There are few property developers nationally that can boast a workbook like the ASX-listed developer Cedar Woods. With eight apartment buildings under construction across four states, Cedar Woods is well positioned to take advantage of what Managing Director Nathan Blackburne says is a “national shortage of apartments.”

Cedar Woods purposefully has a diversified portfolio of apartments, townhouses, commercial, and residential communities across the country, enabling the business to remain resilient through market cycles and respond to shifting buyer demand.

Blackburne says there is a great shortfall of housing of all typologies, none more so for apartments. He says that is the case particularly in Perth, where the lack of new apartment projects has been particularly acute.

“Perth has been more affected than Melbourne,” Blackburne explains, noting that over the past five years, “very few new apartment projects” have been launched in either city. Historically, apartments made up around 20 per cent of new housing nationally. Cedar Woods estimates that figure has fallen to around 10 per cent today, a gap they believe must close.

<h2>Apartment appeal rebounding as supply shrinks</h2>

There are signs the tide is turning however. Blackburne says buyer apartment sentiment really picked up in mid 2025. “In October we saw our strongest sales month for apartments in Perth.” The buyer demand has driven their Subiaco apartment development, Incontro, to nearly 70 per cent sold. The increased buyer sentiment has strengthened Cedar Woods’ confidence in bringing forward the next apartment project in Western Australia, a three tower development planned for the prime site on Upham Street in Subiaco, adjacent to Incontro.

Demand is being driven by several factors; the lack of new apartments coming to the market, the increased demand with migration far outstripping the aforementioned supply, and the appetite to live closer to the city.

“Over the past three years, Perth’s population has grown by around 250,000 people, while only around 50,000 dwellings have been delivered,” Blackburne says, adding that more than twice that number would be needed just to keep up.&nbsp;

He said that many buyers are being forced to the urban fringe because of the greater supply of land product, but that, Blackburne argues, is pushing the fringe further out and motivating a re-evaluation of the value of inner- and middle-suburb apartments.

Demographic shifts are helping drive this rethink. Cedar Woods is seeing more boomers downsizing, young professionals entering the market, and a rising number of single-person households. There’s also a growing trend of parents buying apartments for teenage children, motivated by fears that housing prices will become out of reach. “It’s not only a strong investment now, but it can serve as a first home when their children move out.”

<h2>National diversification strategy</h2>

Cedar Woods’ strategy is not limited to Perth. Blackburne outlines their aim to diversify by price point, product type, and geography, which “gives us a broad customer base and smoother earnings profile.” Throughout their markets, they’re combining apartments, townhouses, and masterplanned communities, allowing flexibility to pivot toward undersupplied segments as demand evolves.

In Victoria, Cedar Woods is pressing ahead with a major site in Fairfield, just northeast of Melbourne’s CBD, a site which Blackburne says the company has had its sights on for many years. They are planning to deliver three towers with over 300 apartments, with the plans likely to be submitted in early 2026.

Blackburne also expresses optimism about broader inner-Melbourne supply dynamics. 
 
“While Melbourne’s apartment market is better supplied than Perth’s, and population growth remains strong, Cedar Woods believes the current stock will be absorbed quickly,” Blackburne says, however he warns that policy disincentives remain. “In Victoria … there are quite a lot of obstacles for apartment buyers,” he says, adding that the industry is working with the state government to “remove those barriers” and avert prolonged undersupply.

Cedar Woods has plans on the desks of the VIC Government to develop a 20-storey tower in Southbank, in the heart of Melbourne’s arts precinct. Designed by Rothelowman, the proposed tower will deliver 180 apartments, ranging from studios to three-bedrooms, along with creative amenity space devoted to arts and digital industries, a food and drink tenancy at street level, and a 700sqm recreation deck with indoor lounge space will provide a resident amenity hub.

Blackburne frames the project as a response to Melbourne’s growing undersupply of signature inner-city living. “We saw a thematic: a looming undersupply in inner-Melbourne, particularly in high-quality apartments, and wanted to capitalise on that,” he says. The site’s proximity to the Melbourne Arts Precinct, key tram lines, and Southbank’s cultural fabric makes it especially appealing, Blackburne says.

<h2>Charting the course forward</h2>

On top of the apartment developments underway and planned in Perth and Melbourne, Cedar Woods has a multi-stage apartment development in Brisbane’s Woolloowin, and several years remaining on their masterplanned communities in Williams Landing in Melbourne and Glenside in Adelaide, both of which offer a mix of apartments and townhouses.

Blackburne says the developer has been able to mitigate some of the macro risks currently at play in the new development space, particularly in the construction sector.

“Cedar Woods has been able to make many apartment projects work because of good buying of the raw land in the first place, as well as its strong pipeline of apartment projects, enabling the company to attract builders to build deep, multi-year relationships.”&nbsp;

For Cedar Woods, 2026 is set to be significant, with anticipated approvals and submissions laying the groundwork for fresh apartment supply and multiple launches in 2027.

&nbsp;

Joel Robinson

Cedar Woods ramps up apartment development amid Australia’s deepening housing shortfall

Rockdale has long been characterized as a suburb on the cusp. Well-located, well-connected, but historically underserved by modern apartment offerings.

It has everything going for it: outstanding connectivity to the Sydney CBD, just four train stops to Central Station, strong local amenity anchored by Roc​kdale Plaza and a growing main-street dining scene, and enviable proximity to Brighton-Le-Sands. The six-kilometre beachfront is lined with bayside restaurants, cafés, and walking paths, giving residents a lifestyle typically associated with much more expensive coastal suburbs.

What Rock​dale has lacked is high-quality contemporary apartments. Most existing developments date back several decades, with floorplans that no longer support modern living needs, and buildings constructed long before today’s standards in engineering, efficiency, and sustainability.

Lender, fund manager and apartment developer Princeton identified the gap early. Seeing all the right ingredients in Rockd​ale, transport, lifestyle, retail, and affordability, they set out to deliver what the suburb was missing. Their answer is <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marque-rockdale-602-608-princes-highway-rockdale-nsw-2216">Marque Rockdale</a>, a collection of 58 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments now nearing completion just a short walk from Ro​ckdale Plaza, home to over 50 specialist retailers and anchored by&nbsp;Woolworths, Big W and Aldi.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136442 project_image_fid=355216]

Understanding they would be resetting the benchmark for the area, Princeton focused on ensuring buyers received best-in-class quality, longevity, and protection.

A major step was securing the sought-after Latent Defects Insurance policy from Resilience Insurance. This policy protects apartment buyers from structural or waterproofing defects for the first 10 years of the building’s lifecycle. Crucially, it is first-response insurance, meaning that if an issue arises, the insurer pays immediately for remediation—rather than waiting for lengthy investigations to determine fault before work can begin. For purchasers, it offers an unprecedented layer of security rarely seen in Sydney apartment projects.

