Submission

Inquiry into Growing the Suburbs: Infrastructure and Business

Development in Outer Suburban Melbourne

January 2012

Contents

Identify existing public and private infrastructure provision ............................................................... 1

Capacity of existing infrastructure to accommodate increased population growth. ........................ 7

Skills mix of outer suburban residents................................................................................................. 8

Examine the role of small businesses, local councils and community groups in developing local

expertise. ............................................................................................................................................... 8

Investigate the value of sister city relationships ................................................................................. 9

Identify local manufacturing capacity .................................................................................................. 9

Appendix 1: Additional Data, Tables and Maps ...........................................................................................11

Map of public transport routes: Yarra Ranges, April 2011 ....................................................................11

Map of major roads: Yarra Ranges, 2011 .............................................................................................12

Additional detail - transport ................................................................................................................12

Schools in Yarra Ranges .......................................................................................................................13

Skills and Education.............................................................................................................................15

Map of metropolitan Melbourne public hospitals, local governments, Primary Care Partnerships and

Department of Human Services regional boundaries ...........................................................................17

Map of metropolitan Melbourne private hospitals, local governments, Primary Care Partnerships and

Department of Human Services regional boundaries ...........................................................................18

Maps of resident rankings of mobile phone coverage in Yarra Ranges .................................................19

Natural Gas Extension Program: Reticulation of Natural Gas to Towns in Yarra Ranges .......................21

Business and Commercial Area Types: Yarra Ranges Metropolitan Area North ....................................22

Business and Commercial Area Types: Yarra Ranges Metropolitan Area South ....................................23

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Identify existing public and private infrastructure provision

Including schools, hospitals, commercial and shopping precincts,

transport and roads, telecommunications, water and power

Transport and roads

Like other Interface Councils, the issue of access to public transport, reliance on private cars and significant road infrastructure presents challenges for residents across both the urban and rural areas of the municipality.

Significant investment is required to encourage greater pedestrian and cyclist access to key community facilities in the urban areas of the municipality. This is particularly important for Chirnside Park where there are no off-road pathways linking the northern and southern sections of Chirnside Park or linking Chirnside Park to the Lilydale and Mooroolbark Activity Centres. Throughout the municipality dependence on cars for transport will be an increasing problem due to significant infill development

Yarra Ranges urban area has an extensive transport network, including major roads1, train lines and numerous bus routes. The areas of the municipality which are closest to the city have a reasonable choice of transport options (trains, buses, cars) and ready access to the Eastern Freeway. Further out, the transport infrastructure is inadequate, with no train access beyond Lilydale or Belgrave. Bus services are limited and infrequent. This issue will become more challenging for residents as the distances residents travel to work and education will make Yarra Ranges highly vulnerable to future rises in fuel costs.

The taxi network does not extend to all parts of the municipality, limiting options for those

who cannot drive or access public transport (e.g. residents with a disability or on lower

incomes. Due to current taxi boundaries, the service is poor or non existent in outlying

areas. Fuel costs for those who need to travel long distances place further restrictions on

car usage. On a broader scale, there are both environmental and road safety impacts of

driving long distances with Yarra Ranges having one of the highest road casualty accident

rates in Victoria2.

There are more than 3,100 roads in Yarra Ranges, and the total length of the road network

is more than 2,300 kilometres. Council and VicRoads share the responsibility for road

maintenance within Yarra Ranges3. In the outer parts of the municipality, many of the

smaller roads are unsealed. This causes walkability, drivability and road safety issues,

and also makes the roads less usable by cyclists. Other issues relating to the road

network include loss of access to entire areas of the Dandenong Ranges when trees are

down on Mount Dandenong Tourist Road, similar access risks during bushfire season, and

a range of accident black spots.

An over reliance of cars is likely to lead to increased economic and health related

problems. Residents who live in the outlying areas of the municipality will be more

acutely impacted by rising fuel costs, leading to increased social isolation. Significant

1 See Appendix 1 for map of major roads. 2 http://www.tacsafety.com.au/jsp/content/NavigationController.do?areaID=12&tierID=2&nav

3 http://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Residents/Roads_Drains_Footpaths/Road_Maintenance

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investment in public transport options, including telebus and better connections to

services is needed in the outer east.

