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Cookes Rise EstateDoreen, Melbourne

The information contained in this Project Summary is up-to-date as of 9 September 2015.Should you have any questions, please call 1800 174 999.

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CONTENTS1. Executive Summary 32. About Melbourne 43. About Doreen 64. Demographics and Socio-Economic Profile 85. Doreen Infrastructure 106. The Development 127. Location Sales History 168. Rental Returns 179. Media and Related Articles 18

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Executive Summary• The Cookes Rise Estate is a 180 lot community located 30 kilometres north-east of

Melbourne and in the newly established Doreen and Mernda growth area. Doreen is well serviced by a strong road infrastructure network and the locality will be serviced by the future Mernda Town Centre and integrated transport hub, including the extension of the train line from South Morang through to Doreen and Mernda and existing bus routes.

• The future Mernda Town Centre will be located less than five minutes drive from the Cookes Rise Estate and will comprise of, cafes, shops, restaurants, medical amenities and further employment opportunities. The development is in close proximity to Plenty Gorge Park with an abundance of serene parklands and walking tracks.

• Prestigious schools, including Ivanhoe Grammar and the newly opened Hazel Glen College and are within walking distance to the Cookes Rise Estate range from Early Childhood to High School.

• The development comprises allotments ranging in size from 396m2 right through to 542m2. Each allotment is predominately level in topography throughout.

• The dwellings will be characterized by modern designs featuring a mixture of three and four bedrooms, two bathroom, dwellings complete with double and single lock up garages.

• Dwelling sizes will be approximately 205m2 gross floor area. All homes will be completed to a full turn-key standard and inclusive of all ancillary improvements and landscaping.

• The anticipated house and land package prices will range from $420,000 - $445,000.

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About MelbourneMelbourne’s median house price grew circa 10% over the 2015 financial year. You may also be aware that Melbourne is forecast to become the biggest Australian capital city, increasing to almost 8 million by 2051. What’s interesting is that the ABS forecast Victoria’s population to have grown by 106,700 (1.9%) in the past 12 months, compared to a 109,100 (1.5%) increase in NSW over the same period.

Interstate migration into Victoria is now at record highs making it the leader in interstate migration nationwide. Victoria experienced 8,783 new residents moving into Melbourne from other states and territories over the last 12 months. Queensland experienced the second highest interstate migration rate with 5,753 migrating to Queensland. Sydney experienced a 6,857 decrease in interstate migration (which is expected as Sydney becomes less affordable and people are forced to explore other avenues to get into the property market).

A large portion of the population growth in Melbourne has come from overseas migration with a net increase of 59,358 overseas migrants in the past 12 months, which equates to circa 30% of Australia’s total net overseas migration. In addition, to capturing circa 30% of Australia’s net overseas migration, Melbourne’s overseas migrant demographic is predominately aged 20 – 25 years old, meaning it is well positioned to capture a large share of these cashed up migrant buyers. A recent report conducted by Macro Plan Dimasi forecast that we will see 220,000 – 250,000 migrants cashed up and looking to buy houses in Australia during 2016, 2017, and 2018 (to put that into perspective, Australia produces on average only 200,000 new dwellings per annum). (HIA, 2014). In forecasting this trend, Macro Plan Dimasi cited the young demographic of Australia’s migrant population, migrating in their early 20’s, working and saving money before eventually entering the property market.

The average clearance rate for the last three months in Melbourne was a massive 79.5% (REIV, 2015). This is a great sign considering that a 70% clearance rate represents ‘market balance’. The quantity of listed properties are also at low levels. In 2012, Melbourne had 55,000 listings on the market, whereas today we are seeing approximately 30,000 properties available, indicating property to be in short supply (REIQ, 2014).

While auction clearance rates and price growth are set to continue, housing supply and, in particular, new housing supply remains low and therefore the most important factor when looking at the current market. According to the HIA, Australia will need to build approximately 186,000 dwellings a year between now and 2050 to meet the needs of our growing population. Of the 186,000 dwellings majority will be needed in Victoria (47,000).

Remember, there’s only truth in numbers.

