OUTCOME 1

Melbourne is a productive city that attracts investment, supports innovation and creates jobs

Melbourne will need 1.5 million new jobs over the next 35 years.

What those jobs are and where those jobs go will define Melbourne’s future as a globally connected and competitive city.

Currently, the city has around 2.1 million jobs. As Melbourne’s population heads towards 8 million, the number of jobs is estimated to reach 2.8 million by 2031 and 3.6 million by 2051.

Figure 4 shows Melbourne’s estimated employment growth from 2015 to 2031 by region.

Melbourne’s Plan

Direction 1.1

Create a city structure that strengthens Melbourne’s competitiveness for jobs and investment

To remain prosperous Melbourne must remain attractive to investment.

That means ensuring well-priced commercial and industrial land is available in locations that support and strengthen key growth industries. In the longer term, Melbourne’s northern and western regions will need to create job opportunities—particularly for high-value, knowledge based jobs—to support expected population growth.

That means understanding the scale of employment growth and land-use requirements across the city; ensuring business locations are investment-ready and productive, with capacity to grow; and making smart investments in infrastructure projects that accelerate local investment and job creation for suburban and outer areas and stimulate economic growth.

Policy 1.1.1

Support the central city to become Australia’s largest commercial and residential centre by 2050

Policy 1.1.2

Plan for the redevelopment of major urban renewal precincts in and around the central city to deliver high-quality, distinct and diverse neighbourhoods offering a mix of uses

Policy 1.1.3

Facilitate the development of national employment and innovation clusters

Policy 1.1.4

Support the significant employment and servicing role of health and education precincts across Melbourne

Policy 1.1.5

Support major transport gateways as important locations for employment and economic activity

Policy 1.1.6

Plan for industrial land in the right locations to support employment and investment opportunities

Policy 1.1.7

Plan for adequate commercial land across Melbourne

Direction 1.2

Improve access to jobs across Melbourne and closer to where people live

The distribution of jobs across Melbourne is uneven. Outer suburbs and growth areas generally have less access to jobs than middle and inner Melbourne. For example, in the outer west and outer south-east there are about five jobs for every 10 employed residents. In other areas of Melbourne there are about 11 jobs for every 10 employed residents. Job density across Melbourne is shown at Map 12.

Supporting investment and job creation across the city will drive productivity and economic growth and accommodate employment in designated locations across the city.

In particular, national employment and innovation clusters, metropolitan activity centres and major activity centres will ensure employment growth occurs outside of the central city. Projects such as the Metro Tunnel and level crossing removals will better connect people to job opportunities in key areas, particularly in Melbourne’s west and south-east.

Policy 1.2.1

Support the development of a network of activity centres linked by transport

Policy 1.2.2

Facilitate investment in Melbourne’s outer areas to increase local access to employment

Policy 1.2.3

Support the provision of telecommunications infrastructure

Direction 1.3

Create development opportunities at urban renewal precincts across Melbourne

Policy 1.3.1

Plan for and facilitate the development of urban renewal precincts

Policy 1.3.2

Plan for new development and investment opportunities on the existing and planned transport network

Direction 1.4

Support the productive use of land and resources in Melbourne’s non‑urban areas

Policy 1.4.1

Protect agricultural land and support agricultural production

Policy 1.4.2

Identify and protect extractive resources (such as stone and sand) important for Melbourne’s future needs