Mount Atkinson, Victoria

Coordinates: 37°45′11″S 144°42′11″E / 37.753°S 144.703°E / -37.753; 144.703
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Mount Atkinson
MelbourneVictoria
Mt A. welcome sign with pocket park and the Vision Centre in the background
Mount Atkinson is located in Melbourne
Mount Atkinson
Mount Atkinson
Location in metropolitan Melbourne
Coordinates37°45′11″S 144°42′11″E / 37.753°S 144.703°E / -37.753; 144.703
Population7,499 (2024)[1]
Established2017
Postcode(s)3029
Location23 km (14 mi) from Melbourne GPO
LGA(s)City of Melton
State electorate(s)Kororoit
Federal division(s)Gorton
Suburbs around Mount Atkinson:
Aintree
Rockbank
Deanside Caroline Springs
Fieldstone Mount Atkinson Ravenhall
Mount Cottrell Tarneit Plains Truganina


Mount Atkinson is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 23 km (14 mi) northwest of the Melbourne central business district, located within the City of Melton local government area.[2]

History[edit]

Mount Atkinson is situated in the Kulin nation traditional Aboriginal country. The Wathaurong and Woiwurrung people are local custodians within the Kulin nation.[3][4] The suburb was gazetted and approved by the Victorian Government in 2017.[5][6][7] Before its inception, the area was a part of Rockbank, Truganina and Mount Cottrell.[8][9]

Development[edit]

Clara Avenue looking north (a major road providing north-south thoroughfare) with Double Storey row of houses

Development in Mount Atkinson includes residential, educational facilities, a town centre, retail, parks and recreation, integrated industrial park, business precinct and a railway station.[10][11] City of Melton has retained the postcode for Mount Atkinson.[12][13]

Skeleton Creek Wetlands with Mt Atkinson in the backdrop.

Mt. Atkinson, Olivia and Grandview are the three housing estates in Mount Atkinson, and the largest of them is Mt. Atkinson by Stockland. Mt. Atkinson estate includes proposed facilities for the suburb, such as: Mount Atkinson train station, Westfield Mount Atkinson Town Centre, Edmund Rice Education's primary and secondary schools, a state primary school, a homemaker centre, a large business centre and commercial precinct, as well as the revitalised Skeleton Creek wetlands.[14][15][16][17]

$3 million dollars worth of funding had been allocated for the Stage 1 construction of a Catholic Primary School located on Clara Avenue, with the school owned and operated under the umbrella of Edmund Rice Education Australia. The new school is expected to open in 2023.[18]

The proposal to establish an entertainment premise of Mt. Atkinson Hotel was approved in March 2020, which is to be located on McKinley Drive.[19][20] As a condition of approval, the expected completion of the hotel is to be by 31 August 2022.[21]

Parks and Recreation[edit]

Proposed local parks and recreation reserves include the Mount Atkinson Nature Reserve with sporting and recreation facilities.[22] Currently there are five active parks in the suburb and with another two under construction.[23][24]

Mt Atkinson seen from a residential street, peaking at 140 meters above sea level.

The suburb comprises a hill of the same name (which forms part of the Great Dividing Range in Australia), elevated at a peak of 140 meters above sea level and situated within the Mount Atkinson Nature Reserve.[25] The reserve incorporates a dormant shield volcano of the same name. The volcanic cone and its geological properties are recognized as a nature sensitive site.[26][27]

Education[edit]

Mt Atkinson has three Primary and one Secondary schools proposed.[28] The Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) bought the private primary school site in 2023; with the anticipation to open the school by Term 1 2026.[29] MACS is a prestigious private school body which own and operates many prominent schools in Australia such as St Kevin's College (Toorak), Loyola College (Watsonia), Xavier College (Kew) etc.[30]

The Victorian School Building Authority purchased the public primary school site in Mt Atkinson, with the aim to open it in Term 1 2026. [31]

A brand new Mt Atkinson Community and Children Centre opened its door for new enrolments in Term 1, 2023. The Mt Atkinson Children's and Community Centre offers free-kindergarten programs for three- and four-year-old children, adding over 300 early learning places to the local community.[32]

Mt Atkinson Children's & Community Centre, opened in Jan-2023

Transport[edit]

The Serviceton railway line passes through the northern edge of the suburb, which has a proposal to include a brand new Mount Atkinson station.[33] Mount Atkinson station is proposed to be built near Greigs Road as an integrated transport hub next to Westfield Mt. Atkinson Town Centre.[34]

In 2021, there was a plan to connect local residents to Rockbank station with a bus service.[35]

Infrastructure Victoria released an Infrastructure Strategy report in August 2021, mentioning a new electrified metro service to Rockbank or alternatively to the Mount Atkinson Activity Centre.[36] The report found that terminating a new electrified metro service at Mount Atkinson would encourage more gradual westward housing growth, compared with complete electrification to Melton.[37] This has been disputed by PTUA Ballarat convener Ben Lever[38] who argues that land along the rail corridor from Rockbank to Melton is already approved for development, under construction or built up regardless of electrification status.[39]