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About DoreenDoreen is located just 30km north-east of Victoria’s capital city, Melbourne, and is part of the scenic city of Whittlesea. Whittlesea has a population of 186,368 and is rapidly growing with 167 new residents moving into the area each week (Profile ID, 2014).

The City of Whittlesea is serviced by the Hume Freeway, the Metropolitan Ring Road, Plenty Road and the South Morang railway line, with stations at Epping, Keon Park, Lalor, Thomastown and Melbourne. The metropolitan train service provides less than 10 minute services during peak services and 20 minute services in off-peak times.

Doreen is a young, vibrant community that is made up of predominately young families with children, with the average resident age being approximately 28. Doreen - Mernda is forecast to reach 54,941 residents by 2031, of which Doreen will contribute 30,237 people. The increase in Doreen’s population equates to a 43.25% increase on today’s population. Residential development forecasts assume the number of dwellings in Mernda - Doreen will increase by an average of 525 dwellings per annum to 20,345 by 2036.

There were 57,163 jobs located in the City of Whittlesea in the year ending June 2014. The key employment sectors in the City of Whittlesea are manufacturing, construction, retail trade and health care, and to a lesser extent, education (Profile ID, 2015). There are three major industrial precincts, being Epping North, Epping West and Thomastown, which are approximately 10km away.

Doreen is one of the more exciting areas of Melbourne where investors can expect to receive steady capital growth and receive an attractive yield (4.7% Avg.). The Victorian Government have fast tracked the commencement of the new Mernda Shopping centre and Transport hub which will offer a new metropolitan train station along with over 100 retail stores.

Doreen has an impressive 86% owner occupiers living in the suburb and 71% are family households. Residents have approximately 14 schools, both primary and secondary to choose from. Residents are also within 3km of Ivanhoe Grammar which is one of Victoria’s leading schools in student performance.

Doreen’s scenic environment promotes a healthy, outdoor lifestyle, with multiple parks such as Doreen Recreation Reserve, Plenty Gorge Park and Hawkstowe Park.

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Ivanhoe GrammarIvanhoe Grammar is home to approximately 500 students and offers state of the art facilities. In 2014 there were 235 students who completed their VCE. Overall 34% of students achieved and ATAR of 90 or above placing them in the state’s top 10%. There were 53% of students who achieved and ATAR score of 80 and above, which has been consistent over the last 3 years.

Ivanhoe’s wide range of facilities is a main contributor to its ongoing success. They offer a Creative Arts Centre which houses the schools Art, Design and Technology, Media, Visual Communication and Food Technology classrooms.

Their sporting facilities are second to none in the area with a fully equipped gym, synthetic hockey fields and tennis courts. The school contains an AFL sized oval which plays home to a wide range of community based events. Ivanhoe Grammar contains an Equestrian Centre with full riding facilities, which allows students to take lessons or compete on campus.

Ivanhoe Grammar is an active participant in the VCE Off-Shore Program. The program is an exciting and innovative initiative which allows students study their VCE and experience a western style of education without leaving their home country. The success of the VCE China program is illustrated in the results of recent graduates – 20% of students finished in the top 10% of students studying VCE and 50% were ranked in the top 20% of the state. Students are also given the opportunity to attain places in Australia’s leading universities.

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Demographics andSocio-Economic Profile

Total Population

13,079

Renters OwnerOccupiers

12% Rent86% Owner

Average PersonsPer Household

3.1

Median HouseholdIncome

$2,175per week

Median Age

30 years old

Family Household

71%

Current Dwellings (2014): 11,785 Forecast Dwellings (2036): 20,345*Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, .id Forecast, RP Data

Change = 17,158

Population Forecast - Doreen

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*Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, .id Forecast, RP Data

The City of Whittlesea population forecast for 2015 is 194,498, and is forecast to grow to 333,702 by 2036

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Infrastructure

Child Care Centres• Katie Sanderson Family Day Care

(approx. 2km)• Anne’s Family Day Care (approx. 2km)• Butterflies Child Care Centre (approx. 2km)• Rose Garden Child Care (approx. 5km)• Wallaby Child Care (approx. 10km

Primary Schools• Ivanhoe Grammar School

(Plenty Campus) (approx. 300m)• Doreen Primary School (approx. 2km)• Doreen South Primary School (approx. 6km)• Mernda Primary School (approx. 4km)• St Joseph’s Parish Primary School

