The boundaries

Enclaves are a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of another, but the border between Sunshine West and Ardeer is dead simple – north of Forrest Street and the railway line is Ardeer and postcode 3022, everything south is Sunshine West and postcode 3020.

land.vic.gov.au map

And the “enclaves” of Ardeer

There is a Coles supermarket in Sunshine West, located on The Avenue.

But for some reason, Coles call it their “Ardeer” store.

Down the road is a Coles Express service station, and Hungry Jacks restaurant.

Coles Express call it their “Ardeer” location, and gives the address as Ardeer 3022.

But Hungry Jacks calls their store “Ardeer” with a Sunshine West address, but a 3022 postcode.

Sunshine College had an “Ardeer” campus on Glengala Road, Sunshine West.

But gave their address as Ardeer, postcode 3022.

And finally, down the street is Ardeer South Primary School.

Who gives their address as Sunshine West, postcode 3020.

Clear as mud?

Time to do some digging

My first stop was the digital version of edition 1 circa 1966, and look at that – Ardeer continued south of the railway line into what is now Sunshine West, where every single one of the oddly named “Ardeer” locations I’d found are now located.

But when did the boundary change?

My next stop was the locality names and boundary maps maintained by the state government.

Of interest is the change register found at the bottom of each map, listing the issues of the Government Gazette in which boundary changes have been published in.

But after looking up each listed issue of the Government Gazette, I came up blank – none of the listed changes affected the boundary of Sunshine West and Ardeer.

My next step was to go digging through my collection of old street directories.

And after a whole lot of flicking around on maps 39 and 40, I landed on editions 26 and 27 – from 1999 and 2000 respectively.

Edition 26 from 1999 has Ardeer stretching south of the railway line into what is now Sunshine West.

The boundary of the two following on the high voltage transmission line easement.

Which was once reserved for a freeway.

Then jumping forward to edition 27 from 2000, the portion of Ardeer south of the railway was now Sunshine West.

Which reflects the current postcode boundaries.

Cartodraft Victoria & Melbourne Postcode Map

Postcode 3020 featuring the suburbs of Albion, Glengala, Sunshine, Sunshine North and Sunshine West.

And the far smaller postcode 3022 with Ardeer and Deer Park East.

And the answer

I’ve you’re a regular reader, then you might’ve already guessed the answer, but here goes – Australia Post has long had postcodes boundaries in place, and each postcode contained one or more localities, but before 1998 Melbourne suburbs lacked official boundaries – a situation rectified by the passing of the Geographic Place Names Act.

Community consultation on what the boundaries of Victorian suburbs should be commenced before the Geographic Place Names Bill was introduced to parliament, so in the case of Sunshine West a more logical boundary was created – the hard edge of the Melbourne-Ballarat railway line used to redefine the northern border, the Western Ring Road the western and southern borders, and the old postcode border along the transmission line easement fading away given the suburbs either side were tightly integrated.

Which left only one issue to resolve – the residents of the southern part of Ardeer now had an address in Sunshine West. In the 25 years since, as old residents move away and new ones move in, the new suburb name has taken root, but for institutions and national companies, renaming schools and stores has fallen by the wayside.

Footnote: postcode oddities

Melway edition 27 from 2000 has a strange feature – the boundary of postcodes 3020 and 3022 still followed the previous suburb boundary, leaving the suburb of Sunshine West split between two postcodes. By Melway edition 28 that oddity was gone, leaving the current postcode boundaries.

It’s hard to tell whether this was an error on the part of the Melway publishers, or a side effect of suburb boundaries and postcodes being managed by the State Government and Australia Post respectively, and the changes to the former not being immediately reflected by the latter.

Footnote: other boundary changes

For the benefit of future me, here are the five boundary changes made in the City of Brimbank as of 2022.

Government Gazette No. G38 Thursday 24 September 1998 page 2463.

City of Brimbank. Assignment of the 24 aforementioned suburb names and their boundaries within the municipality. The plan showing the suburb names and their boundaries may be inspected at the Municipal Offices, or the Office of the Place Names Committee.

Albanvale, Albion, Ardeer, Brooklyn,Calder Park, Deer Park, Delahey, Derrimut, Hillside, Kealba, Keilor, Keilor Downs, Keilor East, Keilor Lodge, Keilor North, Keilor Park, Kings Park, St. Albans, Sunshine, Sunshine North, Sunshine West, Sydenham, Taylors Lakes and Tullamarine.

