The Victorian State Government’s first assessment after five years of its controversial Melbourne 2030 planning blueprint has confirmed that sprawl on Melbourne’s fringes continues at a rate faster than hoped.
The Department of Planning and Community Development on Monday released the first part of its review of Melbourne 2030.
The review, completed using the figures from the 2006 census and other sources, argued that 48.3 per cent of new housing built in Melbourne was on “greenfield” sites — new subdivisions typically on the city fringes. Its target had been 42.5 per cent by 2005 and 31 per cent by 2030.
One of Melbourne’s top demographers on Monday questioned whether the Government’s analysis had attempted to play down how rapidly outer Melbourne was expanding.
Monash University demographer Bob Birrell said his detailed analysis of the census had found building on outer-urban subdivisions was responsible for far more new housing in Melbourne from 2001 to last year.
“We did the same analysis of outer suburban areas and got 59 per cent,” Dr Birrell said.
Five years ago, the Government wanted new building on subdivisions to be 45.2 per cent of all development. The rest it wanted in existing suburbs.
Planning Minister Justin Madden, questioned last night on what “greenfield” sites were, said through a spokesman that they included inner-city sites as well as outer-suburban developments.
This definition appeared to contradict the original Melbourne 2030 planning document, which classified greenfield sites as those within identified growth corridors and in fringe areas.
Under Melbourne 2030, the State Government promised to slow urban sprawl and direct housing development to established suburbs, especially activity centres around public transport, rather than in new subdivisions.
The analysis showed Melbourne 2030 had achieved much to date, a spokesman for Mr Madden said.
Achievements included the establishment of an urban growth boundary — a line drawn around the city in 2002 to protect farm paddocks and bush from urban sprawl.
The boundary has been redrawn once, in 2005 to allow further growth, and Monday’s analysis warned that “should the need arise, options are available for future growth outside the urban growth boundary”.
The report confirmed that a surging fringe population appeared to be more reliant on private cars, making further investment in public transport more urgent than was expected in 2002.
It noted the Government had last year pledged $10.5 billion in sustainable transport spending over the next decade.
The audit expert group reviewing Melbourne 2030 will use yesterday’s analysis to help with their report back to Mr Madden, due early next year.
Main findings
- Melbourne’s fastest-growing municipalities are on the city fringe (except Melbourne City Council).
- Melton grew by 8.9 per cent between 2001 and 2006, followed by Melbourne on 8.6 per cent.
- Casey had the biggest population growth — 40,700 people.
- No council area across Melbourne shrank in population size.
- The fastest-growing country areas — such as Geelong, the Surf Coast and Gippsland — were on Melbourne’s doorstep.
Author: Clay Lucas
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