During construction, independent building inspection firm SDSS has been providing Technical Inspection Services, bringing highly specialised construction experts on-site at key stages to ensure workmanship meets the highest standards. The project is being built by Coplex, an iCIRT-rated construction company, and throughout the build SDSS has frequently referred to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marque-rockdale-602-608-princes-highway-rockdale-nsw-2216">Marque Rockdale</a> as one of the best projects currently on their books.

Princeton also doubled down on comfort, acoustics, and livability.&nbsp;As well as being the only building along Princes Highway with a landscaped buffer between the building and the road, Princeton has purposefully included double-glazed windows in all apartments to reduce noise.

Apartments feature double-glazed, noise-reducing windows and ducted air conditioning in every residence.&nbsp;In addition to the project’s transport convenience, Princeton has partnered with GoGet Car Share to provide a dedicated GoGet vehicle housed permanently within the building. Residents will receive a free annual GoGet membership, paying only usage fees, offering a flexible alternative to owning a second car and enhancing the project’s sustainability credentials.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136442 project_image_fid=277075]

Residents will enjoy an exclusive rooftop oasis, purpose-designed as an extension of their living space. The communal rooftop includes BBQ facilities and outdoor entertaining areas, a&nbsp;pergola-shaded dining zone, a dedicated children’s play space, and a landscaped herb garden.

Princeton and Coplex is approaching completion of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marque-rockdale-602-608-princes-highway-rockdale-nsw-2216">Marque Rockdale</a>, and are expecting residents to move in early in the new year. The mix of apartment configurations and price points have been a hit with young professionals, those who need to commute to the CBD, and families who appreciate doorstep amenity.

“Marque is a place where residents will be proud to call it home," Princeton Head of Development George Young says.

"We’ve worked really hard with Coplex and our design team to deliver an incredible building for the future home owners to make their own. The homes are all designed to allow the residents to make it their own, a place to belong and live a stylish urban life."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=136442]

Marque Rockdale sets a new standard of apartment living in Sydney's south

Plans to revitalize the&nbsp;long-established Benowa Gardens Shopping Centre into a mixed-use community combining living, shopping, dining, health and wellbeing facilities, have been proposed to the Gold Coast City Council.

The Benowa Gardens Urban Village proposal by Benowa Gardens Holdings seeks to transform the 17,660 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/203-ashmore-road-benowa-qld-4217">203 Ashmore Road</a> into a contemporary, sustainable destination that reflects global trends in modern community design while retaining the familiar local character residents value.

The site is bordered by Ashmore and Benowa Roads and Carrara, with ready access to Pindara private hospital, four schools, TAFE, sports fields and the nearby Botanic Gardens.

Benowa Gardens Holdings is seeking a preliminary Council approval only for its proposed masterplan and variations to the site’s Neighbourhood Centre zoning.&nbsp; 
Formal Public Exhibition commenced Friday and also marks the start of comprehensive community consultation with surroundings residents, schools, P&amp;Cs, existing retailers, nearby sporting clubs, arts groups and Botanic Gardens volunteers.

Designed by Neylan Architecture, the masterplan envisions around 413 new apartments, complemented by upgraded retail, dining, and wellness amenities as part of 10,000 sqm of retail, and 9,630 sqm of office space/medical suites.

The development will feature green open spaces, shaded promenades, landscaped terraces, pedestrian walkways, and expanded healthcare and lifestyle services in synergy with the neighbouring Pindara Private Hospital and local schools.

<img alt="Benowa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="244f4d54-2e67-4141-92b8-78d5735f47c2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-11-26%20at%2012.47.34%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=FmF5lzhpwVZc7POsdB770TJ_Bf2c0od8" />

“This concept embraces the way people increasingly want to live - safely, conveniently, and within strong local communities,” said Patrick Lu, Director of Benowa Gardens Holding.

“Benowa Gardens will set a new benchmark for integrated living on the Gold Coast. It’s a thoughtful, community-minded evolution that brings global best practice in urban design to one of the city’s most established areas.”

Lu said this isn’t just a redevelopment, it’s a renewal with purpose.

“Benowa Gardens has served the community for decades. Our goal is to ensure it continues to do so for generations to come, as a lively, connected Urban Village where people can truly live, work and thrive. We’re already talking to school leaders and the community to seek their feedback on our proposal, and have taken on board their ideas to improve student safety with additional “traffic calming” measures on Carrara Street. We’re conducting meaningful and sincere consultations and want to play our role in preserving and enhancing the local community."

The proposed redevelopment aims to deliver tangible benefits across the Benowa and wider Gold Coast community, including:

<ul>
	<li>Improvement of retail amenity, to capture the under-served local market demand and keep the local business at their local shopping centre.</li>
	<li>Housing diversity; offering a range of apartment types for key workers, downsizers, and local families who wish to remain in the area.</li>
	<li>Enhanced shopping and dining; revitalised retail spaces designed to support local businesses and attract more visitors.</li>
	<li>Health and wellbeing access; additional medical and wellness amenities to complement existing local facilities.</li>
	<li>Improved traffic flow and access; two new access points, upgraded intersections, upgrade pedestrian pathway’s signal and proposed upgrade of pedestrian and cycle connections/space to improve safety and convenience, especially for school children.</li>
	<li>Environmental sustainability; energy-efficient design, green rooftops, and water-sensitive landscaping to reduce emissions and enhance comfort.</li>
	<li>Local jobs and investment; supporting hundreds of construction and long-term roles while stimulating local economic growth.</li>
</ul>

The group behind the project boasts extensive experience in the property development industry, both in Australia and international markets. Over the past 23 years, the group has been involved in the development and management of a diverse portfolio of assets including residential dwellings, shopping centres, bulky-goods stores, community and medical facilities, childcare centres, offices, hotels, and taverns, across Brisbane, Ipswich, and the Gold Coast.

Benowa Gardens to become new mixed-use urban village

Demand for townhouses in Melbourne’s inner west has surged as buyers seek the elusive combination of space, affordability, and location.&nbsp;

With family-first apartments increasingly rare and standalone homes often out of reach, townhouses have emerged as the new sweet spot, delivering generous living areas with lower maintenance needs within close proximity to the Melbourne CBD.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/kings-lane-south-kingsville-50-58-new-street-south-kingsville-vic-3015">Kings Lane</a>, the new under-construction townhouse development by the family-owned developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/blue-run">Blue Run</a>&nbsp;in South Kingsville, responds directly to this trend. Comprising just 25 residences designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a>, the project offers a compelling alternative to both apartment downsizers and family upsizers. With three-bedroom homes priced under $1 million, it presents one of the area’s rare attainable pathways to townhouse living less than eight kilometres from the CBD.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145042 project_image_fid=355147]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/south-kingsville-vic-3015">South Kingsville</a> itself is quietly becoming one of Melbourne’s most dynamic pockets of urban renewal. Flanked by the established appeal of Yarraville, Newport and Williamstown, the suburb balances quiet, village-like streetscapes with major infrastructure upgrades and a growing slate of retail, dining and lifestyle amenity.&nbsp;

Kings Lane occupies a well-connected site at 50–58 New Street, just off Blackshaws Road and within walking distance of the emerging Union Quarter precinct, a major retail destination anchored by Woolworths, specialty food outlets and wellness services.

