Wyndham City Council have launched a plan to create multiple urban hubs to cater for a massive population boom

With a population expected to hit half a million by 2040, there are ambitious plans for Wyndham to become an urban metropolis with a unique feature.

An ambitious plan to transform Melbourne’s booming west into an urban metropolis of half a million people potentially with its own rail network — similar to the CBD’s loop — has been launched.

The ‘Wyndham Plan’ is Wyndham City Council’s strategy to cater for the more than 500,000 people projected to call the area home by 2040.

Wyndham is one of Australia’s fastest-growing corridors and is expected to grow by 11,000 people annually over the next 20 years.

The plan — still in its draft stage — is divided into six ‘big ideas’, with an overall goal to move away from a cluster of suburbs into a municipality with multiple urban hubs, all within a 20-minute radius.

The plan states: “This new approach proposed identifies these as critical locations for the future development of Wyndham. They are the key existing and proposed activity centres in Wyndham that will be central to the creation of Wyndham as a 20-minute city.”

These suburbs — to be linked by a public transport network with trains or bus or a mixture of both — would surround a CBD-like “city heart”, which will be the main epicentre for activity with the council predicting the creation of more than 50,000 jobs.

The Wyndham Transport Network would incorporate a train loop and bus network connecting all suburbs in Wyndham, with new stations to be built to connect with the existing stations.

Wyndham Mayor Susan McIntyre said the plan would improve liveability and provide the infrastructure for a city set for a population boom.

“We undertook extensive consultation and the community developed a vision that values not only what Wyndham currently offers but looks to the future and beyond to increase liveability,” she said.

“The draft has a detailed approach to increase liveability, create partnerships and attract investment to the city. I look forward to hearing our community’s thoughts on this important plan.”

About 70 per cent of Wyndham residents travel outside the municipality for work, which Wyndham councillor Josh Gilligan said needed to change.

“For many, the commute is an hour each way which is the equivalent of four weeks’ annual leave (over a year),” he said.

“Never before has there been a better time to connect people and places and fulfil the aspiration of the 20-minute neighbourhood.

“A notion that gives people the ability to meet most of their daily needs within 20 minutes from home, with access to local transport options, workplaces and entertainment.”

The map of the Wyndham Plan. Seven 'pulse suburbs' have been chosen to complement the development of a city centre by 2040.

Seven new train stations have been proposed as part of the Wyndham Plan's transport network.

The plan’s public draft was released to the public in November last year and was scheduled to be finalised and reported to council for consideration by mid-2023.

Residents will also have the chance to voice their opinion online and in person at consultation sessions in February and early March.

THE SIX BIG IDEAS

1. ‘Neighbourhood pulses’: identifying suburbs with the greatest growth potential and developing multiple activity hubs to complement the main Wyndham CBD.

Seven ‘pulse neighbourhoods’ and two ‘village pulses’ have been identified, these are: Tarneit, Riverdale, Manor Lakes, Mambourin, Williams Landing, Point Cook and Point Cook South

2. ‘City heart’: the epicentre of Wyndham pumping with activity, where every part of the municipality is accessible within 20 minutes.

3. ‘Wyndham Transport Network: a new train loop and bus network that connects all suburbs in Wyndham. New train stations at Truganina, Davis Rd, Sayers Rd, Black Forest Rd, Browns Rd, Werribee Racecourse and Derrimut Rd have been proposed, which would connect with the existing stations.

4. Derrimut Rd, Boulevard: connect Wyndham north to south. Early designs include four lanes of traffic (two each way) and potential for a light service rail, tram and bus networks.

5. Liveable Residential Neighbourhoods: more houses near and within the pulse suburbs and city heart.

6. Green Lungs Coast and Country: more open spaces with pedestrian and cycle paths to promote healthy active communities.