March 17, 2026 — 7:30pm
Save
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
Save this article for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.
Got it
AAA
A long-awaited town development project on Melbourne’s south-eastern fringe has stalled, with residents saying their suburb feels stagnant and forgotten.
Officer, which neighbours the larger suburb of Pakenham, was first earmarked for a town centre revitalisation project by the state government in 2009. Locals have since been promised vital retail and commercial sites, along with new residential developments.
Scott Morgan in front of a section of the Officer Town Centre project, which is yet to commence construction.Justin McManus
But more than 15 years later, the area remains largely empty and faces issues with fragmented land ownership. While most land is owned by Development Victoria, the state government’s development delivery arm, other parcels are either owned privately or by council.
Scott Morgan moved to Officer with his partner in 2023. Initially attracted by the family-friendly atmosphere and promise of major improvement projects, he now believes that his area is simply not expanding quickly enough.
“I feel like things aren’t being prioritised correctly in the area … Officer is lagging behind with things,” Morgan said. “We haven’t even got a town centre … It’s a bit of an eyesore, to be honest.”
Officer’s population more than doubled between 2016 and 2021, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It had more than 18,500 residents as of the latest census five years ago, and population projections estimate that it will surpass 33,000 by 2031.
One Centre Square opened in 2021, and remains mostly surrounded by empty land.One Centre Square Officer
Despite the rapid growth, Officer still lacks amenities. The Arena Shopping Centre, which sits directly on its eastern border with Pakenham, includes a supermarket and about 20 specialty stores. Morgan said that the centre was constantly in high demand, and compared finding a car park to playing a game of sardines.
The smaller One Centre Square, which is near the station and opened in 2021, includes a handful of food outlets, two gyms, a medical centre and a bottle shop. There is no traditional high street retail strip in the suburb.
“If you go to Pakenham and stuff, it’s well established … [but] we’re sort of getting stagnant now,” Morgan said. “I feel that Officer is forgotten about in that way.”
Cardinia Shire mayor Brett Owen acknowledged that the Officer Town Centre project had faced delays.
“We are doing everything we can do to facilitate that activation. But when the majority of the land is just withheld and land-banked by Development Victoria, [it’s] challenging,” Owen said, adding that the council’s role was mostly limited to issuing permits.
One empty block within the proposed precinct is council owned, but the majority of parcels are owned privately or by the state government. In late 2024, the council officially approached the state government to request that the development be made a priority.
“We would like [Development Victoria] to move on with the land. Either do it themselves, or sell it to someone that’s keen to do so,” Owen said.
Related Article
For some residents, the long timeframes have already been too much to bear. Cuan Oosthuizen said he was hopeful when he decided to move to Officer with his wife and young kids in 2020.
Six years later, their family house is on the market and they’re planning a move to Phillip Island. Oosthuizen said he grew tired of the delayed projects and a lack of investment in the area.
“We built this house and moved in and thought it was going to be our home for the next 20 years,” he said. “[But] infrastructure is not able to keep up with the development.”
Oosthuizen noted a shortage of shops, schools and kindergartens in Officer. He also mentioned the poor quality of local roads, which frequently leads to traffic issues.
“It’s like they’re waiting for all the development to finish before they really take it seriously,” he said.
A spokesperson from Development Victoria was unable to provide a timeframe for the completion of the Officer Town Centre, saying the project it would be guided by market conditions and developer timelines.
The spokesperson said that significant infrastructure, including road connections, a rail underpass, and stormwater management facilities, had already been established in the area.
“The town centre site is a key part of Development Victoria’s long-term vision for Officer and will play an important role in supporting the area’s continued growth.”
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Save
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
From our partners