By Mikayla van Loon
Yarra Ranges Council is taking a forward-thinking approach to the inevitable growth of Lilydale, urging the elected State government to commit to two major infrastructure projects for the town.
Calling for the duplication of the Lilydale rail line, with the addition of a station at the Kinley Estate, and a Lilydale bypass, the possible investment in the evolving suburb is huge.
Mayor Jim Child said the catalyst for this request and advocacy plan was the establishment of a new Lilydale structure plan which was endorsed by the council in August.
“The structure plan has been a real trigger because we’ve had this bubbling away in the community and the region for so long,” he said.
“In Lilydale, there is probably a block in the stream, we can’t get through the town and it causes so many other negative outcomes for the community itself, there’s this separation in the town.”
As the main arterial road heading into the Yarra and Warburton Valleys, Main Street can cause congestion for visitors and residents, which continues to grow.
Cr Child said when looking at other towns with diversions in place, often the initial reaction is ‘the town will be cut off’ but he said from his experience the positives outweigh the negatives.
“Look at the way they’ve been greened, there are more trees growing, there’s more connected communities. So why can’t Lilydale be like that?”
With the staged build of 3000 new homes at Kinley and the residential growth zone classification Lilydale has, environment and infrastructure director Bill Millard said now’s the time to be thinking ahead.
“There’s a long lead time, probably 10 years but you have to start now. The costing, the assessments around property transfer and enabling that infrastructure, a lot of work has to occur beforehand,” he said.
“So, the structure plan sets that vision and now it’s time to do the work and that’s what we need from the State government.”
Mr Millard said he can’t see any government disputing the future benefits for Lilydale and the broader region “because it’s rational, it makes a lot of sense”.
“It’s really the capacity of the government to take it on and fund it in their forward estimates. For us…it’s a serious proposition, let’s do that early costing,” he said.
“What are we talking about? When could it occur? How does it fit with future planning? So all governments are open to that. I don’t think it’d be a hard position to push.”
With an estimated 8000 residents moving into Kinley in the next decade and an increasing tourist population visiting the region, Mr Millard said Lilydale will need the infrastructure to cater to the demand.
“If we could get the commitment to this investigation around Cave Hill Station, we’re future proofing rather than trying to fix an issue once it becomes an issue.”
Intrapac CEO Max Shifman, the developer behind the Kinley Estate, said he remains focused on doing everything possible to deliver a new train station at Kinley.
“Having advocated strongly for its potential inclusion in our project master plan, we continue to advocate for its construction, together with a duplication of the Lilydale Line within a reasonable timeframe to ensure our complete vision for Kinley can be realised,” Mr Shifman said.
“We are in lockstep with Yarra Ranges Council on the critical importance of this vital piece of transport infrastructure.”
As a growth zone, Cr Child said ensuring Lilydale remains a 20-minute neighbourhood, with transport and better road connectivity “makes for a more vibrant township”.
“If we create this more locally connected community, people will want to come in and visit as well and they know they can visit without the stress of a major highway going through the main precinct of the town,” Cr Child said.
The council has the backing of the Eastern Region Group of Councils for both the railway and bypass projects, as well as support from the Eastern Transport Coalition and Yarra Valley Business.
“Now’s the time to get in there to strongly advocate for it. We’ve got the Eastern Region Group of Councils that are totally supporting it and it’s in their advocacy package,” Cr Child said.
“So it’s strongly represented there. Eastern Transport Coalition is supporting it as well. We’ve got all the players on board, we just need the State government.”
While pushing for both projects equally, both Cr Child and Mr Millard agreed the bypass has been identified as the more pressing issue.
“These are two critical projects but the bypass in one way sets the standard, that’s what the structure plan is about. That’s the reinvigoration of Lilydale,” Mr Millard said.
“The railway connection is almost an outcome of the growth pressures. So one’s a game changer, one’s dealing with the stuff we know is happening.”
