Aurora, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Aurora is a projected suburb 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.
(an outer northern suburb of Melbourne and terminus of an electrified railway line) 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. 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.
of at least 6 stars, achieved by using efficient appliances, solar-heating of water where possible, insulation of buildings and houses designed with good ventilation and orientation of windows. Streets are designed for optimal capturing of solar power. 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. Water efficient appliances will be used to minimise consumption.
Rain gardens are used to trap stormwater
ensuring that water is retained inland and water & pollutants are not washed into the sea. Stormwater
captured from houses is drained into water tanks before being heated to supply domestic hot water. Wastewater
/Sewage
is drained to the suburb's wastewater treatment plant
, where it is recycled for (non-potable) reuse, with 300 megalitres stored to meet the demand for non-potable water while the remainder can be sold.
The Epping railway line originally continued to Whittlesea
via South Morang
but the line beyond Epping 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 Epping line at Lalor, with new stations at Epping Plaza, Aurora and Epping North. The extension of the suburban network to Aurora has been highlighted as a public transport priority.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, 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.
Location
Aurora is now located partly within the suburb of EppingEpping, Victoria
Epping is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 22 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whittlesea...
(an outer northern suburb of Melbourne and terminus of an electrified railway line) and partly within the rural locality of Wollert
Wollert, Victoria
Wollert is a town in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 27 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whittlesea. At the 2006 Census, Wollert had a population of 348.-History:...
. Aurora is in the City of Whittlesea
City of Whittlesea
The City of Whittlesea is a Local Government Area located in the outer northeastern suburbs of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covers an area of , and has an estimated population of 155,113 people.-History:...
council area. It is about 20 km from the Melbourne CBD and is approximately 668 ha in area. It is bound by the Hume Freeway (to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
), 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.
Sustainability
Homes in Aurora will be expected to have an energy efficiency ratingEnergy efficiency rating
The Energy Efficiency Rating is a score applied to dwellings in the Australian Capital Territory. It ranges from zero to six stars – the higher the number of stars, the better. This is mandatory for all dwellings offered for sale in the ACT....
of at least 6 stars, achieved by using efficient appliances, solar-heating of water where possible, insulation of buildings and houses designed with good ventilation and orientation of windows. Streets are designed for optimal capturing of solar power. 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. Water efficient appliances will be used to minimise consumption.
Rain gardens are used to trap stormwater
Stormwater
Stormwater is water that originates during precipitation events. It may also be used to apply to water that originates with snowmelt that enters the stormwater system...
ensuring that water is retained inland and water & pollutants are not washed into the sea. Stormwater
Stormwater
Stormwater is water that originates during precipitation events. It may also be used to apply to water that originates with snowmelt that enters the stormwater system...
captured from houses is drained into water tanks before being heated to supply domestic hot water. Wastewater
Wastewater
Wastewater is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence. It comprises liquid waste discharged by domestic residences, commercial properties, industry, and/or agriculture and can encompass a wide range of potential contaminants and concentrations...
/Sewage
Sewage
Sewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
is drained to the suburb's wastewater treatment plant
Sewage treatment
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...
, where it is recycled for (non-potable) reuse, with 300 megalitres stored to meet the demand for non-potable water while the remainder can be sold.
Transport
The suburb is designed to encourage walking and use of public transport. 20% of Aurora's land is parkland or reserves.The Epping railway line originally continued to Whittlesea
Whittlesea, Victoria
Whittlesea is a town in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whittlesea. At the 2006 Census, Whittlesea had a population of 4,563.-History:...
via South Morang
South Morang, Victoria
South Morang is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 23 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whittlesea...
but the line beyond Epping 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 Epping line at Lalor, with new stations at Epping Plaza, Aurora and Epping North. The extension of the suburban network to Aurora has been highlighted as a public transport priority.
Websites
- Vicurba: Aurora
- Museum Victoria's overview
- Presentation by Tim Grant (of the Royal Melbourne Institute of TechnologyRMIT UniversityRMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....
on Aurora's ecological footprintEcological footprintThe ecological footprint is a measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems. It is a standardized measure of demand for natural capital that may be contrasted with the planet's ecological capacity to regenerate. It represents the amount of biologically productive land and sea area necessary to...
(link)