Aurora, Victoria

Aurora is a housing estate in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia designed to provide homes with higher levels of energy and water efficiency. The plan is to build it over 15 years and to have 8500 residences.[1]

Location

Aurora is now located partly within the suburb of Epping (an outer northern suburb of Melbourne) and partly within the rural locality of Wollert. Aurora is in the City of Whittlesea council area. It is about 20 km from the Melbourne CBD and is approximately 668 ha in area.[2] It is bound by the Hume Freeway (to Sydney), Epping Road, Craigieburn Road and O'Herns Road on the west, east, north and south sides respectively. It is north of the ring road and west of Plenty Road.[3]

Sustainability

Homes in Aurora will be expected to have an energy efficiency rating of at least 6 stars,[1] achieved by using efficient appliances, solar-heating of water where possible, insulation of buildings and houses designed with good ventilation and orientation of windows.[4] Streets are designed for optimal capturing of solar power.[1] Aurora's water efficiency measures aim to have 54% less potable water consumed per person than normal houses, and are expected to discharge 90% less water into the sea.[2] Water efficient appliances will be used to minimise consumption.[1]

Rain gardens are used to trap stormwater ensuring that water is retained inland and water & pollutants are not washed into the sea.[5] Stormwater captured from houses is drained into water tanks before being heated to supply domestic hot water.[6] Wastewater/Sewage is drained to the suburb's wastewater treatment plant, where it is recycled for (non-potable) reuse,[1] with 300 megalitres stored to meet the demand for non-potable water while the remainder can be sold.[2]

Transport

The suburb is designed to encourage walking and use of public transport.[1] 20% of Aurora's land is parkland or reserves.[7]

The South Morang railway line originally continued to Whittlesea but the line beyond South Morang has not been in use since the diesel service was discontinued. As part of the Aurora development it was anticipated that the government would extend an electrified railway line north-west to Aurora. Such a development would have provided an energy efficient public transport service to the city for residents of Aurora.

The proposal was costed between $76 million and $300 million, and would branch off the South Morang line at Lalor, with new stations at Epping Plaza, Aurora and Epping North.[8] The extension of the suburban network to Aurora has been highlighted as a public transport priority. [9] This proposal, however, is on hold indefinitely.

References

Websites

Specific

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Reimagining the Suburb, Water Saving Story, Water Smart Home, Museum Victoria, Australia". museumvictoria.com.au. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
  2. 1 2 3 J. McLean. "Aurora – Delivering a Sustainable Urban Water System for a New Suburb" (PDF). www.wsud.org. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
  3. ↑ "Aurora Epping North - Location Map - VicUrban". www.vicurban.com. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
  4. ↑ "Aurora Epping North - Living Greener Energy - 6-Star energy rated homes". www.vicurban.com. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
  5. ↑ "Aurora Epping North - Living Greener Water - Raingardens". www.vicurban.com. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
  6. ↑ "Aurora Epping North - Living Greener Water - Rainwater for Hot Water". www.vicurban.com. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
  7. ↑ VicUrban
  8. ↑ "Anger grows over dumped rail extension - National - theage.com.au". Melbourne: theage.com.au. 2008-01-29. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
  9. ↑ New rail lines in outer suburbs crucial to easing traffic chaos : Media Releases : News : The University of Melbourne Archived 25 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine.

Coordinates: 37°37′12″S 145°00′47″E / 37.62°S 145.013°E / -37.62; 145.013

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