Place Snapshot: Epping

This place snapshot provides a summary of future development in the Epping and Epping North areas for current and future residents, business owners, investors and community groups.

For snapshots of development in other areas, see Place Snapshots: A Guide to Development in Your Area.

Snapshot of Epping

1. Pacific Epping Shopping Centre
   Pacific Epping offers 230 different stores, Reading Cinemas, Urban Diner restaurant and entertainment precinct. Pacific Epping also employs around 2,600 people making it a substantial local employer. Expansion plans have been approved for this area.
2. Medical precinct
   Development of the Epping Specialist Medical Centre is underway. A private hospital is proposed. Together with the Northern Hospital will become a major medical hub for Melbourne’s north. Construction of the Northern Hospital, stage 1 of the south tower development is currently underway and visible from Cooper Street. This will provide 32 additional inpatient beds and 2 ‘shell’ floors slated to become a new intensive care ward and office space/back-of-house services in the future.
3. Melbourne Polytechnic – Epping Campus
   Offers some of Australia’s best industrial training facilities in agriculture, aquaculture, meat processing, viticulture and winemaking, as well as welding and forklift driving. A new Student Centre opened in 2012 and includes a bookshop, library and the fitness centre, which is open to the general public.
4. Costco  
5. Cooper Street Employment Precinct
   The Cooper Street Employment Precinct is a state significant employment area that is expected to generate over 25,000 jobs. The precinct is serviced by excellent transport routes focused on the Hume Freeway and Cooper Street and is located close to future residential growth areas which will provide local employment opportunities for current and future residents in these areas. It comprises various precincts which are at different stages of development implementation and will incorporate a diverse range of business, office, warehouse and industrial related uses.
6. Cooper Street Employment Area (north-east)
   This is the most advanced area within the Cooper Street Employment precinct in terms of development. Key developments within this precinct include the McMullin Group’s Northpoint Business Park and MAB Corporation’s Alliance Business Park.
7. Melbourne Wholesale Fruit, Vegetable and Flower Market (south-east)
   The Melbourne Wholesale Markets relocated to Epping and officially opened on 31 August 2015 and is home to 3,000 businesses employing 7,500 workers. The entire site covers over 130 hectares, which includes 70 hectares comprising the core market area and associated warehousing. The remaining 60 hectares adjacent to the core market area provides for potential expansion opportunities for related uses in the future.
8. Cooper Street Employment Area (south-west)
   Development in this precinct has recently commenced as part of the Biodiversity Business Park which will provide for industrial, warehouse and office uses. It also includes the Alex Fraser Group’s recycling facility. The southern portion of this precinct which extends south into Lalor will be accessed from Cooper Street and will be developed for employment uses in the future Cooper Street West Employment Area The precinct contains former and current quarrying and landfill operations, and environmentally sensitive areas. It is currently under investigation in this context to determine its development potential for employment uses.
9. Epping Recreation Reserve
10. Epping Memorial Hall
11. Epping Soccer Stadium
12. Epping Renewal Site - 215 Cooper Street
    Council is currently planning for the redevelopment of the Epping Renewal site, which is at 215 Cooper Street, Epping. This land is the former Epping Quarry site which was previously used for quarrying and landfill activities which ceased almost 20 years ago. The site is subject to Amendment C213 to the Whittlesea Planning Scheme. The amendment will provide new planning controls to guide the future development of the land for a mixed use development comprising of employment, health services, housing and open space. Further details of Amendment C213.

