Land sales go digital as essential workers make up 60 per cent of Orana's public launch
Orana, the largest masterplanned community in Melbourne’s south-east, has gone completely digital - selling 70 blocks of land totalling more than $19 million in sales, without a single person stepping foot in a display.
House and land packages start from $418,566, with land sizes from 221 sqm to 448 sqm available now.
Utilising digital contracts and an online deposit portal, the $1.3 billion development by Victorian developer Balcon Group launched sales after 10 years in the making; the site comprising eight individual landholdings acquired over a period of more than a decade and will one day be home to more than 12,000 people across 4000 lots.
The early success of the project has been buoyed by the developer’s exclusive $20,000 promotion for essential workers, which has seen 76 per cent of purchasers so far comprised of local healthcare workers, teachers, police officers, hospitality staff and other essential workers.
“We’ve had an incredibly positive response to the grant, with 45 lots selling to essential workers, making up an incredible 76 per cent of all purchasers to-date,” said Balcon Group general manager Jason Shaw.
“In what has been a challenging time for everyone recently, all of us at Balcon Group felt strongly about doing something to give back to essential workers within our community.
“At Orana, community is at the core of everything that we do and ultimately drives our vision for the project.”
The 274ha site includes more than 42ha of green, open space, comprised of six parks, sporting fields and three wetlands; the total green space is more than Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens.
Already entrenched within the local community, more than half of all purchasers to-date are making the move from surrounding postcodes such as Cranbourne, Pakenham and Clyde North; 72 per cent of future residents will be first home buyers.
“Our intention with Orana is to provide a place for residents to live, play, exercise, socialise, and even work – with the future town centre and business park providing employment opportunities just a short commute from their front door,” said Jason.
Orana has attained a 6-Leaf EnviroDevelopment accreditation from the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA), which acknowledges Orana’s excellence across six areas of sustainability: ecosystems, materials, waste, energy, water and community.
“Balcon has six parks and waterways planned for Orana, as well as 10 kilometres of shared paths for cyclists, joggers and walkers – spaces for the whole community to engage, interact and explore,” said Jason.
At Orana, Balcon Group has also committed to the Urban Forest Program, a collaboration with City of Casey, to achieve 30 per cent tree canopy across the entire 274ha site, translating to thousands of newly planted trees.