A 400-metre stroll brings residents to the Vernon Street shops, a local favourite known for its mix of independent grocers, cafes and family-run eateries. For broader shopping options, Altona Gate Shopping Centre and Yarraville Square are both within a short drive. Spotswood IGA and the Williamstown retail strip further broaden the convenience of daily essentials.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145042 project_image_fid=355139]

Dining options in the area lean toward eclectic and community-driven, with standouts like Rocco’s Deli, Dad and Dave’s, and Pizza d’ASPORTO offering a range of casual and elevated menus. Cafés such as Hudson Road Wine &amp; Beer and Blacksheep Coffee add to the lively yet local feel of the neighbourhood.

Green space is another hallmark of life at Kings Lane. Edwards Reserve is close enough for morning walks or casual sport, while larger parks like Newport Lakes, Yarraville Gardens, and Cruickshank Park are all a few minutes’ drive away. More than half of the nine-hectares of new green space or parkland being created as part of the West Gate tunnel works is located just at the end of New Street, the same street as Kings Lane.

&nbsp;

For those with school-age children, South Kingsville is home to a range of quality childcare centres and schools, including Kingsville Primary, Spotswood Primary, and Williamstown North Primary. Community Children’s childcare and South Kingsville Preschool are nearby, making the suburb particularly attractive to young families.

Transport links continue to improve, with Spotswood Station and the West Gate Freeway both within a five-minute radius. Future upgrades, including the proposed sky rail for Newport and Spotswood, and the delivery of the West Gate Tunnel project, promise even better access to the CBD and Melbourne Airport in the years to come.

Kings Lane's 25 all-electric townhouses are currently under construction, and will complete in late 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145042]

Staff Writer

Kings Lane townhouses offers rare value in Melbourne's thriving inner west

Developer-builder <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/billbergia">Billbergia</a> has set a new apartment price record for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/rhodes-nsw-2138">Rhodes</a>, a suburb the company has been instrumental in transforming over the past two decades.

The milestone follows the delivery of thousands of apartments across the harbourside peninsula, culminating in the $4.5 million sale of a 220 sqm penthouse in the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/rhodes-central-oasis-39-marquet-street-rhodes-nsw-2138">Rhodes Central Oasis</a> building, which Billbergia completed earlier this year. It is the first apartment in Rhodes to surpass not only the $4 million mark for settled sales, but also the $3 million mark, eclipsing the previous $2.75 million record set in 2021.

The purchaser had originally secured several apartments in the 40-storey tower off the plan as investments. During settlement, she spent more time in the Rhodes area and was so impressed with the building that she decided to downsize from her Northbridge home into the four-bedroom plus MPR penthouse.

The sale underscores the long-term work Billbergia has undertaken in Rhodes since the early 2000s. The company, rated 4.5 Gold Stars under the NSW iCIRT system, identifying it as one of the state’s most trustworthy and financially secure developers, was a pioneer of the area’s urban renewal. What was once a heavily industrial waterfront has become one of Sydney’s most successful examples of transit-oriented development.

<img alt="Billbergia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="56093d7f-db18-42f4-bf9b-115bdf76f5f3" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-11-26%20at%2011.10.06%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=pca77Mr.H83nwXbJexmaLUAqBewtQ7d9" />

Billbergia is now driving the peninsula’s next major evolution: the most ambitious project in its nearly four-decade history. They are planning the Rhodes Bay Masterplan, an eight-tower, mixed-use precinct on Leeds Street. Currently with the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority which is now championing large-scale projects across the state, the Rhodes Bay Masterplan lays the groundwork for a generational reshaping of this important pocket of Sydney’s Inner West.

The masterplan spans more than 31,000 sqm of amalgamated industrial land along the foreshore, land that has been privately held and inaccessible to the community for more than a century. According to Billbergia’s Development Director, Saul Moran, reclaiming this land for public use is central to the company’s vision. 
 
“What’s so exciting is that we have over 300 metres of privately-held industrialised waterfront, land that’s been locked away for more than 100 years, which we’re bringing back to the community,” he says. “It’s taken many years to assemble sites like these, and the goal now is to transform them into meaningful public space where new homes can be built in an integrated, amenity-rich setting.”

At full completion, the Rhodes Bay Masterplan is expected to deliver over 2000 apartments, with the first 1000 to be completed by 2029. Billbergia’s design focused on nine slender towers, so they could give back more to the ground plane. There will be more than 16,000sq m of new parkland and recreation space, including sports fields, a foreshore play area and waterfront green links. Around 14,600 sqm of retail is also proposed, extending the precinct’s role as a true mixed-use hub.

<img alt="Rhodes Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="240ffc41-4f26-421a-9606-5c56f6fc2d93" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-11-26%20at%2011.05.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=BkBxZr7S8CAt1vgNa8AF3zjdc3YuVh0L" />

“Density only works when it’s paired with amenity, transport and open space, and that’s what’s made Rhodes such an amazing success story,” Moran says, adding that the demographic shift Billbergia has seen over the last two decades has informed their future development pipeline in the suburb.

“Rhodes has moved from being largely an investor market to a strong owner-occupier community,” Moran says. “There’s real demand for three-bedroom homes, flexible intergenerational layouts, and apartments people can grow into.”

&nbsp;“We’re designing taller, more slender towers to free up the ground level for sport, recreation and green space. High-density communities thrive when people have the best backyards in Australia, and that’s what we want to create here.”

Demand remains robust, evidenced by Billbergia’s recent results. “We achieved a record sale across the entirety of Rhodes Central just last week,” Moran says. “It shows the depth of confidence buyers have in what’s being built here.”

Billbergia’s vertically integrated model allows them to overcome the recent cost escalation and challenges in the build environment. “Having an in-house construction team lets us control feasibility, value management and quality from day one,” Moran says. “It’s critical in the current market, where construction escalation is at the forefront of every project’s viability.”

The company is also leveraging the NSW Government’s new Housing Delivery Authority process, which Moran describes as a more efficient pathway without compromising design standards. 
 
“We’re really applauding the NSW Government for its efforts to increase housing supply. There’s been a remarkable improvement in how they’re helping deliver more homes, more quickly.”

Billbergia has already commenced construction of Stage One of the Rhodes Bay masterplan. They will be lodging the State Significant Development Application before Christmas.

“We’re moving quickly, but with due care,” Moran says. “This is a generational precinct, and it needs to be done right.”

Billbergia smashes suburb record as Rhodes transformation continues

Suburban Rail Loop

Four years after the project&#39;s inception, Victorian Environment Minister Lily D&#39;Ambrosio has endorsed an inquiry&#39;s recommendation and found the environmental effects statement for Melbourne&#39;s Suburban Rail Loop project is acceptable.

What does this mean?&nbsp; Effectively, the Suburban Rail Loop has leaped over a major planning hurdle.

