Millicent Spencer
Thousands of new jobs are set to be created in Whittlesea as development forges ahead on the New Epping project.
Council has approved the plan of a $2 billion mixed-use community development which will provide locals with better access to healthcare, housing, employment, and commercial infrastructure.
The project will be executed by Riverlee, a Melbourne-based, privately owned property group specialising in development of urban spaces.
Whittlesea chair administrator Lydia Wilson said Riverlee’s vision to transform the dormant site will provide significant benefit to the growing northern corridor and its community.
“This landmark project will provide employment opportunities, economic stimulus, and the infrastructure required to create a vibrant urban environment that is underpinned by wellness and sustainability,” she said.
“Riverlee has created a vision for New Epping that builds on the cornerstones of our community — healthcare as our leading industry, the need for quality housing for people at all stages of life, and sustainability as a way of ensuring a bright and healthy future for our younger generations.
“Its transformation is something the entire community can look forward to.”
The 51-hectare site will become home to the largest medical hub in Melbourne’s north, with seven-hectares dedicated exclusively to a health and wellness precinct which will generate 646 allied health jobs.
Plans for New Epping also include the Northern Private Hospital, which was fast-tracked by the state government in 2020 and is currently under construction. Operated by Ramsay Health Care, it will create a further 726 jobs once in operation.
Riverlee development director David Lee said the health precinct will build on the existing healthcare sector in the North which is home to the busiest emergency department in the state.
“The healthcare sector is of critical importance to the City of Whittlesea, not only in terms of patient care but also as the city’s largest employer,” he said.
“The provision of a new health and wellness precinct at New Epping will guarantee the wellbeing of its residents, create jobs, and help the state’s healthcare system cope with demand.”
In addition to healthcare infrastructure and housing, the masterplan includes 110,000sqm of commercial space, along with retail and hospitality, supporting an additional 5742 workers.
Mr Lee said the development will cement Epping as the CBD of Melbourne’s north.
“We believe that by creating purpose-built spaces for living, working and leisure, with unrivalled amenity and integration with nature, we can truly impact the way people live for the better,” he said.
“In doing so, we want to bring all the character you find in the inner north of Melbourne to Epping and in that sense, this project is ahead of its time and will redefine the suburbs of the future.”
Further permits for the project are expected to be lodged this year.
