By Bonny Burrows
Draft plans for a new suburb in Pakenham’s east have been released.
The new neighbourhood, yet to be formally named but currently under the working title Pakenham East, was announced in March 2017 to keep up with the area’s booming population, but until now not much has been known about the details.
However a draft Pakenham East Precinct Structure Plan (PSP), now open for public consultation, sheds some light on the plans.
The suburb, one of 17 to be developed across Greater Melbourne’s growth corridors by the State Government in the coming years, will be bordered by Deep Creek and Ryan Road to the west, Mount Ararat Road to the east and the Princes Freeway to the south.
The vision is to create “a sustainable, peaceful community with plenty of open space, well-connected streets, future schools and a local town centre”.
“It will complement Pakenham, with an extensive network of cycling paths, public transport and pedestrian links to central Pakenham,” the Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) states in the PSP.
It also reveals plans for two government primary schools, a non-government primary school and a public secondary school.
A local convenience centre has been mooted for a site opposite one of the state primary schools in the south west of the precinct, and two sporting reserves will sit in the north and south sides of the suburb.
The town centre will reside in the east to service “the higher order retail and community needs of future residents as well as providing opportunities for entertainment, employment and accommodation”.
The area will also include 43-hectares of open space, a range of parks and waterways.
“The PSP will create a self-contained community with local retail, education, community, health and recreation services,” the VPA said.
Previously, Pakenham locals had raised concerns infrastructure wouldn’t keep up with the population growth a new suburb would bring, arguing with calls for better roads and public transport services.
But it is understood developers of the new suburb would pay levies to help fund vital infrastructure such as new roads, transport and community facilities, as required under state legislation set in 2016.
“The PSP will also deliver access from local roads onto the Princess Highway, and pedestrian and cycle links along the Princes Highway to Pakenham and to Pakenham Train Station along the existing Pakenham rail corridor,” the VPA said.
There will be 1300 jobs based in the precinct, according to the draft, and the suburb will also benefit from the Pakenham East train depot, currently under construction just south of the area.
“Furthermore, jobs have been growing steadily throughout the wider Cardinia area. Recent census data shows that between 2011 and 2016 there were an additional 6569 jobs created in Cardinia, providing ample opportunities for residents to work locally,” the VPA said.
For the suburb to be constructed, land east of Deep Creek will need to be rezoned from farming land to an Urban Growth Zone Schedule 5.
The area between Deep Creek and Ryan Road would also need to be altered from Low Density Residential Zone Schedule 2 to an Urban Growth Zone Schedule 5.
State Planning Minister Richard Wynne said Melbourne’s new suburbs would ensure there was plenty of housing to “suit the varied needs of Victoria families, stay ahead of population growth and make new homes as affordable as possible”.
The Draft Pakenham East Precinct Structure Plan is on exhibition from 15 January to 23 February.
Community members can have their say at https://vpa.vic.gov.au/project/pakenham-east-psp/.
Alternatively, residents can view the draft plan and discuss the proposal in person at two community drop-in sessions, hosted by the VPA, at Pakenham Hall Room, Pakenham Library on 6 and 15 February.