It mightn&#39;t be much of a surprise given that early works are already underway, however it is a major milestone for the project.

<a href="/news/victorian-government-unveils-suburban-rail-loop-election-proposal">At the time it was revealed to the public in 2018</a> in the lead up to the&nbsp;Victorian state election of that same year, the project was spruiked as a rail line that would link all except for one of Melbourne&#39;s radial railway lines, taking cars off the road and enabling more intensive development in Melbourne&#39;s middle ring of suburbs.

&nbsp;

Alastair Taylor

Melbourne's Suburban Rail Loop EES gets the green light

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Deakin University's primary Melbourne campus in Burwood is set to be one of two stations on the Suburban Rail Loop that will be located in the City of Whitehorse.

The Burwood station along with the station to be located in the Monash NEIC are the only two stations in the first phase of the SRL that will be built in areas where there is no existing heavy rail transport.   The two university campuses are natural patronage generators with the ability to generate travel demand inside and outside traditional peaks.

According to Deakin University's statistics, in 2017, the Burwood campus had 30,000 on-campus enrolments, and in 2018 Monash University's Clayton campus had 44,000 on-campus enrolments. 

Deakin University's total staff headcount in 2017 numbered just under 5000 with approximately 2000 of them based in Burwood and Monash's total staff headcount in 2018 numbered just under 9000.  Monash University does not provide readily available staff-per-campus statistics.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/srl_burwood1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Deakin University's Burwood campus. Image: suburbanrailloop.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="324" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/srl_burwood1.png?itok=AKv3J42F" title="Deakin University's Burwood campus. Image: suburbanrailloop.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Deakin University's Burwood campus. Image: suburbanrailloop.vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure>The campus and immediate surrounds are currently served by two modes of public transport: Burwood Highway hosts the number 75 tram route from Vermont South and has three bus routes that link it to Box Hill station.

Burwood itself has seen many new residential and commercial/retail developments completed in the recent past and also has a decent pipeline of work still to come. The majority of completed and still-to-come pipeline projects are lined on either side of Burwood Highway and its tram route.

The 5 level, 39 unit <a href="/buildings/parer-apartments-137-burwood-highway-burwood">Parer Apartments</a> project is indicative of the scale of development that is present along the Burwood Highway and can be explained by the liberal application of the Residential Growth Zone, predominantly along the southern side of the Burwood Highway, and multiple Commercial Zone applications at key sites between Warrigal and Middleborough Roads.

<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" src="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/burwood-vic?embeddable=list-map" width="100%"></iframe>

When Urban interviewed the Victorian Planning Authority's CEO, Stuart Moseley, back in <a href="/guides/weekly-podcast-episode-9-special-guest-stuart-moseley-ceo-of-the-victorian-planning-authority">April 2018</a>, he spoke of each NEIC being anchored by, among others, a tertiary institution and while Deakin's Burwood campus is not contained within any flagged NEIC, the addition of a station at Deakin's campus is likely to bring the campus and immediate area into focus for expanded development.

Just to the east of the Deakin campus lies an auto-centric last-century suburban office park which in the context of a major north-south high capacity transport link soon to be built in the area will look somewhat other-worldly if nothing changes.

Clustering is the keyword and despite not being located in an NEIC, Deakin's campus could very well be at the centre of a smaller cluster of businesses working with the university, however before that could start, a new round of structure planning will likely be required.

In 2009 the City of Whitehorse adopted a framework plan for the Burwood village, located to the west of the university campus on Burwood Highway near the intersection of Warrigal Road, and no other studies or plans are currently listed on Whitehorse's <a href="https://www.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/planning-building/planning-strategies/planning-studies-and-policies">website</a> in relation to planning for the Burwood &amp; Deakin University campus area.

Previous stop: <a href="/news/suburban-rail-loop-in-focus-glen-waverley">Glen Waverley</a>

Next stop: Box Hill (coming soon)

Lead image credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deakin_University">Wikipedia</a>

<h2>Recently listed properties in Melbourne:</h2>

[smartcode_project:default project_id=22699]

[smartcode_project:default project_id=29358]

[smartcode_project:default project_id=22803]
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Suburban Rail Loop in focus: Burwood

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Maps of the Suburban Rail Loop released by the state government thus far have featured a notable kink in the line in Melbourne's east - a kink that seeks to connect the new SRL directly with the suburb of Glen Waverley.

While the localities in which SRL stations will be located have been announced, the exact location of stations will be determined in early 2020.  However, it's a safe bet in Glen Waverley's case; the underground SRL platforms will be located adjacent to or near the Glen Waverley line terminus.

When the business case for the SRL is released, Glen Waverley's station will be the only terminus the new line will interface with.  

Glen Waverley is also a major rail and bus interchange with over 10 bus routes terminating or passing through the station precinct.  Specifically, buses to and from Glen Waverley connect to suburbs further east through High Street Road and Ferntree Gully Road as well as the orbital 902 start bus other local routes which reach Glen Waverley along Springvale Road.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/srl_glen_waverley.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Glen Waverley. Image: suburbanrailloop.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/srl_glen_waverley.png?itok=Nn50TfOI" title="Glen Waverley. Image: suburbanrailloop.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Glen Waverley. Image: suburbanrailloop.vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure>Glen Waverley is home to a large retail precinct anchored by The Glen shopping centre and Century City Walk retail and hotel complex. The suburb has long since started changing from a relatively low-rise eastern suburb to an increasingly higher-density activity centre.

The area houses the Victoria Police Academy and is located midway between the Tally Ho business park to the north on the corner of Springvale Road and Burwood Highway and Brandon Park and the wider Monash NEIC to the south.

One of VicTrack's earliest experiments relating to selling surplus railway land for development is present in Glen Waverley.  The 10 level IKON tower, sitting above an entrance to Glen Waverley station, was completed in 2011 and set a height precedent for the suburb.

Since then the recently completed 15-level Galleria residential tower has had its first residents move in, and the pipeline is aflush with other larger-scale projects.

<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" src="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/glen-waverley-vic?embeddable=list-map" width="100%"></iframe>

Most projects in the pipeline are concentrated in or around the station and retail precinct and that's best explained by the liberal application of the <a href="https://planning-schemes.delwp.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/490479/monash10zn.pdf">Commercial and Residential Growth zones</a> in Glen Waverley.

In 2016, the City of Monash adopted the <a href="https://www.monash.vic.gov.au/Building-amp-Planning/Strategic-Planning/Structure-Plans/Glen-Waverley-Activity-Centre">Glen Waverley Activity Centre Structure Plan</a> which has guided the most recent projects to have been proposed and approved in the area. 

Yet the plan has its origins from an even earlier timeframe and given the Suburban Rail Loop was not on the radar when these structure plans were being devised, it would not be surprising if the City of Monash embarks on a journey of updating existing plans to enable the precinct to grow with the introduction of the SRL.

