The City of Manningham’s multimillion dollar Doncaster Hill Civic Precinct project has been recognised with a series of awards, setting a high standard for planning in Victoria.
Located in the northeastern suburbs of Melbourne, Manningham covers 113 square kilometres and has a population of 118,500 people.
In November, the Doncaster Hill Civic Precinct took out the coveted Victorian Planning Minister’s Award for Excellence at the 2010 Victorian Awards for Planning Excellence organised by the Planning Institute of Australia.
Doncaster Hill is a 58 hectare prime location on one of the highest points in eastern metropolitan Melbourne. It is taking shape as a modern urban village and focal point for Melbourne’s eastern metropolitan suburbs.
Some 4,000 new residential apartments are planned for the Hill over the next 20 years, and an additional five million people will visit each year. More than 8,000 people will call Doncaster Hill home and an additional 10,000 jobs will be created.
A Doncaster Hill flagship project, the Civic Precinct reached a significant milestone in October 2010 with the ‘turning of the sod’ that initiated work on a $38 million Community Hub.
The Community Hub will provide family services, welfare services, aged care, a community youth activity space, a library, an art gallery, a café and a community arts facility for the Manningham community.
Council also received a Commendation in the Heritage category for the Doncaster Hill Heritage Trail.
Comprising a series of two interpretive signs and four sound posts identifying six key areas of historical significance, the trail gives residents and visitors an opportunity to experience life from the early days when the first pioneers settled in Doncaster.
“These awards provide healthy recognition of the many years of work by staff and Councillors and the achievement of the Doncaster Hill Strategy,” said Manningham CEO Lydia Wilson.
“The tenacity of staff in taking the Doncaster Hill vision to its present day fulfilment is a standout achievement.”
Features of the Doncaster Hill project have also been recognised at other awards ceremonies.
The inaugural ‘Doncaster Hill Developer Expo 2010: Doncaster Hill on the Rise’ was Highly Commended in the Economic Development Marketing Strategy category at the Economic Development Australia (EDA) National Awards for Excellence in Economic Development.
The Expo was the first of its kind in Local Government, showcasing the work Council is doing on Doncaster Hill and in engaging with developers to attract further investment to Manningham.
It was attended by more than 350 developers, industry leaders, real estate agents, State and Federal Government representatives, and senior Local Government officers.
For more information on Doncaster Hill visit www.doncasterhill.com or contact Council’s Doncaster Hill Place Manager, Nic Daws on
(03) 9840 9474.
