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March 17, 2026 \u2014 7:30pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Save this article for later<\/p>\n Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n Got it<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n A long-awaited town development project on Melbourne\u2019s south-eastern fringe has stalled, with residents saying their suburb feels stagnant and forgotten.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s development delivery arm, other parcels are either owned privately or by council.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like things aren\u2019t being prioritised correctly in the area \u2026 Officer is lagging behind with things,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cWe haven\u2019t even got a town centre \u2026 It\u2019s a bit of an eyesore, to be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n Officer\u2019s 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<\/a> that it will surpass 33,000 by 2031. <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you go to Pakenham and stuff, it\u2019s well established \u2026 [but] we\u2019re sort of getting stagnant now,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cI feel that Officer is forgotten about in that way.\u201d<\/p>\n Cardinia Shire mayor Brett Owen acknowledged that the Officer Town Centre project had faced delays.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe 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\u2019s] challenging,\u201d Owen said, adding that the council\u2019s role was mostly limited to issuing permits.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe would like [Development Victoria] to move on with the land. Either do it themselves, or sell it to someone that\u2019s keen to do so,\u201d Owen said.<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n Six years later, their family house is on the market and they\u2019re planning a move to Phillip Island. Oosthuizen said he grew tired of the delayed projects and a lack of investment in the area.<\/p>\n \u201cWe built this house and moved in and thought it was going to be our home for the next 20 years,\u201d he said. \u201c[But] infrastructure is not able to keep up with the development.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like they\u2019re waiting for all the development to finish before they really take it seriously,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The spokesperson said that significant infrastructure, including road connections, a rail underpass, and stormwater management facilities, had already been established in the area.<\/p>\n \u201cThe town centre site is a key part of Development Victoria\u2019s long-term vision for Officer and will play an important role in supporting the area\u2019s continued growth.\u201d<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Scott](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/c1dddf0ec253b0c50dd25c68eefa3da7ddf1b8f7.jpeg\")
Scott Morgan in front of a section of the Officer Town Centre project, which is yet to commence construction.Justin McManus <\/p>\n![\"One](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/dd82b917d1baab8042e5f7a4e7c417c324604b1b.jpeg\")
One Centre Square opened in 2021, and remains mostly surrounded by empty land.One Centre Square Officer<\/p>\n![\"Brian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/54c81f897267ad1395e45d8054aa32f671337fc3.jpeg\")
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