New and higher density housing development around the park increases the threat from domestic dogs and cats, exacerbates noise and light pollution, can lead to invasion of new weeds escaping from gardens, and results in even more isolated wildlife populations. It also ruins the view.
The proposed housing development likely to have the highest impact on the park is on the 22 ha former sanatorium site in the middle of the park. This is owned by a speculator who has revealed plans to build 600 housing units there.
On the south side the park is protected from housing development by the presence of the airport, and on the west by the airport flight path where building is restricted. On these sides the park will instead be impacted by the planned road linking the Tullamarine Freeway with the outer ring road.
Since 2016 new housing development has been taking place at a frightening pace on the east side of the park in the area between Section Road and Mickleham Road, which was rezoned for higher density housing in 2014 (see Greenvale Central PSP). The blocks adjoining the park on Providence Road and Mickleham Road were rezoned in 2017 (see Woodlands PSP).
To the north of the park a new housing estate appeared on the skyline in about 2015. The Moonee Ponds Creek valley to the north of the park is currently zoned green wedge, however one of the farms there had already been purchased by a property developer when this page was first written in 2015. Another property, formerly owned by Oaklands Hunt Club, was sold to a different developer in 2018 (see article in "The Weekly Times"). The remaining farm is almost certain to be sold to a developer at some stage since nobody wishing to use the land for farming could afford to pay such a high price. History shows that property developers always manage to get their purchases rezoned eventually, as successive State governments continue to treat "green wedge" as a synonym for "land bank". This may have something to do with the fact that political donations by property developers are permitted in Victoria, unlike New South Wales where they have been banned.
Ultimately, the cause of all this road and housing construction is population growth. Many people are taken in by the con that growth in Melbourne's population is inevitable and that the choice is between demolishing existing suburbs to build ever higher density housing, filling in the green wedges, or pushing the limits of Melbourne's urban sprawl further out along the growth corridors. In fact all three things have been going on for a long time now. It is federal government immigration policy which results in Australia's very high rate of population growth, almost all of which ends up in Sydney or Melbourne.
References
- Greenvale Central Precinct Structure Plan, Metropolitan Planning Authority, Dec. 2013 amended Feb. 2017
- Woodlands Precinct Structure Plan, Metropolitan Planning Authority, Feb. 2017
- "Oaklands Hunt Club's Greenvale home sold to developer", The Weekly Times, August 1st 2018