Local shopping strips across Casey will receive funding for improvements, after councillors unanimously approved a new five-year improvement plan.
Council endorsed the Activity Centre Investment Priority List and the five-year Activity Centre Improvement Program at the December Council Meeting.
The improvement program will guide upgrades at 17 council-managed activity centres, including neighbourhood shopping strips and village centres, with a focus on making them safer, greener and more welcoming places to shop and gather.
The first year of the program includes $580,000 in confirmed funding for 2025–26.
The upgrades are planned for The Arcade Village in Junction Village ($85,000), Somerville Road Village in Hampton Park ($60,000), Pearcedale Village Shopping Centre ($365,000), and Doveton Avenue in Eumemmerring ($70,000).
The first year of the program also includes two advocacy projects for Cranbourne Village and Berwick Village.
Council will continue its advocacy with VicRoads to reduce speed limits along the South Gippsland Highway to improve pedestrian safety and shopping conditions, and along High Street to improve connectivity and business activity.
Further staged investments are proposed for key centres such as Narre Warren Village and Cranbourne Village, with budgets to be confirmed through future capital works programming.
The second year of the program has an estimated cost of $945,000, which includes upgrades for Lurline Street in Cranbourne, Hampton Park Shopping Centre, Berwick Village, Spring Square in Hallam, and Hotham Street in Cranbourne.
The third year of the program has an estimated cost of $1 million, which includes upgrades for Narre Warren Village, Cranbourne Village, and Camms Road.
Council will review the progress every two years, with a full audit update planned for 2027–28.
City of Casey Manager City Design and Construction Michael Barrett said at the Council Meeting that the proposed improvement ranges from minor works, such as seating, tree canopy improvement, to major ones like landscaping and pedestrian safety and movement enhancements.
Councillor Lynette Pereira mentioned Hampton Park Shopping Centre during the motion.
“I would be remiss in not mentioning our dear old Hampton Park Shopping Centre, which we all know needs a lot of loving,” she said.
“It’s not a lot of money, but I’m happy to see some investment being put into that area. It really needs it, along with many areas of Hallam and Doveton.
“We’ve got people who want to shop at other areas because they don’t want to go there, because they don’t feel comfortable and happy shopping there.
“We want to try and attract them back to their local shops.”
Mayor Cr Stefan Koomen said the councillor group identified public activity centres as a real focus.
“That’s where community is built, and traders are really important,” he said.
Cr Koomen stressed that some of the identified projects are large improvements.
“I look at one, the Doveton Avenue in my ward where I live, and there’s one block in the middle of the shopping strip with overgrown grass that is just so poorly maintained,” he said.
“It’s a real eyesore, and for a small spend, we’ve identified it, and there’ll be improvements just to make the look and feel of it much better.”
