PLANNING Minister Matthew Guy has reaffirmed his commitment to an employment precinct in Werribee following the launch of a plan to ensure all Melbourne suburbs are within a short commute of jobs and services.
In a new state government discussion paper, Melbourne, Let’s Talk About The Future, Mr Guy said all suburbs should be no more than 20 minutes from jobs, shops and education facilities.
“The concept of a 20-minute city encourages the creation of local jobs within the Wyndham growth area,” he said.
“Opportunities such as the Werribee Employment Precinct will assist in increasing the ratio of jobs to local residents driving a sustainable local economy.”
Victoria’s Growth Areas Authority will release draft plans for the 915-hectare site, wedged between Werribee and Point Cook, by December.
The precinct currently employs about 2000 people, but this is projected to grow to 40,000 when fully developed as a mixed-use commercial area.
Opposition employment spokesman and Tarneit MP Tim Pallas said a move to generate jobs was long overdue, given the area’s unemployment rate was closing in on 8 per cent. But he feared the government was reluctant to bankroll multimillion-dollar road upgrades around the employment precinct.
“I’d be concerned if we see a restatement of the dodgy arrangements the state government has already put up, which was to fund half the cost of a half-diamond interchange at Sneydes Road,” he said.
Committee for Wyndham executive director Nik Tsardakis said the discussion paper was promising.
“The polycentric city issue is something that is critical and is something we would be pushing for with the Werribee Employment Precinct.”
