Select a precinct below to read more about the project.
What is happening in Arden?
The Arden urban renewal project will revitalise industrial areas of North Melbourne over 30 years, creating exciting neighbourhoods for people to live, work and visit.
Where is Arden?
Arden is located just over two kilometres north-west of Melbourne’s CBD and within a walking and cycling distance from the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct. Its location will facilitate the continued expansion of Victoria’s world leading biomedical research capability and growth of the CBD.
What kind of jobs will be created for Arden and how many?
The Victorian Government has committed to driving the transformation of Arden into a world-class innovation precinct, expected to accommodate 20,000 residents and 34,000 jobs.
Jobs will be created across the life of the Arden Precinct development. These include bio-medical, health sciences and education employment as new industries and businesses invest into the precinct as well as construction jobs resulting from development of new infrastructure and neighbourhoods.
Will there be housing?
The Victorian Government has committed to driving the transformation of Arden into a world-class innovation precinct, expected to accommodate 20,000 residents.
Arden will facilitate a mix of land uses to create an employment focused and amenity rich mixed use innovation precinct, showcasing quality and affordable housing and workspaces, a proposed government primary school, commercial uses and adaptable community facilities.
Will there be a train station?
Arden will provide a high level of public transport provision – including the new Arden station set to open in 2025 – as well as excellent pedestrian and cycling facilities, will make for easy connections to and through the area.
Arden will facilitate a generous and integrated network of public open spaces throughout the precinct to support the needs of workers, residents and visitors.
Arden Parkville Hospital Consolidation
What does the hospital consolidation in Parkville mean for the Arden Precinct?
The Victorian Government is committed to fast tracking delivery of housing in Arden. Arden’s proximity to high quality jobs and education in Parkville and central Melbourne make it the ideal location for quality and affordable housing options. A market process will commence shortly.
Parkville and Arden remain complementary neighbourhoods and further links will be strengthened within both industry and community by the strong transport links.
Will development in Arden proceed if there is no Hospital in Arden?
The Victorian Government is committed to fast tracking delivery of housing in Arden. Arden’s proximity to high quality jobs and education in Parkville and central Melbourne make it the ideal location for quality and affordable housing options.
A market process will commence shortly to identify a commercial partner to deliver quality and affordable housing in Arden. We want to see housing delivered to support a diverse resident population and key workers, through affordable build-to-rent, build-to-sell, shared equity and key worker housing options.
Without the Arden Hospital will Arden still be a biomedical precinct?
Arden and Parkville are complementary Precincts connected by strong transport links. Living and working across Arden Parkville will be strengthened by housing delivery in the short term and sector opportunities as the Precinct matures.
Identifying a commercial partner to deliver development in Arden allows for us to get on with delivering housing while supporting sector investment over time.
Will there be fewer jobs in Arden?
Arden is almost 45 hectares in central Melbourne ready for urban renewal. Job and population projects have been based on planning that considers the Precinct proximity to Parkville and central Melbourne.
Identifying a commercial partner to delivery development in Arden allows for us to get on with delivering housing while supporting sector investment over time.
Is the hospital being consolidated in Parkville due to flood risk?
The consolidation of the Parkville Arden Project is an opportunity for the State to efficiently deliver improved health outcomes for the Victorian Community. At the same time, this creates opportunities to fast track housing delivery in Arden without the complexity of multiple construction sites.
Adapting to risks associated with climate change is a challenge across Victoria. Arden is an opportunity to apply innovation in building design and construction to deliver infrastructure that meets the needs of future communities.
The Plans for Arden
What is the Arden Structure Plan?
The Arden Structure Plan sets the future direction for Arden over the next 30 + years. It translates the eight key directions of the Arden Vision into 31 objectives supported by 109 strategies for implementation.
The Arden Structure Plan covers themes such as urban character, sustainability, transport, water, open space and community facilities and is implemented through the approved planning scheme amendment.
It is the outcome of significant community consultation and review by an independent advisory committee.
What changes can be expected in Arden overtime?
The Arden Structure Plan outlines how the precinct will transform into an employment and innovation precinct and a thriving new neighbourhood centred around the new Arden Station.
It includes strategies and objectives to guide the key directions for Arden’s renewal:
- Transforming Arden into a landmark destination
- Designing a distinctive place
- Embedding sustainable change
- Accommodating diverse communities
- Prioritising active transport
- Investing in community infrastructure
- Celebrating water
- Creating diverse open spaces
I live or work in the precinct-what does this mean for me?