(approx. 3.8km)• Laurimar Primary School (approx. 3km)• Yarrambat Primary School (approx. 4km)• South Morang Primary School (approx. 9km)

Secondary Schools• Ivanhoe Grammar School (Plenty Campus)

(approx. 300m)• Plenty Valley Christian College (approx. 2km)• Ironbark Christian School (approx. 5km)• The Lakes South Morang

P-9 School (approx. 6km)• Marymede Catholic College (approx. 6km)• Mill Park Secondary College (approx. 10km)• Whittlesea Secondary College (approx. 10km)

Universities• NMIT Epping (approx. 15km)• RMIT University Bundoora Campus

(approx. 10km)

Medical• Laurimar Medical (approx. 3km)• Mernda Village Medical (approx. 5km)• Doreen Medical Centre (approx. 3km)

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Recreation • Doreen Recreation Reserve (approx. 1km)• Hawkstowe Park (approx. 10km)• Plenty George Park (approx. 2km)• Yarrambat Park Golf Course (approx. 3km)• Growling Frog Golf Course (approx. 10km)• Plenty view Golf Park (approx. 6km)• Whittlesea Golf Club (approx. 15km)

Transport• Hurstbridge Train Station (approx. 8km)• South Morang Train Station (approx. 6.5km)• Epping station (approx. 9km)• Western Ring Road (approx. 8.5km)• Bus Routes - Route 520, Route 572,

Route 562 (approx. 2km)

Retail• Future Mernda Town Centre (approx. 1km)• Laurimar Town Centre (approx. 3km)• Westfield Plenty Valley Shopping Centre

(approx. 10km

The Whittlesea Planning Scheme identifies the Mernda Town Centre being located on the south-east corner of Bridge Inn Road and Plenty Road which is less than 1km away from the development.

Once completed it will include 2 major supermarkets (Coles and Woolworths), over 100 other retail shops, cafes and service providers, a discount department store such as a Big W or Target.

Plans for the Town Centre also include an integrated transport hub including bus services and an extension of the train line from South Morang, through Doreen to Mernda.

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The DevelopmentCookes Rise Estate is nestled between the already established suburbs of Doreen and Mernda approximately 30km from Melbourne.

The development comprises allotments ranging in size from 396m2 right through to 542m2 in an idyllic location nestled between the foothills of the Yarra Ranges, and the lush banks of the Plenty River.

All homes are conveniently located within close proximity to public transport and central the Doreen Town Centre and the new Mernda Shopping to be constructed on the Corner of Bridge Inn road and Plenty road, less than 2km away. Children are in walking distance to the Hazel Glenn Colleges comprising of three campuses; Kindergarten, Junior Campus and Senior Campus.

The Whittlesea Planning Scheme identifies the Mernda Town Centre being located on the south-east corner of Bridge Inn Road and Plenty Road which is less than 2km away from the development. Once completed it will include 2 major supermarkets (Coles and Woolworths), over 100 other retail shops, cafes and service providers, a discount department store such as a Big W or Target. Plans for the Town Centre also include an integrated transport hub including bus services and an extension of the train line from South Morang, through Doreen to Mernda.

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The HomesThe dwellings will be characterized by modern designs featuring a mixture of three and four bedrooms, two bathroom, dwellings complete with double and single lock up garages.

Each of the subject dwellings will be of a modern, good quality finish throughout with construction comprising of a concrete slab floor, timber framing, brick external classing and a mixture of metal and concrete tile roofing.

The dwellings will range between 160m2 and 205m2 square metres approximately, with high spec inclusions such as stone bench tops and air conditioning.

All homes will be completed to a full turn-key standard and are inclusive of all ancillary improvements and landscaping.

Each allotment includes town water, sewerage and electricity services.

