Getting down to business at Bungower Rd

A proposed new business park development on Somerville’s Bungower Rd is set to revolutionise the Mornington Peninsula, with resident and business owner Chris Procter the driving force behind this innovative project that aims to future-proof employment and promote community growth.

The development is an essential step in addressing the critical shortage of land for industry on the Peninsula – forecast to be exhausted within the next five years – and aligns with the 30-year focus identified in the Melbourne Industrial and Commercial Land Use Plan.

“My father and I started a business in 2000 in our garage in Somerville, and grew it to about 180 staff with offices in the US and the UK, so we really experienced first-hand how challenging it was to grow a business on the Mornington Peninsula,” Chris said. “There’s a critical shortage of industrial land – there are only a number of small pockets in Somerville, Hastings, Mornington, and Dromana, but they’re filled with small storage units, small factories and warehouses and a lot of nonindustrial uses, like gymnasiums and dance studios. Businesses like ours found it really difficult to expand.

“The inspiration behind this is for us to build a welldesigned high-amenity, low-density industrial and technology precinct so we can nurture the innovative larger industries and larger employers. There aren’t any real expansion opportunities, hence they have to stay small or leave the Peninsula to grow.

“The Mornington Peninsula has a really high concentration of employment around hospitality, trades and construction, so we need to diversify that employment base. It's about the diversification of career pathways and options. The really interesting data point is something like 45 per cent of people who live on the Peninsula actually leave it for work. Our vision here, and what we mean by future-proofing careers, is giving people the opportunity to stay and develop those professional career pathways right here.

“We are forecasting that 1100 jobs will be created when the precinct is at full capacity. It's a big project; it's about a billion dollars of economic activity.”

Unlike heavy industrial parks that can be noisy and polluting, the Bungower Rd business park will have a hi- tech focus, limiting heavy industrial use and promoting sustainable building attributes such as recycled water use, water recovery, and modern design. The low-rise design of the buildings and extensive landscaping will be integral to ensuring that Bungower Rd residents experience an improvement in their views.

The park will also be a community hub, fostering connectivity with cafes, sports facilities, retail tenant spaces, and potentially even a micro-brewery or gin distillery in the existing heritage-listed Brunnings Homestead site, which will be incorporated into 5.5ha of open space, ensuring the protection of the homestead and significant trees. The park will be conducive to a more sustainable lifestyle by including walking and cycling paths and electric vehicle charging points, aligning with Chris’s long-term vision for the precinct.

The Mornington Peninsula Technology, Industry & Business Park development is set to enhance and change the community for the better, providing exciting job opportunities, promoting sustainable living, and fostering community connectivity. Find out more at www.mornpen.tech