Schools

Yarra Ranges has 69 public schools. Eight of these are secondary schools, one is

combined primary and secondary, and 60 are primary schools. There are fifteen private

primary schools, two private secondary schools, and three private combined

primary/secondary schools.4 Yarra Ranges also has one Special Development School

which is located in Mt Evelyn and which services a much larger area. Bus services to

schools are considered adequate, while walking and cycling routes require investment in

order to see an increased incidence of non-car modes of transport to schools.

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Education (DEECD) has advised that is

has no plans to provide additional capacity for primary or secondary schools in the

municipality in the medium term. Yarra Ranges would welcome DEECD to undertake a

review of these plans in light of recent changes in a forecasted population increase in

children, young people and families especially in the urban areas of the municipality.

A review of DEECD plans is required to ensure there will be sufficient provision of

both primary and secondary schools in the urban areas of the municipality. This is

based on recent changes in projected increases in population of school aged children

and families located in the urban areas of the municipality.

Hospitals

The public (day procedure only) hospitals located in Yarra Ranges are the Healesville and

District Hospital, and Yarra Ranges Health. Healesville and District Hospital has the

capacity to offer minor surgical procedures that require overnight stays but isn‟t funded to

do so.

Maroondah Hospital, the nearest emergency department, is located slightly outside Yarra

Ranges‟ western boundary, and Angliss Hospital is located slightly south-west of the

Municipality boundaries. 1

Yarra Ranges has no acute hospitals. Many residents live significant distances from

acute hospitals and access to major hospitals and the attendant services is difficult

due to the lack of public transport. Yarra Ranges has the third lowest proportion of

incidents responded to within 15 minutes, at 60.8% to an average of 86.2 %.

The lack of services and distance issues will exacerbate for Yarra Ranges which is

forecast to have annual growth in hospital inpatient separations of 2.3% per annum over

the period 2007/08 to 2018/19.5 Previous projections for hospital separations suggest that

4 See Appendix 1 for list of schools. 5 Victorian Local Government Areas 2008 Statistical Profile (Release 1.0) Department of Human Services, 2008

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most of this growth is likely to occur in Yarra Ranges South West,6 which covers the most

populous areas of Yarra Ranges, including Chirnside Park and Lilydale. These estimates

of growth in separations incorporate Victorian Government population forecasts, which in

the past have been shown to under-estimate actual population growth within Yarra

Ranges. Thus the extent to which hospital infrastructure will be able to meet future

demand is unknown; and an ageing population in Yarra Ranges will have a significant

impact on hospital usage.

Recent research undertaken across the municipality confirms that where local services are

available, residents are more likely to use the services. Where services are not available

residents are forced to travel, often long distances. Residents with limited transport options

often utilise services on the public transport route or rely on health services and relief

agencies providing transport to access services.

As part of State and Federal health planning, priority consideration of how residents

in outlying areas access acute medical services is required. Further, service delivery

to residents in or near their homes through mobile or outreach service provision

entails additional travel time and costs. Yarra Ranges Council would welcome a

review of how these costs are reflected in Victorian Government funding models.

Commercial and shopping precincts

There are more than 50 shopping strips and centres in the Yarra Ranges. These include

major shopping centres in Chirnside Park, Lilydale, Mooroolbark, Kilsyth, Yarra Junction

and Healesville. Numerous local shopping strips are located in the townships. Many, like

those in Belgrave, Olinda, Yarra Glen and Sassafras, are well patronised by people

outside the region, including significant numbers of tourists. The main business and

commercial area types in Yarra Ranges are:

Street based Activity Centres.

Mall or Big Box based Activity Centres.

Industrial Areas and Highway Strips.

Street Based Activity Centres

Street Based Activity Centres form part of the street-based urban structure of the

Municipality‟s metropolitan area. Buildings and activities front directly onto traditional

streets (roadways with footpaths) which link directly to adjoining residential areas.

Locations include the business cores of Lilydale (Major Activity Centre - street-based); and

Belgrave, Belgrave South, Montrose, Mooroolbark, Mt Evelyn, Tecoma, Upwey and

Healesville.

These areas exclude the Business Zoned areas of Dandenong Ranges Hamlet Centres

and Smaller Rural Settlement Centres.

