Mildura South Neighbourhood Activity Centre master plan released

Published on 26 March 2021

A major step in progressing one of Sunraysia’s fastest growing development corridors is nearing completion following release of the updated Mildura South Neighbourhood Activity Centre (NAC) master plan.

The master plan will ensure residential, commercial and community space on an eight-hectare parcel of land on the corner of Ontario Avenue and Sixteenth Street can accommodate the required community services for existing residents, and a further 8400 people who are expected to live in the surrounding Mildura South area over the next 10 years.

Mildura Mayor Jason Modica said the NAC would provide localised access to public amenities and services within walking distance for future residents.

“Neighbourhood Activity Centres are essentially neighbourhoods - areas residents call home that include easy access to goods, services and employment opportunities they need as part of their active everyday healthy lives, which is what this master plan sets out,” Cr Modica said.

“This is an important component of planning for our future communities, enabling them to feel part of a connected neighbourhood.”

The Mildura South NAC contains the following four precincts:

Commercial
The commercial precinct provides for a potential range of services including banks, grocers, health services, hospitality, offices, café, gymnasium and speciality stores. Based on comprehensive economic analysis, this precinct will initially accommodate a food, grocery and liquor store, with scope to expand as the population increases. This will ensure it is able meet the needs of the area as it grows.

Residential
The residential precinct comprises a variety of high quality medium density housing catering for a variety of housing types.

Community
The community precinct will offer a wide range of social services, including a community hub, an early learning childhood centre and outdoor recreation facilities.

Village Green
This precinct will be an inviting, highly accessible public open space. It will offer a range of recreation spaces including a community garden and canopy vegetation providing shade and amenity to residents. It will also accommodate community events. 

Cr Modica said the Mildura South NAC master plan was a critically important document for this rapidly growing area.

“It’s imperative we get this right now as in 10 years’ time, once millions of development dollars have been invested, we can’t turn back the clock and start again. We need to consider and allow space for services and amenities residents need," he said.

“The community hub in Irymple, on Fifteenth Street, is a great example of a successful Neighbourhood Activity Centre. It provides a range of community services for up to 3,000 people, including a medium-sized supermarket and other amenities.

“This has not only catered for the growth in Irymple but served as a stimulus for other development, such as construction of a new gym, which is now under way.”

The Mildura South NAC master plan can be viewed on Council’s Have Your Say page at mildura.vic.gov.au/HaveYourSay and follows an earlier consultation process in which the community provided feedback on the draft plan.

Further feedback can be provided by emailing planning.services@mildura.vic.gov.au or by posting feedback to:

Strategic Planning
Mildura Rural City Council
PO Box 105 Mildura Victoria 3502

Feedback can be provided until Friday 23 April.

Once additional feedback is received Councillors will consider the master plan at an upcoming Council Meeting.

ENDS