Government Gazette No. G5 Thursday 31 January 2002 page 162 and 163.

Part of Delahey to Sydenham

As shown hatched on the map, south-west corner of Hume Drive and Sydenham Road.

Part of Taylors Lakes to Keilor

Bounded on the south side along Taylors Creek, from the previously gazetted boundary to Sunshine Avenue; on the west side from Taylors Creek along Sunshine Avenue to the on-ramp of the Calder Freeway; on the north side along the freeway on-ramp to the previously gazetted boundary.

Government Gazette No. G22 Thursday 30 May 2002 page 1129.

Parts of St Albans and Deer Park to Cairnlea

As set out on version 4.3 of the plan showing the suburb names and boundaries within the municipality.

Government Gazette No. G22 Thursday 29 May 2003 page 1259.

Part of Albanvale to Deer Park

As shown on version 4.5 of the plan showing the suburb names and boundaries within the municipality.

Government Gazette G19 Thursday 10 May 2018 page 936.

Part of Keilor to Taylors Lakes

The south-eastern corner of Taylors Lakes is being amended to incorporate properties within Kangaroo Paw Court, the boundary will run along the north-eastern boundary of PS731295. All other boundaries remain unchanged

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A mystery

My story starts in April 2010, when I paid a visit to Ardeer to photograph the procession of passing trains bound for Ballarat, and found a row of brand new power poles awaiting the installation of overhead cables.

I visited again in March 2011, and the poles were still in the same unfinished state.

And again in September 2011.

At the time I didn’t think too much about the power lines, but on closer inspection they were nowhere to be seen! So where did they go?

The backstory

As Melbourne’s west has expanded, so has the load placed on the electrical network that serves it – with Keilor Terminal Station bearing the brunt of demand.

So the Australian Energy Market Operator made the decision that a new 220kV / 66kV terminal station should be built to share the load, located beside the existing high voltage power lines at Deer Park.

As well as a new 66kV / 22kV zone substation to supply the growing suburbs and industry of Truganina.

And a web of new 66kV high voltage power lines to tie together the new and existing zone substations.

Local communities caught unaware

However for the residents of Ridgeway Parade in Sunshine West, the appearance of 66 kV power lines along their street in June 2010 caught them by surprise – leading to work being suspended.

Power struggle in Sunshine and Ardeer on lines
Brimbank Leader
1 June 2010
Andre Awadalla

Sunshine West and Ardeer residents have vowed to fight a move to install new overhead power lines in their area.

And while electricity supplier Powercor says it has temporarily suspended work on the project to listen to community concerns, it maintains the project will go ahead.

Sunshine West resident Larissa Stewart said about 70 residents concerned about the overhead power lines gathered at Ridgeway Parade Kindergarten last week.

“People are very angry that this has proceeded without consultation,” Ms Stewart said. She said residents in and around Ridgeway Pde were worried about the health effects of electromagnetic radiation, the visual impact of the powerlines and property values if the power lines were not placed underground.

“It’s going to devalue the properties in the area, absolutely,” Ms Stewart said.

Derrimut state Greens candidate and former councillor Geraldine Brooks said an unanimous resolution was passed at last week’s meeting that the community wanted the lines placed underground.

Ms Brooks said Powercor had failed to consult with residents and that some of the power poles were only 10m from houses and 8.5m from the railway line, raising safety concerns.

Powercor spokesman Damien Batey said it was “regrettable” that Powercor had not consulted with residents before work began.

He said that was an “oversight”, rather than a deliberate attempt to withhold information.

Mr Batey said work had been suspended “while we work through community concerns”.

But he said that while placing the power lines underground had been considered, it would be “incredibly cost prohibitive”.

Mr Batey also said that a report Powercor had commissioned from an independent consultant showed that there was “a very, very low risk of any health concerns” as a result of the power lines and that any electromagnetic radiation would be “well below” levels of acceptable exposure.

The project will supply power to growing industrial areas in the west and supplement residential power.

With the Brimbank City Council becoming involved in the fight

Powerlines raise ruckus
The Advocate
26 July 26, 2010
Ruza Zivkusic

As Sunshine West and Ardeer residents step up their fight against the installation of new overhead powerlines in the area, an electricity supplier is planning a beautification program to replace trees it removed.

Brimbank Council is negotiating with Powercor to pay $40,000 for street tree planting. The company had removed three trees on Ridgeway Parade because of the risk of them growing into the overhead lines.

