At Orana in Clyde North, the trees come before the streets

Not so long ago, the land Orana now sits on in Clyde North was rural. Today it’s part of one of Melbourne’s fastest-growing corners, where the Monash Freeway, Eastlink and nearby train stations keep the city within easy reach, and the Dandenong Ranges, Westernport Bay and the Bass Coast are close enough for a Sunday drive.

For developer Balcon Group, the project is close to home. The family-owned business started out in Melbourne’s south-east in 1981, and Orana – named after an Indigenous word meaning “welcome” – will eventually be home to more than 4,000 households across nearly 275 hectares.

About Orana, Clyde North

At Orana, though, the story starts with the trees. Before the roads were finalised, landscape architects MDG mapped out where every tree would go, and the streets and services were drawn up around them.

Those trees don’t arrive as saplings, either. Balcon grows Orana’s street trees one to two years ahead of each stage, so by the time residents unpack, the streets already have some green overhead. MDG principal Nichole Weinzieher, who has spent four years on the estate’s parks and streetscapes, says “it makes a real difference to how a street feels in summer.”

The shade follows residents beyond their front door, too, along tree-lined paths planned to link homes with the shops, parks and schools, and 10km of road cycle paths connecting the estate’s amenities.

All up, parks and waterways take up 42 hectares of Orana. The newest, Wildbloom Park, has just opened, with a fully fenced playground, a picnic shelter, a basketball area and a nature trail – somewhere for a game of hoops after school or a slow wander on the weekend.

The biggest green space is still taking shape at the far end of the estate. Once complete, the 18-hectare Muddy Gates Wetland is set to be the largest in Melbourne’s south-east growth corridor, quietly soaking up stormwater during heavy rain and letting it out slowly to local creeks, while its plants clean the water on the way through.

It’s a big planting job: around 93,000 aquatic plants in the wetland itself, and another 250,000 across its banks. MDG director Simon Smith, who is leading the design, says insects, birds and frogs tend to move in sooner than most people expect.

Residents will be able to follow it all along a 1.8-kilometre walking and cycling trail around the water’s edge, with seats along the way to stop and watch the birdlife. And as the planting settles in over the years ahead, the trail will only bring more movement, sound and seasonal colour.

Builders in Clyde North

A number of builders are active within At Orana and across the wider Clyde North region. They cover a range of buyer needs, from entry-level designs for first home buyers to larger family homes.

Sherridon Homes

Established in 2005, Sherridon Homes builds family homes and house and land packages, with designs focused on practicality, functionality and affordability.

Its single and double-storey range includes designs suited to smaller lots, which makes it a practical option for buyers looking at compact homesites in growth-corridor estates.

Mimosa Homes

Mimosa Homes has been building since 2007 and works mainly with first home buyers, investors and families across Melbourne’s north, west and south east.

Its range is split into two collections: one for entry-level builds and one for larger homes. Homes are backed by a 50-year structural warranty.

JG King Homes

JG King Homes is a family-run builder that has been operating in Victoria since 1985 and has delivered more than 25,000 homes.

Every home is built with a TRUECORE steel frame as standard, and its single and double-storey designs suit everything from narrow blocks to larger family homes.

Carlisle Homes

Founded in 2004, Carlisle Homes has completed more than 15,000 homes and was named the HIA’s Australian Most Professional Major Builder in 2023.

Its three ranges cater to different stages of life: Affinity for luxury, Inspire for families, and EasyLiving for first home buyers and investors. All are delivered through a fixed-price process.

Bottom line

At the Orana masterplanned community, land lots start from $418,000, and the estate offers a limited number of small-lot, freestanding house-and-land packages at what it describes as affordable price points.

Everyday convenience is already in place. Orana Village opened in September directly across the road from the estate, bringing a Coles supermarket, Anytime Fitness and more than 25 shops and services within walking distance for most residents. A kindergarten within Orana is open and taking enrolments, local café Humble Merchant is trading, and primary and secondary schools are proposed on site.

Stage 27B is now selling, with titles expected in February 2027, and Orana has also released its Fairhaven Townhomes, priced from $619,900.