The Transforming Brimbank program aims to leverage infrastructure and development investments in coming years to deliver meaningful and generational change for our community. Brimbank will work closely with key stakeholders as well as the community, to ensure that investment will invest in people and place and not just projects.
Sunshine - CBD of the West
Brimbank and Melbourne’s West is expecting billion-dollar investments in infrastructure in the next 10 years.
Most of this will be in Sunshine Precinct, which may see up to 43,000 additional residents and an additional 29,000 jobs created by 2051.
Located at the geographical heart of the western region and linking with Melbourne Airport and CBD, as well as Werribee, Cobblebank and Footscray employment precincts, Sunshine is uniquely positioned to serve as Melbourne’s western CBD.
'Sunshine will be the centre of Melbourne's west'
Victorian Government's Sunshine Precinct Opportunity Statement.
Sunshine is the 'Capital of Melbourne's West'
Council's Sunshine Priority Precinct Vision 2050
Sunshine's at 'the heart of Melbourne's West'
West of Melbourne Economic Development Alliance (WoMEDA)'s Sunshine Daring to be Great.
Through extensive planning, research and engagement Council has identified a pathway for Brimbank’s evolution to a future city that is ambitious while also being realistic, desirable and positive.
We want to build a city of opportunity and prosperity that is sustainable and innovative, and that builds on the unique character of Sunshine and the west — proud, welcoming and diverse.
As we focus on responding to climate change, social justice and recovery from the impacts of COVID-19, delivering the Sunshine Priority Precinct Vision 2050 provides a pathway for success.
Read more about our advocacy for the Sunshine Precinct to transform the working-class area into a 21st century city that is ready to shine.
From August 2020 to February 2021, Council undertook targeted stakeholder engagement including with State Government, key institutions, landowners, industry and business as well as the wider community.
Read about key milestones in the Transforming Brimbank Update 2021-2022 released in August 2022.
Melbourne's Western Metro Region is one of the fastest-growing areas in Australia. Today our population sits at just under 1 million people. By 2051 it is expected to be closer to 2 million, a city the size of Perth.
The Victorian State Government has identified Sunshine as Melbourne's only combined national employment and innovation cluster, metropolitan activity centre, state priority precinct, and transport superhub. By 2046 Sunshine should be within 45 minutes of 4 million people (Infrastructure Australia) following the completion of a number of State projects which will provide long-term ongoing benefits to our diverse and historically disadvantaged community. These include:
- Melbourne Airport Rail (jointly funded with Federal Government)
- Sunshine Super Hub
- Metro Tunnel
- Suburban Rail Loop
- Western Rail Plan
- Albion Station Redevelopment
The Victorian Government expect the growth of Sunshine CBD to at least double, with:
- 18,000 new jobs by 2051 (on top of the existing 16,000),
- 28,000 new residents by 2051 (on top of the existing 27,000)
While the Victorian Government's target is to almost triple the existing numbers, with:
- 29,000 new jobs by 2051 (on top of the existing 16,000),
- 43,000 new residents by 2051 (on top of the existing 27,000)
Council’s data shows that since 2006, close to $250 million has been invested in residential and commercial developments in Sunshine CBD. This is on top of the current planning pipeline of development projects which total $375 million.
Council's efforts to transform Sunshine in recent years include:
- The $65m construction of the new Brimbank Community and Civic Centre and multideck carpark
- $14.7m invested in the new public realm of Hampshire Road, which includes the award-winning Hampshire Road Civic Green
- $3.6m for the multi-award-winning Sunvale Community Park
- Invested $950,000 into the Gateway to Sunshine transformation project significantly improving the Hampshire Road and Ballarat Road northern entrance of Sunshine.
- $2.05m for the Dempster Park Oasis project which seeks to harvest and reuse up to 11 million litres of stormwater each year to create a garden oasis
- $2.767 million for upgrades to pedestrian and cycling areas around Derrimut Street Albion
Advocating for the Brimbank community with State and Federal Government bodies and other major stakeholders has always been a major priority for Council.
In September 2021, Council launched the ‘Let’s Build It Better Together Advocacy Campaign’ which included a formal petition as well as the release of an advocacy document which outlined key asks.
Advocacy priorities are ranked from the top as 'Gold', 'Silver', 'Bronze' and 'Business as usual' (BAU)
Transforming Brimbank is a Gold priority for Council with advocacy for
- Sunshine Priority Precinct
- Sunshine Superhub
- Albion Station
- Abion Quarter
- Sunshine Energy Park
- Integrated transport
The Brimbank Advocacy Plan 2022 (pdf 2.3mb) outlines Council’s key advocacy priorities and seeks partnerships to deliver key programs and infrastructure for the Brimbank community. It is a fundamental component of our strategy to transform Brimbank with four strategic directions:
- People and Community
- Places and Spaces
- Opportunity and Prosperity
- Leadership and Governance
Other related Council strategies and plans:
Western Rail Plan Response Strategy
Sunshine Rising Action Plan 2019-2024
Victorian State Government resources
Sunshine Precinct Opportunity Statement & Station Masterplan (State)
Sunshine Community Reference Group
Calder Park Drive Level Crossing Removal
Major Projects
Sunshine Station Masterplan and existing commitments
The State Government recently released the Sunshine Station Masterplan with $143 million of funding to deliver the first stage of infrastructure works, which is on top of works already committed as part of both the Sunshine Station Regional Platform project and Melbourne Airport Rail project.
Albion Station redevelopment
Located within the north of Sunshine CBD, Albion Station redevelopment is critical in uncloaking the surrounding Albion Quarter urban renewal precinct. The $80 million station redevelopment by the State Government will link Victoria University to Albion Station and to Sunshine Energy Park to create an innovation, education and jobs-focused precinct. This is expected to unlock over 2 billion worth of development investment around the station, with the potential for over 7,000 new jobs.
Sunshine Energy Park
The transformation of Sunshine Energy Park promises to be a 54-hectare urban parkland next to the Sunshine CBD and Albion Quarter that is an environmental and cultural asset for the community long into the future.
The Closed Sunshine Landfills are now suitable to consider opportunities for recreation and community use after extensive rehabilitation works and aftercare management, which will continue into the future.
The Sunshine Energy Park Vision Plan includes proposed large-scale tree planting, solar farm, mountain bike trails and hilltop lookout, cycling and walking tracks, a sustainability hub, sports fields and stadium, playground and play spaces, and a large urban forest and wetland system.
Community consultation on the draft plan is taking place from 21 June to 11 August 2023.