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Broadmeadows Structure Plan Demands Transport Upgrades to Handle Regional Growth
Officials outline measures to deliver high accessibility through transport networks as growth pressures mount.
How we reported this
The Broadmeadows Structure Plan identifies transport and access improvements as essential to handling expected population increases while keeping the area from facing the same congestion problems seen closer to central Melbourne.
The document, released by the Victorian Government Department of Planning and Community Development in May 2012, sets out why early planning matters. Melbourne has grown rapidly in recent years, and Broadmeadows has been designated a Central Activities Area expected to take on functions such as significant jobs, commercial services and housing that would otherwise add pressure on the central business district.
Transport networks at the centre of the vision
Under Theme 5 of the plan, officials stress the need for high levels of regional and local accessibility through transport and open space networks. This forms one of six key themes that together aim to turn Broadmeadows into a mini-CBD with vibrant centres of community activity and public services. The plan notes that without coordinated transport upgrades, continued outward growth in housing and employment will become unsustainable.
The structure plan establishes strategic policy directions for inclusion in the Hume Planning Scheme along with detailed provisions on land use, character and scale of new development. It links transport improvements directly to other goals, including enterprise and retail activity, housing supply, community facilities and open space.
Implementation and review process
Section 4 of the plan sets out monitoring and review arrangements plus next steps for turning the vision into action. Officials state that the framework will guide government decisions on further investment in services and infrastructure across the activities area.
Residents and businesses can access the full document in PDF or Word format through the planning4broadmeadows website, and the Broadmeadows Project Team remains available on (03) 9205 2200 for enquiries about how the transport elements will be progressed.