Arden’s transformation will be gradual and is expected to occur over decades as the precinct changes from a predominantly industrial precinct to a thriving residential, employment, innovation and community hub. Depending on your relationship to the precinct, you will be affected by this change in different ways.
If you are a current business owner within the Arden precinct, the Department of Transport and Planning will be able to provide advice about the next steps for you.
If you are a resident within the Arden precinct or in neighbouring suburbs, this planning will gradually change the area you live in over a long period of time.
Construction impacts caused by building and development will only commence once the planning permit approvals process for various developments has occurred.
Understanding planning controls
What does the approval of the Planning Scheme Amendment C407 allow for?
The planning scheme amendment translates the Arden Structure Planinto planning controls to ensure future development in Arden contributes to the vision for the precinct. These controls include meeting high quality design standards and setting a number of targets to ensure the character and vision for the precinct is delivered.
The amendment rezones the land in Arden to the Special Use Zone to guide land uses and development outcomes in the precinct.
The VPA prepared Amendment C407 to the Melbourne Planning Scheme to guide how Arden will develop over the next 30+ years.
The Standing Advisory Committee (SAC) Report released in May 2022 proposed a number of recommendations. What changes have been made as a result?
The Victorian Government adjusted the final planning scheme amendment to adopt 21 recommendations in full or in part. These plans have been approved and gazetted by the Minister for Planning.
How is heritage and neighbourhood character protected?
The planning controls require development in Arden to fit the character and vision for Arden’s four distinct sub-precincts. They also ensure building heights in sensitive areas are appropriate and transition to the scale of the existing neighbourhood.
Existing heritage controls will protect heritage buildings throughout the precinct, which will offer opportunities for sensitively designed adaptive reuse of these spaces so that they continue to offer value to the future local identity.
What mechanisms do you have in place to ensure its buildings and urban design contribute to high quality streets and open spaces?
The final Planning Scheme Amendment uses the most robust controls available within the Victoria Planning Provisions, which will safeguard and realise the Arden Vision.
Mandatory controls have been applied in sensitive locations including near the existing North Melbourne neighbourhood and key public open space areas to protect them from overshadowing at important times of day.
The building heights range from low to mid rise development (up to 15 storeys) to transition from the lower heights of North Melbourne, stepping up to high rise (16 storeys and taller) where appropriate. The tallest buildings (up to 40 storeys) are placed along the rail corridor and CityLink.
Built form controls include street wall height limits and setbacks from both the street and neighbouring sites. They also encourage laneways and through block links for larger blocks to encourage walkability.
Funding and delivering Arden
What is the expected timing of development?
Arden’s transformation will take place over 30 years, as the precinct changes from a predominantly industrial precinct to a high-density residential, employment, innovation and community hub. Building and development associated with the amendment will only commence once the planning permit approval process for various developments has occurred.
How will the precinct be funded?
The funding and delivery of community infrastructure to support a dynamic and major urban precinct is complex.
The Arden Development Contributions Plan provides a framework for the funding and delivery of over $350 million of critical community infrastructure to support the future Arden community.
The Victorian Government’s commitment from the 2022/23 State Budget will allow the government to progress with its development and delivery work to continue within the Arden Precinct and enable critical precinct planning activities to take place.
The Victorian Government has heavily invested in the precinct with new city-shaping projects, including the new Arden Station as part of the Metro Tunnel Project.
When will the new Arden Station be open?
The new Arden Station will open to passengers in 2025 and has been designed to include welcoming public spaces, including a café with outdoor dining terraces, public seating and landscaping.
Will land be acquired to deliver new streets, facilities and infrastructure?
The Victorian Government is working hard to deliver the Arden Precinct with as little impact to existing businesses as possible as we transform what is currently an industrial site into a thriving residential, employment, innovation and community hub.
The Planning Scheme Amendment C407 includes a Public Acquisition Overlay to be applied to a small number of landholdings necessary for essential flood management works including drainage, to create the proposed street network, provide open space, and other critical public infrastructure works.
The Department of Transport is working closely with businesses / organisations required to relocate and we endeavour to facilitate and support them throughout this process to minimise impacts on business operations where possible.
When will new parks and community facilities be provided?
New community spaces and parklands are expected to be delivered in 2025 to support the opening of the new Arden Station.
How will new infrastructure, open spaces and community facilities be funded?
The Arden Development Contributions Plan provides a framework for the funding and delivery of over $350 million of critical community infrastructure to support the future Arden community.
How much social and affordable housing will be built?