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Sales HistoryComparable Sales Evidence

13 Impulse Avenue , Doreen VIC

Area: 448 m2

Price: $460,000Sale Date: June 2015Features: 4 Bed, 2 Bath, DLUG

192 Hazel Glen Drive, Doreen VIC

Area: 448 m2

Price: $450,000Sale Date: April 2015Features: 4 Bed, 2 Bath, DLUG

16 Smokey Glade Drive, Doreen VIC

Area: 461 m2

Price: $450,000Sale Date: April 2015Features: 4 Bed, 2 Bath, DLUG

27 Beltons Way , Doreen VIC

Area: 448 m2

Price: $450,000Sale Date: June 2015Features: 4 Bed, 2 Bath, DLUG

44 Timbertop Drive , Doreen VIC

Area: 473 m2

Price: $465,000Sale Date: March 2015Features: 4 Bed, 2 Bath, DLUG

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8 Gosford Court, Doreen VIC

Area: 1,009 m2

Price: $970,000Sale Date: June 2014Features: 5 Bed, 3 Bath, 3LUG

23 Woodstock Drive, Doreen VIC

Area: 1,066 m2

Price: $765,000Sale Date: February 2015Features: 4 Bed, 2 Bath, DLUG

33 Laurimar Hill Drive, Doreen VIC

Area: 2,068 m2

Price: $900,000Sale Date: March 2015Features: 4 Bed, 2 Bath, DLUG

9 Zannon Crescent, Doreen VIC

Area: 2,214 m2

Price: $750,000Sale Date: February 2015Features: 4 Bed, 2 Bath, 5LUG

Sales HistoryEstablished Capital Benchmarks

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Rental Returns

$380 p/w Estimate from local real estate agents X 52 Weeks

= $19,760 Annual Rent

$19,760 Annual Rent / $420,000 Average Purchase Price

= 4.7% Annual Rent Return

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Media and Related ArticlesAustralians flock to Melbourne as Victoria becomes Australia’s fastest growing stateThe Age - June 2015

More than 95,000 Australians moved to Melbourne in the year to December, new figures show.

Melbourne has become Australia’s biggest-growing city and is set to overtake Sydney as the country’s biggest city in 2056, according to the latest Bureau of Statistics projections.

And Victoria has overtaken Western Australia to become Australia’s fastest-growing state.

New figures from the bureau show Victoria gained an extra 101,500 residents in the year to December, and Melbourne an extra 95,600. At 1.8 per cent, Victoria’s growth rate surpassed Western Australia’s 1.6 per cent and the 1.4 per cent recorded

in NSW and Queensland, which was the Australian average. South Australia grew 0.9 per cent, Tasmania 0.3 per cent, the Northern Territory 0.4 per cent and the Australian Capital Territory 1.1 per cent.

Melbourne’s gain allowed it to further narrow the population gap with Sydney, whose population climbed 84,200. Bureau of Statistics projections have Melbourne overtaking Sydney to become Australia’s biggest city in 2056. In December greater Melbourne housed 4.4 million residents and the bureau says this population will almost double to 8.2 million by 2056.

The figures show Victoria pulling in far more migrants from the rest of Australia than any other state. In the year to December Victoria gained a net 9340 new arrivals from interstate. Queensland gained a net 5600 and every other state lost population to interstate migration. NSW suffered net emigration of 5570

South Australians were particularly keen to move to Victoria, with a net 2100 crossing the border in the year to December, almost as many as the 2750 who came from NSW. A net 1400 came from Western Australia.

Job vacancy figures released at the same time paint Victoria’s jobs market as one of the best in the nation, with 4.8 unemployed people searching for each vacant job, a result only bettered by NSW which has 4.4 unemployed per vacancy. The odds of finding a job are far worse in Western Australia (5.2 unemployed per vacancy), Queensland (5.6), South Australia (7.5), and Tasmania (8.5).

Nationally job vacancies are growing in real estate (up 28 per cent in the past year), finance (up 11 per cent) and retail trade (up 6 per cent). Vacancies are falling in mining (down 29 per cent), manufacturing (down 8 per cent) and construction (down 5 per cent).

The national population growth rate of 1.4 per cent is the slowest since 2011. Australia had fewer births than at any time since 2006. Around 289,000 Australians left Australia to live overseas in 2014, the biggest number on record.

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Melbourne house median hits record $669,000: REIVProperty Observer - February 2015

Melbourne’s median house price hit $669,000, up 5% on the September quarter after price increases in inner, middle and outer suburbs, according to the latest REIV quarterly results.

