BY JARROD McALEESE
THE population of Clyde is set to swell by 30,000 as a new suburb is announced for the growth corridor.
However the council will have to find a new name for the 10,000 home suburb.
Casey council initially assigned the name ‘McPherson’ to the prospective suburb in honour of a World War I Digger.
However a new name will now have to be found after Clyde historian Joan Vanderhorn found that there was no link between McPherson and Clyde after discovering the family was actually from Clydesdale in northern Victoria.
The new suburb will be located north of Ballarto Road, east of Bells Road and Smiths Lane and west of Muddy Gates Lane and McCormacks Road.
Metropolitan Planning Authority chief executive Peter Seamer said the project would be one of the last developments in Melbourne’s south-east.
“We know there is a high demand for housing in Melbourne’s outer south-east and the MPA is responding to this demand by planning for well-designed precincts that will be great places to live.
“This region will not be built out any more, now that the urban growth boundary is solidly locked down,” Mr Seamer said.
The project will generate more than 1600 jobs and residents will have access to sporting fields and schools, including a major secondary college.
South Eastern Metropolitan Region Greens MP Nina Springle said that planning for the new suburb must include infrastructure from the beginning.
“The schools, the public transport and the community resources must be built at the same time as the housing.
“We need to see the plans for the schools, the transport, the library, the parks and the other community resources, and we need to see them urgently,” Ms Springle said.
The McPherson Precinct Structure plan was opened for community consultation on 2 June with a further information session organised by the MPA and Casey Council to be held on Thursday 16 June from 4.30pm to 6.30pm at Clyde Hall, 30 Railway Road, Clyde.
