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Mernda Town Centre

Our long standing vision for the Mernda Town Centre - to be located at the corner of Bridge Inn Road and Plenty Road - is for a traditional centre focussed around a main street. It will be pedestrian-friendly, well serviced by public transport and supported by a mix of land uses.

The area's natural and heritage setting will be celebrated with ancient River Red Gums retained as features, and clear links to Mayfield Farm and Berry Lane, and the Plenty Gorge Regional Parklands maintained.

The delivery of the Mernda Town Centre requires significant commitment and investment. Since the State Government's 2014 Mernda Rail Extension announcement, we have been working with the State Government, community service providers and land owners to build on the vision, pursuing aspirational, high quality outcomes for the train station and surrounding Mernda Town Centre.

This partnership approach will help to secure critical transport, civic and community infrastructure and lead to more housing and job choice for the community.

 

Key elements

  • Transport infrastructure:
    • Mernda Train Station - State Government. Includes bus interchange and car parking. 
    • New bus services - State Government. Connecting Mernda and Doreen to South Morang, Whittlesea and Greensborough.
    • Road upgrades including duplication of Plenty and Bridge Inn Roads. This includes replacing the intersection with traffic lights - State Government.
  • Community facilities:
    • Mernda Central Prep to Year 12 school - Breadalbane Avenue
      Incorporates Learn to Swim Centre. 
    • Mernda Park Primary School - 
      Incorporates Early Learning Centre with Council kindergarten and maternal and child health. 
    • Mernda Police Station - State Government.
    • Mernda Ambulance Station - State Government.
  • Investigating partnerships for future delivery of:
    • Mernda Health and Wellbeing Centre - incorporating health and outreach facilities and a youth centre
    • Mernda Library and Community Facility
  • Retail - staged development to include:
    • multiple supermarkets
    • discount department stores
    • speciality retail
    • dining options (cafes and restaurants)
  • Office/commercial floorspace:
    • later stages of development to incorporate a range of opportunities for local businesses and local jobs
  • Housing:
    • proximity to the train station and the convenience of a town centre location provides the perfect opportunity for a range of residential housing types, including apartment living and above retail and commercial space.
  • Natural and heritage features:
    • Mayfield Farm and Berry Lane
    • Plenty Gorge Regional Parklands
    • River Red Gum retention prioritised

Next steps

We will continue to work closely with the State Government, community service providers and land owners to coordinate the delivery of the Mernda Train Station and development of the town centre, including:

  • continue to advocate for high quality development outcomes for the Mernda Town Centre that align with our vision
  • seek to maximise development opportunities which leverage from significant State Government investment in the rail extension
  • seek to secure well located sites for the development of future community infrastructure
  • facilitate partnerships to deliver community infrastructure early, to complement timing of delivery for the stage one retail development and the Mernda Train Station.

Mernda Town Centre Development

On 18 July 2017, Council approved an amendment to the Mernda Town Centre Development Plan.

The original plans were approved in 2012, however some revisions were required to accommodate for the Mernda Rail Project.

The updated plan ensures the proposed retail development is located close to the proposed Mernda Train Station.

The approval enables the developer to move towards getting started on the project. It is expected that the first stage of development will comprise:

  • a supermarket
  • specialty retail shops
  • food and drink premises

Mernda Junction Development

On 16 October 2014, the Whittlesea Planning Scheme was amended to allow for the development of a Coles Supermarket and a small number of shops at 1435 Plenty Road, Mernda.

Construction is underway on the project which includes:

Ground floor

  • 1 medical suite
  • 1 convenience restaurant
  • 1 gymnasium 
  • 8 specialty retail shops

First floor

  • Coles Supermarket and liquor outlet
  • 6 ancillary retail outlets

Council does not own the land or buildings and is not responsible for leasing tenancies. For more information, on leasing tenancies within the development, please contact Mike Crittenden from Colliers on 9629 8888.

The timing of the development is at the discretion of the land owner, but we expect construction to be completed early in 2019.

Further information

  • New schools - contact the Department of Education and Training (DET) Public Private Partnership project team
    E: ppp@edumail.vic.gov.au
  • Bus services - contact Public Transport Victoria (PTV)
    P: 1800 800 007
  • Mernda Town Centre - contact the City of Whittlesea
    P: 9217 2170
    E: info@whittlesea.vic.gov.au

For further details of the Mernda Town Centre, download the Mernda Town Centre development plans (PDF - 355KB ).