Developers will be encouraged to provide at least six percent affordable housing within residential developments. In addition, the Department of Transport is working to maximise the provision of social, affordable and key worker housing on government land, which is expected to exceed the 6per cent provision included within Victoria’s planning provisions.
What consultation has been done?
Our plans for Arden have been shaped by the insights and priorities of the Arden community.
The Victorian Government engaged the community on the Draft Arden Vision & Framework in 2016, on the Draft Arden Structure Plan in 2020 and on the draft planning scheme amendment in 2021.
The draft planning scheme amendment was also referred an independent Standing Advisory Committee, which provided all submitters the opportunity to be heard through public hearings in 2022.
Why is Sunshine Station referred to as a transport superhub?
The 90-kilometre Suburban Rail Loop will connect the west to the rest of Melbourne and regional Victoria.
The loop will include three new transport superhubs at Sunshine, Clayton, and Broadmeadows which act as convenient interchanges with existing rail services, cycling and buses.
The Sunshine transport superhub will be developed through a series of investments and development phases, including:
- Melbourne Airport Rail, which will deliver upgrades to Sunshine Station and connection to the airport and Metro Tunnel
- Western Rail Plan, which will deliver upgrades and improved connections to metropolitan and regional centres
- Public and private development within the Sunshine Precinct, which supports community benefit and employment, housing and population growth.
How is the precinct connected to Melbourne Airport Rail and other major transport infrastructure projects?
The Sunshine Precinct will maximise the Victorian Government’s investment in Melbourne Airport Rail, Western Rail Plan and Suburban Rail Loop to drive the transformation of Sunshine to become a thriving hub and the centre of the west.
What area does the Sunshine Precinct include?
The precinct includes land within approximately 1.6 kilometres from Sunshine and Albion train stations.
Sunshine Precinct is made up of three distinct areas: Sunshine Station, Sunshine CBD and Albion Quarter.
How has local community been involved in the development of the Sunshine Station Masterplan?
The Masterplan has been informed by extensive community and stakeholder feedback.
We have conducted two rounds of community consultation to gather feedback around what the project principles should be, and what the priorities are for the project.
What we heard during each round of engagement has been considered in the Masterplan’s development. View the engagement summaries on the Engage Victoria website.
How will the Sunshine Station Masterplan help people who want to walk or cycle in the area?
Bike riding and walking is central to a sustainable, safe and connected transport network. It’s important for everyone in our community to access and enjoy our streets. That means joining up the missing links in our neighbourhood networks with more paths, crossings, and safe bicycle lanes.
The Masterplan repurposes the northern spur of Hampshire Road bridge as a route for walking and cycling between Sun Crescent and Hampshire Road and fill a key missing link in the active transport network and connection over the barrier of the railway lines. The route offers an alternative crossing to the existing northern concourse of Sunshine Station. The main bridge will remain in place as a connection for buses and general traffic.
Does the Sunshine Station Masterplan include climate resilience initiatives?
The Masterplan includes a series of new and improved open spaces and street greening with increased tree canopy cover, helping to improve the local amenity by creating places for rest and play, providing ecological benefits and helping to create attractive and shaded streets and spaces.
The Department of Transport and Planning is a partner of the Greening the West and is working towards a greener, healthier future. Along with planting more trees, we’ll look at the best solutions for each stage of the specific projects listed in the Masterplan. This will include Water Sensitive Urban Design and Environmentally Sustainable Design principles, and planning for zero carbon solutions for vehicles.
How will road traffic be impacted by changes from the Sunshine Station Masterplan?
The main change to local traffic will be that vehicles will no longer be able to drive over the northern section of Hampshire Road bridge, as it transforms into a walking and cycling bridge.
Vehicles, including buses, will still be able to cross on the southern section of the bridge, and the Masterplan includes the option to make Dickson Street open to two-way traffic to connect back to Harvester Road.
Introduction of traffic signals at either end of the bridge will improve safety and traffic flow.
How are you addressing barriers to accessibility?
Our aim is to provide a safe transport network for all users.
The Masterplan creates new station entries and facilities on both sides of the station to ensure a more accessible and attractive station and improve wayfinding, with clear sight lines from existing and proposed streets to station entries.
The reconfiguration of the road infrastructure, the additional pedestrian and cyclist crossings, the relocation of the bus interchange, and safer speed limits are just some of the projects with a focus on safety that are included in the Masterplan.
How are you addressing barriers to accessibility?
We want the whole Sunshine Precinct to have an inclusive transport network and the precinct’s key destinations to present safe, accessible and enjoyable places for everyone to use and spend time.
