Moonee Valley City Council has been awarded $796,317 in funding for the preparation of a structure plan for the area surrounding Keilor East station, as part of the Federal Government’s Urban Precincts and Partnerships Program (uPPP).
This follows the recent announcement by the Victorian Government that Stage 2 of the Airport Rail Link has officially received the green light – a $12 billion joint commitment from the State and Federal Governments for a new 7.4-kilometre rail line from Albion toward the Airport precinct via a brand-new Keilor East station.
Mayor, Rose Iser said the new Keilor East station and its surrounding precinct will have a huge impact on the day-to-day lives of locals.
“[The] announcement has been decades in the making for the Moonee Valley community and its residents,” Mayor Iser said.
“Council has long been advocating for a railway station at Keilor East to help create better infrastructure for the over 130,000 people who live in Moonee Valley1.
“Despite being less than 20 kilometres from the city, locals have faced long commute times and limited viable public transport options. The benefits of this extended rail line are undeniable for both commuter and students who will be able to use fast train transport to get to work or school.
“With this uPPP funding, we’re committed to consulting with the community on what they think the new Keilor East railway station precinct should look like. It’s a really exciting time for residents of Moonee Valley.”
The uPPP funding will allow Council to establish a coordinated planning framework to guide future land use and development within Moonee Valley, covering an area of approximately 1.2 kilometres around the planned station precinct.
The structure plan will aim to provide orderly planning for the area in response to the station announcement and give certainty to the community around what the future Keilor East station precinct could look like. Council says the local community will be consulted to ensure that local voices are heard as part of the planning process.
The uPPP funding will support Council to:
- deliver a structure plan to guide the future development of the land around the planned station site
- fund technical studies to inform the plan
- support community and stakeholder consultation throughout the project.
Construction of Keilor East station is expected to start in 2028 and finish in 2031.
