INDUSTRY NEWS
Minister unveils grand plans for Mt Atkinson
A NEW suburb to house more than 20,000 residents south-west of Caroline Springs has been approved. Planning Minister Richard Wynne has approved the 1500ha precinct structure plan for Mt Atkinson, which will feature more than 8000 dwellings and become home to more than 22,000 people over the next 15 years. In a ground-breaking move, the arrangements for delivery of two government schools, community facilities and land acquisition for a future train station have been agreed in principle with the developer Stockland and Mount Atkinson Holdings before rezoning. The community will be a hive of jobs, with up to 19,000 long-term jobs in retail, commercial, industrial, office, education and home-based businesses to be created in Mt Atkinson and the adjacent Tarneit Plains precinct. A Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution of more than $100 million paid by the developers will also cover a CFA station and early delivery of a new bus service connecting to Rockbank station. Sports grounds, a conservation reserve, community centres and kindergartens are also funded under a separate agreement with the Melton Council. “Mt Atkinson is going to be a great place to live and to raise a family, with jobs for locals on their doorstep and affordable housing so that young Victorians can achieve their dream of home ownership,” Wynne said. “We’re making it easier for all Victorians to buy their own home in a great location close to jobs and schools.”
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Affordability increases
Signalling upgrade boosts improved train services
AFFORDABILITY in Melbourne improved marginally in the June quarter, even though it was six per cent less affordable than 12 months earlier. Noting that the national median dwelling price rose 9.1 per cent to $540,200, the HIA Affordability Index reports that the growth in Melbourne wages outstripped house price rises. But affordability in the rest of the state declined to its lowest level in 18 months due to house prices increasing (4.8 per cent) more than wages.
Digital upgrades to link schools SCHOOLS across the Geelong and Surf Coast regions are in line for digital upgrades to provide better IT support. Education Minister James Merlino said 63 government schools would be the first in Victoria to have new virtual conferencing systems installed. In addition, nine schools will have their internet bandwidth doubled as part of a $16.4 million state-wide investment to improve regional connectivity. It will give students faster and more reliable access to online resources to support learning programs and an extended choice of subjects.
Monaco rises to HIA national president WEST Australian Pino Monaco has been elected national president of the Housing Industry Association. Monaco has served on HIA committees and task forces at a state and national level as a committeeman, vice chair and chair for 30 years. He succeeds Ross Lang, who completed his term on May 25. “It is a great honour to be elected national president,” Monaco said. “We have some challenging times ahead. Not the least of which are rising to the industry challenges of training our industry, making some sense of a nearly broken planning system, and confronting the continuing issues of deteriorating housing affordability and a lack of appropriate housing supply.”
MORE than 55km of next-generation, high-capacity signalling will be installed to run more trains, more often, as part of the $11 billion Metro Tunnel project. HCS allows trains to safely run closer together, meaning they can run more often. The technology enables trains to operate every two to three minutes – creating a true ‘turn-up-andgo’ train network for Melbourne. The signalling will operate the 65 high-capacity trains being built in Victoria, which will run on the Sunbury to Cranbourne-Pakenham line via the Metro Tunnel. Dedicated control centres will be built in Dandenong and Sunshine to support the technology.
CPB Contractors and Bombardier Transportation will deliver the $1 billion Rail Systems Alliance, which includes the first roll-out of a high-capacity signalling and communications system on an existing rail network anywhere in Australia. Also, expressions of interest have opened for a $1 billion contract to design and construct the tunnel entrances at South Yarra and Kensington, and associated works across the Sunbury to Cranbourne-Pakenham corridor, including upgrading track power and conventional signalling. “This is the next major piece of the puzzle – hi-tech signalling to run bigger trains,” Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said.
$50m boost for Carrum promenade A NEW beach promenade and parkland and picnic areas will revitalise the bayside suburb of Carrum with a $50 million upgrade made possible by level-crossing removal works. Beyond the promenade, Carrum village will be transformed when the existing train storage facility is relocated near Kananook station, creating more open space around the new Carrum station. The Level Crossing Removal Authority said consultation would continue with residents to provide feedback about the promenade design. In the next few months, a Community
Revitalisation Reference Group led by specialist urban designers will be established to work with the winning contractor to transform the community’s ideas into reality. Five properties will be acquired on the Nepean Hwy to make way for the promenade.