Photo: abc.net.au

Chair of Brimbank Administrators John Watson said that the annual update of the Sunshine Rising program presented to Council on 16 August indicates the revitalisation program is well on track.

“Over the past year the Sunshine Rising program has delivered a range of investment and place making initiatives that are helping position the town centre for further investment and development. Ninety-seven per cent of the 96 Sunshine Rising initiatives have been completed or are in progress.

“Council thanks the Sunshine Town Centre Partnership Group, which plays a key role in the governance of the Sunshine Rising program, and the Sunshine Business Association for their contribution to the program.

“The achievements over the past year are helping to reinforce Sunshine as a designated Metropolitan Activity Centre and National Employment Cluster under the State Government’s planning strategy ‘Plan Melbourne’.

“The approval of Planning Scheme Amendment C105 by the Minister for Planning last year unlocked
19 hectares of previously zoned industrial land, an area comparable to five city blocks in Melbourne’s CBD, for mixed use development.

“The completion of Council’s $52 million Brimbank Community and Civic Centre, will help realise great benefits for the community; and also serve as a catalyst for attracting investment and development to the municipality.

“Council continued to deliver programs to enhance activity and safety in the town centre with $20,000 worth of lighting improvements completed. The works were funded by a State Government grant to Brimbank City Council and the Sunshine Business Association. The lighting upgrade has encouraged more pedestrian movement and greater business patronage in the area between Sunshine Railway Station and Hampshire Road. 

“The lighting upgrade complements the $1.8 works public realm and street lighting upgrade, completed in December 2015 as stage one of the Hampshire Road Master Plan, which is transforming Sunshine Town Centre.

“Over the past year many popular events and activities also attracted visitors and metro media coverage. These included the Sunshine Business Association’s Sunshine Lantern Festival (September 2015), Sunshine Short Film Festival (October 2015), inaugural Sunshine Rocks the Rail (March 2016), and Sunshine Pho Fever (March 2016).

“The Light Up Sunshine program also delivered a series of moonlight cinemas, and ‘B-Active in Pollard’ health and wellbeing activities in R T Pollard Gardens that activated the area.

“Progress also continued to be made in facilitating investment attraction, with a Sunshine Investment Forum held in May 2016 for key local landowners.

“The commissioning of internationally renowned artist John Kelly’s Man Lifting Cow artwork will put Sunshine in the spotlight soon. To be officially unveiled in September, the bronze sculpture stands some six metres tall in Sunshine, and is destined to become a regional icon, drawing national and international attention to Brimbank,” Mr Watson said.