Former Victorian premier Steve Bracks has thrown his weight behind a push to transform Sunshine into the capital of Melbourne’s west, arguing the suburb could play the same role for the city that Parramatta plays for Sydney.
The proposal comes in a new report called Sunshine – Daring to be Different, created by Victoria University’s West of Melbourne Economic Development Alliance (WoMEDA). It leans heavily on the suburb’s position as a stop on the proposed Airport Rail Link, with construction expected to start in 2022. The separate $50 billion suburban rail loop also plans to run through Sunshine, possibly via the existing station.
Mr Bracks, a Williamstown-based former teacher who now works in the private sector, said Sunshine’s catchment could soon rival that of a major metropolitan centre. Over the next 17 years, Melbourne’s western suburbs are expected to add roughly 600,000 residents. That would put about 1.2 million people within Sunshine’s reach — numbers he said make the precinct comparable to Parramatta.
The report projects around 50,000 new jobs could be created in and around Sunshine within two decades. Many would flow from the region’s public transport access, Mr Bracks said. Others would be tied to airport functions, given Sunshine sits on the same side of the city as both Melbourne Airport and Avalon Airport.
It’s a familiar pitch for those who have watched other satellite suburbs grow into secondary hubs. The difference here is timing: the rail infrastructure that would anchor such growth hasn’t been built yet, which leaves the vision hinging on projects that could still shift or stall.
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The sector breakdown points to a mixed future. Health Care and Social Assistance is expected to account for 27.9 per cent of upcoming jobs, followed by Construction at 13.2 per cent, Education and Training at 12.6 per cent, Professional, Scientific and Technical Services at 11.9 per cent, and Accommodation and Food Services at 9.1 per cent.
Beyond job numbers, the report wants to “hyper-charge” plans for a VU Polytechnic complex at Sunshine. It also proposes building a branch of the National Gallery of Victoria, a convention centre and a major stadium in the suburb, which sits about 10 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD.
Apartment builders have already been active in the area. A development site at 7 Foundry Road recently hit the market, offered permit-ready for a proposed 13-storey building.
Whether Sunshine can pull off a Parramatta-style transformation will depend on the rail links arriving as planned — and on whether the state’s appetite for major projects in the west matches the ambition of the report.