“Inner Melbourne increased by 11.7% for the year with middle Melbourne up by 13.2% and outer Melbourne at 8.9%,” REIV Chief Executive Officer Enzo Raimondo said today.

Overall Melbourne house prices were up 11.7% compared with 2013.

The December quarter median house price in regional Victoria was at new records too, at $344,000, up 5.5% on September.

December Quarter 2014 Median Prices

Metro Melbourne Dec-14 Quarter Quarterly change Sep-14 Quarter Annual change

House $669,000 5.3% $635,000 11.7%

Unit $511,500 1.6% $503,500 5.7%

Source: REIV

Regional Victoria Dec-14 Quarter Quarterly change Sep-14 Quarter Annual change

House $344,000 5.5% $326,000 5.8%

Unit $257,000 4.0% $247,000 3.0%

Source: REIV

This graph shows median house and unit prices in Melbourne over the past decade in seasonally adjusted terms.

Median prices over time

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Melbourne faces a frightening future over its failure to build for an exploding population, a planner has warned.

Mass immigration and relatively high birthrates could push the city’s numbers from 4.3 million today to eight million by 2050, according to some projections.

But the failure to match this with infrastructure risked worsening inequality and threatening social cohesion, Roger Gibbins said.

The policy director at consultancy Urbis said major projects such as the metro rail tunnel would not be finished in time to cope with demand.

“The demand is there now,” Mr Gibbins said. “The solutions don’t really seem to be apparent, and yet we’re talking about all this future growth.

“That’s what scares me.”

Treasurer Michael O’Brien recently boasted that Victoria was adding the net equivalent of a Grand Final crowd to its population every year.

He said the state would cope with this growth with projects such as the East West Link and the Airport Rail Link.

But Mr Gibbins warned big delays in delivering such projects could lead to a backlash against growth that would threaten social cohesion.

“We’re going to create an unequal city, particularly in terms of access to employment,” Mr Gibbins said. “And for the next generation there are housing affordability issues on top of that, which are going to get worse.”

Speaking at a Property Council of Victoria summit on growth, he said it would help to cut the tax and red tape burden on the property industry.

Committee for Melbourne CEO Kate Roffey said a detailed plan would be needed to house and employ a population of eight million.

“We’ve got this very disjointed process of saying we need more affordable housing, and we keep opening up these outer urban areas, but we forget we have to connect those people to services,” she said.

“We’ve got an enormous infrastructure gap and we’re not closing it at all.

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Melbourne growth to stand out in 2016: HSBC’s Paul Bloxham

Melbourne will see the highest price growth of any capital city next year, HSBC has forecast.

In the latest HSBC Australia Downunder Digest report, HSBC Australia chief economist Paul Bloxham forecasts 4% to 8% price growth in Melbourne for 2016, after 7% to 8% growth in 2015.

Bloxham expects that in 2015, Melbourne and Sydney will “continue to outpace the rest of the nation”, noting that from its mid-2012 trough, Melbourne’s housing prices have increased by 20%.

However, Bloxham does not raise the prospect of a housing bubble in Melbourne as he did for Sydney, where HSBC predicts prices could fall by 2% in 2016 when they expect interest rates to increase.

He also noted the impact of foreign buyers on demand for Australian property, explaining that Foreign Investment Review Board figures “suggest a strong rise in foreign investment in Australian housing in 2014, with particular strength in investment in new dwellings.” (see chart below).

“Much of the interest from foreign buyers is in the Sydney and Melbourne new apartment markets,” writes Bloxham.

While Bloxham notes that foreign investment “is only a relatively small proportion of overall housing turnover”, it is “likely to be having some effect on housing prices”.

Victoria, which has seen the highest dwelling approvals of any state since 2009, is likely to see continued strength in the construction sector, according to Bloxham.

“As Australia’s growth rebalances away from the mining states towards the south-eastern states – of New South Wales and Victoria – the strongest ramp-up in construction should be expected in these states,” states the report.

