Melbourne's western suburbs are being transformed into a 'polycentric' metropolis, featuring multiple CBDs in Sunshine, Werribee, Cobblebank, and Footscray, to better manage regional growth and improve employment and infrastructure distribution.

This strategy includes developing a second CBD in Sunshine and satellite cities in Werribee and Cobblebank, inspired by Sydney's successful Parramatta model, to boost economic vibrancy and ease congestion.

Former Premier Steve Bracks has endorsed Sunshine as Melbourne's second CBD, highlighting its major road links, a planned train superhub, and future rail connections to the airport, positioning the west as a central hub of activity.

The West of Melbourne Economic Development Alliance (WoMEDA) has presented a strategic report advocating for infrastructure investments and job hubs to support this vision, emphasizing the importance of balanced regional growth.

Peter Seamer pointed out significant employment inequality, noting that Melbourne’s CBD, with only 3% of the population, accounts for 20% of jobs, underscoring the need for better regional job distribution.

The report highlights that current planning policies have led to underutilized office spaces in the CBD, calling for the development of new employment hubs with distinct identities outside the city center.

Demographer Simon Kuestenmacher warned that population growth in Melbourne’s west might be underestimated, with greenfield developments likely to accelerate, requiring substantial investment in connectivity and infrastructure.

While the western workforce has nearly doubled in eight years, many high-paying roles still require commuting outside the region, with almost half of workers traveling outside the west and facing long daily commutes.

Small businesses, especially in transport, logistics, professional services, science, and construction, are poised to drive growth in the west, with Wyndham and Melton leading in expansion.

Both Melbourne’s west and Sydney’s Greater Western Sydney share demographic traits such as young, diverse populations, higher unemployment, and housing stress, with Sydney’s Parramatta serving as a successful example of regional CBD development with major corporate presence.