DEVELOPERS will carve out a 4000-home suburb on Melbourne's western fringe amid growing concern about infrastructure and traffic congestion in the city's fastest-growing areas.
Delfin Lend Lease will build a billion-dollar urban community for up to 12,000 people on 438 hectares about three kilometres west of Werribee after a deal with a local land owner.
The master-planned community between Black Forest, McGrath and Bulban roads will feature four schools, community, sport and recreation facilities, open space with lakes and waterways, and a shopping centre, Delfin Lend Lease said.
The company signed a land management agreement that will see it progressively settle land parcels. The deal is likely to be lucrative for the owners, members of the Richmond family who live in Little River.
Lend Lease has developed some of Melbourne's largest residential communities, including Caroline Springs in the west, Edgewater in Maribyrnong, and Craigieburn and Laurimar to the north. It has seven suburban estates with about 6780 lots.
The Werribee development comes after a rush of similar moves by other developers to lock in projects after Melbourne's urban growth boundary was expanded last year.
Last December, rival Stockland launched a $4 billion project that will transform the tiny town of Kalkallo on the Hume Highway, housing up to 30,000 people 35 kilometres north of the CBD.
At the same time, Waterford, another billion-dollar residential community on the banks of the Werribee River, launched the suburb of Toolern just south of Melton. It is expected to ultimately expand in population to the size of Mildura.
But the latest estate is likely to further increase pressure on Werribee, already one of Melbourne's fastest-growing areas where a booming population of young families has moved to take advantage of relatively affordable homes.
In the past decade, the population of the city of Wyndham has almost doubled, rising from 87,141 in mid-2001 to 156,573 in mid-2010, the council said.
Wyndham mayor John Menegazzo said the suburb's swift growth was causing significant road congestion, exacerbated by inadequate public transport. "Naturally [residents] are frustrated with the amount of growth that's occurred and the congestion. People who may have taken 45 minutes to go to work will now take an hour," he said.
Mr Menegazzo said the two stations on the proposed regional rail line, running just west of the development, might alleviate transport problems.
But both stations, Tarneit to the north and Wyndham Vale to the south, are at least three kilometres from the new estate.
Former Werribee resident Matthew Hovey said he recently moved closer to the city because of rail system cancellations and delays when commuting by car.
"At times it will take you up to two hours to get into the city and that's leaving before seven in the morning," Mr Hovey said. He believes road infrastructure had not kept pace with growth.
Lend Lease's head of communities, Toni Milis, said the company was aware of affordability concerns for homebuyers.
"Whilst Melbourne has had some significant [price] growth in the last couple of years, new projects coming on line for us are really targeting an affordable price point," Ms Milis said. "We can do that because we provide a large variety of housing product."
THE PLACE FOR A VILLAGE
On this Werribee site Delfin Lend Lease proposes:
3814 dwellings, housing 12,000 people
A neighbourhood activity centre with 7000m? of commercial floor space
290 medium-density housing units
Provision for arterial road links
95 hectares of open space (more than 20 per cent of the project) with waterways
and lakes system of more than 30 hectares 3-4 school sites (including 2 primary and 1-2 secondary)
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
What is the Delfin Lend Lease Werribee development and where will it be located?
Delfin Lend Lease plans to build a large master‑planned suburb about three kilometres west of Werribee on roughly 438 hectares. The project is described in the article as a billion‑dollar urban community intended to accommodate up to about 12,000 people.
How many homes and residents are proposed for the new Werribee suburb?
The development is being promoted as a roughly 4,000‑home suburb; the project details in the article specify 3,814 dwellings planned, which would house around 12,000 people.
What amenities and infrastructure will the master‑planned community include?
According to the article, the masterplan proposes four schools (including at least two primary and one to two secondary sites), a neighbourhood activity centre with about 7,000 m² of commercial floor space, around 290 medium‑density units, arterial road link provision, 95 hectares of open space (over 20% of the project) with more than 30 hectares of lakes and waterways, plus community, sport and recreation facilities.
Who owns the land and how will Delfin Lend Lease proceed with the project?
Delfin Lend Lease signed a land management agreement with the local landowners — members of the Richmond family who live in Little River — and will progressively settle land parcels as the project advances, rather than detailing a single fixed start date in the article.
How could this Werribee development affect local infrastructure and traffic congestion?
The article flags concerns that the project will add pressure to Werribee, already one of Melbourne’s fastest‑growing areas. Wyndham’s mayor noted current road congestion and limited public transport; although a proposed regional rail line with Tarneit and Wyndham Vale stations might help, both stations are at least about three kilometres from the new estate.
What does Delfin Lend Lease say about housing affordability in the Werribee project?
Delfin Lend Lease’s head of communities, Toni Milis, told the article the company is mindful of affordability. She said new projects coming on line are targeting an affordable price point by offering a large variety of housing product.
How does this project compare with other large Melbourne fringe developments mentioned in the article?
The article notes a wider push by developers after the urban growth boundary expansion: Stockland launched a $4 billion project at Kalkallo to house up to 30,000 people about 35 km north of the CBD, and Waterford launched the Toolern suburb near Melton. The Delfin Lend Lease Werribee project is another billion‑dollar masterplanned community adding to that trend on Melbourne’s fringes.
What should everyday investors consider about this Werribee development?
Based on the article, investors should note the scale of supply coming to the western fringe (about 3,814 dwellings), potential short‑to‑medium‑term pressure on local infrastructure and transport, and the developer’s stated focus on affordable housing product. The article also highlights that experienced developers like Lend Lease have delivered major suburban estates in Melbourne before, which may be relevant when assessing project execution risk.
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