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Population to swell well beyond predictions, not enough action by governmentThe Australian Financial Review - March 2015

Sales activity across Queensland over the June quarter was up across all property types, according to the Real Estate Institute Population to swell well beyond predictions, not enough action by government MacroPlan Dimasi chairman Brian Haratsis says that both monetary and fiscal policy, as sources for momentum, are close to exhausted. Australia’s population is likely to go well beyond the 39.7 million people by 2055 predicted in the federal government’s intergenerational report, MacroPlan Dimasi chairman Brian Haratsis says.

Mr Haratsis said the report, released on Thursday, was based on the assumption net overseas migration would average 215,000 people per annum. He said the annual increase was more likely to be closer to 300,000 people annually, even if the county’s migrant intake was not substantially raised.

“Australia’s economy has become more dependent on long-term temporary residents, including overseas university students, skilled workers and family visitors,” he said.

“Recent history has shown that sectors leading economic growth are dependent on our temporary residents. Our healthcare, professional services and tertiary education sectors provide leading edges to jobs growth.”

Modelling from Macroplan Dimasi showed 16 million new Australians would drive demand for about 12 million additional homes, 32 million square metres of retail floor space and 160 million square metres of office floor space.

“By 2055, both Melbourne and Sydney are likely to be the same size as Chicago is today at nine million people,” he said.

In the wake of the report, Treasurer Joe Hockey suggested access to superannuation as a way to help first homebuyers get into the housing market. The idea was broadly panned as having the potential to worsen affordability. Mr Haratsis said giving first-time buyers more buying power would create more competition for homes, driving up properties, without increasing supply – adding first homebuyer schemes only drove prices higher.

“It doesn’t address the big problems; the key issue is that the cost of housing is too high. You can create additional demand and introduce financial instruments but that does not change the cost of land.

“We need to look at how more land can be brought to market faster and more efficiently. Land is the most expensive component and that’s largely because of all the government taxes and charges attached.”

The report also highlighted a need to refresh macroeconomic policy, MacroPlan Dimasi has pushed for a review with a focus on industry perspectives rather than industry policy.

“It is clear that both monetary and fiscal policy, as sources for momentum, is close to exhausted,” Mr Haratsis said.”

“Moving forward, governments will need to offer more detailed and considered analysis of how the economy is evolving.”

One area for focus is the tourism sector, which he described as complex as a source of demand for transport infrastructure, retail services and property investment.

“Our services for overseas tourists are thriving, but this sector remains undervalued and misunderstood. Framing actions for the next 40 years will require thoughtful assessment of the global services boom, as it collides with the digital revolution and growth in Asian middle class wealth.”

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Mernda rail extension plans on the drawing board

Plans for a new rail line in Melbourne’s booming outer north are quietly being drawn up by the Napthine government, just three months out from a state election in which transport issues are tipped to swing many votes.

The plans, which are at a very early stage, involve extending the South Morang rail line eight kilometres north to Mernda on Melbourne’s suburban fringe. Fairfax Media understands potential locations for three new stations are being assessed, as well as whether land owned by government corporation VicTrack could be sold to developers to offset the construction costs.

Planners with state authority Public Transport Victoria have consulted planning officers at the City of Whittlesea about the proposal. The terminus for the new line would likely be built next to the planned Mernda town centre, a grassy paddock that will eventually become a commercial hub for tens of thousands of people.

Woolies blocks Coles bid for growth suburb

Supermarket chain Woolworths has won a planning battle with rival Coles to stop it building a full-line supermarket in Mernda, one of Melbourne’s fast-growing northern suburbs.

Victoria’s planning tribunal has overridden a contentious move by the City of Whittlesea to support a planning application by Wesfarmers-owned Coles and its development consortium partner Ascenzo Industries to build a supermarket and shopping complex at 1435 Plenty Road, on the north-west corner of Bridge Inn Road.

The supermarket furore erupted over the intersection of Bridge Inn and Plenty roads, a crossroad that will form the heart of Mernda’s new town centre in what are now little more than paddocks surrounded by rapidly expanding housing estates. The subregional centre is expected to service a catchment of about 50,000 people when fully developed.

Fairfax Media previously reported that Woolworths owns a 25-hectare block on the south-west corner where it is proposing to build Mernda Town Centre, a $100 million shopping centre with 80 mixed-use shops, two department stores and two supermarkets, one of which it will occupy.

