The Business Growing jobs and community at Merrifield

Recently, I received the report titled ‘Growing Pains: The Crisis in Growth Area Planning’ written by a group of environmental professionals under the banner of Charter 29 who believe that planning in Victoria is failing in many of its fundamentals, specifically growth area planning.

While never a fan of project advertorials within the industry, given the Merrifield project is reviewed in the Charter 29 report and in the interests of helping improve outcomes for growth area planning, the additional information about the project provided here hopefully illustrates a somewhat more positive outcome at Merrifield (and growth area planning generally) than the Charter 29 report depicts. No doubt, the journey in growth area planning and delivery at Merrifield is not unlike many other growth area projects in Melbourne.

The Charter 29 report assesses the Merrifield West Precinct Structure Plan (which is being developed by MAB and other developers) however a more rounded appreciation of the planning framework should have regard for the North Corridor Plan, together with the planning approvals for the adjoining 130 hectare Merrifield City Centre and the 415 hectare Merrifield Employment Precinct which provide the context of the corridor and the broader Merrifield vision including the connection of jobs and residents, integrated planning, place-making and housing diversity.

Merrifield is a very large project spanning 900 hectares and is located along Donnybrook Road in Mickleham (between Hume Freeway and Mickleham Road). Key outcomes of the project include:

• An “employment led” development that has been planned with capacity for 30,000 jobs and 25,000 residents.

• The ability to accommodate a diversity of housing outcomes, from single level detached dwellings through to high density development (apartments) within the proposed Merrifield City Centre.

• Provision of multi-modal transport options (including high-capacity bus rapid transit) fit for purpose, without reliance on heavy rail.

• Access to community services and facilities, as early as possible, due to direct community development initiatives, capital investment and/or collaboration with relevant agencies.

David Hall MAB Corporation

Merrifield – what’s been delivered to date?

• 250 jobs at Merrifield Employment Precinct (Dulux, D’Orsogna and Steritech) and following the completion of Ford Distribution Facility by the end of 2022, there will be approximately 1,000 people employed in Merrifield.

• A 4 kilometre duplication of Donnybrook Road to a 4 lane, separated condition, together with 5 signalised intersections. Importantly, MAB’s direct involvement and advocacy with Government has resulted in the early delivery of these critical road upgrades many years ahead of schedule

• Operation of a local bus service (Route 525) by Public Transport Victoria (PTV), following successful 2 year operation of a MABfunded community bus service (‘Merrifield Connect’). MAB funded its own bus service for residents over an 18 month period to fill the public transport gap which helped fast-track the commissioning of a PTV service.

• Stage 1 of Merrifield City – comprising full-line Coles Supermarket, Chemist Warehouse, medical centre and over 20 specialty stores – to commence trade by the end of 2020.

• Passive open space network (totaling 110 hectares), with the first local park constructed prior to the first residents moving in. A 9.5 hectare active open space reserve currently being delivered under a Land / Works in Kind Agreement, forecast for completion in mid-2021.

• The largest Community Activity Centre ever built in Hume City Council (at a cost of $12.9m) to open in mid-2021 together with Gaayip-Yagila Primary School (scheduled to open Term 1 2021) and a Catholic Primary School (planned to open 2022).

Planning alone cannot deliver communities and to that end, like other master-planned developments, MAB has developed an integrated planning and delivery model to guide the timing of the necessary interventions. The model is our planning tool for the interim and end-state delivery of retail, education, health, employment, open space, environment and connectivity.

Some key examples of the implementation of the model include the facilitation of interim outreach services and programs operated by local community service providers. The provision of grants by MAB though the Merrifield Community Partnerships Program has facilitated the early establishment of local community initiatives and projects. These initiatives have led to a strong sense of community in Merrifield, with residents benefiting greatly from the availability of local services and programs well before delivery of the planned community infrastructure. This work has meant that the Merrifield Community Hub (currently being constructed by Hume City Council) will be fully activated, with over 20 community groups ready to begin utilising the space almost immediately. Similarly, Merrifield’s own locally established sporting association initiated by a team of community volunteers, is poised and ready to become the lead tenant in the Sports Reserve pavilion being delivered in 2021.

Merrifield City Centre comprises a total of 130 hectares of which 30 hectares is set aside for a shopping centre and includes both street-based nodes and internalised retail formats. There is approximately 1.5 kilometres of street-based activation expected to be achieved but with much needed enclosed retail spaces to enable a comfortable user experience.

Charter 29 engages in the tiresome planning debate that “streetbased, multi-use, employment-rich, sustainably accessed places with opportunities for urban living should henceforth become models for growth area activity centres, in place of private shopping malls”. We say that good design and placemaking can far outreach the importance of the architectural form (“streetbased” or “mall”) and seriously challenge the inference that “private shopping malls” cannot deliver great urban outcomes that meet the needs of the community. Great cities in the world (including the Melbourne CBD) embrace all forms of development including active street-based uses and internalised spaces.

We have not been contacted by the authors of the Charter 29 report, however we would be happy to explain our vision and share our experience in planning and delivering growth area communities for people and businesses.

For more information visit: www.mab.com.au

Email: dhall@mab.com.au