The overall Palmers Road Corridor consists of Palmers Road, Robinsons Road, Westwood Drive and Calder Park Drive and extends for a distance of 25 kilometres from Dunnings Road in Point Cook to the Calder Freeway in Calder Park. The corridor traverses the municipalities of the Shire of Melton, City of Brimbank and City of Wyndham.
VicRoads is progressing a Planning Scheme Amendment for the section between Sayers Road and Western Freeway to secure a reservation for a future upgrade of Palmers Road. This section of Palmers Road is approximately 6.5 kilometres. The current exhibition process largely relates to this section. A separate planning process will occur for the section between Western Freeway and Calder Freeway. VicRoads also has arrangements in place for the reservation of land for the southern section of the Palmers Road corridor between Dunnings Road and Sayers Road. Refer to Figure 1 for the overall planning process for the Palmers Road Corridor.
This planning process is to secure a reservation for the future upgrade of Palmers Road. The future upgrade will be dependant on the need and relative priority across the state.
Figure 1: Palmers Road Corridor [JPEG, 64.5KB]
The planning proposal to secure a reservation for the future upgrade of Palmers Road and Robinson Road between Western Freeway and Sayers Road would provide for an ultimate six-lane divided road, including bus lanes in each direction and shared off-road pedestrian and bicycle paths on both sides.
Project Objectives
The following project objectives have been identified for the section of Palmers Road Corridor between Sayers Road and Western Freeway, Truganina:
Provide an ultimate facility that can be designed with safe system principles and promotes the reduction of crashes.
Provide an ultimate facility that caters for future growth.
Provide an ultimate facility that promotes bicycle and pedestrian travel.
Provide an ultimate facility that caters for forecast long term traffic demands.
Provide an ultimate facility that caters for long term public transport needs.
Provide an ultimate facility that caters for commercial access to industrial and employment precincts.
Minimise impact on the natural and built environment and retain significant conservation areas.
This Planning Scheme Amendment process is for the section of the corridor between Sayers Road and Western Freeway, Truganina, and is to:
- reserve land for future widening in the medium to long term as development proceeds in the area;
- apply a Public Acquisition Overlay over land required for the expanded road; and
- seek exemptions from permit requirements in relation to various planning scheme controls.
This Planning Scheme Amendment process provides a formal opportunity for the community to provide feedback for this part of the future upgrade.
The Palmers Road Corridor planning is compatible with precinct structure planning in the area and the Growth Areas Authority planning.
VicRoads has commenced the public exhibition of Amendments to the Brimbank (C116), Melton (C81) and the Wyndham (C121) Planning Schemes which seek to reserve land for the future upgrade of Palmers Road and Robinsons Road, Truganina, between Sayers Road and the Western Freeway.
The exhibition of these Planning Scheme Amendments, the Planning Assessment Report and Technical reports will represent the formal opportunity for members of the public to have their say about the upgrade of Palmers Road and Robinsons Road. The relevant public exhibition documents can be viewed using the links on this web site.
Submissions must be lodged by 1 March, 2012, which is the closing date of the public exhibition. All submissions will be treated as public documents.
There has been extensive consultation and studies since 2001 through various planning processes to determine the need for and the best location of the reservation.
The need for a major north south arterial road linking Point Cook with Calder Park was first identified in the Outer Western Suburbs Transportation Study in 2001. This report involved various State Government agencies and councils in the western suburbs of Melbourne.
Palmers Road, Robinsons Road and Westwood Drive were included as major north south routes in the 2006 Growth Area Framework Plans in the Melton and Wyndham Planning Schemes.
The Growth Areas Authority has released ‘Growth Corridor Plans Managing Melbourne’s Growth - November 2011’ which sets the strategic direction for future urban development in the growth corridors. The plans identify Palmers Road Corridor as an arterial road, with the section between Western Freeway and Sayers Road also identified as a Principal Freight route. Principal Public Transport routes servicing the adjacent community are identified as Carolyn Springs Boulevard to the west and Mt Derrimut/Kings Road to the east.
The location of the proposed reservation has been included in more detail in the following Precinct Structure Plans which are now in the Planning Schemes:
- Truganina Employment PSP (2009)
- Robinsons Road Employment South PSP (2011)
- Truganina South PSP (2011)
The western suburbs of Melbourne have experienced record growth in recent years, which is expected to continue due to the expansion of the Urban Growth Boundary. This growth includes the expansion of the residential areas within the Shire of Melton and City of Wyndham. This expansion will need to be supported by suitable infrastructure to meet increased transport demand over time.
There has been a detailed assessment of the possible environmental, social and economic impacts of the proposed reservation. The anticipated impact and the proposed mitigation measures were examined by VicRoads and various consultants. The results of these investigations are included in the various technical reports and supporting documentation attached. They are summarised in the Explanatory Report for the Amendments and assessed by VicRoads in the Planning Assessment Report.
The Public Acquisition Overlay in the Amendments is generally 50 metres wide and approximately 60 metres wide in the vicinity of Boundary Road. This includes 20 metres of the existing road reserve. Hence, an additional 30-40 metres needs to be acquired for the proposed cross section.
Access to Palmers Road and Robinsons Road from existing developments will be retained as future road development occurs. Access to future subdivisions and developments will be from local roads.
Consultation between VicRoads, councils, service authorities, land owners and others has resulted in the proposed location for the reservation and Public Acquisition Overlay in the Amendments. This reservation is shown in the attached planning scheme amendment documentation.
The Public Acquisition Overlay utilises the existing road reservation where possible with the aim of minimising the impact to existing development.
The reservation is proposed mainly on the western side of Palmers Road and Robinsons Road to reduce the impact on the following features:
- existing vegetation
- heritage places
- Port Phillip Prison
- Telstra tower
However, due to existing industrial development, the reservation is partly on the eastern side of Robinsons Road near Boundary Road to reduce the impact on development in this area. The reservation diverts back to the western side of Robinsons Road near the Western Freeway to make use of the existing Public Acquisition Overlay.
Currently Palmers Road and Robinsons Road, Trugania, is a two lane undivided road.
The proposed route concept is shown in the Planning Assessment Report. The Public Acquisition Overlay in the Amendments is based on this concept. The existing road reservation has been used as much as possible in the existing design.
The route concept allows for the following works to be included in the proposed 50 metre reservation:
- Ultimate six lane divided road (three lanes each way);
- Off road shared bicycle and pedestrian lanes on both sides of the road;
- A posted speed of 80km/h to be adopted where appropriate;
- Upgrade of intersections of Palmers Road and Robinsons Road at Boundary Road, Dohertys Road, Leakes Road and Sayers Road;
- Improved landscaping; and
- Improved drainage.
A new alignment is proposed near Sayers Road, to directly link Palmers Road north of Sayers Road to the future alignment of Palmers Road south of Sayers Road in Williams Landing.
VicRoads will consider all submissions on the Amendments. If it is not possible to resolve objections, then VicRoads will refer all submissions to an Independent Panel, who, after conducting a hearing, will then make recommendations on the matter. Subject to the Panel's recommendations, the amendment will then be referred by VicRoads to the Minister for Planning for approval.
More Information
Phone: VicRoads (03) 9811 8160 during office hours Monday – Friday 8:30am to 5pm.
Write to: Manager Planning Investigations
VicRoads
Level 1, 3 Prospect Hill Road
Camberwell, VIC 3124
Email: palmerscorridor@roads.vic.gov.au