NOVEMBER 14, 2017 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + PROPERTY GUIDE
Urban sprawl heads north By Laura Michell
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Silence to remember Communities across Whittlesea and Hume paused for a minute’s silence on Saturday to honour Australia’s fallen soldiers for Remembrance Day. The day marked the 99th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I. At Epping, residents made their way to the RSL for a service featuring the laying of wreaths and poppies by veterans and their families and community groups. Students visited the RSL earlier in the week to pay their respects by laying poppies and white crosses. In Craigieburn, the community gathered for a short service at Anzac Park. The service was the first Remembrance Day service at the suburb’s new cenotaph.
(Shawn Smits)
Tens of thousands of people are expected to call Donnybrook and Woodstock home in the coming years, after the state government unveiled plans to develop the suburbs. The two suburbs will be developed over the next 30 years and will eventually have 17,000 houses and offer 2100 local jobs. There are also plans for five town centres, five convenience centres, six government schools, four non-government schools and 46 hectares of parkland. Developers will pay $115 million towards land acquisition and construction of a primary school at Donnybrook, as well as a CFA and ambulance station, a community hub and sports grounds, as part of the Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution (GAIC). The government said future GAIC works will include expanding the carpark at Donnybrook station and the construction of a train station at Lockerbie. The suburbs, which cover 1786 hectares, will be developed north of Donnybrook Road, between the Melbourne-Sydney rail line and Epping-Merriang Road. Planning Minister Richard Wynne said the suburbs were part of a government plan to rezone 100,000 lots of land in key growth areas in two years to improve housing affordability. “Donnybrook and Woodstock will be great places to live and raise a family, with nearby jobs for locals and affordable homes that help young Victorians achieve their dream of home ownership,” Mr Wynne said. Among the new estates to be developed over the next 30 years will be Mirvac’s Olivine estate in Donnybrook. The 187-hectare project will be home to 7000 people when completed in 10 to 15 years. Mirvac residential Victoria general manager Elysa Anderson said the estate would feature a government school as well as a campus of Hume Anglican Grammar. A medical centre, childcare centre and supermarket have also been earmarked for the development. Yan Yean MP Danielle Green said the plans meant Donnybrook and Woodstock residents would benefit from services up front rather than having to play catch-up, like those living in Mernda and Doreen.
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