Melton is experiencing a building boom, with permits for projects valued at $500 million issued in the past financial year.
There were more than 2600 building permits approved in Melton in the 2015-16 year – an 11 per cent increase on the year before, according to the Victorian Building Authority (VBA).
The value of the permits surged by more than 18 per cent in 2015-16 year compared with 2014-15.
The biggest single-building permit was a $77 million permit issued for a healthcare building, office and residential units as part of the Ravenhall Prison Project, a new medium-security men’s prison near the Metropolitan Remand Centre that will accommodate up to 1000 prisoners.
The top five 2015-16 building permits in the municipality included a $32.5 million accommodation and office project in Ravenhall, a $27 million accommodation facility in Ravenhall and a $23 million warehouse and office development in Ravenhall.
A VBA spokeswoman would not provide more details about the projects.
Meanwhile, the biggest single-building permit issued in 2014-15 was for a $9 million warehouse, office and factory development in Truganina.
The value of permits issued in Moorabool exceeded the $100 million mark in 2015-16 and included a $4.5 million community hub in Darley and a $3.7 million Bacchus Marsh supermarket fit-out.
And while the number of Moorabool permits issued in the past financial year was less than the year before, there was an 11 per cent jump in the value.
VBA chief executive Prue Digby said Victoria experienced a building boom in the 2015-16 year, with the value of work for which permits were being sought exceeding the $31 billion mark for the first time.
“At $31.5 billion, the total value of building permits reported by Victorian building surveyors is 12.3 per cent higher than the record of $28 billion set in the 2014-15 financial year,” Ms Digby said.
“The number of building permits reported in 2015-16 jumped 4.4 per cent to 110,069 – the second highest number on record after the 113,668 reported in 2009-10.”
Melbourne’s north-west experienced some of the biggest growth, according to the VBA data – a 21.7 per cent increase to $895 million in 2015-16.
Melton and Moorabool councils were contacted for comment.
