Oliver Lees
A petition with more than 350 signatures is calling for Melton council to expedite the delivery of an open space precinct and community plan in the Rockbank area.
Plans for a sports precinct and community centre on Lightsview Boulevard in Rockbank have been on the cards for several years.
Melton has been identified as one of the fastest growing council areas in the country and Rockbank itself has seen significant development in recent years.
The Bridgefield Estate and Hillgrove Estate combined have more than 1500 homes, with many homeowners having moved into these properties in the last few years.
Rahul Purumandla is a member of the Rockbank Advocacy Working Group and the author of the online petition.
At a council meeting held on April 22, Mr Purumandla posed a public question to council asking if it would consider fast tracking development of these shared spaces due to Rockbank’s burgeoning population.
In response, council outlined its intention to complete the community centre by 2027, the sports field by 2028/29 and the pavilion by 2031/32.
Mark Cunningham was among the first to move into Hillgrove Estate in 2020.
He said it was unfair to see other similar projects in the municipality, such as in Aintree, get the green light while Rockbank missed out.
“Nothing happens in Rockbank… it seems to be a never ending battle,” he said.
“If all of us are paying the same in rates, why are we not getting the same in services?”
Aintree is also a rapidly developing area, with a Melton council forecast from 2022 anticipating the town’s population would grow from 10,766 to 18,986 by 2051.
City futures director Sam Romaszko said meeting the needs of our growing community by providing quality services and infrastructure is a priority for Melton council.
“Planning for long term projects takes into consideration several factors and are regularly reviewed to reflect evolving changes and priorities,“ he said.
“Community infrastructure delivery within the Rockbank area is a priority for council, and planning for the community centre and open space precinct is expected to begin next financial year.
“We welcome continued engagement and feedback from the community and will keep them updated as these projects progress.“
