Aerial photographs show how in just eight years Melbourne’s outer suburbs have gone from empty farm land to bustling suburbs.
These images will be replicated across fringe suburbs as Melbourne’s population soars to make it the biggest city in Australia by the 2030s.
Suburbs such as Point Cook and Cranbourne East are now functioning suburbs housing hundreds of people.
Melbourne is expected to have a population of five million by 2021 and eight million by 2050 (pictured: Point Cook, Melbourne, 2010)
This will make Melbourne Australia’s largest city sometime in the 2030s (pictured: Point Cook, Melbourne, 2018)
Melbourne is expected to have a population of five million people by the year 2021 and eight million by 2050.
Currently Melbourne’s population grows by 126,000 people every year, compared to Sydney’s 90,000.
Bernard Salt, The Demographics Group Managing Director told 9NEWS that 25 years ago people were streaming out of Melbourne – the population was only growing by 12,000 people in 1993.
However he has concerns that the city is growing too fast.
He told the program: There are times when a city grows too fast and I think we’re in that time at the moment.
‘But that does not mean shutting the gate… it might mean closing it a bit.’
Shane Preston, Nearmap executive, told Daily Mail Australia: ‘The growth of Melbourne’s suburbs in recent years is spectacular, especially when viewed from the air. We’ve seen dramatic development with the creation of new suburbs, the impressive redevelopment of areas along Melbourne’s urban fringe and the construction of major infrastructure projects.
‘There are pockets of growth across Melbourne, take Cranbourne East in the southeast for example, where vacant blocks of land have been transformed into vibrant communities. It’s a similar story in the southwest with the sea of new houses at Point Cook and across town in the north with the development of suburbs such as Epping.
Shane Preston, Nearmap executive, told Daily Mail Australia: ‘We’ve seen dramatic development with the creation of new suburbs’ (pictured Truganina, Melbourne, 2009)
Plan Melbourne states that in order to cater to the eight million people expected to live in city 1.6 million new homes will need to be built (pictured Truganina, Melbourne, 2018)
‘Frequently updated aerial imagery has become an invaluable tool for government agencies, construction companies, and engineers to successfully deliver urban sprawl projects — from planning right through to ongoing maintenance.’
Plan Melbourne states that in order to cater to the eight million people expected to live in city, and the ten million the state expects to call home, 1.6 million new homes will need to be built.
The move will create 1.5 million jobs, public transport will increase by up to 80 per cent and plans will need to be made for environmental sustainability and dealing with crisis like bush fires.
The document from Plan Melbourne outlining its planning states: ‘Melbourne will be a city of 20-minute neighbourhoods’ (pictured: Cranbourne East, Melbourne, 2010)
This means that besides your place of work, shopping centres, schools and medical facilities should all be within 20 minutes of your home (pictured: Cranbourne East, Melbourne, 2018)
The document from Plan Melbourne outlining its planning states: ‘Melbourne will be a city of 20-minute neighbourhoods. Residents will still commute out of their area for work, but most of their daily needs will be a short walk, bike ride or public transport trip away.’
This means that besides your place of work, shopping centres, schools and medical facilities should all be within 20 minutes of your home.
The 35-year plan is ‘to ensure Melbourne grows more sustainable, productive and liveable as its population approaches eight million.’