The City of Monash completed a community consultation round in mid-2019 that would aid in developing a <a href="https://www.monash.vic.gov.au/Building-Planning/Strategic-Planning/Structure-Plans/Mount-Waverley-Activity-Centre">structure plan for Mount Waverley</a>, two stations closer to the city along the Glen Waverley railway line.

The discussion paper released as part of the consultation round highlighted opportunities of consolidating retail on the western side of Stephensons Road and likewise discussed the opportunity of introducing diverse housing options, including introducing apartments above retail components in Mount Waverley village.

<ul>
<li>Previous stop: <a href="/news/suburban-rail-loop-in-focus-clayton-the-monash-neic">Clayton &amp; the Monash NEIC</a></li>
	<li>Next stop: <a href="/news/suburban-rail-loop-in-focus-burwood">Burwood &amp; Deakin University's campus</a></li>
</ul>
Lead image credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Waverley_railway_station">Wikipedia</a>
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Suburban Rail Loop in focus: Glen Waverley

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Located just over the halfway point if a crow were to fly between Melbourne's CBD and Dandenong, Clayton station is set to be the major interchange for the Suburban Rail Loop with the Pakenham and Cranbourne metro lines as well as Gippsland V/Line services.

The state government dubbed Clayton, Broadmeadows and Sunshine stations as 'super-hubs' in the context of the Suburban Rail Loop because each of the three stations would see metro and V/Line services stop to allow cross-town interchanges on the new line.  Clayton for Gippsland V/Line services, Broadmeadows for Albury and Shepparton V/Line services and Sunshine for services on the big three regional trunks to Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo.

Monash University's original and primary campus is located approximately 1-1.5 km north of the existing Clayton station and all the maps published to date suggest there will be a station at or located adjacent to Monash University.  

Monash University and the wider employment precinct located just north of Clayton station has for the past few years seen an emphasis on future structure planning, having been deemed a National Employment and Innovation Cluster (NEIC) by the <a href="https://vpa.vic.gov.au/project/monash-employment-cluster/">Victorian Planning Authority</a>.  

The Monah NEIC, with the University as its key anchor tenant, is the largest concentration jobs outside the Melbourne CBD and according to VPA data, the region already contributes $9.4 billion to the Victorian economy per annum.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/clayton_levelcrossing_removal1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Clayton has seen significant public investment in the past few years. Image: levelcrossings.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/clayton_levelcrossing_removal1.jpg?itok=9gwu7pkD" title="Clayton has seen significant public investment in the past few years. Image: levelcrossings.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Clayton has seen significant public investment in the past few years. Image: levelcrossings.vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure>Unlike Cheltenham, Glen Waverley and Box Hill, there's not a lot of existing projects we're tracking on the Urban database along the phase 1 alignment of the Suburban Rail Loop.  There have been notable exceptions in the past with some of the higher density buildings developed at Jackson Green near Centre Road and M-City projects on the Princes Highway featuring prominently in the database and in editorial.

On the VPA website, the status of the framework plan for the Monash NEIC appears to have stalled, showing the plan is still in a finalisation phase with an estimated completion of Mid-2018.  Perhaps, that might be easy to explain: the Suburban Rail Loop election policy was announced in 2018 and it naturally will affect the transport planning for the precinct.

The draft framework plan developed by the VPA was published in 2017 and it makes mention of working with the City of Monash to develop a precinct plan for Clayton within the NEIC.  That precinct plan has been developed by the City of Monash in collaboration with TRACT Consultants and a recent community consultation period was completed in September 2019.

The draft precinct plan for Clayton emphasises expanding medical and research industry activities - with the ever-present Monash Medical Centre and new Children's hospital as anchors - and the draft precinct plan sees opportunities for developing other commercial, retail and mixed-use residential sites along the Clayton Road spine.  <a href="https://www.monash.vic.gov.au/files/assets/public/about-us/council/council-meetings/2019-25-june/1.1-attachment-2-council-meeting-25-june-2019.pdf">One map in the draft</a> depicts building heights peaking near 10 levels - in particular, north of Clayton Station - and notes the liberal use of the residential growth zone already in force in the area.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/clayton_precinct_neic_context1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Major transport routes in the context of the Clayton precinct plan. Image: TRACT Consultants/City of Monash"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="706" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/clayton_precinct_neic_context1.png?itok=I9ystsL0" title="Major transport routes in the context of the Clayton precinct plan. Image: TRACT Consultants/City of Monash" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Major transport routes in the context of the Clayton precinct plan. Image: TRACT Consultants/City of Monash</figcaption></figure>VPA's Monash NEIC draft framework plan almost singles out other activity centres that will see precinct plans: Huntingdale, Springvale and Sandown Park which also involves the neighbouring councils of Greater Dandenong and Kingston.

<a href="https://www.monash.vic.gov.au/files/assets/public/about-us/council/council-meetings/2019-25-june/1.1-attachment-3-council-meeting-25-june-2019.pdf">Huntingdale's draft precinct plan</a> was devised by SJB Urban and like Clayton's precinct plan, wrapped up a community consultation period in September 2019.

Overall however, we'll have to wait to see how the VPA's framework plan may change with the addition of the Suburban Rail Loop now thrown into the mix.  Depending on what the City of Monash ultimately adopts, all the draft plans point to more intensive employment, retail and residential uses.

The existing pipeline of projects on the Urban database in the Clayton &amp; Monash University areas is limited to either lower-rise apartment buildings, townhouses or academic buildings - with the notable exceptions mentioned earlier.  

<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" src="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/clayton-vic?embeddable=list-map" width="100%"></iframe>

Previous stop: <a href="/news/suburban-rail-loop-in-focus-cheltenham">Cheltenham</a>

Next stop: <a href="/news/suburban-rail-loop-in-focus-glen-waverley">Glen Waverley</a>.
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Suburban Rail Loop in focus: Clayton & the Monash NEIC

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A question that has existed ever since the Suburban Rail Loop project was announced in the run-up to the 2018 Victorian State Election has been answered.  The Suburban Rail Loop line and system will be different from the existing Melbourne rail network, much the same way the Sydney Metro system under development in New South Wales differs from the existing Sydney trains network.

Marking the 1 year anniversary of his government, the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, announced the Suburban Rail Loop that was unveiled as a key re-election policy in 2018 will be a standalone railway, operating independently of the existing Melbourne rail network.

Operationally independent, but still integrated at the key interchange stations which will provide the interface with the new line, gives the State Government wriggle room when it comes to setting the parameters for the new infrastructure, and some of those parameters are now clearer.

On Sunday, the State Government released a media statement.

<blockquote>
The Surban Rail Loop will be built as a separate rail line, meaning it can use state-of-the-art systems from around the world without having to retrofit technology into the existing network - saving time and money

Being a dedicated line also means the design of the trains that use the line won't be constrainted by the requirements of Melbourne's hundred-year-old train network.  

As a result, the new trains will be four to five carriages long and faster than the existing fleet.

Being smaller, means they can turn up more often, and that the platforms will be shorter - reducing the distance passengers need to walk at the station each day to get on the train.
</blockquote>

It follows that with shorter platforms, the cost to build stations will be cheaper when compared to those that are currently under construction on the Melbourne Metro Tunnel project.  

