Merrifield now selling – new super city of the north
Merrifield, a 21st century city in Melbourne’s north, was officially opened by the Minister for Planning Matthew Guy recently.
The new master planned community has been designed to absorb the state’s growth in a positive way, enabling people to live and work in the same area.
Situated 30 kilometres from the city in the northern growth corridor, Merrifield is as big as the current Melbourne CBD and suburbs of Richmond and Carlton combined.
Merrifield joint venture partners – MAB Corporation and Gibson Property Corporation – will now embark on their ground-breaking, mixed-use development with the first stage of residential land released.
Once complete, the commercial, industrial and residential community will encompass 4,000 homes and a business park with the potential to create up to 20,000 jobs. At the heart of the project is Merrifield City Centre which will be the new commercial centre for the growing northern corridor.
“We have great plans at Merrifield” said MAB;s Managing Director, Andrew Buxton.
“We are building the foundations for a truly sustainable community – new jobs and new homes linked to high quality infrastructure.”
This complements the geographical benefits of the Merrifield site, bordered on the east by the Hume Freeway, Mickleham and Donnybrook Roads; and the proposed Outer Metropolitan Ring Road, all providing direct connections to the broader region and Melbourne Airport.
Mr Buxton says Merrifield has been over a decade in the making.
“The planning we have undertaken with both the Government’s Growth Areas Authority and the Hume City Council enables us to create an integrated mixed-use city which includes residential, retail, commercial, civic and employment precincts, together with plans for local and regional parklands, incorporating major community facilities.
Mr Buxton added that Merrifield is the crowning glory of the joint venture’s mixed-use developments.
“In the coming decades, we see Merrifield as the epicentre of the expanding north.
“Merrifield’s population reaching 15,000 is part of the broader Hume region that will accommodate around 250,000 people” Mr Buxton said.
Merrifield also fills a significant gap in employment land for businesses in Melbourne’s northern growth corridor businesses that are likely to attract new residents and ancillary employment to the region.
Hume City Council Mayor, Cr Geoff Porter, said Merrifield supports future plans for the northern growth corridor.
“Council is supportive of the plans for a new city at Merrifield and sees the development as the key centre for growth in our proud region” said Cr Porter.
“In particular, we welcome the focus on job creation and high quality infrastructure to support a vibrant community.
“By delivering local jobs, Merrifield is setting a benchmark in how we plan and deliver new communities in Melbourne’s growth areas.”