Study shows importance of growing jobs in the suburbs

A new study has confirmed the importance of growing jobs in Melbourne’s middle and outer suburbs.

The five-year study was conducted by the Victorian Planning Authority (MPA), VicHealth, RMIT University, City of Casey and the Planning Institute of Australia.

Over the course of five years, the study tracked the health outcomes of residents before and after they moved to Selandra Rise, a housing estate in Melbourne’s south-east, about 4km from Cranbourne.

Unlike many new suburbs, in which housing is developed in tandem with community facilities, Seldandra Rise was equipped with a park, excellent walking and cycling tracks, and a community centre before the first residents moved in.

Researchers wanted to discover whether people were more likely to be physically active if they had plentiful green space and well-designed walking paths close to their homes.

The study found that although residents felt more emotionally connected to their community compared to people living in similar new estates, the majority did not increase their physical activity upon moving to Selandra Rise.

One key barrier to exercise appeared to be the fact people were spending longer periods of time travelling to work.

The study found that while 18% of people spent longer than an hour travelling to work prior to moving to Selandra Rise, this increased to 36% after they relocated to the suburb.

MPA chief executive Peter Seamer said the study highlighted the importance of boosting jobs Melbourne’s six National Employment Clusters – suburbs with large concentrations of businesses.

“Within Melbourne, we have six National Employment Clusters, including three current ones and three that the Victorian Government has identified for future growth,” Mr Seamer said.

“By planning for the growth of these areas and ensuring they have a wealth of employment opportunities, people living in Melbourne’s fringes can work closer to where they live.”

Mr Seamer said one of Melbourne’s National Employment Clusters included Dandenong South, a 20-minute drive from Selandra Rise.

He said that with the right planning, Dandenong South could continue to attract even more businesses, providing a key employment hub to people living across the south-east.

“We know that people in the south-east want to spend less time in their cars and more time exercising, socialising and relaxing, and with the right planning we are confident this can be achieved,” he said.

Melbourne’s other National Employment Clusters include Parkville, Monash, Sunshine, East Werribee and La Trobe.

Click here to learn more about the study and to download the research highlights.