Aurora, Victoria

Aurora is a new 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.cite web
url=http://museumvictoria.com.au/watersmarthome/printpage.aspx?st=8&th=0&im=33
title=Reimagining the Suburb, Water Saving Story, Water Smart Home, Museum Victoria, Australia
publisher=museumvictoria.com.au
accessdate=2008-05-06]

Location

Aurora is located north of Epping (an outer northern suburb of Melbourne and terminus of an electrified railway line) and south of Wollert, Victoria. 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.cite web
title = Aurora – Delivering a Sustainable Urban Water System for a New Suburb
author = J. McLean
publisher = www.wsud.org
url = http://www.wsud.org/downloads/Info%20Exchange%20&%20Lit/WSUD_04_Conf_Papers/WS040035.PDF
accessdate = 2008-05-06 ] 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. [cite web
url=http://www.vicurban.com/cs/Satellite?c=VPage&cid=1157507021020&pagename=VicUrban%2FLayout
title=Aurora Epping North - Location Map - VicUrban
publisher=www.vicurban.com
accessdate=2008-05-06]

Sustainability

Homes in Aurora should have an energy efficiency rating of at least 6 stars, achieved by using efficient appliances, using solar-heating of water where possible, insulating buildings and designing houses with good ventilation and orientation of windows. [cite web
url=http://www.vicurban.com/cs/Satellite?c=VPage&cid=1168844480889&pagename=VicUrban%2FLayout&oaid=1168844488961
title=Aurora Epping North - Living Greener Energy - 6-Star energy rated homes
publisher=www.vicurban.com
accessdate=2008-05-06] 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 are 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. [cite web
url=http://www.vicurban.com/cs/Satellite?c=VPage&cid=1168844480839&pagename=VicUrban%2FLayout&oaid=1163385910404
title=Aurora Epping North - Living Greener Water - Raingardens
publisher=www.vicurban.com
accessdate=2008-05-06] Stormwater captured from houses is drained into water tanks before being heated to supply domestic hot water. [cite web
url=http://www.vicurban.com/cs/Satellite?c=VPage&cid=1168844480839&pagename=VicUrban%2FLayout&oaid=1163385910369
title=Aurora Epping North - Living Greener Water - Rainwater for Hot Water
publisher=www.vicurban.com
accessdate=2008-05-06] 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.

Transport

The suburb is designed to encourage walking and use of public transport. 20% of Aurora's land is parkland or reserves [ [http://www.vicurban.com/cs/Satellite?c=VPage&cid=1171606213246&pagename=VicUrban%2FLayout VicUrban ] ] .

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. [cite web
url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/new-railway-line-to-epping-disappears/2008/01/28/1201369037442.html
title=Anger grows over dumped rail extension - National - theage.com.au
publisher=theage.com.au
accessdate=2008-05-06] The extension of the suburban network to Aurora has been highlighted as a public transport priority. [ [http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/articleid_3221.html New rail lines in outer suburbs crucial to easing traffic chaos : Media Releases : News : The University of Melbourne ] ]

References

Websites

* [http://www.vicurban.com/cs/Satellite?c=VPage&cid=1148356820506&pagename=VicUrban%2FLayout Vicurba: Aurora]
* [http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/watersmarthome/story.aspx?st=8&th=0 Museum Victoria's overview]
* Presentation by Tim Grant (of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology on Aurora's ecological footprint ( [http://mams.rmit.edu.au/9qcjdw0g7x67.pdf link] )

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