Melbourne’s western growth corridor is set to expand again, with state planning approval unlocking a brand-new community designed to house more than 36,000 residents and create around 1,600 jobs.
The Victorian Government has signed off on the Melton East Precinct Structure Plan, greenlighting nearly 12,000 new homes, seven schools and parkland equivalent to more than five MCGs.
A suburb built with infrastructure in step
The plan aims to avoid the “houses first, roads later” trap that has plagued some growth areas. The government will deliver the project in two stages, allowing homes only as it builds the corresponding infrastructure, including roads, schools and community hubs.
Once complete, Melton East will feature:
- Nearly 12,000 dwellings across the full precinct
- Seven new schools to serve growing families
- More than five MCGs worth of parks and reserves
- Four community hubs and local shopping options
- Three new arterial roads, 14 intersections and five bridges
- Dedicated cycling and pedestrian links to connect neighbourhoods
The full build-out is expected to take 20 to 30 years, with the approval now allowing developers to move into permit applications for individual stages.
Part of a greater western push
Melton East sits within the Victorian Government’s 10-year greenfields strategy, which aims to plan and deliver 180,000 new homes across the decade.
It also lands as Melton cements its status as one of Australia’s fastest-growing areas, with the City of Melton forecasting 109,000 new homes and five new employment precincts by 2051.
Recent and ongoing projects in the broader Melton area include:
- Electrification works on the Melton rail line, now level-crossing free
- Construction of the new Melton Hospital in Cobblebank, due to open in 2029
- Road upgrades across Melton, with more planned
- School upgrades and new secondary facilities in the corridor
Jobs precinct consultation opens in the north
Alongside Melton East, consultation is now open for the draft Merrifield North Precinct Structure Plan, a 970-hectare employment zone in the Northern Growth Corridor. The state says the precinct could unlock capacity for more than 4,700 jobs, with a focus on warehousing, transport and logistics.
Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny framed the approvals as part of a broader push to match housing supply with services. “We’re unlocking space to deliver thousands of more homes—as we deliver the infrastructure these communities need,” Kilkenny said.
“We are delivering the infrastructure needed to the west so more families can call Melton home,” said Member for Melton Steve McGhie.
The announcement comes as the state government highlights its record in Melton, including the hospital, rail works and school upgrades, while opposition figures have floated different priorities for the corridor.
For now, the focus for Melton East is on the long-term shape of the suburb, where homes will sit, how kids will get to school, and how residents will move around without relying solely on cars.
If the infrastructure keeps pace with the housing, Melton East could become one of the more liveable new communities on Melbourne’s western edge.
