By Eleanor Wilson
The City of Casey has unveiled preliminary plans to revitalise land surrounding Bunjil Place, with hopes to better connect the civic hub to Fountain Gate Shopping Centre, Casey Aquatic Recreation Centre (ARC) and Max Pawsey Reserve.
In a council meeting on Tuesday 13 December, City of Casey administrators unveiled plans to commence community engagement for the Bunjil Place Precinct Masterplan, which included plans to use existing open space and car parking to transform the area into “an exciting and viable high-density mixed-use precinct”.
The masterplan for the project includes potential for multi-rise residential apartments, a mix of private and public uses that help to create a 24-hour activated precinct such as a hotel, hospitality, leisure, and wellbeing facilities, a multi-deck car park and enhanced pedestrian access throughout the precinct.
City of Casey administrator Cameron Boardman said public feedback following Bunjil Place’s exhibition of the 2022 Archibald Prize in September, along with analysis of a report on the revitalisation of the Fountain Gate-Narre Warren Metropolitan Activity Centre, sparked the decision to look at the future of the precinct.
“We were quite impressed and at various stages overwhelmed with the number of visitors we had to this precinct, many of whom, if not the overwhelming majority, were first time visitors who remarked on a number of issues,” he said.
“Some of the themes that we received as feedback was that there would be a desire to stay longer to experience other parts of this precinct and of the general area and also the complete inadequacy that we had in providing food and beverage and hospitality services for that amount of people.”
Mr Boardman said the focus of the draft concept plan was to bridge the gap between Bunjil Place, Casey Aquatic and Recreation Centre (ARC) and Fountain Gate Shopping Centre.
The draft concept plan includes the proposed sale and development of 5ha of land which currently encompasses the Bunjil Place car park and surrounding open space.
He stressed the designs were commissioned to “get the conversation started” and were not final designs.
“These are not final plans at all, these are literally plans that have come up… to generate discussion among the community about what we could potentially do with this precinct if the community so desires.
“We very much want to get community feedback on what is the best future use of the municipality of Casey.
“This is our civic hub, this is our cultural hub, this is the part that we want to ensure that we are bringing as many people as possible to enjoy to participate in, engage with community activities but we want to give them some degree of economic, cultural, community and investment incentives to stay longer to enjoy what we have to offer.”
Fellow City of Casey administrator Miguel Belmar said the draft concept plan was a “fantastic opportunity for the community to be engaged in the planning of an area such as Bunjil”.
“It’s important to realise the great opportunities that are viable in the precinct and to ensure the best use of such valuable land in Casey.”
Subject to council approval, community engagement on the Bunjil Place Precinct Draft Concept Plan would commence in early 2023.