6 Directions for your health system Metropolitan Health Strategy – Forecasting 2006–07 and 2011–12 Department of Human Services, October

2003 Yarra Ranges South-West was forecast to have growth of 2.4% per annum in its number of separations between 2001/02 and 2011/12 (an increase of 9,396 separations). It was forecast to have growth of 0.9% per annum between 2001/02 and 2011/12 (an increase of 9,720 bed days).

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Mall or Big Box Based Activity Centres

Mall or Big Box Based Activity Centres are shopping mall or „big box‟ based, usually

located along major highways, in which the built form is typically separated from the street

system by off-street car parking, and in which pedestrian circulation once inside the

building or mall is fully segregated from vehicular traffic. Locations include the mall-based

centres of Chirnside Park (Major Activity Centre); Kilsyth (Neighbourhood Activity Centre)

and large format retail / big box developments in street-based activity centres.

Industrial Areas and Highway Strips

Industrial Areas and Highway Strips in the municipality are agglomerations of factory or

warehouse or shed-style buildings often with yards, usually not classified as activity

centres, often spread in linear fashion along the edge of a highway. Locations include

Burwood Highway, Maroondah Highway, Eastern Business Park, Lilydale bulky goods

precinct, Kilsyth and rural/ service industrial shops along Monbulk Road.

The Yarra Ranges also has a series of Dandenong Ranges Hamlet Centres. The

Dandenong Ranges Hamlet Centres are located in the Green Wedge Area, and are

distinct but irregular concentrations of shops and other community buildings, typically

strung along a ridge top roadway or cross road, and hemmed in by tall forest surrounds.

Locations include Olinda, Ferny Creek, Kallista, Mount Dandenong, Sassafras.

Telecommunications

Data on mobile phone coverage in Yarra Ranges shows that coverage is generally worst

in the outer areas of the municipality, such as Steels Creek, Chum Creek and Badger

Creek in the north; East Warburton in the east; Silvan in the south east; and Menzies

Creek and The Patch in the south. The areas of the Municipality which are closest to the

city have much better telecommunications. However, Mount Evelyn, which is close to

Lilydale, also had a very high level of residents who rated the quality of mobile phone

coverage as poor (more than 50%). Progressive telecommunication structures that are

respectful of the environmental attributes of the Yarra Ranges is required. Collocation on

towers and placing telecommunications on existing infrastructure would assist in improving

mobile coverage.

The maps in Appendix 1 show coverage in most local areas in the municipality, and also

show where the mobile phone towers are located.

Poor telecommunications in the municipality impacts Yarra Ranges ability to attract

business investment in the short, medium and long term. It has serious implications

for residents who may be impacted by natural or man made emergencies, such as

bushfire or flood. It also impedes Council and other emergency services providers’

ability to communicate effectively and respond to the immediate needs of the

community.

Water and sewerage

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Around of 80% of Melbourne‟s drinking water comes from closed water catchments in the

Yarra Ranges. 157,000 hectares of forest has been closed to the public for more than 100

years. These native forests filter rainwater as it flows across land into creeks, rivers and

our reservoir storages.7 Water is also extracted from the Yarra River near Yarra Glen and

transferred into Sugarloaf Reservoir.

Whilst higher rainfall in the Municipality generally provides good access to water, not all

households in Yarra Ranges are on mains water. This affects supply to water for general

household use during times of drought - households which are totally reliant on tank water

often have to buy in water during the driest parts of summer, for example Yarra Glen. It

also means that a number of households do not have access to fluoridated water.

Many properties in Melbourne were built before sewerage infrastructure was available. As

a result, more than 17,000 homes in the northern and eastern suburbs are still using septic

tank systems to manage their domestic wastewater, many of which do not meet currently

acceptable standards. These systems present a potential risk to public health, local

waterways and the environment.

As part of the Yarra Valley Water Sewerage Backlog Program, each of

these 17,000 homes will be provided with a new sewerage service at a cost of more

than $300 million over a period of 25 years (between 2005/06 and 2024/25).8 Yarra

Ranges contains 50% of the properties identified on the Program (8,500).