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xUDydY0FXBA" width="100%"></iframe>

Pre-construction work on the first stage of the route from Cheltenham to Box Hill is underway with the government stating 14 boreholes have already been dug as part of the geotechnical investigations phase of the project.  Up to 100 will be drilled by mid-2020, according to the government media statement.

Community consultation and market engagement related activities are expected to increase next year and construction is still expected to begin by 2022.

<h2>Comment</h2>

More than 12 months on from the election and the original policy unveiling, the latest animation and statements produced by the state government still remain very high-level.

We still see a generic map that looks like more effort was put into it through the eastern and northern sides of Melbourne, yet in the west we still see the SRL running directly from Sunshine to Werribee.  

The 'we'll start the build and other governments will finish it' rhetoric is still the same and other local media are reporting that the Premier stated he would prefer the new system to have drivers (despite the fact the very parameters we now know by virtue of the statements today point to a driverless system). 

Those details are still being worked out, according to the Premier.  Sure enough, multi-millions were allocated in this year's state budget and we're promised to see the outcomes of all that work next year - where hopefully many other questions will be answered.

Regardless, the latest drip-feed does start to paint a picture of a new rail line that, on the face of it, might stretch a $50 billion figure a lot further than what some people would understandably think.  That is of course if the projected cost of the entire project is still $50 billion - we simply won't know until the business case is released and it's worth pointing out that the previously trotted-out figure was not present in Sunday's media statement.

The other thing to watch for when the business case does get released is how it will interface with other profile public transport projects - the Melbourne Airport Rail Link and the Western Rail Plan - because today didn't appear to answer any questions in that department either.

Private investment will be welcomed according to the Premier - whether that means a direct financial/ownership stake in the new rail infrastructure or developing land surrounding stations is not clear either - but it's worth taking a look at what is already present in the development pipeline for each station location.

That's going to be a focus over the next few weeks on Apartments.com.au and to kick things off, I present a map of Box Hill developments on <a href="/developments/box-hill-vic-3128">the database</a>.  It's not outside the bounds of possibility that each suburb that will see an SRL station will look like this once the SRL is under construction.

<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" src="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/box-hill-vic?embeddable=list-map" width="100%"></iframe>

Up next, a look at the pipeline and planning regimes at various phase 1 station locations: <a href="/news/suburban-rail-loop-in-focus-cheltenham">Suburban Rail Loop in focus: Cheltenham</a>
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Victorian Government says Melbourne's Suburban Rail Loop will be an operationally-independent railway

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Cheltenham, halfway along the Frankston line, one of Melbourne's longest on the existing network, a mountain of public investment has been mobilised to <a href="/news/designs-unveiled-for-mentone-and-cheltenham-stations-with-work-set-to-commence-mid-year">rebuild a station and remove two level crossings</a>. Likewise, the gravy train of public investment won't be stopping after the level crossings are removed because Cheltenham will be the eastern (or southern, depending on which way you look at the map) terminus for the Suburban Rail Loop.

The level crossing removal program is no stranger to Apartments.com.au's pages and nor is it a stranger to most Melburnians. While I accept that a level crossing removal project is most noteworthy to its respective local community, seeing where the investment is driving change is noteworthy, especially in Cheltenham's case.

Over the weekend, the Premier and Minister for Transport Infrastructure announced the Suburban Rail Loop - already flagged as terminating in the Cheltenham area over a year ago - will be an independent railway line, operating separately from the existing network but integrating with it at key interchange stations.

For the Frankston line, Cheltenham was announced back in September 2019 for the location of the new Suburban Rail Loop station its set to expand on construction work now underway in Cheltenham will result in a new station for the Frankston line sunk below the grade of the existing station. 

<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" src="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/cheltenham-vic?embeddable=list-map" width="100%"></iframe>

Cheltenham has a healthy pipeline of projects with the Urban database currently showing 28 across the entire suburb.  The majority of the projects in the pipeline are located between the Nepean Highway and the Frankston Railway line, either side of Park Road (which along with Charman Road will be removed as part of the level crossing removals underway).

Approximately half of the projects in the pipeline are located within a 500-metre walk of Cheltenham station.

Public Transport on this scale is the exact kind that goes hand in hand with accelerating the modal shift from cars as well as providing high-quality transport for people who would seek a lifestyle away from the automotive grind by living in higher-density precincts.

The municipality governing Cheltenham, the City of Kingston, already has planning mechanisms in place that have allowed the current crop of recently built and pipeline projects to proceed. Similarly, the council has shown its willingness to update plans.

In January 2018, the City of Kingston adopted a review into its <a href="https://www.kingston.vic.gov.au/Places-and-Events/Shopping-Villages/Cheltenham-Urban-Shopping-Village/Cheltenham-Structure-Plan">Cheltenham Structure Plan</a> which was first adopted back in 2010.  The original structure plan was devised within the policy context of Melbourne 2030 and Melbourne @ 5 Million and the findings translated into the Kingston Planning Scheme through the introduction of an Activity Centre Zone, which remains in place.

It's worth noting the January 2018 review was conducted before the State Government unveiled its Suburban Rail Loop election policy and the review only takes into account the change that will occur through the level crossing removal program.

Exact station locations for the entire Suburban Rail Loop are still to be determined - the State Government announced over the weekend that consultation will ramp up in early 2020 - however it's not outside the realms of possibility that the City of Kingston, by virtue of the Suburban Rail Loop scheduled to terminate and transport a lot more people into its own front yard, might revisit the Cheltenham structure plan once again in the next few years.

Next stop: <a href="/news/suburban-rail-loop-in-focus-clayton-the-monash-neic">Clayton &amp; the Monash NEIC</a>.

Lead image: Southbay
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Suburban Rail Loop in focus: Cheltenham

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<h2>Comment</h2>

In 2015, the first new railway line to be built in Melbourne in many decades opened to passengers. Known as the Regional Rail Link, the project sought to begin separating metropolitan and regional services, giving trains to Victoria's regional cities their own set of tracks all the way into Southern Cross station.

A new track pair was built between Southern Cross and Sunshine station which included a new bridge over the Maribyrnong River, a flyover to separate regional and Werribee/Williamstown line metropolitan services and Footscray and Sunshine stations saw major works with the addition of two new platforms.  

The new track railway corridor from Deer Park to West Werribee was built through rural properties and, at the time, fledging development occurring around Tarneit, Truganina and Wyndham Vale.

Fast forward to today and patronage has boomed on the Geelong line, mostly due to the stations built on the new railway corridor that attract passengers from the newly built suburbs.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/geelong_line_patronage_boom1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Geelong Line patronage has boomed thanks to suburban passengers at Tarneit and Wyndham Vale. Image: bigbuild.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="459" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/geelong_line_patronage_boom1.png?itok=t853WqKV" title="Geelong Line patronage has boomed thanks to suburban passengers at Tarneit and Wyndham Vale. Image: bigbuild.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Geelong Line patronage has boomed thanks to suburban passengers at Tarneit and Wyndham Vale. Image: bigbuild.vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure>Last year's state election saw the ALP release a policy - the Western Rail Plan - one month out from the election to invest even more money into more heavy rail public transport services for the west that would achieve two goals: separating regional and metropolitan services further through the growth areas and speeding up services to Geelong and Ballarat.

