 1900’s it was renamed Werribee and the 2015 and 2036. © 2015 9 10 © 2015 BACKGROUND 2 REVIEW © 2015 11 Wyndham City Council | Princes Highway / Geelong Road Corridor MUNICIPAL STRATEGIC STATEMENT COUNCIL (MSS) AMENDMENT C192 The MSS sets the context for planning and development in Wyndham, acknowledging it as is set out in the Wyndham City Plan 2013-2017 STRATEGIES a future population growth area. In particular, it and is in the Planning Scheme. The MSS has provides direction as to where growth should be recently been reviewed and Amendment C192 directed and identifies the Urban Growth Boundary has been adopted by Council and once approved along the future Outer Metropolitan Ring Road, at by the Minister for Planning will be included in the the southern boundary of the study area. The MSS Wyndham Planning Scheme. outlines the strategic vision for the municipality that 12 © 2015 Wyndham City Council | Princes Highway / Geelong Road Corridor WYNDHAM CITY PLAN 2013-2017 Urban Design Framework, but addresses the by walking, cycling, driving or using public transport. The Wyndham City Plan 2013-2017 which sets project, particularly the consultation stage, including With the following guiding principles: out Council’s objectives and strategies to