- Minister for Priority Precincts
A new focus on the detailed planning, development and delivery of key urban precincts around Melbourne will mean more jobs, new housing options and better transport connections for residents, workers and visitors.
The Victorian Budget 2019/20 invests $25 million to develop priority precincts including Parkville, Arden, Fishermans Bend, Sunshine and the Richmond to Docklands corridor.
The previous Liberal government showed how much damage can be done to a precinct when planning approvals fail to account for the need for community necessities like schools, public transport and green open space.
Under the Liberals, Fishermans Bend was rezoned to create massive windfalls for property developers but with no plans or funding to deliver basic amenities, forcing the Andrews Labor Government to later buy back land at much higher prices just to build schools and other community facilities.
To safeguard against this sort of reckless approach, the Labor Government has created the new Priority Precincts portfolio. It will ensure that our most important urban renewal precincts are properly planned to protect the liveability of our city while delivering new jobs and opportunities for business and educational developments.
Central to this work will be the continuing delivery of the Fishermans Bend framework, creating a leading design and engineering hub, alongside homes for 80,000 people, new schools and parkland.
At Arden, the construction of a new station is underway as part of the Metro Tunnel project, allowing the development of a precinct that will be home to 15,000 residents - including affordable housing - and over 34,000 jobs with a focus on technology, health and education.
In Parkville's Melbourne Biomedical Precinct, the Government will work with our world-leading biomedical organisations to attract new private-sector investment and make it a thriving and vibrant place to work and study.
The vital employment and innovation clusters at Sunshine, Monash, Dandenong, La Trobe and Werribee are key to maximising the community benefit of the Government's record infrastructure investment and delivering on the precinct plans for these hubs will mean more jobs for our suburbs as Melbourne's population grows.
The Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions will lead and coordinate precinct planning and delivering, working in partnership with local government and the private sector to deliver great places to live and work for Victorians.
As stated by Minister for Priority Precincts Gavin Jennings
"People will be at the heart of all our decisions when it comes to developing Melbourne's priority precincts."
"From Fishermans Bend to Dandenong and Arden to Werribee, we want to make sure we're delivering more jobs and better places to live and work close to the city and around our suburbs."
"As the priority precincts take shape, we want to see residents having reliable access to jobs, services and transport, with housing that is affordable."