Assessments conducted over a number of years of septic tank systems across the

Yarra Ranges have concluded that many systems discharge polluted water into the

stormwater and waterways and are not sustainable in the longer term. The

projected timeline for implementation of the sewerage service is unacceptable and

priority should be given to allocation of funding by State Government to bring the

projected completion date closer.

Power and Gas

SP AusNet operates and manages an electricity network serving the fringe of the northern

and eastern Melbourne metropolitan area and the eastern half of rural Victoria. The

electricity network comprises a “sub-transmission” network that consists of predominantly

overhead lines that operate at 66kV, and a “distribution” network, which generally operates

at a voltage of 22kV and consists mainly of overhead lines but also includes underground

cables.

The Ringwood Terminal Station is the main source of supply for a major part of the outer

eastern metropolitan area. The geographic coverage of the station‟s supply area spans

from Lilydale and Woori Yallock in the north east; to Croydon, Bayswater and Boronia in

the east; and Box Hill, Nunawading and Ringwood more centrally. East Rowville Terminal

Station also supplies parts of the municipality, being the main source of supply for most of

the outer south-eastern corridor of Melbourne. The geographic coverage of the area

7 http://www.melbournewater.com.au/content/water_storages/water_supply/water_catchments.asp?bhcp=1 8 http://www.yvw.com.au/Home/Inyourcommunity/Seweragebacklogprogram/index.htm

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supplied by this station spans from Scoresby in the north to Skye in the south, and from

Belgrave in the east to Mulgrave in the west.

SP Ausnet has substations in Belgrave and Lilydale.9 It has also connected six embedded

generators to its distribution network, including Melbourne Water‟s hydro plants operating

at Silvan, Olinda and Upper Yarra Dam.10

Within Yarra Ranges, bushfires and extreme weather conditions pose a risk to power

supply. In January 2007, there was loss of supply due to the Tatong Bushfires near an

EHV Transmission easement, affecting more than 68,000 customers within the Clyde,

Doreen, Eltham, Ferntree Gully, Hampton Park, Narre Warren and Ringwood areas.

These areas are very close to the Yarra Ranges. In February 2007, pole fire and gale

force winds caused numerous pole and cross arm failures as well as tree and connection-

related faults within the Lilydale and Beaconsfield areas, leaving more than 17,000

customers without supply over a period of one week.

In response to the findings of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission, Energy Safe

Victoria is currently undertaking a strategic review of the short and long term options

available to the industry and government to minimise bushfire starts related to electricity

system assets.

As part of the review by Energy Safe, Yarra Ranges Council encourages the funding of a formal

government program for undergrounding power in residential areas, as is the case other States

and Territories across Australia. Currently projects to put Single Wire Earth Return lines

underground are initiated for and paid for by local Councils and residents. The now defunct

Powerline Relocation Scheme used to pay for up to 50 percent of these costs. Any new program

would need to see a greater investment of funds by the Victorian Government and higher priority

should be given to projects that will decrease the risk of bushfire.

Multinet is the gas distributor for most of the Yarra Ranges.11 Multinet Gas, with the

support of the State Government of Victoria's $70 Million Natural Gas Extension Program,

has reticulated natural gas to nine towns in Yarra Ranges as part of the Program. The

location of these towns is shown on the map in Appendix 1. The project involved

reticulation of approximately 150 kilometres of gas mains, passing 6,000 homes and

businesses after completion in 2008.12.

Natural gas is important to improve the viability of the cut flower industry in the Silvan and

Wandin East areas. As with residential use, natural gas is much cheaper than the

alternatives for heating glasshouses and igloos (plastic covered buildings) which is the

increasingly used form of production of cut flowers, rather than field growing.

9 http://www.sp-ausnet.com.au/CA2575630006F222/Lookup/general/$file/DSPReport.pdf

10 http://www.sp-ausnet.com.au/CA2575630006F222/All/44D8324DB90DE7FDCA25781C00038474/$file/020%20MajorProjectUpdateJG261011.pdf 11 http://dpi.vic.gov.au/energy/gas/gas-distributors 12

http://www.multinetgas.com.au/industryInformation/GastoYarraRanges.aspx

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A further expansion of reticulated gas in other outlying towns should be assessed. Reticulated gas

has a price and convenience benefit over bottled gas. Many residents in outlying towns such as

Warburton, Silvan and Wandin do not have access to reticulated gas. It should be noted that

potential investors that are weighing up which location to establish themselves or expand view

having access to reticulated gas as key in their decision making process.