Powercor spokesman Damien Batey said the company would present its plans to residents shortly.

Ardeer resident Larissa Stewart yesterday met with concerned neighbours to form an action group to oppose the overhead lines.

Work has been stopped since last month while Powercor conducts consultation. Residents fear electro-magnetic frequency emissions from the lines will result in increased health risks.

Ms Stewart claimed residents’ calls and emails to Powercor were going unanswered. “A lot of us have made multiple attempts to make phone calls but haven’t had any response.

“Powercor has only distributed letters to our residents about their intentions in English, but 90 per cent are from non-English-speaking backgrounds and most are Vietnamese.”

Installation of the lines by Powercor will supply power to Paramount Industrial Park and nearby residential areas. The council last week adopted a report to continue advocating on behalf of the community affected by the proposal, requesting that Powercor minimise the impact of the powerlines on streetscape character through tree planting and alternative route alignments.

But Ms Stewart repeated calls for the lines to be placed underground.

“They wouldn’t have the lines through the eastern suburbs 13 kilometres from the CBD,” Ms Stewart said. “They have put powerlines in an open space area where we used to walk the dogs and the kids and have a little bit of open space.

“We thought we’d buy something we knew. We knew where the railway line was, where the schools and the facilities are and all of a sudden, nine years down the track, our happy little community has an upheaval because of a big organisation.”

Mr Batey said the lines had been designed to ensure an “extremely low” level of EMF emission, representing less than 0.7per cent of the prescribed maximum levels of exposure from the relevant authorities.

“This has been determined through scientifically proven research and validated by independent experts,” he said.

Residents sharing worries about reduced property values and health concerns in a letter to the editor.

Residents call for powerline action
Sunshine Star Weekly
24 August 2010

As concerned residents, we are protesting Powercor’s proposed High Voltage overhead powerline through the suburbs of West Sunshine and Ardeer. To this effect, we would appreciate your support in once again highlighting this urgent matter.

The 66kV powerline, proposed to facilitate the new industrial estate west of the Ring Rd in Ardeer, will both endanger the health of the community and its children and slide the area into an urban wasteland of unsightly powerlines and falling real-estate values, effectively condemning that part of Sunshine and Ardeer into an almost third world environment for years to come.

Powercor’s refusal to recognise the potential dangers of overhead High Voltage power and its refusal to “underground” the line is alarming.

While Powercor supports its intended action by claiming to be guided by World Health recommendations and Australian standards, it refuses to recognise these guidelines as being outdated (1998) and in need of urgent revision.

Recent epidemiological research, including WHO findings, has confirmed an undeniable association between electro-magnetic exposure and childhood leukaemia and many world authorities have both expressed concerns about the current inadequate limits of allowable EMF emissions and called for precautionary measures in the installation of High Voltage power.

Furthermore, while Powercor claims that “undergrounding” is too expensive and that regulations require it to pursue “the lowest cost options”, it turns a blind eye to the costs imposed on the community through devaluation of homes and environment and potential medical costs in treating EMF induced leukaemia, not to mention the emotional cost of suffering, sickness and loss of loved ones to cancer.

One can only ask the question: what price do we place on human life? For a multi-national company with huge yearly profits, it seems that safeguarding the health of our children and environment is far less important than protecting profits.

As a major utility and licence holder, Powercor owes the community a duty of care. We plead that Powercor reconsiders its options and exercises a more precautionary attitude by “undergrounding” the line.

Elizabeth and Micheal Kononada,
West Sunshine.

And unhappy with the alternative options presented by Powercor.

Powercor’s options fail to allay fears
The Advocate
27 September 2010
Monique Ebrington

Brimbank residents marched to Parliament House last week to protest against alternatives offered by electricity distributor Powercor.

More than 25 Ardeer and Sunshine West residents took part in the protest, which followed a community meeting of residents, councillors, local MPs and Powercor representatives on September 14. The meeting came after lengthy consultations with residents concerned about the potential impacts of new above-ground powerlines on their health and on house prices.

Rather than the initial plan to run above-ground powerlines along Ridgeway Parade in Ardeer, Powercor put forward three alternative options to residents.

Powercor spokesman Hugo Armstrong said the alternative choices were “the only realistic options to solve the issue”.

The options are a change to the route of the overhead powerlines, an increase to the height of the structures, or for the lines to be placed underground. Ardeer resident Larissa Stewart said residents were “unhappy” at the options presented to them.

