Tony De Domenico, Executive
Director of UDIA Victoria made the comments following a key presentation
to UDIA members by Stephen Chapple, National Chair of Economic
Development Australia, and Mark Holland, Head of Advisory at one of Australia's
major Property Advisors Opteon, on why people should invest in the
south east of Melbourne.
Mr. De Domenico said the three
municipalities, with a combined population of 424,000, eleven per cent of Melbourne's
population and a work force 185,000, is set for further major investment by government
and the private sector. With a strong manufacturing framework the area has
the potential of creating major employment opportunities.
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| Stephen
Chapple
National Chair of Economic Development Australia |
Stephen Chapple, National
Chair of Economic Development Australia said, there were many reasons
for both the government and the private sector to invest in the south east of
Melbourne and build on its strong foundation for existing and future infrastructure.
"The major advantage
of having two modern and strategically linked major roads - EastLink and Peninsula
Link - now in place has provided the south east with 'ribbons of gold' in relation
to the capacity to expand and complement local business activities, residential
and commercial development.
"These two roads have
been a major boost to tourism in the region with the Mornington Peninsula attracting
some six million tourists annually."
Mr. Chapple said the commitment
by the Victorian Government to develop the Port of Hastings as a major container
port to take advantage of the unencumbered channel access and natural deep water
of Westernport is a strategic policy that will provide a major cornerstone for
the economic development of the south east of Melbourne long term.
"With 40 per cent of
all current containers having an origin and destination in
Melbourne' s south east there will be considerably less freight traffic
on the metropolitan road network if a Port were located at Hastings where there
is already approximately 3,500 hectares of land around the Port zoned for Port
related uses," Mr. Chapple said.
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Mark
Holland,
Head of Advisory
Opteon |
Mark Holland, Head of Advisory
at Property Advisors Opteon said the changing value of
the median home prices in the south east which showed that areas such as
Mordialloc, Carrum Downs, Mornington, Baxter, Seaford and Hastings
had outstripped Metropolitan Melbourne prices, in some cases by up to
35 per cent in relation to percentage of price rises, reflected the ongoing
investment in infrastructure and accessibility of the area.
"It also reflected
the benefit of strategic planning by Frankston City Council and other Councils
in their designation of commercial and manufacturing land use close
to transport infrastructure to provide growing employment nodes in close
to proximity to residential precincts and town centres."
Mr. Holland said the south
east region could be described as a valuable all rounder providing a growing environment
for manufacturing, health, education, residential development, transport logistics
and tens of thousands of small businesses and jobs.
"All of which will provide
growth in the property sector in construction and property values,"
Mr. Holland said.
Download
the UDIA Presentations
Stephen Chapple Presentation
- pdf - 2.4mb
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Enquiries:
Ron
Smith, Corporate Media Communications, UDIA (VIC) - Mobile: 0417 329 201