Capacity of existing infrastructure to accommodate increased

population growth.

The process of strategically assessing and planning for the current and future

infrastructure needs of the municipality is at the forefront of Council‟s consideration. An

internal capacity building project is developing a suite of tools to assist with community

infrastructure planning processes. Council is currently undertaking an update of

Community Infrastructure in the Chirnside Park area to inform planning for growth in this

suburb.

Limited public transport makes it more difficult for young families, older people, young

people and the vulnerable, to get access to the available services and increases the costs

of travel, particularly for the isolated areas of the municipality.

One of the major factors driving population growth will be the urban consolidation and

residential development that will occur in and around Chirnside Park, Lilydale and

Mooroolbark Activity Centres. The consolidation and redevelopment will increase demand

for community infrastructure and it will be important that services and facilities are

appropriately located to respond to this shift in demand. Infrastructure pressures will also

be created on drainage, roads and pedestrian access in these areas.

As with other “non-growth” Interface councils, it is a challenge for Yarra Ranges to attract

funding for these vital infrastructure works when competing for attention with the more

rapidly growing interface municipalities. This does not mean Yarra Ranges needs are any

less. On the contrary, much of the existing infrastructure is inadequate and does not meet

community expectation or need. Council continues to undertake an impressive program of

renewal and upgrade with some funding from other levels of government. Given the

significant Council investment in community infrastructure, greater funding assistance from

State and Federal governments are required to meet community need.

The topography of the municipality, the distances involved and the age of existing

infrastructure, mean that basic infrastructure improvements such as installing footpaths

costs far more in areas than where the topography is relatively flat.

When undertaking new developments, factors that impact on accessibility such as

topography, access to train links, road links, the proximity of bus stops and train stations

should be given consideration when determining the location of new facilities or decisions

about the redevelopment of existing community facilities.

Council is investing in Community Hubs which are proving to be important assets for the

communities they serve. These Hubs have a role in transforming local areas and building

strong, connected communities with all the economic and social benefits they bring.

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An ongoing and sustained investment from all levels of Government will be required if existing

infrastructure is able to keep up with population growth. At present, there is no additional

funding to Councils for the ongoing operational costs of Community Hubs, which will mean a lack

of opportunities to renew and upgrade in the future. This has obvious implications for the

ongoing sustainability for many of Council’s community infrastructure asssets.

Skills mix of outer suburban residents: To identify those areas with a

skills shortage and provide options for skills training and retention

especially as it relates to both younger and semi retired people.

The skills needs for Yarra Ranges include more workers who can meet seasonal demand

for agricultural work. This is an area where healthy and fit semi retired people could

possibly undertake casual work. This type of work may be also suitable for university

students looking for work during the summer holidays. It could also be a work transition

program for example for new migrants and refugees if combined with skills development

through a work and learning centre.

Increased Year 12 retention and levels of young people continuing on to university study is

needed to give Yarra Ranges the capacity to meet the demand for managerial and

professional staff from within local residents, and for workers in the field of education and

training. Adult education and training opportunities that target areas of skills shortages is

also required.

There is also a lack of workers in the areas of accommodation and food services. This

industry involves a high level of casual and part-time work, without necessarily requiring a

high level of training. There may be opportunities for young people and semi retired

people to work in this area, with the opportunity for it to develop into a career for school

leaves if further training support is available.

Skill shortages in the areas of manufacturing, ICT, building and construction, hospitality,

automotive, health and community service industries were identified by the Outer East

Local Learning and Employment Network (OELLEN). The OELLEN has also included

primary industries and water (including horticulture, orchard and berry industries); and

tourism and hospitality (an area highlighted for decreased training need by the State

Government).13

See Appendix for more detail on skill and education levels in Yarra Ranges.

Examine the role of small businesses, local councils and community

groups in developing local expertise.