“Absolutely none of the alternatives have Powercor fully funding the project,” Ms Stewart claimed. “Powercor is a privately owned company that reports to shareholders. They are asking the council to fund infrastructure that’s going to return funds to private shareholders.”

She said Brimbank was a community that desperately needed funding for other services.

“I think one of the reasons the community is so passionately against it is because it takes money away from a community that doesn’t have a lot.”

A Powercor spokesman said that due to regulations, Powercor could fund $2 million towards the underground option and Brimbank Council or residents would have to fund the remaining $900,000. He said the other options did not require co-contribution. “We simply cannot underground every powerline in the state and expect our customers to absorb those costs.”

The existing powerlines servicing Ardeer and Sunshine West are operating at 30 per cent above the optimal load.

Powercor said residents could expect power outages over summer if a new high-voltage circuit was not provided to the region.

But somewhat surprisingly, a year later residents got the underground power lines they wanted, thanks to extra funding from the state government.

It’s power to the people
Brimbank Weekly
22 November 2011
Benjamin Millar

Ardeer and Sunshine West residents have successfully campaigned for high-voltage powerlines to be placed underground, proving people power can prevail over corporate giants.

Families gathered at Ardeer Community Park on Saturday to celebrate their win following the completion of recent major works in the area.

Geraldine Brooks, of the Ardeer and Sunshine West Powerlines Action Group, said the controversial 66,000-volt powerline proposal was sprung on the community by electricity distributor Powercor without concern for residents’ health and visual amenity.

“Sixty-six thousand-volt powerlines through our community would have exposed families to high electromagnetic field levels,” she said.

Residents learned of the lines only when Powercor began erecting poles on Ridgeway Parade early last year.

“We found that completely unacceptable and made sure the proponent, Powercor, got this message loud and clear throughout a year of community meetings, protests, letter-writing, petitions and publicity,” Ms Brooks said.

Following pressure from residents and Brimbank Council, the State Government’s Powerline Relocation Committee agreed in June to help Powercor fund the $2.8million project.

The underground lines will supply power to Paramount Industrial Park in Deer Park and nearby residential areas.

Western Metropolitan Greens MP Colleen Hartland said the campaign was a great example of people power. “This community forced a multinational company to back down – it just goes to show what can be achieved when the local community works together.”

Footnote – another struggle

Hot on the heels of the fight against high voltage power lines, in 2013 the residents of Ridgeway Parade had a new project on their doorstop – Regional Rail Link.

They were worried about the increased number of trains using the existing railway.

Rail noise.

Tall noise walls along the rail corridor.

And delays to road traffic at the Fitzgerald Road level crossing.

And so formed the “Fix the Links Residents Rail Action Group” to campaign for their interests.

Group for rail link but want proper planning
Sunshine Star Weekly
30 October 2012
Vanessa Valenzuela

More than 100 angry Brimbank residents rallied at Ardeer Station last weekend, calling on the Regional Rail Link Authority to postpone construction work on the multi-billion dollar project.
The ‘Fix the Links’ Residents Rail Action Group voiced their concerns about an increase in noise, pollution and traffic congestion in the area as a result of the Regional Rail Link.

Brimbank resident Maurice Sibelle said the group wanted the rail link to go ahead, but were asking the authority to address their concerns before commencing construction work.

“There are some misconceptions in the community that we are opposed to the Regional Rail Link but we are not,” Mr Sibelle said.

“We want to present to the community and all interested parties that there is an intelligent response to what the government is doing and they are rushing ahead with this project.”

“Our fear is that it will take so long to adopt the policy that the RRL will be finished and the money will be spent, and we will be left with is the problem that is still there, and there is no plan to fix it,” he said.

Greens MP Colleen Hartland said there are a number of serious and significant community concerns regarding the Regional Rail Link that need to be addressed.

“I share the key concerns of the community and the Fix the Links residents group – noise, diesel pollution and access issues at rail crossings,” Ms Hartland said.

“Noise and diesel pollution concerns have been raised by communities all along the rail corridor from West Melbourne all the way to Deer Park, and these concerns are justified.

“Electrifying the line and running modern electric trains would resolve both of these issues to a large extent.”

Brimbank Council’s General Manager of Infrastructure and Environment Paul Younis said council would seek to facilitate consultation between the Regional Rail Link Authority, ‘Fix the Links’ and other residents relating to concerns about the railway corridor between Sunshine and Deer Park.