The site, overseen by Woolworths’ development arm Fabcot Pty Ltd, has been zoned as the only land in the area allowed to accommodate supermarkets under Whittlesea Council’s Mernda Town Centre Comprehensive Development Plan.

But the Council - when approached by Coles with a proposal for a similar sized supermarket in a mixed-used development across the road - decided to support it, prompting Woolworths to fight the case in the tribunal.

Ascenzo Industries previously told Fairfax Media that Woolworths could block or offer unfavourable lease terms to any rival supermarket tenant if it controls the only land able to host a supermarket, an outcome that would undermine recent state government attempts to boost retail competition through reform. As the landlord, Woolworths was likely to be privy to revenue details of any rival.

Earlier this year, Coles announced its intention to roll out 14 new stores in Victoria over the next two years, investing $360 million to battle Woolworths for market share. The hiccup in Mernda follows another stumble at its proposed Surrey Hills store where the group has been forced to resubmit plans for a 1620-square-metre supermarket in the Union Road shopping precinct.

Coles and Ascenzo’s proposal for the Mernda site included a supermarket, medical centres, childcare, gymnasium or associated retail, and residential and office spaces. The tribunal said if it allowed a supermarket to be located outside Mernda’s designated core, the plans to create a compact, pedestrian-oriented and traditional mixed-use town centre would be ‘’frustrated and potentially thwarted’’.

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Coalition matches Labor with $700m Mernda rail link pledge

The booming outer-northern suburb of Mernda will be connected to the rail network, regardless of which party wins the state election.

On Tuesday morning the Coalition matched Labor’s promise to extend the railway from South Morang out to Mernda, pledging to build it for $700million by 2020-21. The planned 7.5 kilometre double track extension will see extra stations built in South Morang and Mernda. Trains will begin running every 10 minutes from next year on the line. The stations will provide another public transport option for one of Melbourne’s fastest-growing areas, where rapid population growth has choked roads in Mernda and neighbouring suburb Doreen. Whittlesea Council says 9500 people move to the area each year.

The announcement marks a victory for locals who have campaigned strongly for a railway extension past South Morang. A Mernda rail Facebook page has more than 6000 likes. Premier Denis Napthine said the promise hadn’t been made because of the seat of Yan Yean’s 0.1 per cent margin but because of the population growth in the area.

“When this is completed, we will be delivering train services to Mernda every 10 minutes off peak,” he said.

Labor made its promise in September and said the extension would cost between $400 million and $600 million. They committed to having the service up and running in their first term. Transport Minister Terry Mulder said the two stations would be premium stations and staffed from first to last train. He said Labor’s plan was underfunded and hadn’t been properly planned.

“We’re not going to promise what we can’t deliver,” he said.

Darren Peters from the South Morang and Mernda Rail Alliance said locals had been waiting for the announcement for a decade. He said he didn’t mind ultimately which party’s plan was successful as long as the railway extension was delivered.

“We had the community behind us but it was definitely the marginal seat status that tipped us over the line,” he said.

Mr Peters did raise concerns over the 200-capacity car parks at each station and said they might need to be expanded down the track. Mr Mulder said the plan was to build what was needed and that more people were expected to travel to the station by bus. The pledge forms part of a suite of $815 million in Coalition transport promises for the marginal seat, including $95 million to duplicate a 3.9 kilometre stretch of Yan Yean Road. The single-lane road carries 20,000 vehicles a day and has become increasingly bottlenecked at peak times.

Whittlesea mayor Mary Lalios described it as a “fantastic day” for the local community and said it was important that all parties had committed to the project. “It means that people will be able to access jobs, they will be able to access schools, everything they need to run their daily lives,” Cr Lalios said.

Yan Yean is the most marginal seat in Victoria. Currently held by Labor MP Danielle Green, a recent redistribution left the seat notionally Liberal at 0.1 per cent. Ms Green said the promise was a “last-minute stunt” which “smacked of desperation”.

“Denis Napthine and the Liberals have done nothing for four years in the northern suburbs,” she said.

