Community Opposition to Development: Both Sides Explained

Plans for a 180-unit apartment block at the corner of Somerton Road and Roxburgh Drive have drawn formal objections from 87 local households since the application went on display in May.

The proposal arrives as Roxburgh Park records its strongest population growth in five years, with the 2025 census showing 4,812 new residents in the suburb and average house prices reaching $712,000 in the first quarter of this year.

Objectors cite traffic pressure on Somerton Road and loss of open space at the adjacent Roxburgh Park Recreation Reserve. The Roxburgh Park Residents Association has collected signatures outside the Roxburgh Park Shopping Centre each weekend since early June. Supporters point to the need for more rental stock near the new bus interchange on Evans Street and the promised $2.4 million upgrade to footpaths along Roxburgh Drive that the developer has offered to fund.

Residents cite traffic and green space

Association secretary Lisa Tran said the site currently provides informal parking for weekend sports at the reserve and that adding 180 dwellings would push peak-hour queues at the Somerton Road lights beyond the 12-minute average recorded by council sensors last month. Parents at Roxburgh Park Primary School have also lodged letters noting that the extra vehicles would pass the school drop-off zone on Roxburgh Drive between 8:15 and 8:45 each morning.

Developer highlights housing supply and upgrades

The applicant, Roxburgh Developments Pty Ltd, states the project will include 45 affordable units and a ground-floor supermarket that could open by late 2028. Company documents lodged with the council show the development would contribute $1.1 million toward a new playground at the reserve and widen the Somerton Road footpath to 3.5 metres. A traffic assessment submitted with the application projects only a 6 per cent increase in morning peak traffic on the affected stretch of Somerton Road.

The planning committee meets at Roxburgh Park Civic Centre on July 15. Residents can register to speak until 5 pm on July 12 by emailing the council’s planning department or by attending the information session scheduled at the Roxburgh Park Library on July 10 from 6:30 pm.

This article is general information only and is not personal financial or investment advice. Consider your own circumstances and seek licensed professional advice before making financial decisions.