In 2019's state budget, $100 million was set aside for the business case/reference design.  This work is underway in parallel with the business case for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link which will be released in 2020.

Published documents on the Victorian Government's Big Build <a href="https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/333705/Western-Rail-Plan.pdf">website</a> highlight the complex inter-relations with the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, Suburban Rail Loop and Western Rail Plan and recent reporting elsewhere indicates stakeholders are debating whether to build an enabling component for the wholesale upgrade of railways in Western Melbourne.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/western-rail-plan_pdf.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Heavy rail public transport projects in Melbourne. Image: bigbuild.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="356" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/western-rail-plan_pdf.png?itok=u_UcMIIH" title="Heavy rail public transport projects in Melbourne. Image: bigbuild.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Heavy rail public transport projects in Melbourne. Image: bigbuild.vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure>The bone of contention - or more to the point: the one certain stakeholders want to debate through mainstream media - is the extra track pair labeled "New Sunshine to CBD access" in the map above.

Melbourne Airport Rail Link and faster trains to Geelong and Ballarat have an emphasis on speed, making journeys as quick as possible.  The Western Rail Plan has an emphasis on new, targetted services that will, like the Airport Link and less so the faster regional services, require more track to access the city.

The Geelong line's patronage figures since the opening of the Regional Rail Link have been boosted, fundamentally, by Melbourne Metropolitan commuters in outer Western Melbourne.  The Western Rail Plan seeks to shift those outer suburban passengers on to train services that are more appropriate: metropolitan services.

With those broad parameters in mind, it's been speculated that a tunnel from Sunshine to the city is the best solution to enable fast journeys to the regions and the airport while existing track - the regional rail track pair and the existing Sunbury line - then have room for expansion. For instance, the new Melton and Wyndham Vale services could possibly share the existing regional rail track pair with Bendigo V/Line services while Geelong, Ballarat and airport services use the new tunnel.

One can understand the desire to explore other options - like not building a tunnel and running more services on the existing track pairs - however we need only look to the Regional Rail Link and how it struggles to deal with outer suburban patronage growth.  Cool heads need to think clearly the long-term and what impact not building a tunnel will do to a metropolitan area whose centre of population is moving westward.

<a href="/news/an-overview-of-western-melbourne-precinct-structure-plans">On Monday we look</a> at the greenfields areas in Western Melbourne that will drive patronage growth.
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Western Melbourne's complex rail plan needs to be done right

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<h2>Comment</h2>

The Victorian Government, freshly re-elected a year ago for another term, has a very large program of public transport projects that will impact on various suburban centres over the next few decades. 

Arden, Sunshine and Box Hill are three suburbs developers, property buyers and renters should keep an eye on.

The redevelopment of Arden will centre around a public transport project already under construction (Melbourne Metro) and Sunshine and Box Hill, based on publicly available information, will attract intense focus from projects that have their respective business cases underway (Melbourne Airport Rail Link and the Suburban Rail Loop).

The Melbourne Metro project that was initiated during the first term has recently entered the primary tunneling phase with two of four tunnel boring machines now working their way westward under the city.  The launching pad for the first two TBMs is located at the site of the future North Melbourne (née Arden) station, an area where the state government is a major landholder and one the state government has expressed an interest in 'doing things differently'.

In 2018 the Victorian Planning Authority released the <a href="https://vpa.vic.gov.au/project/arden/">Arden Vision</a> which outlines how the "Victorian Government and the city of Melbourne are committed to preparing in partnership land use and transport planning frameworks to coordinate and guide planning to 2050".

According to the vision document, North Melbourne station will open in 2025 and major development of the land surrounding the new station will begin shortly thereafter.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/arden_vision_2018.png" rel="gallery-all" title="The Arden Vision. Image Vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="409" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/arden_vision_2018.png?itok=kC-25X3b" title="The Arden Vision. Image Vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Arden Vision. Image Vic.gov.au</figcaption></figure>Apart from the ongoing level crossing removal program, all other major public transport projects that are likely to leave an impact on land surrounding new stations are in various stages of planning and design.

Extending the Frankston railway line to Baxter has a business case under development expected to be completed by 2019.  Construction to duplicate the Cranbourne line will begin in 2021 with completion scheduled for 2023; the state government has also said this project is required before work can get underway to extend the Cranbourne line to Clyde.

The Melbourne Airport Rail Link, the Suburban Rail Loop, the Western Rail Plan and initiatives to speed up trains to Geelong and Ballarat are four inter-related projects that have all been appropriated funds from the state budget that will see reference designs and business cases completed over the next 12-18 months.

<h2>All railways lead to Sunshine</h2>

We've said it before, and we're saying it again - cast your gaze westward to Sunshine.  Excluding central Melbourne, no other suburb in metropolitan Melbourne will see as much intensive new rail infrastructure and services in the foreseeable future.

The Regional Rail Link project from a decade ago routed connections to Victoria's second, third and fourth-largest cities through Sunshine and the Western Rail Plan looks set to expand on regional and metropolitan rail separation possibly through the quadruplication and (partial) electrification of railways between Sunshine and Deer Park, Deer Park to Wyndham Vale and Deer Park to Melton.

The Melbourne Airport Rail Link had its route confirmed via Sunshine and what's known as the 'Albion corridor' (the stretch of railway used primarily for freight between Albion station and Broadmeadows station) and Sunshine likewise appears on maps for the Suburban Rail Loop.

<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" src="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/sunshine-vic?embeddable=list-map" width="100%"></iframe>

If the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, Suburban Rail Loop, Western Rail Plan and higher-speed trains to Geelong and Ballarat proceed - whether all at the same time or in a sequential fashion - Sunshine will have the best suburban connectivity to other parts of the metropolitan area and regional Victoria.

<h2>Box Hill is already flying high</h2>

Box Hill has always garnered our interest.  The railway lines that run through Box Hill on their way to the city are unlike other major corridors like Dandenong and Sunshine because there will be minimal greenfields development within the Lilydale and Belgrave branch catchments.

In short, the only population growth throughout the whole eastern corridor can only be catered for through higher-density development.  And the numbers speak for themselves.

Box Hill has at least 35 projects contained within a 1 square kilometre grid centred around the Box Hill station and Box Hill Central shopping centre.  Further up the line at Ringwood, where both Lilydale and Belgrave lines converge to provide a very high frequency of service all the way through the inner and middle rings of eastern Melbourne, has at least <a href="/developments/ringwood-vic-3134">19 high-density projects</a> in the pipeline.