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Mernda rail battle won by South Morang and Mernda Rail Alliance

A decade of tireless campaigning has paid off for a small group of South Morang and Mernda Rail Alliance volunteers following the state government decision to fast-track the rail extension from South Morang to Mernda.

When Premier Denis Napthine announced the Coalition’s $815 million transport package last Tuesday, alliance spokesman Darren Peters tasted victory for the second time since his battle for “rail to Mernda” began in 2005. It follows the alliance’s successful campaign for a station in South Morang, which opened in 2012. And it seems trains will run to Mernda regardless of the outcome of next month’s state election, as the state government’s $700 million rail commitment follows similar promises by Labor and the Greens last month.

“I can’t believe it,” Mr Peters said. “I think everyone in the surrounding suburbs is joyous. We’ve secured $1.4 billion of infrastructure for our community and that’s something we can be proud of.”

While campaigners were celebrating, Yan Yean Labor MP Danielle Green cited the electorate’s narrow margin as an explanation for Dr Napthine’s interest in local affairs.

“This is desperate Denis at his worst trying to save his political skin,” she said. “He’s been deaf and blind to this electorate for years.”

Either way, the narrow margin in the seat of Yan Yean is reaping rewards for the electorate. The state government’s Northern Suburbs Transport Package includes a 7.5-kilometre double-track extension with new stations at Hawkstowe Parade in South Morang and Bridge Inn Road, Mernda – and provision for a third. Yan Yean Road will be duplicated at a cost of $95 million; $20 million will provide weekday trains every 10 minutes on the South Morang line; and extra car parking will be created at Wallan station for $1.3 million.

The Premier also announced new train- stabling facilities at Mernda, an upgraded station at Mernda with 200 free car spaces, a four-bay bus interchange at Mernda and bicycle cages at South Morang and Mernda.

More than a dozen new schools needed in Whittlesea growth corridorThe Age - November 4, 2014

A leaked map of proposed schools in Melbourne’s outer north shows more than a dozen new schools are needed to cope with massive demand expected for enrolments.

The Education Department confirmed it has identified 14 school sites in the Epping North and Mernda/Doreen growth areas, but it currently owns only half of them. The City of Whittlesea, which covers these growth corridors, said new schools are urgently needed within three years with its population forecast to grow by 61 per cent to almost 300,000 people by 2030. Population growth is already putting pressure on existing schools in the area.

The map, which carries Education Department insignia, shows earmarked sites for primary and secondary schools and a proposed specialist school. But the department has given no indication of when new schools will be opened apart from three to be built under a public-private partnership.

The state government announced in May it will spend $223 million to build 13 new schools in growth areas of metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria through the public-private partnership. The schools are set to open in 2017 and 2018, including new primary schools in Epping North, Mill Park Heights and Mernda South.

But City of Whittlesea executive manager of advocacy, Mary Agostino, said the growth corridors were already facing a schools shortage. She said the council was “elated” at the new schools and welcomed the school promised for Epping North. “But that needed to be on the ground this year,” she said. “Epping North needs a second primary school but it also needs a third primary school and a secondary school to be open by 2017,” she said.

Last month The Age reported Victoria would need 550 extra schools within the next two decades according to Grattan Institute population forecasts. An Education Department spokesman said the department planned for new schools through monitoring of residential growth, demographic change and enrolment trends across Victoria.

“This ensures current and future demand for schools is properly planned for and accommodated,” he said. The spokesman said the timing for acquisition and construction of school sites was considered as part of “state budget processes” each year. The map includes four proposed sites in Wollert and Wollert East, which are considered rural parts of the municipality. However, Wollert’s population is expected to grow exponentially within 15 years. Opposition education spokesman James Merlino accused the government of making “minimal investment” in new schools during the past four years.

“Desperately trying to make up for lost time, the government this year funded some new schools that, due to their delay, still won’t be built until the end of the next term of government,” he said.

But Education Minister Martin Dixon said the government had already delivered $33.5 million for the new Hazel Glen College in Doreen. “Labor had 11 years to act to deliver the Mernda Central P-12, but failed to do so. How can they be trusted a second time,” he said. Doreen and Mernda Secondary School Alliance spokeswoman Lisa Muldoon said local schools were “bursting at the seams”.

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