3223 Portarlington’s growth

Two years ago I bid on a majestic block of land in Portarlington for a lovely client who was away on the day of the auction.

I recall a huge crowd, flags flying in the strong breeze and a long line of onlookers queuing for their free bite at the Lion’s club sausage sizzle trailer. The sky was overcast and the views were incredible as snippets of sunshine made it through the grey clouds.

I had tough competition, and while the price tag was higher than the average block of land going in town, the vista was the best on offer too. We were successful in the face of multiple determined bidders, and that assignment did remind me of the power of scarcity. Had we missed out, my buyer would have really struggled to find a block as idyllic for his future house.

Not only do blocks like this come up infrequently, the postcode’s impressive growth would have made a replicated attempt a considerably more expensive exercise for him.

At the time, Portarlington felt welcoming and under-rated. The township had a beautiful, authentic vibrancy, but there was little doubt it was still a sleepy, wintry place back then with half of the shops closed late on a Saturday and a limited number of cafes to choose from for visitors.

Winding the clock forward by just two years tells an impressive growth story. The last twelve months have delivered above 20% median growth.

This is stellar performance by any measure.

Portarlington is home to just shy of 4,000 people, but this figure is growing markedly as the ‘sea-changers’ and retirees embrace all that this beautiful coastal town has to offer. The game-changer for Portarlington has indeed been the regular ferry service that runs multiple times per day and offers Melbourne workers a commute across Port Philip Bay to the Docklands.

Commuters can even take their bikes and pedal to work.

The sea-change city commuter lifestyle doesn’t seem that bad, now.

The impact of increased visitors and new inhabitants hasn’t gone unnoticed in the area. The Drysdale bypass is a major local government initiative and commuters in the are tipped to shave ten minutes off their local drive times when travelling from anywhere between Portarlington and Geelong.

Geelong city commuters also have reason to celebrate when Port Philip Ferry’s add another service at the end of 2019 to offer daily commutes from Geelong city, and the new ferry is currently under construction.

There is also talk of an added service catering to Melbourne’s Western Suburbs. Integrating a ferry option for those currently battling the increasing road congestion will potentially change things for Melbourne’s West, should it come to fruition.

What is a stark reminder that my Portarlington buyer wasn’t on his own when he fell in love with the idea of a sea-change lifestyle in 3223, is the sheer volume of new builds. Even on a sleepy cold Saturday afternoon, builder’s bandsaws and music blaring can be heard at every turn.

Portarlington is most definitely on the move, and for solid reasons.

The adaptation of the area to cater for it’s 2030 vision is much like Geelong’s. Just 28km from our State’s second biggest (and growing) city, these beautiful coastal townships are bracing for change and becoming home for a few lucky inhabitants.