Cardinia Road, near Pakenham, comprises over 1,000 hectares, yielding more than 7,000 residential lots that will one day be home to around 20,000 people. There will be medium-density housing around a brand new railway station at Cardinia Road to service commuters on the Berwick-Pakenham line. It will have a shopping centre alongside the station as well as community facilities, parks, schools, kindergartens and maternal health services. A high quality business park will be located to the south of the residential precinct, being fast-tracked by the GAA providing a mix of commercial activities and employment opportunities for new residents.
Clyde North, in Casey, covers an area of more than 500 hectares and is expected to cater for 20,000 residents over the next 20 years. The PSP seeks to incorporate the natural features of the lands' hilltops, historic homesteads, existing trees, windrows and its interface with Cardinia Creek. The Growth Areas Authority continues to work in partnership with the City of Casey in planning for this new community.
Cranbourne East comprises some 5,500 to 6,500 residential lots on 662 hectares. One day it will be home to 15,000 to 20,000 people. A draft PSP Concept is available for informal exhibition until the end of June 2008.
Cranbourne North boasts some 3,500 new dwelling lots on approximately 300 hectares, catering for 9,000 residents. The new community looks and feels ‘a little different' with a unique new town centre planned called Casey Central that will have a main street feel. The whole area is centred on a simple grid road pattern with a community ‘spine' of schools, community facilities and plenty of parkland.
Cranbourne West makes up the western boundary of the growth area, comprising 800 hectares of leading sustainable residential and industrial development. The new urban environment complements the existing community of Cranbourne West. A new ‘green business park' has been created and Merinda Park railway station is planned to be redeveloped as an activity hub to service the expanded community. Natural watercourses and retarding basins will be completely redeveloped and landscaped to become ‘urban forests' in addition to their drainage function. The new precinct caters for a diverse range of lifestyles, ranging from detached houses on family-sized blocks to apartments close to shops and services and includes accommodation for the retired aged and mobility-impaired.
Fountain Gate shopping centre in Narre Warren is evolving into a dense and high quality centre of national significance accommodating a mix of attractive and vibrant residential and commercial activities. Approximately 550,700 sqm of commercial floorspace will be accommodated in the ‘urban heart' and there is a Business Park and Living Precincts with potential to accommodate about 1,000 dwellings in the longer term.
Hampton Park Hill in Casey will comprise approximately 250 hectares of open space and residential land. It will be transformed from its former quarry use into a quality suburban environment offering a range of housing and lifestyle opportunities that sensitively integrate with surrounding natural features and deliver a significant parkland for the Casey community.
Officer is located next to Cardinia Road and it spans just over 1,000 hectares and should yield about 10,000 residential lots, becoming home to over 25,000 people. Officer town centre will be the nucleus of the new community, being fast-tracked by the GAA, catering for a mix of retail, community and recreation activity. The existing Officer railway station will be redeveloped as a major transport interchange. Away from the town centre, smaller neighbourhood hubs will provide focus for other community activities including schools, community centres and local retail. The community will be serviced by high order sports facilities and parkland centred on waterways.
Pakenham Town Centre has become a vibrant major hub of activity for the surrounding residential hinterland and is on track to expand further. It provides for a range of goods and services, entertainment, employment opportunities and housing is set within a high urban amenity and safe environment. The town centre is well serviced by public transport. Council's recently adopted retail strategy anticipates potential for a further 60,000 sqm of retail floorspace and supporting community and commercial facilities to be developed by 2030.
Pakenham Employment Precinct comprises over 2,500 hectares of industrial land, including a new South East Business Park and Livestock Exchange that connects to established industrial areas to the north of the Pakenham Bypass. This precinct will be one of the single biggest initiatives designed to boost long term jobs growth in the
south-east.