Ringwood is one of seven Central Activities Areas.
Central Activities Areas are initiatives of the Victorian Government that aim to revitalise key suburban and regional centres through improved infrastructure, integrated transport and better urban design to create quality places for people to live, work, relax and visit.
Central Activities Areas are an important element of the government’s long-term plan to encourage and manage sustainable growth of Melbourne’s suburbs.
Through the Central Activities Areas program, the government aims to:
- revitalise urban centres through improved infrastructure, urban design and quality of places
- actively facilitate private investment and development and provide greater planning certainty
- improve sustainable transport usage and the integration of transport services
- encourage higher density housing at strategic development sites in and near nominated centres
- improve access to services and stimulate greater local employment opportunities
- provide a range of housing types including more affordable housing in and near transit centres
- reduce social disadvantage through urban renewal in selected centres
- prioritise resources to areas of the greatest metropolitan or regional strategic importance.
Central Activities Areas will provide:
- significant CBD-type jobs and commercial services
- a strong and diverse retail sector
- specialised goods and services drawing on a large regional catchment
- significant opportunities for housing redevelopment in and around these centres
- high levels of accessibility for walking, cycling, public transport or car by being located at a junction in the Principal Public transport Network
- vibrant centres of community activity with a range of public facilities.
Key features of Central Activities Areas include the involvement and contribution of the private sector. Working together, the government and private developers will provide more housing options at strategic locations, improve the range of retail, and access to other services, stimulate greater local employment opportunities and help build quality mixed use centres.
Find out more about the Ringwood Activities Area
The Victorian Government has committed to start a $60 million upgrade of Ringwood Railway Station and Bus Interchange in its first term. The upgrade is to include either Disability Discrimination Act-compliant ramps or subways - along with lifts - to ensure that access to all platforms is always available for mothers with prams, passengers using wheelchairs, older Victorians and school children with bikes. It was announced during the election campaign that the upgrade works will commence in 2014/15 and be funded over a three year period. An initial $2 million has been allocated in the 2011/12 budget to plan and prepare concept and preliminary design options for the Station and Bus Interchange Upgrade project.
Work is already underway on a master plan and design for the station, integrating the precinct with Eastland and other developments in the area.
There have already been significant works undertaken in Ringwood to improve transport access - such as Larissa Avenue and Ringwood Street.
The proposed works have an important linkage to Queensland Investment Corporation's (QIC) proposed development for a major extension of the adjacent Eastland Shopping Centre.