“Council continues to play a strong advocacy role on behalf of the community in order to realise optimal community outcomes from the Regional Rail Link project,” Ms Younis said.

“Further consultation is planned once the Department of Transport’s Draft Passenger Rail Infrastructure Noise Policy is finalised at the end of the year.”

A spokesperson for the RRL said the project will continue to comply with all relevant environmental legislation, standards and guidelines, including those on noise and air quality.

For more information about the ‘Fix the Links’ action group visit fixregionallraillink.blogspot.com.au

But this time around, the state government was not on their side – they built the massive steel noise walls along the rail corridor anyway.

And the level crossing at Fitzgerald Road was left untouched, despite the massive delays to road traffic caused by the extra trains now passing through it.

A situation not addressed until 2020, when the Fitzgerald Road level crossing removal project was given the go ahead.

Footnote: a few more gory details

The two underground feeders are ‘SU024’ and ‘SU032’ – running 2.861 kilometres and 3.319 kilometres respectively.

In 2015 the Sunshine zone substation served by the underground power lines was itself upgraded.

Sunshine zone substation refurbishment

Sunshine Zone Substation (SU) supplies electricity to over 25,000 customers including domestic, commercial and industrial in the Sunshine, Ardeer, Deer Park, Laverton North, St Albans, Caroline Springs and Derrimut areas.

In response to the existing SU transformers nearing end of life and additional load requirements brought on by new data centres in the area, Powercor commenced a program to refurbish and redevelop the zone substation over the 2012 to 2017 period.

The SU zone substation comprised four transformers and outdoor discrete HV switchgear. Two transformers are in service and a group of two smaller transformers are available for contingency operation. The transformers have no voltage regulation and are of limited use. All transformers at the station are aged and in poor condition.

The HV switchgear (outdoor circuit breakers) are aged and also in poor condition. The HV bus structure is currently supported as a long term temporary measure with scaffolding. Other station components including the capacitor banks, buildings and fences are in poor condition.

To finalise the redevelopment of the SU zone substation, Powercor needs to decommission and remove two of the old transformers and associated equipment. This is contingent upon the establishment of Deer Park Terminal Station (DPTS) to enable load transfers.

As part of the works for the new Deer Park Terminal Station.

Powercor undertook a joint Regulatory Test with Jemena Electricity Networks and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to address a system limitation at the Keilor Terminal Station (KTS), and on the sub-transmission lines from KTS that serves the Melton (MTN), Sunbury (SBY) and Sydenham (SHM) zone substations. SBY and SHM are zone substations for Jemena.

The final report was published on 1 May 2012 which recommended the construction of a new terminal station at Deer Park (DPTS). The regulatory test demonstrates that the works are prudent and efficient and that the option selected maximises the net economic benefit to consumers. Other key elements of the report include:

• construction of 66kV sub-transmission lines from DPTS to a new zone substation at Truganina (TNA);
• construction of 66kV sub-transmission lines to transfer the existing MLN zone substation to DPTS, relieving constraints at KTS. As part of this work, the existing KTS to MLN and MLN to SBY
66kV sub-transmission lines will be reconfigured to bypass MLN and establish a KTS to SBY2 line. This maintains the required third supply to the SHM and SBY 66kV loop exiting KTS, which also
supplies Gisborne (GSB) and Woodend (WND) zone substations; and
• construction of 66kV sub-transmission lines to transfer existing Sunshine zone substation (SU) to DPTS, relieving constraints at KTS. As part of this work, the existing KTS to SU2 and SU to
Sunshine East (SSE) 66kV sub-transmission lines will be re-configured to supply SSE via its own loop from KTS.

With the upgraded distribution network commissioned in 2017.

Powercor diagram

Further reading

• Ardeer – West Sunshine Powerlines Action Group
• Fix Regional Rail Link residents group

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Melbourne’s first route 420 bus route ran from St Albans to East St Albans, and was operated by the Footscray – Yarraville Bus Company, part of the Sitch Group. It commenced operation in January 1957 as route 139A, gaining the route 420 number in 1971 as part of the wholesale renumbering of bus routes in Melbourne.

1978 Melbourne Public Transport Map

But by 1992 it had gone up in smoke, apparently replaced by nearby route 419 in 1984.

1992 Melbourne Public Transport Map

But in 2014 a new bus network was launched in Brimbank.