The Masterplan outlines improvements to walking and cycling paths as well as an increase in the number of pedestrian/cyclist crossings connecting to the station and new bus interchange.
Access to Sunshine Station will be Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant with the changes through the Melbourne Airport Rail project, including the Masterplan.
The Spurline, which will prioritise part of Hampshire Road bridge to walking and cycling access, is unlikely to be fully DDA compliant due to the constraints of repurposing an existing physical structure built in the 1960s. The Spurline will however be designed with Universal Access principles to ensure the greatest amount of accessibility within the infrastructure constraints.
Space for a fully accessible toilet facility (Changing Places) is provided on the eastern side of the station.
Does the Masterplan impact car parking at the station?
Our goal is to create the planning environment which will enable you to have everything you need in your day-to-day life to live, work and play within a 20-minute walk, ride or public transport ride from your home.
While reducing the use and impact of private vehicles is a long-term goal for the Masterplan, it is to be expected that development on some current car parking sites will take place over a number of years. As such, some of the sites which ultimately show development in its final built out state will remain car parking for the foreseeable future.
A level of flexibility is required to find the best solutions to future car parking needs, which will be informed by a future parking strategy for Sunshine and during the detailed design stages as specific projects are delivered.
How are Melbourne Airport Rail works at Sunshine Station related to the Masterplan?
Melbourne Airport Rail (MAR) is a transformational public transport project connecting Melbourne Airport to Victoria’s regional and metropolitan train network for the first time. It will deliver major improvements to Sunshine Station and result in the station almost doubling in size.
The Masterplan builds on the MAR scope at Sunshine Station, looking holistically at the station, its surrounding area, and plans for the places and spaces around the station to guide a well-planned and cohesive neighbourhood that can develop over time.
For more information on Melbourne Airport Rail and for regular updates visit airportrail.vic.gov.au
What is a Masterplan?
A Masterplan is a long-term plan that provides a vision and framework for how an area can grow and develop. These plans provide certainty for community members and developers about what change is expected in an area and can respond to matters including, but not limited to, land use and development, transport and parking, building and urban design, heritage, character, employment and open spaces.
Why does Sunshine Station need a Masterplan?
Sunshine Station is set to transform into a transport superhub. The superhub will be the link between Melbourne Airport and Melbourne CBD, with transport connections to the Suburban Rail Loop and regional rail network. To accommodate these changes, Sunshine Station will nearly double in size with improvements to passenger experience and accessibility.
To build on the transformation of the station, the Department of Transport and Planning has prepared the Masterplan to help guide change and investment around the superhub and provide clear direction for the long term development of this area.
The Masterplan informs how people get to and from the station, sets clear expectations for development around the station and identifies opportunities for new public spaces, connections and movement.
How does the Masterplan relate to the superhub?
The transformation of Sunshine Station into a transport superhub offers a great opportunity to ensure that the new superhub is well integrated within the Sunshine Activity Centre - this means that it successfully connects with surrounding and new streets for all users, is supported by new development that helps create a vibrant and safe place and is easy to transfer from one mode of movement to another.
The Masterplan is composed of three sub-precincts; Station Place, Sun Crescent and Southern Village. Each area encompasses a variety of spaces, routes and new development to give it a distinct feel while also coming together in the wider superhub area to form a cohesive, connected whole, with convenient walking and cycling access to connect both sides of the railway tracks.
The Masterplan allows the superhub to becomes a seamless part of a vibrant town centre where people want to linger, relax, and spend time - a distinct place within Sunshine - and not just a train station.
The Masterplan sets up the planning to allow this to occur.
What were the main steps for preparing the Sunshine Station Masterplan?
Step 1: Develop Masterplan Principles
Step 2: Consult community and stakeholders on the Masterplan principles
Step 3: Consider consultation feedback and develop Masterplan ideas and themes
Step 4: Consult community and stakeholders on the Masterplan themes and ideas
Step 5: Consider consultation feedback and develop Sunshine Station Masterplan
Step 6: Finalise the Masterplan
Step 7: Implement the Masterplan over time
How and when will the projects in the Masterplan be delivered?
The Masterplan is a guiding plan for the area and sets out what the area can develop into.
It is just one step in the overall planning for the Sunshine Precinct, and is a tool for landowners, investors, and all levels of government to use to make decisions on for future projects in the area.
The Masterplan may be introduced into the Brimbank Planning Scheme through a Planning Scheme Amendment.
$143m in funding has been committed to deliver the first phase of the masterplan projects. Further design and staging considerations will be undertaken in the coming months to confirm what projects will be delivered and when.
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