TWO new northern suburbs are expected to attract tens of thousands of residents over the next 25 years under a state government scheme to open up the city’s fringes.
The new suburbs were among six announced by Planning Minister Matthew Guy, who also revealed the expansion of the urban growth boundary by 6000 hectares of former farmland and green wedge land.
Developers Stockland will build a town with a hospital, schools, a train station and a shopping centre for the new suburbs of Lockerbie and
Lockerbie North, sprawled across the Whittlesea, Hume and Mitchell municipalities.
The $4 billion development is expected to attract more than 30,000 residents.
It will be built on 1122 hectares of land next to Kalkallo, bounded by the proposed outer metropolitan ring road to the north, Hume Freeway to the west, the Melbourne-Sydney rail line to the east and Donnybrook Road to the south.
The new suburb will be named after a sheep station called Lockerbie, which is owned by two sisters. Their father bought the land for under $1 million in 1979.
Stockland would not confirm the reported $300 million purchase price but said it would be acquired
progressively over 25-30 years. Stockland spokeswoman Lucy Wilson said the developers would develop a 515-hectare site, to be known as Lockerbie North, next to Beveridge township, with 4600 houses and 13,000 residents.
Whittlesea mayor Stevan Kozmevski said the municipality needed infrastructure, public transport and health and recreation services from all levels of government.
“Affordable housing is one thing, but affordable living is another issue,” he said.
“Without public transport, improved roads, schools and key services, communities face not only health and lifestyle challenges but affordability issues.”
