Caroline Springs, Victoria

Caroline Springs Melbourne, Victoria
Aerial view of Caroline Springs from the north
Caroline Springs
Coordinates	37°44′42″S 144°44′24″E / 37.74500°S 144.74000°E / -37.74500; 144.74000Coordinates: 37°44′42″S 144°44′24″E / 37.74500°S 144.74000°E / -37.74500; 144.74000
Population	20,366 (2011)[1]
• Density	4,160/km2 (10,760/sq mi)
Established	1999
Postcode(s)	3023
Area	4.9 km2 (1.9 sq mi)
Location	25 km (16 mi) from Melbourne
LGA(s)	City of Melton
State electorate(s)	Kororoit Sydenham
Federal Division(s)	Gorton
Suburbs around Caroline Springs: Plumpton Hillside Taylors Hill Plumpton Caroline Springs Burnside Rockbank Ravenhall Burnside

Caroline Springs is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 25 km west of Melbourne's Central Business District. Its local government area is the City of Melton. At the 2011 Census, Caroline Springs had a population of 20,366.

Caroline Springs was developed on greenfield land since 1999 by Delfin,^[2] in partnership with the original landowners. Centrally located, just north of Kororoit Creek, is the town square and main shopping center known as CS Square, and a man-made lake known as Lake Caroline.

At the time of development, it was one of Melbourne's fastest growing suburbs and Delfin anticipated the population to be in excess of 25,000 people by 2015, including Yianna.^[3]

The Caroline Springs Post Office opened on 8 August 2005.^[4]

Developments

A $40 Million 5 star hotel owned by the Mercure Hotels group opened in August 2009. A new hotel & entertainment complex named WestWaters on the edge of Lake Caroline, is now open.

Flora and fauna

Kororoit Creek

Kororoit Creek runs through the centre of the suburb. The creek has been home to healthy populations of native animals for thousands of years, including the Tiger snake, the Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard, the Common snakeneck turtle, the Eastern brown snake and Kangaroos. Unfortunately due to development over the past 15 years, these species are now rarely seen in the area.

Due to development of large lakes and wetlands, species of frogs have reclaimed the area. The Common Eastern Froglet, the Eastern Banjo Frog and even the now endangered Growling Grass Frog have been seen and heard in the new lakes, wetlands and in Kororoit Creek. Many species of birds are also returning to the creeks and lakes. There are also a few kangaroos, several located in the endangered grassland bordered by Holland Way and College Street. These can usually be seen from the steel board walk or 4m viewing platform.

It is expected that the Kororoit Creek Trail will eventually be linked up to Caroline Springs providing cyclists with an off-road path all the way to Sunshine and onto the Melbourne CBD.

Transport

The suburb's main form of transport is the car and is a largely car-dependent community. It was planned under the concepts of street hierarchy and has just one main arterial, Caroline Springs Boulevard, which feeds into both the Deer Park Bypass and the Western Highway in the south and connects to Melbourne via either the Western Ring Road or the Princes Highway.

Caroline Springs is one of a number of new train stations proposed under the 2008 Victorian Transport Plan. Construction of the Caroline Springs railway station was on hold by the government until recently and now has been slated to be completed by 2016 as per new government plans .^[5]

Health

Local health services in the Town Centre include Active Medical Centre Modern Medical Health Clinic and Life Physiotherapy. Superclinic, owned by the controversial Dr. Geoffrey Edelsten opened at the Mercure Hotel in late 2010.

References

External links

• Caroline Springs Residents Association
• Active Medical Centre
• Life Physiotherapy