Sunshine Station lives in a city with untapped potential, and has the capacity to function as a world-class multi-modal transport hub. The Study reviewed the proposed transformational impact of investment through rail uplift as a catalyst for regeneration. Seamless connection, activation and enhancement of Sunshine town centre become possible with adaptations to the ground plane, station location and rail levels; the proposed rail uplift offers a tremendous catalyst through the integration of the neighbourhood spatially into its urban and landscape context, promoting broader social and economic activity and benefits for local people – a progressive and proudly diverse community.

To guide the development of the Sunshine Station Super Hub in relation to the Melbourne Airport Rail Link (MARL) and other rail projects as part of the Western Rail Plan, key Urban Design principles were developed by Brimbank City Council and tested by us against a series of station and precinct uplift scenarios – providing consistent messaging to support the negotiation of appropriate community outcomes.

Beyond connectivity to Tullamarine Airport, Melbourne CBD and Geelong, the significant investment brings opportunity for value uplift and capture within the precinct. We provided advice and identified areas of potential value capture based upon specific scenarios for the infrastructure investment. This was directly in and around the new stations themselves, across each of the NEICs, The Ballarat Road growth corridor and the wider MAC. Generous, integrated civic development with a diversified urban fabric means that equitable uplift and prosperity can support a variety of distinctive economic and social activities and benefits.