13 http://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/files/bcb05356-86dd-4d72-8e93-

9d1301175139/Current%20Skills%20and%20Knowledge%20in%20Outer%20East%20Report%20Overview.pdf

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Council provides grants of about $500,000 per year to various industry bodies for

integration and coordination of activities. The major recipient is Yarra Valley and

Dandenongs Regional Marketing Inc (YRRM), which in turn funds the Yarra Valley

Regional Food Group and the Yarra Valley Winegrowers‟ Association. Its funding also

supports the Yarra Ranges Enterprise Centre, a business incubator and Agribusiness

Yarra Valley, a membership based network to promote farming.

Council also provides approximately $300,000 in grants to 12 Neighbourhood Houses to

support them to conduct a range of courses to meet the learning needs of their

communities, including skills in business management and career development.

Enhancing long-term links between community training and increasing local expertise is an

ongoing objective of Council.

Because of its widely dispersed communities, the cost of providing infrastructure and

community services is significantly greater per head of population compared to the urban

municipalities.

Yarra Ranges would be better able to support the development of local expertise if it had access

to Regional Development Victoria funding initiatives. Yarra Ranges Council is ineligible to access

this funding stream because of its classification as an interface Council. A more flexible and

innovative approach to accessing funding initiatives through RDV is required so that it does not

unfairly disadvantage many of our residents who live in rural and remote parts of the

municipality.

Investigate the value of sister city relationships including with key trade

and innovation markets.

Yarra Ranges Council has not pursued sister city relationships. While it has hosted many

international delegations and sees the value of sister-city relationships for capital cities

(e.g. Melbourne through its relationship with Tianjin, Milan and others where there are

opportunities to connect across diverse industry areas such as education, design and ICT)

there is no Council priority to further investigate such a strategy.

Identify local manufacturing capacity: Highlight export development

opportunities available for businesses operating in the outer suburbs

Across the Yarra Ranges municipality there are a number of high value-add, export-

focussed manufacturing firms producing goods requiring a significant degree of technical

equipment, personnel and processes to reach their markets. Firms in Yarra Ranges that

are advanced manufacturers include companies such as Radio Frequency Systems, which

design and manufacture antenna and cable systems for wireless markets, Toyo Ink which

manufacture a diverse range of printing consumables and solutions and ARB, a global

leader in a wide range of products for off-road vehicle enthusiasts and the largest

employer from the private sector in the LGA, employing over 500 staff.

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Most of the local manufacturing firms that are export focussed can be categorised as

advanced manufacturing or are local partners in global supply chains. The majority of

these businesses are located in the greater industrial area of Kilsyth/Bayswater North. The

Kilsyth/Bayswater North industrial area is one of the most significant in the State, and

certainly the most significant in Melbourne‟s east. This area covers the local government

areas of Maroondah, Knox, and Yarra Ranges. The area is approximately 735 hectares

and is home to several thousand businesses. The area is especially significant as the

national headquarters of Kenworth is located here, which has seen a robust cluster of

associated heavy vehicle manufacturing businesses establish in the area. Likewise a

number of leading multinational manufacturing firms such as Siemens and Glaxo Smith

Kline are also in adjacent industrial estates.

Most other areas of manufacturing in the Yarra Ranges are locally-focussed manufacturing

that are less exposed to export markets. One localised sub-sector where export is of

strong focus is food manufacturing. Many of the food and wine manufacturers based

throughout the Yarra Valley promote their products to a higher price point and target the

international premium food and wine market. Much of the wine manufacturing occurs on

farm, whereas food manufacturing is occurring in a variety of home based, micro and small

industrial set ups.

Many of these smaller, local food businesses have expressed an interest in growing their

production capabilities and co-locating into a single food manufacturing cluster. Such a

cluster would help facilitate growth, scale and best practice.

In spite of Council‟s best efforts to assist this food manufacturing cluster, the set-up costs

and lack of suitably zoned land has impeded a successful outcome. Any opportunity to

access State Government funding that would help offset establishment costs of a food

manufacturing cluster would be a high value investment in the long-term viability of food

manufacturing in the Yarra Ranges.

This manufacturing precinct would greatly benefit from a dedicated resource such as satellite

office of the Department of Business and Innovation. The opportunities to facilitate training,

export opportunities and greater sharing of best practice and knowledge among businesses

located in this precinct (i.e. peer-to-peer learning) would enhance their long-term viability.

