Transit Orientated Development is a process that maximises the amount of residential, business and leisure space within walking distance of public transport. But at railway stations in Melbourne’s growing western suburbs, the development is anything but.
Caroline Springs
We start out at Caroline Springs station, located between town and the tip.
A massive car park the only neighbour.
And the only footpath out of there filled with a fleet of rubbish trucks.
But the land in between is about to be developed.
Into a ‘fulfilment centre’ for Amazon.
Amazon Australia will open a second Melbourne fulfilment centre (FC) in Ravenhall late next year, creating around 300 jobs on completion and more than doubling Amazon’s operational footprint in Victoria.
The new facility will be located at Dexus’ Horizon 3023 estate, a 127-hectare site which adjoins Caroline Springs train station and is close to the proposed Western Intermodal Freight Terminal. Dexus has commenced works on the site, supporting more than 200 construction jobs over the development and fit-out phase. The lease for the centre was facilitated by CBRE’s Industrial & Logistics business.
The new fulfilment centre will be 37,000 square metres – almost double the size of the Melbourne Cricket Ground – with capacity to house up to six million items ranging from health, household and personal care products, consumer electronics, books, clothing and pantry food and drink staples, to larger items like flat screen TVs, cartons of soft drink or nappies, and gardening equipment.
Minister for Economic Development Tim Pallas said today that attracting investment from significant global companies such as Amazon, is critical to drive our economic recovery.
“Amazon’s investment in a second fulfilment centre will bring hundreds of jobs to the western suburbs of Melbourne, providing local employment opportunities in suburban growth areas,” he said.
“We welcome this investment as a clear indicator of confidence in the state.”
AKA a big tin shed.
Tarneit
Tarneit is another railway station on the edge of Melbourne.
New housing estates sprawling across the plains.
Served by a sea of car parking.
But the Truganina Precinct Structure Plan has designated the area around the railway station as a future town centre.
But what is the first commercial development in the new town centre?
Bunnings will be the first of many retailers that will be making up ‘Tarneit Park Hub’ – the shopping precinct of our planned Town centre at Westbrook.
Bunnings Warehouse has responded to the growth of Melbourne’s western corridor, committing to a new 16,500sqm warehouse in Tarneit Park Hub.
Ranfurlie Asset Management, the retail and commercial division of the Dennis Family, is developing Tarneit Park Hub, which will total 46,000sqm when complete.
“We are excited to have secured Bunnings. It cements Tarneit Park Hub as a key retail and lifestyle asset for the region,” stated Mark Wilson, CEO of Ranfurlie Asset Management.
“Tarneit Park Hub answers the demand from the community for greater amenity, with great access, proximity to public transport and adjoining Tarneit Central it sets an excellent foundation to further enhance the precinct and build on what is already a thriving centre.” concluded Mr Wilson
Tom Perkins of Leedwell Property said that “Bunnings is a great anchor for Tarneit Park Hub. The ability to generate foot-fall seven days a week and its brand recognition in a community is unparalleled. We have recently completed leasing on a number of new developments anchored by a Bunnings and they have proven to attract quality, national retailers around them.”
Yes, another tin shed!
Imagine how bad these development would be without structure plans?
Then, a bit older, is Williams Landing. Wonder how that’s going?
Target head office has opened beside the station, but the rest of the area is an abandoned Masters hardware store – at least the gravel car parks are land banked for future mixed used development.
https://wongm.com/2018/03/paid-parking-williams-landing-railway-station/
The Masters has actually been demolished already.
The shopping centre is now relatively busy and apartments are going up next to it. Crazy that’s there’s still 200m of “land banking” car parks next to the station though
Their master plan is here – looks like the shopping centre is due to expand towards the station, but still surrounded by a sea of car parking.
https://www.williamslanding.com.au/masterplan/home
Yet over in the south east, the whole Pakenham East proposal; definitely the west is either getting short changed or planning loves being short sighted.
Pakenham East is an interesting plan – a structure plan has already been completed ready for development:
https://vpa.vic.gov.au/project/pakenham-east-psp/
And now all of a sudden the Level Crossing Removal Authority reveals that they need to build a station there, since they can’t put a junction on the viaduct at Pakenham.
It’s amazing how poorly we use the land around our train stations.