Pakenham East

Key points

The Pakenham East Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) outlines and guides the proposed development of a new community to be built on 630 hectares of land to the east of Pakenham. 

  • The Pakenham East precinct will be mostly residential. It’s estimated that the precinct will deliver over 7000 homes and almost 1500 jobs for Cardinia Shire, one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions. Read some more fast facts about the precinct here. link to #quickfacts  
  • The Victorian Government approved the land for urban development in December 2020, and it was gazetted in January 2021.  
  • The Pakenham East PSP was prepared by the Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) and Cardinia Shire Council, in collaboration with government agencies, service authorities, major stakeholders and the community.  
  • A Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) is a long-term strategic plan to guide urban development. It describes how land is expected to be developed, what natural assets must be protected, and how and where services are planned to support this development. 
  • The PSP recognises and enhances the local heritage, landscape and environmental values of the area, while delivering a variety of housing options and community and recreational facilities as a logical extension of the Pakenham township. 

Location

The Pakenham East precinct is the area that has:   

  • the high-power electricity line to the north 
  • Mt Ararat Road North and South Road to the east 
  • the Princes Freeway to the south 
  • Ryan Road and Deep Creek to the west. 

You can view an interactive map on the VPA website

Project fast tracked by the Victorian Government

As part of the Victorian Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the VPA fast tracked  a package of its existing projects to unlock about $17 billion in estimated economic value by mid-2021. 
The Pakenham East precinct project is one of the 18 planning and infrastructure projects chosen for early completion as part of the response.  

Vision for the precinct

The vision is for a sustainable and resilient community with plenty of housing choices, open space, well-connected streets, future schools and a local town centre and convenience centre. It will complement Pakenham, with an extensive network of cycling paths, public transport and pedestrian links to central Pakenham. 

Amendment C234 to the Cardinia Planning Scheme

The Pakenham East Structure Plan (PSP) and Native Vegetation Precinct Plan (NVPP) was:  

  • approved by the Minister for Planning in December 2020  
  • gazetted on 21 January 2021 under Amendment C234 and the Cardinia Planning Scheme

View the Pakenham East Precinct Structure Plan and associated documents

To view the documents below, visit the Pakenham East Precinct Structure Plan web page on the Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) website:  

Quick facts about the future Pakenham East precinct

Some numbers below are estimates only.  

  • Precinct size: 630 hectares 
  • Number of houses expected: 7229 dwellings  
  • Population: 23,000 people 
  • Local jobs: 1,436 
  • Development expected to start: Late-2021 to early-2022 
  • Percentage of land for  open space and reserves for drainage and conservation: .33.21%  (over 130 hectares)  
  • 14 parks 
  • 2 sports reserves  
  • 4 schools 
  • 2 government primary schools 
  • one non-government primary school  
  • one government secondary school 
  • 3 integrated community centres with kindergartens and Maternal and Child Health facilities  
  • One town centre and a local convenience centre featuring a mix of retail, commercial and community operations and spaces.  
  • This will provide a range of goods and services and economic benefits and lifestyle and employment opportunities.  
  • Each centre will have its own distinct character, with places for people to gather. 
  • One indoor recreation facility 
  • A range of drainage and waterway reserves with stormwater harvesting proposed. 
  • A comprehensive network of bicycle and shared paths.  
  • An upgraded Pakenham Station, to be improved as part of the Pakenham Level Crossing Removal Project. The Victorian Government has also recently announced that a new Pakenham East Station will sit just outside the precinct to the south-west. You can visit the Engage Victoria website to ask questions about the station projects.  

Environment

  • A native vegetation precinct plan has been developed to carefully balance conservation with broader planning objectives. 
  • Deep Creek will be protected by a drainage reserve up to 100 metres wide, which will protect the native vegetation that is present within this area. 
  • Habitat corridors will be created along Deep Creek and other waterways 
  • Significant native vegetation will be maintained, and places of Aboriginal cultural heritage and post-contact cultural heritage will be conserved and celebrated.  

How infrastructure in the precinct will be funded

Infrastructure within the precinct will be funded by contributions from landowners.  

The Infrastructure Contributions Plan (ICP): 

  • identifies the location for schools, community facilities, local parks and roads. 
  • establishes a framework for the collection of funding for infrastructure and services. 
  • ensures the cost is shared between the various developers and the wider community. 

Name of the precinct

The future name of the precinct (suburb) will be determined by Council in collaboration with Geographic Names Victoria. 

More information

VPA website – Pakenham East PSP 

Enquiries

Contact the Growth Area Planning team 
Ph: 1300 787 624 
Email: mail@cardinia.vic.gov.au 

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