Snapshot of Epping North

1. Aurora Estate
   The estate is expected to be home to around 25,000 people and will include 2 town centres; Aurora North and Aurora South. Council is advocating for a railway extension to provide 2 train stations at each of the town centres.
2. Proposed Town Centre – Aurora North
   This town centre will be built towards the centre of the Aurora estate. The Centre is planned to provide main-street based supermarkets, shops and services including community and medical facilities. The basic infrastructure for Aurora North has been constructed and a supermarket is likely to come forwards in the near future. The Galada Community Centre is located in the southern part of this centre.
3. Proposed Town Centre – Aurora South
   This town centre will be developed towards the southern part of the Aurora estate, near to O’Herns Road. It will also provide at least 1 x supermarket and a number of community facilities. The delivery of this centre is dependent upon the development of Edgars Road, which Council continues to advocate for.
4. Galada Community Centre
5. Korin Korin Child and Family Centre
6. Proposed Epping North East Regional Recreation Reserve
   Corner of Epping Road and Harvest Home Road, Wollert. The recreation reserve will be located opposite the 4 existing soccer pitches on Harvest Home Road.
7. Future Epping North Primary School
   This state government primary school is expected to be completed and opened at the commencement of Term 1 in 2017. In addition to the provision of primary school teaching areas, this school site will also include the delivery of a not for proift (YMCA) owned and operated long day child care centre. This site will also include a shared junior school oval/multipurpose community activity space, which will be used by both the local school students (during school hours) and by local residents (outside normal school hours).
8. Creeds Farm Living and Learning Centre
   Provides opportunities for people of all ages to participate in a variety of social, recreational activities, courses and workshops. This centre showcases low energy and water use features, technologies and appliances that can be used in homes.
9. Lyndarum Town Centre including Epping Views Family and Community Centre
10. Harvest Home Road Soccer Facility
    2 x natural turf soccer pitches, 1 x synthetic soccer pitch and a pavilion.
11. Future Edgars Creek Community and Education Precinct
    This site has been planned to include:

• A state government primary and secondary school
• Sports ovals and pavilion
• Community centre 

Local history

The suburb of Epping is split between precincts areas: Epping (80 per cent) and Epping North (20 per cent along with a portion of the suburb of Wollert).

Epping North a precinct in Epping includes parts of the suburbs of Epping and Wollert within its boundaries.

European settlement of Epping dates from 1839, with land used mainly for farming (especially dairy farming) until the late 1900s.

Originally named Darebin Creek, the area changed to Epping in 1853, reportedly after the Epping Forest in Essex, England.

Epping remained a township until the late 20th century, with the majority of settlement and development contained to the historic township area north of Cooper Street flanking High Street.

Epping Central

Epping Central is a designated Metropolitan Activity Centre and is recognised as an area of significant growth, employment, new housing, services and entertainment options. 

Epping Central:

• Supports a range of current and future land uses and activities with land ready for redevelopment.
• Services an established community and a large catchment area in Melbourne’s outer north including the Epping North/Wollert and Mernda/Doreen growth areas, in addition to the growing Donnybrook and industrial hub of Campbellfield.
• Has an established road network, a redeveloped Epping train station and there are plans for future road and rail expansion.
• Is less than 20 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD and is strategically located close to major arterial roads that link to Melbourne Airport, the Port of Melbourne, the agricultural producing regions of Victoria and the northern states.

Planning and development

Epping Central Project

The Epping Central Project will transform Epping into a thriving regional centre with a mixed range of new services, facilities and infrastructure from the City of Whittlesea, state government and the private sector.

This project is guided by our Epping Central Structure Plan that sets out the long-term vision for the Epping Central area, including where and how land will be used and developed over the next 20 years.

The plan sets out a vision for the area including:

• Diverse and sustainable housing
• Attracting new businesses that will provide jobs and entertainment
• Infrastructure and services needed to support the area such as community centres and social infrastructure
• Heritage and culture
• A sustainable transport network
• New and improved public open-spaces
• Sustainable infrastructure
• Environmental conservation

Pedestrian and cyclist investment

• Council and state government have invested over $1 million in improving walking and cycling paths.
• The Cooper Street shared bike/walking path that runs between Epping Station and Edgars Road will be extended to connect with the Hume Freeway shared path network.

Epping development plans

The plans below show the proposed development for a number of new housing estates in Epping. Development of these estates will generally follow the plans but is subject to change.

• Cooper Street West precinct

Epping North development plans

• Aurora development plan

If you are unable to access the information in the above plans, please call 9217 2346.

To view the location of these housing estates, access our interactive map.

Recreation reserve master plans

• Epping North East Regional Recreation Reserve Master Plan
• Epping North East Precinct 1 - Recreation Reserve Master Plan
• Epping North East Precinct 2 - Recreation Reserve Master Plan
• Koukoura Recreation Reserve Master Plan
• Epping Recreation Reserve

Population

Epping

In 2015 it is estimated 18,900 people live in Epping. By 2035, the population is forecast to be nearly 24,000; an increase of 26.2 per cent.

