I live in Box Hill, the suburb of broken promises. Our community deserve so much more

Four years ago, I stood on the precipice of hope as I purchased a piece of land in Box Hill. Today reality paints a starkly different picture — one of disappointment and frustration.

Four years ago, I stood on the precipice of hope as I purchased a piece of land in Box Hill.

The glossy brochures and grand development plans promised a vibrant community, bustling infrastructure, and a future that would enhance my quality of life.

With wide-eyed optimism, I envisioned a home surrounded by schools, convenient shopping centres, and smooth traffic flow.

But today, reality paints a starkly different picture — one of disappointment, frustration, and broken promises.

The first blow came when the school — a beacon of education and community — vanished from the development plan.

What was once a promising educational hub now remains an empty space, a void where children’s laughter should echo.

The Vijay family pictured outside the abandoned Box Hill town centre. Picture: Damian Shaw

As a parent, I am terrified with the thought of daily struggle of shuttling my kid to a distant school — an hour-long journey that gnaws at our precious time together.

The traffic congestion exacerbates this ordeal, turning our commutes into a battle against the clock. The roads, once envisioned as arteries connecting our lives, now resemble clogged veins, choking our aspirations.

Box Hill in Sydney’s northwest where thousands of houses have been built and not much else, the area lacks schools and other infrastructure. Picture: Jonathan Ng

And then there’s the incomplete shopping centre — a haunting reminder of unfulfilled dreams.

Its skeletal structure stands as a testament to bureaucratic delays, indecision, and perhaps even indifference.

The cracked concrete, once meant to support bustling shops and vibrant community life, now mocks us.

We were promised convenience, but instead, we navigate a wasteland of broken hopes.

The foundation, like our trust, crumbles under the weight of unmet expectations.

Our community bears the brunt of these unfulfilled promises.

We are the silent sufferers — the ones who believed in progress, only to find ourselves stranded in limbo.

Authorities urge patience, but how long should we wait?

The absence of clear timelines and transparency compounds our frustration.

We deserve better — a community that thrives, not one that languishes in uncertainty.

As residents, we must raise our voices. We are not mere spectators; we are stakeholders in Box Hill’s destiny. Let us demand accountability, insist on transparent communication, and rally for timely action.

Our children deserve schools within reach, our roads should flow freely, and our shopping centres must flourish. The broken promises must transform into tangible progress.

Box Hill’s potential remains untapped.

Let us reclaim our vision — a thriving community where schools thrive, traffic flows, and shopping centres bustle.

We deserve a Box Hill that fulfils its promises, not one that leaves us stranded in disillusionment. Patience has its limits; it’s time for action.

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