In July 2014, Public Transport Victoria (PTV) introduced a new bus network in the Brimbank area of Melbourne’s western suburbs. The network featured more direct and frequent services, better connections with trains, buses finishing later at night, Sunday services on all routes and better connections to key local destinations. This paper analyses the early patronage performance of the new network, and examines the contribution made by its service design features.

With plenty of new route numbers.

Which gave the 420 route number a second wind.

The flagship of changes in Brimbank is the introduction of the new route 420 service linking Sunshine and Watergardens via Glengala Road in Sunshine West, Station Road in Deer Park and Kings Road in Delahey, providing direct access to local trip generators, including Brimbank Central.

Running between Sunshine station.

And Watergardens station.

Operated by Sita Buslines, the service initially operated every 20 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays, with Sunday services every 40 minutes, but later improved to 20 minute frequencies seven days a week. Running times were adjusted in 2015 after some buses were arriving up to 15 minutes early.

And more 420s

There are multiple buses in Australia with the fleet number #420 – Transdev Melbourne being one of them.

But at Sita Buslines, operator of route 420, the highest numbered bus is #361.

And another one

Murrumbeena station has a ‘D420’ sign at the city end of the platform.

It’s the identification plate for signal D420 – located 14.3 kilometres from Flinders Street on the line to Dandenong.

Footnote

Melbourne has a “Christmas For Potheads” every April 20, but nowhere near the route 420 bus.

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Located in the middle of open parkland that also serves as a transmission line corridor, here is the roundabout on Google Maps.

This is the view from Wright Street on the eastern side .

And from Link Road to the south.

If you go all the way back to 1966, Edition 1 of the Melway shows that Wright Street never went this far west.

But by Edition 26 in 1999 Wright Street now terminated at a dead end beneath the transmission line corridor.

One can assume the roundabout was added when Link Road was constructed in the early 2000s, when it was intended for the road to continue further north, but the extension fell through.

Footnote

The open space through Sunshine West and Ardeer was originally intended to be used by a freeway – these plans were abandoned in the 1990s, and replaced by the current Western Ring Road alignment.

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A closer look at the Melways shows that a direct alignment through the suburbs of Ardeer and Sunshine West is possible: an electrical transmission line cuts right through the middle of the suburb, with a linear park making use of the otherwise idle land.

Down at ground level the space for a freeway is still there: this is looking south from Glengala Road.

Turning to the north, only a single house blocks the open alignment: 164 Glengala Road, Sunshine West.

A check of the Land Victoria maps shows that this house has a conventional Residential 1 Zone (R1Z) applied to it, with the rest of the open reserve coming under the Public Park and Recreation Zone (PPRZ).

So with all this wide open space, why wasn’t the Western Ring Road built straight down the middle? To answer that question, I dug through my collection of old Melbourne street directories – as well as showing how much the city has grown, they often depict freeway proposals that never get built.

I hit paydirt in Edition 26 of the UBD directory, dated 1983, with map 68 showing a big dotted line running through the middle of Sunshine West and Ardeer.

Digging back further to the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan, the alignment of the Western Ring Road was also visible, as part of the proposed F3 and F5 freeways.

So when was the alignment through the middle of the suburbia abandoned, replaced by a longer route through empty paddocks?

I found a lead in the 30 November 1989 edition of the Government Gazette, which introduced the Environmental Effects Statement approval process for the Western Ring Road. It detailed how the proposed freeway was to follow the existing F3 and F5 reservations already included in the planning schemes of the Cities of Werribee, Sunshine and Keilor – but not through Ardeer.

While the 1988/89 annual report for the Road Construction Authority gave some further context.

A planning investigation to prepare an Environmental Effects Statement for the Sunshine Keilor section of the Western Ring Road began in October 1988. A number of specialist investigations (some by consultants) are being done to gain information on existing and future traffic, noise, air quality, landscape, archaeology, flora and fauna and sociology.

Consultation is integral with the study. A mailing list has been prepared of more than 3,000, after 28,000 brochures were distributed to all property owners and occupiers in the area. Team members have met with many groups and individuals and public displays of all options were shown.

Minister for Transport, Mr Jim Kennan, with one of the community displays showing alternatives for the Western Ring Road at Ardeer

The major issues are the severance of Ardeer by the existing reservation, the need to minimise impact of the Derrimut Grasslands, and whether or not an interchange should be provided with the Calder Highway. Following evaluations, the Minister for Transport announced that the reservation through Ardeer would be dropped in favour of an alternative to the west. This was strongly supported by the community. The remaining issues will be resolved through the environmental process.

