Melbourne's National Employment and Innovation Clusters take another step toward reality
A trio of National Employment and Innovation Clusters now have their framework plans in place and available for viewing, advancing their prospects of becoming enhanced employment hubs in the medium term.
Released by the Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne, the Sunshine, Monash and La Trobe National Employment and Innovation Clusters are now a step closer to reality. Centred around medical, research and tertiary institutions across Melbourne, the National Employment and Innovation Clusters are deemed nationally significant as they attract workers, students and visitors from both Australia and overseas.
Under the guidance of the Victoria Planning Authority, the clusters will in the future be exposed to increased infrastructure spending and development in order to stimulate higher levels of employment.
Earmarking these localities as National Employment and Innovation Clusters has a multi-pronged effect; least of which is encouraging people to work local and thus somewhat alleviating the burden on Melbourne's stressed road and public transport networks.
The framework plans are high-level documents that outline key infrastructure investment and changes to planning rules needed to make sure Melbourne has a number of thriving job and innovation hubs – not just the CBD.
Victorian Planning Authority
A cited example involves changing planning laws in order to simplify and stimulate the development of hotels within the Monash Cluster, where they were previously not able to be built under outdated planning rules. Subject to heightened educational, medical and commercial development in recent years, hotel accommodation stands out as the obvious gap in Monash Cluster's development drive.
As a point of reference, Monash Cluster is currently a base for 75,000 workers.
The Victorian Government is committed to growing jobs in our suburbs, so that people spend less time in their cars and more time with loved ones. When businesses form distinct hubs of industry, workers leverage off one another’s ideas, with healthy competition spurring innovation.
Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne
Whilst the Sunshine, Monash and La Trobe's National Employment and Innovation Clusters have their draft framework plans in place, Dandenong South and Werribee East wait in the wings as further clusters.
Further information and respective Draft Framework Plans and be found on the Victoria Planning Authority website.
