This place snapshot provides a summary of future development in the Lalor area 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 Mill Park
- Off leash dog park (Delacombe Reserve)
- Sycamore Recreation Reserve
- Mill Park Leisure
- Mill Park Library
- Mill Park Community House and Adult Training Support Service
- Mill Park Recreation Reserve
- Proposed Civic Drive Extension from Bush Boulevard to Morang Drive, South Morang
Local history
The suburb of Mill Park is split into 2 precinct areas: Mill Park and Blossom Park.
Mill Park takes its name from the property of George and Francis Coulstock who built and operated a flour mill on the Plenty River in the 1840s.
They sold to the Hon. Henry Miller, MLC, who bred racehorses and conducted a range of dairy and grazing activities at his property named The Findon Hounds and the Findon Harriers Hunt Club’ until 1930.
Residential development began in Mill Park in the 1970s.
Planning and development
Mill Park covers an area of approximately 9 square kilometres. It is primarily a residential area, with some commercial land areas. Rapid residential development took place from the 1980s into the early 1990s.
Population
In 2015, it is estimated 24,700 people live in Mill Park with an expected increase of 4 per cent by 2036 to 25,700.
The largest increase in population growth between 2015 and 2036 will occur in the 60 plus age group with an increase of 47 per cent.
Births
In 2015 there will be an estimated 327 births (6 births per week on average) and this is expected to remain constant to 2036.
Diversity
Forty per cent of residents speak a language other than English at home and the most common languages spoken are Italian, Greek, Macedonian, and Arabic.
Families and households
There are approximately 8,700 dwellings in 2015 and this is expected to increase to 9,400 dwellings by 2036.
About 94 per cent of houses are stand-alone and 45 per cent of households consist of couples with children with an average household size of 3.1 people.
Employment
More residents work in the manufacturing and retail trade industries compared with any other industry.
Education
More residents attend primary and secondary school compared with the broader Greater Melbourne.
Travelling in and out
Seven out of 10 residents drive a car to their place of work. Sixty-three per cent of households have access to 2 or more motor vehicles.
Advocacy priorities for Mill Park
- E6 construction from Metropolitan Ring Road to Bridge Inn Road
- Extending the tram line (route 86) from Bundoora to South Morang
- 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 850 metre 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 current unsafe footpath and the traffic bottleneck.
Find out about other advocacy priorities for the whole City of Whittlesea.