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Appendix 1: Additional Data, Tables and Maps

Map of public transport routes: Yarra Ranges, April 2011

Source: http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/assets/Maps/Localities/PDFs/54_Yarra_Ranges.pdf

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Map of major roads: Yarra Ranges, 2011

Source: http://maps.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Website/declared/viewer.htm

Additional detail - transport

Yarra Ranges has two train lines, the Belgrave and Lilydale lines. There are three train

stations within Yarra Ranges on the Belgrave line (Upwey, Tecoma and Belgrave); and two

Yarra Ranges stations on the Lilydale line (Mooroolbark and Lilydale).

There are at least twenty-five bus routes, combined with several Telebus routes, three Night

Rider bus routes and two regional bus routes. Yarra Ranges also has a network of school

charter buses; and a Department of Education and Early Childhood Development bus which

covers Monbulk, Silvan and Mount Evelyn. The Night Rider buses cover Healesville, the city

to Lilydale and the city to Belgrave. The two regional buses go between Mt Buller/Mansfield

via Yea (a connecting coach extends to Mt Buller during snow season), and from Yea to

Yarra Glen/Healesville. The frequency and ability to connect between different services

varies widely across the different routes.

Public transport routes are shown on the map in Appendix 1, but can be seen more clearly

at http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/assets/Maps/Localities/PDFs/54_Yarra_Ranges

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Schools in Yarra Ranges

School Name Type

Public: Badger Creek Primary School Primary Belgrave South Primary School Primary Billanook Primary School (Montrose) Primary Bimbadeen Heights Primary School (Mooroolbark) Primary Birmingham Primary School (Mooroolbark) Primary Chirnside Park Primary School Primary Christmas Hills Primary School Primary Chum Creek Primary School Primary Cockatoo Primary School Primary Coldstream Primary School Primary Dixon's Creek Primary School Primary Don Valley Primary School Primary Emerald Primary School Primary Ferntree Gully North Primary School Primary Ferny Creek Primary School Primary Gembrook Primary School Primary Gladysdale Primary School Primary Gruyere Primary School Primary Healesville Primary School Primary Hoddles Creek Primary School Primary Kalinda Primary School Primary Kallista Primary School Primary Kilsyth Primary School Primary Launching Place Primary School Primary Lilydale Primary School Primary Lilydale West Primary School Primary Lysterfield Primary School Primary Macclesfield Primary School Primary Manchester Primary School (Mooroolbark) Primary Menzies Creek Primary School Primary Millwarra Primary School - Millgrove Campus Primary Millwarra Primary School - Warburton East Campus Primary Monbulk Primary School Primary Montrose Primary School Primary Mooroolbark East Primary School Primary Mount Dandenong Primary School Primary Mount Evelyn Primary School Primary Olinda Primary School Primary Pembroke Primary School (Mooroolbark) Primary Rolling Hills Primary School (Chirnside park) Primary Sassafras Primary School Primary Selby Primary School Primary Seville Primary School Primary Silvan Primary School Primary Tecoma Primary School Primary The Patch Primary School Primary Toolangi Primary School Primary

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Upper Ferntree Gully Primary School Primary Upwey Primary School Primary Upwey South Primary School Primary Wandin North Primary School Primary Wandin Primary School Primary Warburton Primary School Primary Wesburn Primary School Primary Woori Yallock Primary School Primary Yarra Glen Primary School Primary Yarra Junction Primary School Primary Yellingbo Primary School Primary Yering Primary School Primary

Sherbrooke Community School (Sassafras) Primary and Secondary Healesville High School Secondary Lilydale Heights College Secondary Lilydale High School Secondary Monbulk College Secondary Mooroolbark College Secondary Pembroke Secondary College - Mount Evelyn Campus Secondary Upper Yarra Secondary College (Yarra Junction) Secondary Upwey High School Secondary Private: Belgrave Heights Christian School Primary Billanook College Primary and Secondary Dandenong Ranges Steiner School Primary Edinburgh Adventist Primary school Primary Little Yarra Steiner School and Kindergarten Primary Mountain District Christian School Primary and Secondary Oxley College Primary and Secondary St Brigid’s Parish Primary School Primary St Joseph’s School Primary St Patrick’s Primary School Primary St Paul’s Catholic Primary School Primary St Peter Julian Ey mard School

