Berwick Waters Quarterly Update December / January 2024
Dear residents and community members,
Happy New Year!
We’re pleased to report we’ve made great progress on various bulk earthworks throughout our community and have also either completed or made great progress on some important road connections.
Kerb and channel, asphalt and concreting work is complete on our section of Soldiers Rd between Bells Rd and Thompsons Rd. Unfortunately work at the northern end of the road has been delayed due to APA Group’s further testing identifying additional works required to their gas pipeline.
We have also completed our section of Honour Ave. The other two sections of this road are the responsibility of Mondous Property and Circa Estate. Mondous Property advises that they have tenders out for their portion of this road connection.
On the wetlands front, we have completed 75% of bulk earthworks for the section near Stage 14, although progress on the section near Upper Banks continues to be slower than we would prefer due to a change in contractor. We now expect to begin work here in the first quarter of next year, for an end of year completion.
There have been some heartening discussions about the College Green Conservation Reserve. As you might recall, Council and Melbourne Water had differing views on the best option for this space, but after a series of productive meetings between all parties we have now presented them with three options. As soon as the two parties agree on and approve their preferred option, we will request our already appointed contractor schedule a start on site.
We don’t have any formal updates about the proposed primary and secondary schools to share but can report that Frasers Property has completed 95% of the fill work on the section owned by Aspen on Clyde (works we undertook in an effort to expedite progress), while Mondous Property has also completed 95% of the fill work on its section of land.
Speaking of our colleagues at Mondous Property, they report they have secured a new tenant for the Waterside Centre and have a leasing agent continuing to seek tenants to fill the remaining tenancies. They are also currently assessing tenders for building works on the town centre.
We will continue to update residents of Berwick Waters via email and keep the community updated via Facebook. For the latest new on Berwick Waters, check out www.frasersproperty.com.au/VIC/Berwick-Waters/News.
If you live outside Berwick Waters but would like to receive updates by email, please sign up at www.frasersproperty.com.au/VIC/Berwick-Waters/Contact-Us or contact us on 13 38 38.
We hope you had a happy holiday season and look forward to updating you about further progress this year.
Jill Lim, Development Director – Land, for Frasers Property Australia
Community Project |
Who is responsible for delivery? |
Status as at December 2023 |
|
New road upgrade to connect Soldiers Road to Bells Road (Bells Road Extension) |
Frasers Property Australia |
A lot of progress has been made on the new section of road running between Soldiers Rd (where it bends) and Bells Road (where it currently terminates at Thompsons Road). Kerb and channel, base layer asphalt and concreting works are complete on all sections we can access. The unfinished sections are at the northern end where we’ve suffered ongoing delays due to the recoating of the major gas line which runs perpendicular under the road and is owned by APA Group. When testing their pipeline the APA Group found that additional works were required. This delayed their process which has in turn delayed our completion of works. We now estimate the road will be open at the end of the second quarter of 2024. |
|
New road connection – Honour Avenue through to Riverstone Boulevard and Macumba Drive |
Frasers Property Australia |
In July we advised that we received our permit to build the final 150 metres of this road. We also advised that there were significant contract considerations that we needed to resolve given this is a sensitive piece of State significant infrastructure. This has delayed us from entering into a contract with a civil contractor. We hope to resolve these contractual matters soon and commence construction in the first quarter of 2024. Once we begin, we expect the road to be completed in about eight weeks, subject to weather. A four-week authority compliance period will then be required prior to lodging the plan for registration at the Titles Office. Due to the above we expect this final section of the road might not be open to the public until late in the second quarter of 2024. When completed ownership of the roads will be transferred to City of Casey Council. |
|
New road connection – Honour Avenue from Macumba Drive to Soldiers Road |
Frasers Property Australia, Mondous Property Australia and Circa Estate/City of Casey |
Multiple stakeholders are responsible for various sections of these roadworks. The range of parties involved is due to land ownership boundaries and the separate planning permit requirements. Frasers Property’s part is now completed. Mondous Property and Circa Estate are responsible for the other two final sections of the road that will connect back into Como Parade and Huckerby Drive/Soldiers Road. Mondous Property are currently tendering for their component of these works. We understand Circa are still discussing the completion of their sections of road with Council and the APA Group. |
|
Upper Banks & Promenade Village and Emerald Bend wetlands |
Frasers Property Australia |
There are three different wetland areas to be delivered and we are continuing to finalise tenders for this particularly complex piece of work. For the wetlands adjacent to Upper Banks this includes coordinating access for the different civil scopes, which include a pedestrian bridge and vehicle bridge. We are now targeting a Q4 2024 completion with wetland infrastructure construction expected to begin in Q1 2024. Near stage 14 progress has been swifter. A great deal of progress has been made on the earthworks, with 75% of them now complete. Following completion of the earthworks the drainage infrastructure in this wetland will be constructed. |
|
College Green Conservation Reserve |
Frasers Property Australia |
While it remains the case that both statutory authorities, Council and Melbourne Water, have different outcomes they want to attain from this space, there are some very promising signs. Since our last update we’ve had productive discussions with Council, Melbourne Water and The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (formerly DELWP) and have provided three sets of further revised plans for them to consider. We are now awaiting their final approvals which we expect to receive very soon. Once all parties have agreed on and approved a plan, we will seek the earliest possible works commencement date from our appointed contractor. |
|
Sporting ovals (located at Springleaf Avenue between Waterfront and Heritage Hill precincts) |
City of Casey |
The City of Casey is continuing with their detailed design of the sporting ovals/sports courts in this location. They have advised that construction of these facilities is subject to future annual budget processes and competing infrastructure priorities. Residents can contact the City of Casey’s Recreation & Open Space Planning Team on 03 9705 5200 if they have a specific question. |
|
Proposed primary and secondary schools |
Victorian Government (Department of Education and Training Victoria/Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA)) |
There are two landowners of the primary school site. Mondous Property owns the smaller area, and the developer of Aspen on Clyde owns the remainder. We are aware discussions have been continuing between the landowners and the VSBA on the acquisition of the land though no sale has yet been reached. Mondous Property have completed the filling works on their land and as part of our desire to help expedite the process, Frasers Property has completed 95% of the filling of the land owned by Aspen on Clyde. We expect all works to both sites to be completed first quarter 2024. On the future proposed secondary school site Mondous Property has also completed 95% of the filling works on the portion of the site that sits within Berwick Waters. Again, we understand the VSBA and Mondous Property are in discussions about the sale of this land but we have no formal update at this point. |
|
The Waterside Centre (next to McDonalds) |
Mondous Property Australia |
Mondous Property has secured a radiology business as a tenant in the subfloor space while an agent is still working on the remaining outstanding tenancies. |
|
Mondous Island Wetlands |
Mondous Property Australia |
Approval of a revised landscape masterplan for the area is still being worked through with City of Casey. |
|
The Town Centre |
Mondous Property Australia |
Significant progress on bulk earthworks for the stage 1 Town Centre site has been made in recent months. Tenders for the building works have been received and are being assessed. |
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