Laverton air base the newest suburb
Cameron Houston
March 1, 2007

THE State Government has approved a $1 billion residential development on the former Laverton air base to house the western suburbs' booming population, despite warnings that urban sprawl will destroy the area's fragile ecology.

Melbourne's newest suburb, Williams Landing, will include a major retail and commercial precinct, sub-divisions for 2000 houses and 16 hectares of parks and sporting facilities.

Cedar Woods Properties state manager Nathan Blackburne said the project would capitalise on a surge in residential demand in Wyndham, near Werribee, which recorded Victoria's second-highest population growth according to Bureau of Statistics data released this week.

"The western suburbs has fantastic potential to handle Melbourne's rapid growth when you consider its infrastructure, proximity to the city and relative affordability," Mr Blackburne said.

Williams Landing will be serviced by the Princes Highway and linked to the existing Melbourne-Geelong train line by a new station.

Mr Blackburne said a conservation management plan would be implemented, which included the retention of three wildlife reserves that accounted for more than 20 per cent of the estate.

But Sarah Bekessy, author of an environmental report on Melbourne's urban fringe, slammed the Government's decision as an environmental disaster.

Dr Bekessy said Wyndham corridor was a sanctuary for some of the state's most endangered species — with more rare fauna than Kakadu. "Yet again, biodiversity loses out to big business," she said.

Jobs may also be a problem, with Victoria University's Pieter Nagel saying the sluggish industrial sector in the outer west was unlikely to provide enough employment growth.

Pity the bridge across the freeway isn't being extended fully to cross the railway at this time.

Is this the old Aircraft station out the front of RAAF Williams (Laverton) base with the roundabout out the front?

Found at: http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/laverton-air-base-the-newest-suburb/2007/02/28/1172338709347.html

Laverton air base the newest suburb
Cameron Houston
March 1, 2007

THE State Government has approved a $1 billion residential development on the former Laverton air base to house the western suburbs' booming population, despite warnings that urban sprawl will destroy the area's fragile ecology.

Melbourne's newest suburb, Williams Landing, will include a major retail and commercial precinct, sub-divisions for 2000 houses and 16 hectares of parks and sporting facilities.

Cedar Woods Properties state manager Nathan Blackburne said the project would capitalise on a surge in residential demand in Wyndham, near Werribee, which recorded Victoria's second-highest population growth according to Bureau of Statistics data released this week.

"The western suburbs has fantastic potential to handle Melbourne's rapid growth when you consider its infrastructure, proximity to the city and relative affordability," Mr Blackburne said.

Williams Landing will be serviced by the Princes Highway and linked to the existing Melbourne-Geelong train line by a new station.

Mr Blackburne said a conservation management plan would be implemented, which included the retention of three wildlife reserves that accounted for more than 20 per cent of the estate.

But Sarah Bekessy, author of an environmental report on Melbourne's urban fringe, slammed the Government's decision as an environmental disaster.

Dr Bekessy said Wyndham corridor was a sanctuary for some of the state's most endangered species — with more rare fauna than Kakadu. "Yet again, biodiversity loses out to big business," she said.

Jobs may also be a problem, with Victoria University's Pieter Nagel saying the sluggish industrial sector in the outer west was unlikely to provide enough employment growth.

omg. Sarah Bekessy was my lecturer at RMIT last year. She is quite a smeg, mind.

It already takes 48 minutes to get home ...  

Either get rid of Aircraft, or don't build William's Landing.

Bad name, too. Prefer Point Cook.

Well i'm sure that will lower that track speed along that line for that section.

Regarding Aircraft, last year it was resurfaced and had those plastic bubbly-things that stop you from pushing prams off the platform installed.

omg. Sarah Bekessy was my lecturer at RMIT last year. She is quite a smeg, mind.

I've had Sarah Bekessy for three different subjects over the last four years (including this year) of my time at RMIT, and I'm not sure where you get off calling her a smeg. She is a very smart woman for her age, and she is a keen and passionate advocate for environmental matters.

Society needs more people like her.

omg. Sarah Bekessy was my lecturer at RMIT last year. She is quite a smeg, mind.

I've had Sarah Bekessy for three different subjects over the last four years (including this year) of my time at RMIT, and I'm not sure where you get off calling her a smeg. She is a very smart woman for her age, and she is a keen and passionate advocate for environmental matters.

Society needs more people like her.

I rest my case.

You call her a smeg, and then you "rest your case".

A fine lawyer you would make.

Ecology fears over Laverton
By Ann Marie Angebandt
7th March 2007

THE STATE Government has approved a $1-billion community that will bring up to 8,000 new residents and 5,000 jobs to Wyndham, despite claims that the area contains some of Australia’s rarest ecology.

The 275-hectare Williams Landing, to be built on the former Laverton RAAF base over 15 years, also means the likely end to Wyndham City Council’s plans for a freight rail route through the development to the industrial area of Truganina.

The council has reserved a land corridor north of the development for a freight rail line and an eventual “inland port” stretching to Brimbank.

Cr Leigh Barrett, said he was extremely disappointed that the rail route was now "dead in the water."

“If we don’t grasp these opportunities of getting more trucks off the road – and off the Westgate – when they’re before us; it’s a hell of lot more expensive down the track.”

Williams Landing will include about 2,000 houses, built in four neighborhoods, as well as a town centre with shops, entertainment and offices.

About 20 per cent, or 55 hectares, will be retained in three reserves to protect native vegetation.

The director of Western Region Environment Centre (WREC) Harry Van Moorst said the development would retain only pre-existing grassland reserves and wetland, which were included in the Federal Government’s contract of sale for the air base in 1999.

Cedar Woods Properties’ state manager, Nathan Blackburne, said he was satisfied the project achieved a balance of interests.

“This will be a benchmark residential development for a variety of Melbourne buyer-types,” he said.

Not everyone is so enthusiastic about the development. A local conservationist, Frances Overmars, said the area was a wonderful showcase of rare plant and animal species retained only by accident because of the base.

“It is terrible to think that industry and housing have won out,” she said.

Wyndham City Council’s mayor, Shane Bourke, said the project, although approved in general, would still be subject to public consultation.

“This is an exciting development we’ve been waiting a long time for,” he said. The project was originally designed to be strictly an employment hub and source of local jobs, with business parks and commercial offices.

Mr Blackburne said construction of Williams Landing – named for the Laverton Base founder, Air Marshall Richard Williams – was expected to begin by the end of the year, with the first residents moving in next year.

He said developers wanted to keep the air traffic control tower, and would use one runway as the basis for the suburb’s main north-south road.

Cedar Woods is also managing Banbury Village, a nine-hectare site in West Footscray.

Preliminary works have started on the new railway station and road overpass to service growing residential areas at Williams Landing, as part of the Brumby Labor Government’s major investment in transport infrastructure in the western suburbs.

Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas and Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula were joined by Member for Altona Jill Hennessy to mark the start of works today on a vital project for residents in Point Cook and surrounding areas.

“The Brumby Labor Government supports sustainable population growth and is determined to link it with new job opportunities, better transport links and services for families,” Mr Pallas said.

“The Williams Landing Project provides a significant boost to Wyndham’s transport network, building on and supporting new residential communities at Point Cook and at Williams Landing, which is being developed on the site of the old RAAF Laverton Air Base.”

Mr Pakula said the new railway station was part of a $220 million Government investment into expanding rail services across Melbourne, with the initial works to pave the way for major works to start early next year.