By Alesha Capone
Developing a new satellite city in Werribee would create thousands of new jobs and boost employment options closer to home for residents, according to a new report.
The West of Melbourne Economic Development Alliance (WoMEDA) last week released a report calling for a “satellite city” to be established.
The alliance was established as an independent board in 2017, with the support of Victoria University, to influence economic development opportunities and create jobs in Wyndham, Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton and Moonee Valley.
The alliance’s previous studies have called for employment precincts to be established in Footscray and Sunshine.
WoMEDA chair Professor Peter Dawkins, who is former Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University, said building a satellite city would be a “visionary approach for the Werribee precinct”.
Mr Dawkins said that pre-COVID, two-thirds of employed Wyndham residents – more than 60,000 people – commuted out of the municipality for work.
“Based on current projections, this figure will rise to almost 110,000 commuters from Wyndham by 2036,” Professor Dawkins said.
The report proposes that a Wyndham satellite city be developed to create 50,000 new jobs and stop the need or people to leave the municipality for work.
The city should include a major hospital and medical complex, a legal precinct, technical university campus, government and private research centres and an arts complex, the report states.
The report warned the “failure to develop the East Werribee Precinct as a major employment and service centre” would have negative consequences for the community.
About six years ago, a consortium seeking to build a $31 billion education city on more than 400 hectares of the East Werribee precinct was selected by the state government as the preferred bidder for the site, but in 2019 the state government decided not to proceed.
According to the WoMEDA report, not developing East Werribee will result in Werribee turning into an “undistinguished commercial centre” and Wyndham “filling up with houses”.
LeadWest executive officer Sue La Greca welcomed the WoMEDA report last week.
“Enhancing connectivity and liveability will be critical to creating a powerful heart for Werribee and Wyndham,” Ms La Greca said.
“The creation of a new satellite city in Werribee will help ease the congestion challenges for Melbourne, boost employment options closer to where people live, generate new and exciting industries and learning opportunities, and deliver more health and community services for our region.”