Services on a newly electrified line would operate a cross city service to Pakenham East using the Melbourne Metro Tunnel, currently planned to service Pakenham to Sunbury.[40] This extension of the electrified rail service would primarily meet demand from population growth around Mount Atkinson Activity Centre and the further western and south-eastern growth areas.[41]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Home : Truganina - Ravenhall - City of Melton". forecast.id.com.au. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Home : Mt. Atkinson - Melbourne's most exciting new address". www.mountatkinson.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  3. ^ "S29: Wathaurong". Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. Federal government. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  4. ^ "S36: Woiwurrung". Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. Federal government. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Annual Report 2017-2018" (PDF). Victorian Planning Authority. 2018. ISSN 2208-5602.
  6. ^ "Mt Atkinson and Tarneit Plains Precinct Structure Plan". VPA. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Mt Atkinson approved: New Melbourne suburb adds 5000 lots to Stockland pipeline". Financial Review. 15 August 2017.
  8. ^ "Mt Atkinson is a new suburb west of Melbourne". Daily Telegraph. 15 August 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  9. ^ Worrall, Allison. "New suburb for Melbourne, Mount Atkinson, to house 22,000 people within 15 years". Domain. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Mt Atkinson approved: New Melbourne suburb adds 5000 lots to Stockland pipeline". Financial Review. 15 August 2017.
  11. ^ "Melton Planning Scheme" (PDF). Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Victorian government. 6 January 2021.
  12. ^ "Help name new suburbs across the City of Melton". Star Weekly. Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  13. ^ "Mt Atkinson and Tarneit Plains Precinct Structure Plan". VPA. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  14. ^ "Home : Mt. Atkinson - Melbourne's most exciting new address". www.mountatkinson.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  15. ^ "Scentre's Westfield buys Mt Atkinson town centre". Australian Financial Review. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  16. ^ "Mt. Atkinson". Contour Town Planning. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  17. ^ "Stockland initiates major wetlands revitalisation at Mt. Atkinson development". Architecture & Design. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  18. ^ "Cash for new Melton school — 3 get Federal funds for upgrades".
  19. ^ "Commission grants application for new venue with 60 pokies at Mt Atkinson Hotel in Truganina". Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  20. ^ "Mt Atkinson Hotel decisions and reasons" (PDF). VCGLR. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  21. ^ "Commission grants application for new venue with 60 pokies at Mt Atkinson Hotel in Truganina". Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  22. ^ "Location". www.stockland.com.au. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  23. ^ Watts, Joyce (16 March 2021). "Dinosaur Park, Truganina offers roar-some fun!". TOT: HOT OR NOT. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  24. ^ "Mt Atkinson Grizzly Bear Park Launch". AllEvents.in. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  25. ^ "Mount Atkinson". PeakVisor. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  26. ^ "GA0660 - [Urban Volcano] - Mount Atkinson by caughtatwork - Geocaching Australia - Free and Open Global Geocaching". geocaching.com.au. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  27. ^ Kasey F. Robb and William Truscott. "Exploring archaeological methods in the Western Volcanic Plains". Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand.
  28. ^ "Living in Mt. Atkinson". www.stockland.com.au. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  29. ^ "New Schools". www.macs.vic.edu.au. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  30. ^ "Our Schools". www.macs.vic.edu.au. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  31. ^ "A new state primary school for the Mt Atkinson community". www.stockland.com.au. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  32. ^ "Mt Atkinson Children's and Community Centre". Early Childhood and Maternal Services. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  33. ^ Worrall, Allison. "New suburb for Melbourne, Mount Atkinson, to house 22,000 people within 15 years". Domain. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  34. ^ "Living in Mt. Atkinson". www.stockland.com.au. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  35. ^ "Plans approved for new suburb in Melbourne's west for up to 22,000 people | Content Hub". content.readymedia.com.au. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  36. ^ "Victoria's Infrastructure Strategy 2021-2051 (Page 206) - Home". Infrastructure Victoria. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  37. ^ "Victoria's Infrastructure Strategy 2021-2051 (Page 206) - Home". Infrastructure Victoria. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  38. ^ "The Iron Road: About". The Iron Road. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  39. ^ Simbera (6 September 2021). "The Iron Road: Getting off at Rockbank: should we go all the way to Melton?". The Iron Road. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  40. ^ Build, Victoria’s Big (10 August 2022). "About the Metro Tunnel Project". Victoria’s Big Build. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  41. ^ "Victoria's Infrastructure Strategy 2021-2051 (Page 206) - Home". Infrastructure Victoria. Retrieved 28 August 2021.