The median age of residents is expected to remain at 36 in 2035.

Births

In 2015, it is estimated 295 children will be born (nearly 6 births per week). By 2035, this is expected to increase to 369 births per year (around 7 births per week).

Diversity

Around 40 per cent of people speak a language other than English at home.

Currently the most common languages spoken are Macedonian, Italian and Arabic. Most common countries-of-birth other than Australia are India, Republic of North Macedonia and Italy.

Epping has the second largest proportion of residents who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander compared with other areas in the municipality (behind Whittlesea Township).

Epping North

By 2036 the number of people estimated to be living in Epping North will be about 51,500 – an increase of about 34,500 over the 2015 figure of about 20,000 with the median age increasing over the same period from 29 years to 36 years.

There will be considerably more residents aged 60 plus with an increase of 5,938 residents between 2015 and 2036.

Births

In 2015, there will be an estimated 484 births (nine births per week on average) – a figure estimated to almost double by 2036 to 16 births per week on average (868 births for the year).

Diversity

About 57 per cent of the population speak a language other than English.

In 2015 the most common country-of-birth other than Australia includes India, Republic of North Macedonia and Sri Lanka while the most common languages spoken other than English are Macedonian, Italian, Punjabi, and Arabic.

Families and households

Epping

The average household size of 2.7 people in 2015 is expected to remain the same in 2035.

There are approximately 6,770 dwellings in 2015. This is expected to increase to 8,800 dwellings by 2035.

About 15 per cent are single parent households and the number of 1-person households is expected to increase by about 600 by 2035 (or 51.3 per cent).

Employment

There are more residents working in the manufacturing and the retail trade industries compared with any other industry.

There are more clerical and administrative workers in Epping than any other occupation (16.8 per cent).

Education

There are a similar number of residents (15.7 per cent) attending school (primary, secondary and kindergarten) compared with the broader population of Greater Melbourne.

Epping North

In 2015, there are approximately 6,600 dwellings, which is expected to increase to 17,700 dwellings by 2036.

Just over half of the households consist of couples with children.

Employment

There are more professionals (17 per cent) and clerical/administrative (16 per cent) workers than any other occupations.

The most common industries of employment are manufacturing (15 per cent) and health care and social assistance (12 per cent).

Education

There are slightly more children attending kindergarten (2.2 per cent) and primary school (9 per cent) compared with the population of Greater Melbourne (1.7 per cent and 7.6 per cent). 48 per cent of residents have a tertiary or vocational qualification.

Travelling in and out

Epping

Over half of households have access to 2 or more motor vehicles and more than two thirds of residents drive a car to their place of work.

Epping North

In 2015 about 66 per cent of households have access to 2 or more motor vehicles and 68 per cent of residents drive a car to their place of work.

Advocacy priorities for Epping & Epping North

• Hume Freeway Interchange at O’Herns Road and Edgars Road extension
• Rail extension to Epping North and Wollert
• Duplicate Epping Road
• Epping Central
• Information, learning and cultural hub
  Council is seeking state government funding for an information, learning and cultural hub. The hub aims to deliver education and community services, including lifelong learning and community development, and community infrastructure for the existing and growing community in Melbourne’s north, to help build community resilience, and support community networking, employment, educational opportunities and economic development.
• Childs Road duplication
  Childs Road is the major east-west arterial road linking Mill Park and Epping. It is a duplicated 4-lane divided road from Plenty Road to Dalton Road, except for the section across the E6 reservation and the Darebin Creek. This part of the road becomes a 2-lane road. As a result of the current intersection design and narrow bridge, traffic flow is unpredictable during peak periods. Duplicating the 850m section of Childs Road and providing a new bridge across the Darebin Creek will provide a continuous 4-lane divided road between Plenty Road in Mill Park and Dalton Road in Epping and remove the unsafe footpath and the traffic bottleneck.
• Northern Hospital expansion
  There is a critical need to expand the Northern Hospital to adequately service the growing population in the City of Whittlesea and Melbourne’s north. The Northern is the only public hospital in the northern growth corridor. Council is advocating for additional beds and Royal Children’s Hospital paediatric services.

Find out about other advocacy priorities for the whole City of Whittlesea.