I then paid a visit to the State Library of Victoria to find the Environmental Effects Statement itself – in particular, that for the Sunshine to Keilor section of the Western Ring Road.

In ‘Supplementary Report No. 12’ dated November 1989, I found the following line:

The current Proposed Main Road reservation through Ardeer is to be deleted as the reservation width is considered insufficient to provide for a major arterial road.

It then goes on to recommend new usages of the now unneeded land:

The length of the reservation between the St Albans rail line and Derrimut is to be rezoned as follows:

(i). The section adjacent to Public Open Space reservations to the east and north of Hulett Street – to Public Open Space reservation.
(ii). The section adjacent to General Industrial Zone immediately north of Western Highway – to General Industrial Zone.
(iii). In Ardeer, from the Western Highway to Forrest Street amended to Proposed Secondary Road. An area immediately north of Forrest Street amended to Reserved Living.
(iv). From Ridgeway Parade southwards to Dalton Street rezoned to Reserved Living to allow residential development to take place subject to satisfactory road access arrangements. The present Proposed Secondary Road reservation (for the extension of Wright Street) will be retained until the long term development of the land is determined.
(v). South of Dalton Street a strip of land fronting Nicholson Parade is proposed to be rezoned to Reserved Living. This will ensure that the Sunshine West neighbourhood is not affected by industrial traffic intrusion if land to the west is developed for industry. The remainder of the old road reservation is proposed to be rezoned as Reserved Light Industrial to reflect present zoning to the west.

Item (iii) above will enable the provision of a north-south access route which will greatly improve accessibility in this area, currently severely limited by lack of crossing opportunities over the rail line and Kororoit Creek.

The Council has yet to carry out detailed traffic and planning studies for Ardeer/Sunshine West. These may show the need for different zones or reservations in the area. Designation of the land as Reserved Living generally preserves these options. If the Council decides that a road is not required for it’s purposes on the existing reservation north of Forrest Street, the land would revert to its underlying zoning of Reserved Living; or some such other reservation that the Council may decide upon. Before rezoning of the land is approved, the potential for contamination of the site will be assessed.

With the route of the Western Ring Road through Ardeer now decided, construction started in the early 1990s, with the Keilor Park Drive to Western Highway section opening in July 1995, and the Western Highway to Boundary Road, Laverton segment in March 1996.

As for the land zoning changes, the Government Gazette dated 19 January 1995 detailed the final abandonment of the old freeway route.

Planning and Environment Act 1987
NOTICE OF AMENDMENT TO A PLANNING SCHEME

The Brimbank City Council, Sunshine Office has prepared Amendment L79 to the Sunshine Planning Scheme. This amendment proposes to change the planning scheme by rezoning land along part of the abandoned Western Ring Road Reservation as follows.

(1) Parkland between Ridgeway Parade and Wright Street from Proposed Main Road Reservation to Public Open Space Reservation.
(2) Existing residential property at 164 Glengala Road from Proposed Main Road Reservation to Proposed Public Open Space Reservation.
(3) Part of Glengala Road from Proposed Main Road Reservation to Secondary Road Reservation.
(4) Existing residential properties in Hall Street and Lachlan Road from Proposed Main Road Reservation to Residential C Zone.
(5) Vacant land in Wright Street, Adina Court, Yaralla Count and Dalton Street from Proposed Main Road and Proposed Secondary Road Reservations to Reserved Living Zone.
(6) Vacant land in Adina Court from Proposed Main Road Reservation and Reserved Living Zones to Proposed Secondary Road Reservation.
(7) Vacant land in Fremont Parade and Marti Court from Proposed Main Road Reservation to Residential C Zone.

This amendment can be inspected at the Brimbank City Council, Sunshine Office, Alexandra Avenue, Sunshine or the Department for Planning and Development (Plan Inspection Section, Ground Floor, the Olderfleet Buildings, 477 Collins Street, Melbourne) and will be available for inspection during office hours by any person free of charge. Submissions about the amendment must be sent to the Urban Planning Department, Brimbank City Council, Sunshine Office, Municipal Offices, Alexandra Avenue, Sunshine 3020 by Monday, 20 February 1995.

So that wraps up everything up, including the little house by itself at 164 Glengala Road, Sunshine West.

Further reading

• The short term effects of Melbourne’s Western Ring Road: a paper by Paul Mees

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