Bayside
Plan Melbourne document reveals Hastings and Frankston as future employment hubs
- Natalie Kealey
- Frankston Standard Leader
- May 21, 2014 4:55PM
Hastings (pictured) has been earmarked as a major hub for employment growth for Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula in the Plan Melbourne document released this week. Picture: Andrew Batsch Source: News Limited
HASTINGS has been earmarked as a major hub for employment growth for Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula in the Plan Melbourne document released this week.
The State Government blueprint for the city’s growth for the next 35 years focused on population growth and where and how those people would live, work and travel.
Knowledge-based employment centres were identified as well as industrial-based centres and the desire to create 20-minute neighbourhoods where people could work within 20 minutes of where they live.
In the southern region, a knowledge-based hub will be developed within Dandenong and industrial centres in Dandenong South, parts of Casey and Hastings.
Despite the employment centres not being within the desired 20 minutes of large sections of Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula, Planning Minister Matthew Guy said Plan Melbourne provided a number of jobs hubs across the southern sub region.
“Frankston is defined in Plan Melbourne as an existing Metropolitan Activity Centre,” the Minister said.
“These centres will play a major service delivery role including in government, health, justice and education services. They are described as servicing a sub regional catchment which would in the case of Frankston include the Mornington Peninsula.
“Plan Melbourne also identifies the Dandenong South industrial precinct as a national employment cluster and the Port of Hastings as a state significant industrial precinct. In addition, activity centres including Casey central, Clyde, Cranbourne, Karingal and Mornington will all provide future employment growth.”
Mornington Peninsula Shire strategic planning manager Allan Cowley said although Dandenong was the nearest national employment cluster, there were opportunities for employment growth both on the peninsula and in nearby metropolitan activity centres of Frankston and Dandenong as well as through the development of the Port of Hastings.
“The shire’s economy and employment base is very diverse and it is anticipated that employment growth will occur in many sectors, retail and services (including aged care), tourism and hospitality, agriculture, marine manufacturing, freight and logistics associated with the Port of Hastings,” he said.
“Council will continue to work with the State Government to facilitate appropriate development.”
Mr Cowley said it was important to recognise that an aim of Plan Melbourne is to ensure balanced growth.
“For example, population growth in areas with best access to current and future employment, and recognising the limits to employment growth on the peninsula is an important consideration in limiting the scale of population growth.”
Also indicated in the Plan Melbourne document was that Western Port Highway would be upgraded to a freeway and a train line to carry freight from the Port of Hastings would run alongside it.
The diagram indicated it will run along the Frankston side of the current highway.
Leader is waiting for a response from the State Government on what is the preferred route.
Frankston Council has not responded to request for comment on Plan Melbourne.