A new metropolitan planning strategy is set to make Sunshine a key in the development of Melbourne’s western suburbs.
Huge government spending and private-sector investment are being earmarked for the once struggling suburb.
Once an industrial centre, Sunshine and its surrounding suburbs are now left with a lot of ex-industrial land to transform into residential living as Melbourne develops its western side. It’s the last area of land that is in Melbourne’s ‘inner ring’ still available for growth.
Sunshine offers a logical hub as a growth leader, it’s already close to four train stations, the M80 ring road and boasts the new regional rail service to boost its already strong link to transport.
RMIT planning expert Professor Michael Buxton told The Age too much growth in Melbourne’s west to this point had occurred on the city’s fringe.
“People are being dumped in service-poor outer urban areas in green fields with very, very poor connections,” he said.
“We need an alternative model for redeveloping the west and it has got to involve identifying vacant land, excellent transport connections and then putting a lot of government money into redeveloping them, and Sunshine is just an obvious choice.”
Suffering from its post-industrial decline, Sunshine is ready for change, and is being linked to employment opportunities in research, knowledge and medical jobs.
Stay tuned, the new metropolitan planning strategy will be released in the near future.
