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Melbourne to Set for Urban Expansion
Melbourne, June 19, 2009 – Melbourne’s urban sprawl continues to grow and has now been given the go-ahead for another expansion. The urban are will be allowed to grow an additional 41,000 hectares. This would allow the city to accommodate 415,000 more people, exceeding Canberra’s current population.
The Brumby Government’s 20-year growth and transport plan outlines the area along Hume Freeway in the north and past past Caroline Springs in the west as the major expansion areas. The land to be zoned for development will include thousands of hectares previously protected as “green wedge” zones.
To support such growth, the Government has also confirmed plans for massive transport changes in the identified areas. More than 200 properties will be acquired to create an outer ring road and a regional rail plan.
The outer ring road will eat up 152 properties along a corridor from Werribee to Mill Park. Construction is slated to start after 2020. But in the next 10 weeks, $4.2 billion rail lines will begin building. This project is expected to finish by 2014.
Two new train stations will be build in the west at Wyndham Vale and Tarneit. This line is expected to carry Geelong trains to Melbourne along a 14-kilometre diversion via Sunshine.
Additionally, the Government plans to purchase 15,000 hectares of native grasslands to establish new reserves. This will offset the loss of grasslands to the urban development, estimated to measure 6,918 hectares
According to Premier John Brumby, the urban expansion is necessary because of Victoria’s sizable population boom. “We are seeing 2000 people a week coming to our state,” he said.
Source:
theage.com.au
