Melbourne home to Australia’s biggest shopping centres

MELBOURNE will be home to five of the six biggest shopping centres in Australia if plans for a $500 million mall expansion in Melbourne’s east go ahead.

Chadstone Shopping Centre is the largest in the country — and about to grow even bigger.

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MELBOURNE will be home to five of the six biggest shopping centres in Australia if plans for a $500 million expansion of Westfield Doncaster go ahead.

The new-look Chadstone at 190,000sq m is the biggest in the country, with Westfield Fountain Gate (177,000sq m) not far behind.

Westfield Sydney sits third on 153,000sq m.

Highpoint Shopping Centre has some ambitious plans to expand.

But Westfield Knox has plans in place to expand to 188,500sq m, which would make it the second biggest in the country, while GPT Group’s Highpoint this year announced plans to expand to 185,000sq m.

That would make all four Melbourne shopping centres bigger than any other in the country, while Westfield Doncaster’s plans to grow to almost 150,000sq m would bring it in at number six.

Westfield Doncaster.

Not to be outdone, the newly-redeveloped Eastland Shopping Centre may measure in at just 131,000sq m but spoils shoppers with choice through a higher density of stores, with more than 460 outlets at the Ringwood mega mall.

GPT Group spokesman Natalie Greening said the west could sustain the expansion of shopping centres because of its strong population growth.

Ms Greening said Highpoint had become Australia’s current fifth largest shopping centre by retail sales, hosting more than 15 million visitors in the past 12 months.

Plans for the redevelopment of Westfield Knox have been on the table for a few years.

Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman said Melbourne was seen as the fashion capital of Australia and renowned for its unique retailers, which attracted visitors from interstate and overseas.

Mr Zimmerman said with Melbourne expected to overtake Sydney in population, shopping centres were getting ready to allow for the current and expected growth.

Westfield Fountain Gate is currently the second biggest shopping centre in the country. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Mr Zimmerman said Melbourne also had less shops per capita than Sydney and was playing catch up.

He said growth in retail was good for employment given retail was the largest private employer in Australia.

According to industry publication Shopping Centre News, Chadstone was number one yet again, turning over $1.45 billion last year.

AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST MEGA MALLS

1. Chadstone, Victoria — 190,000sq m

2. Westfield Knox, Victoria — 188,500sq m*

3. Highpoint, Victoria — 185,000sq m*

4. Westfield Sydney, New South Wales - 167,900sq m

5. Fountain Gate, Victoria — 177,000sq m

6. Westfield Chermside, Queensland — 150,733sq m

7. Westfield Doncaster, Victoria — 150,000sq m*

8. Pacific Fair, Queensland — 150,000sq m

9. Westfield Garden City, Queensland — 142,835sq m

10. Macquarie Centre, New South Wales — 138,500sq m

*After expansion is complete