Primary

St Richard’s Catholic Primary School Primary St Thomas More Primary School Primary Yarralinda School Primary Mater Christi College Secondary Mount Lilydale Mercy College Secondary

Source: Various

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Skills and Education

The skills mix varies considerably across the Municipality, with lower education levels in

outer areas of Yarra Ranges, and higher education levels in the Dandenong Ranges. Central

Yarra, Upper Yarra and the Urban Area have the lowest level of residents with a Bachelor or

higher degree, whilst Central Yarra, the Foothills and the Urban Area have the highest level

of residents with vocational training. Upper Yarra, Central Yarra and the Yarra Valley have

the lowest level of residents who have completed Year 12. Whereas the Dandenongs and

the Hills have the highest level of residents with a Bachelor or higher degree, and residents

who have completed Year 12.

The geographic areas of Yarra Ranges with a skills shortage, based on data from the

Employment Vulnerability Index (EVI), are Kilsyth South, Narre Warren North, Don Valley,

Woori Yallock, Seville East, Coldstream, Lilydale, Lysterfield, Badger Creek and Millgrove.

The Census data on residents’ qualifications indicates that there is a lower level of education

in Central Yarra, Upper Yarra and the Urban Area. Whilst this does not automatically

translate to a skills shortage, as the employment options in those areas may not require a

high level of education, it is consistent with the EVI data.

Yarra Ranges has below average unemployment. A challenge for the future will be

maintaining the area’s strong employment profile in an economy which increasingly

demands post-school qualifications. This could lead to increasing demand for adult training

services, but also may involve the need to increase the educational aspirations of school

students and their families.

In 2006, the main industries of employment for Yarra Ranges, across all workers (regardless

of where they live), were retail trade (14.3%); manufacturing (13.7%); education and

training (11.6%); construction (8.3%); health care and social assistance (7.7%); and

accommodation and food services (7.5%). Their main occupations were professionals

(16.7%); technicians and trades workers (15.7%); managers (14.1%); and clerical and

administrative workers (13.2%).

For people who live in Yarra Ranges, their main industries were manufacturing (14.4%);

retail trade (12.1%); construction (11.7%); health care and social assistance (9.8%);

education and training (7.6%); and wholesale trade (6.1%). Only 4.8% worked in

accommodation and food services. Their main occupations were technicians and trades

workers (18.8%); professionals (16.3%); clerical and administrative workers (14.8%); and

managers (12.3%).

Thus there is a gap of in the level of residents working as managers, versus the local

employment demand for managers. Yarra Ranges also has a much lower level of

professionals than the metropolitan average (20.8%). There is also a noticeable lack of

persons who work in education and training, or accommodation and food services.

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Yarra Ranges has a relatively low level of residents with a Bachelor or higher degree (12%

compared to 17% for metropolitan Melbourne), and a high level of residents with vocational

training (21% compared to 15%). It also has a low level of residents who have completed

Year 12 (39% compared to 44%).

17

Map of metropolitan Melbourne public hospitals, local governments, Primary Care

Partnerships and Department of Human Services regional boundaries

SOURCE: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/maps/

18

Map of metropolitan Melbourne private hospitals, local governments, Primary Care

Partnerships and Department of Human Services regional boundaries

SOURCE: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/maps/

19

Maps of resident rankings of mobile phone coverage in Yarra Ranges

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SOURCE: http://yarraranges.cecc.com.au/yarra_map.php

21

Natural Gas Extension Program: Reticulation of Natural Gas to Towns in Yarra Ranges

Source: http://www.multinetgas.com.au/industryInformation/GastoYarraRanges.aspx

22

Business and Commercial Area Types: Yarra Ranges Metropolitan Area North

Source: Vision 2020 By Design http://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/files/2d109eed-38ad-4fdf-9b9d-9d0900bf3e04/Built_By_Design_Overview_Report.pdf

23

Business and Commercial Area Types: Yarra Ranges Metropolitan Area South

Source: Vision 2020 By Design http://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/files/2d109eed-38ad-4fdf-9b9d-9d0900bf3e04/Built_By_Design_Overview_Report.pdf