<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" src="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/box-hill-vic?embeddable=list-map" width="100%"></iframe>

The Victorian Premier has already publicly announced the Suburban Rail Loop, despite its business case and reference design currently underway, will be split in two phases through the east and north of the metropolitan area.  The first phase will run from Cheltenham on the Frankston line to Box Hill, servicing Clayton, Monash University and employment precinct, Glen Waverley and Deakin University located just south of Box Hill.

The second phase of the Suburban Rail Loop extending from Box Hill to Tullamarine Airport would then create a major node, accessible to and from the north, south, east and west via heavy rail, in an area that already has a large concentration of jobs and retail activity and an area that already supports major increases in residential density.

We'll be watching the release of each public transport business case with great interest.

Lead image credit: metrotunnel.vic.gov.au
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Arden, Sunshine and Box Hill: three Melbourne suburbs to watch 

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Terry Rawnsley, principal &amp; partner at SGS Economics &amp; Planning, has completed an analysis that looks at the number of people living, working or undertaking tertiary education near the stations identified in the Andrews Government's proposed Suburban Rail Loop.

The report highlights how significant land-use planning work will be required - particularly along the route's northern flank - and on top of looking at the current state of play, SGS's report also flags certain geographical constraints the route of the Suburban Rail Loop may run into.

The title and question posed in the SGS report -  Will the $50 billion Suburban Rail Loop shape the Melbourne we want? - explains how 'city-shaping' projects can be justified and contrasts two viewpoints: the city we want versus the traditional predict and provide approach to transport planning.

<blockquote>
Major transport projects, like the Suburban Rail Loop, have the potential to reshape the pattern of city development and substantially shift the way businesses and households make choices about location.

What makes a city-shaping project? Generally speaking, a project needs to redefine land markets, housing markets and labour markets to be considered a city shaper. Over the past 25 years, city-shaping projects have played a crucial role in Melbourne’s transformation into a leading knowledge-intensive economy.

City-shaping projects are a powerful and, perhaps, the pre-eminent policy lever for determining city structure. Land use regulation through planning schemes and the like are more likely to play a supplementary role in managing urban development. Which means that city-shaping projects should be considered within the context of a preferred urban structure, that is, ‘creating the sort of city we want’ as opposed to following the more conventional ‘predict and provide’ philosophy where transport investment merely responds to demonstrated demand.
</blockquote>

Using a 2km buffer around each of the stations identified, SGS calculated that if the Suburban Rail Loop were in operation today, 270,600 jobs, 416,100 residents, 212,300 workers and 112,600 higher education students live/work/study in those catchments.

They're meaty set of numbers and the report breaks the SRL line in to three segments - South-East (<a href="/new-apartments/cheltenham-vic-3192">Cheltenham</a> to <a href="/new-apartments/box-hill-vic-3128">Box Hill</a>), North-East (Box Hill to the Airport), Western (Airport to <a href="/developments/werribee-vic-3030">Werribee</a>) - and through the analysis, SGS identified the South-East section as having over three quarters of the high-ed enrolments and half of all the jobs, population and workers for the entire line.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/sgs_srl_analysis_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Breakdown of population, jobs, workers and enrolled students around the Suburban Rail Loop - image: SGS Economics &amp; Planning"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="235" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/sgs_srl_analysis_1.jpg?itok=COSnJ3So" title="Breakdown of population, jobs, workers and enrolled students around the Suburban Rail Loop - image: SGS Economics &amp; Planning" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Breakdown of population, jobs, workers and enrolled students around the Suburban Rail Loop - image: SGS Economics &amp; Planning</figcaption></figure>In the North-Eastern section between Box Hill and the Airport, the report highlights possible geographical challenges for the route, specifically between Box Hill and <a href="/new-apartments/doncaster-vic-3108">Doncaster</a> as well as crossing the Yarra River between Doncaster and <a href="/new-apartments/heidelberg-vic-3084">Heidelberg</a>.

At street level, Box Hill station sits approximately 95m above sea level, Doncaster at 110m (the corner of Doncaster and Manningham Roads) but between the two points, the Eastern Freeway in the Koonung Creek Valley rests at 54m.  This suggests the station at Doncaster, if the entire route will be underground, will be very deep, unless a rail system that can handle 3-4% grades is ultimately chosen &amp; implemented to run the services.

SGS's report notes that the North-Eastern section has half the jobs and higher-education enrolments compared to the South-East section and singles out <a href="/new-townhouses/reservoir-vic-3073">Reservoir</a> and <a href="/developments/fawkner-vic-3060">Fawkner</a> as areas that require catalyst projects to maximise the land-use benefits around those two identified station interchanges.

The report also raises the question of whether the Monash NEIC on the South-East section should include two stations - one at the University campus and another near Ferntree Gully Road - in order to better serve the area.

A comparison is drawn between the South-East section of the Suburban Rail Loop and Sydney's Epping-Chatswood line which opened in 2009 and with stations at <a href="/new-apartments/epping-vic-3076">Epping</a>, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, North Ryde and <a href="/new-apartments/chatswood-nsw-2067">Chatswood</a>.  This tunnel is to be converted from mainline trains to the exclusive use of the first phase of Sydney Metro.

The reference to the Epping-Chatswood line is poignant as the report notes the patronage for the soon-to-be-converted line was running at 250% above the predicted patronage and it has similar characteristics to the South-East section of the Suburban Rail Loop - connecting universities (Macquarie versus Monash &amp; Deakin), major job nodes (Chatswood, North Ryde and Macquarie Park versus Monash NEIC, <a href="/new-apartments/clayton-vic-3168">Clayton</a>, <a href="/new-apartments/cheltenham-vic-3192">Cheltenham</a> and Box Hill) and emerging high-density residential precincts (Chatswood, Epping versus Box Hill &amp; <a href="/new-apartments/glen-waverley-vic-3150">Glen Waverley</a>).

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/sgs_srl_analysis_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Entries/Exits at Epping-Chatswood line stations - image SGS Economics &amp; Planning"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="464" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/sgs_srl_analysis_2.jpg?itok=JeqSB9Av" title="Entries/Exits at Epping-Chatswood line stations - image SGS Economics &amp; Planning" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Entries/Exits at Epping-Chatswood line stations - image SGS Economics &amp; Planning</figcaption></figure>For more information on the Suburban Rail Loop see the updated Strategic Assessment documents on <a href="https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/328901/Suburban-Rail-Loop-Strategic-Assessment-.pdf">bigbuild.vic.gov.au</a>

To read the SGS report, click <a href="https://www.sgsep.com.au/news/latest-news/will-50b-suburban-rail-loop-shape-melbourne-we-want">here</a>.
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SGS Economics asks: will the Suburban Rail Loop shape the Melbourne we want?

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I'm back from annual leave, and this week I sit down with Laurence to talk shop about all the Victorian Government's transport projects that were making headlines across August and September.  

This includes the Suburban Rail Loop, the AirRail Melbourne market-led proposal and of course, Melbourne Metro 2.

Please note, the podcast was recorded on the 20th of September.  As always subscribe to our weekly podcast through your favourite podcast app.

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