A new suburb being planned in Melbourne may take out the much coveted title of Australia's most environmentally friendly.Local property developer Glenvill has announced plans for the world's first "Tesla town" where every house will feature a Tesla Powerwall solar battery and solar panels on the roof.The new suburb, YarraBend, will be built on the old Alphington Paper mill site, which enjoys 300 metres of Yarra River frontage, hence the suburb name.The 16-hectare site was approved as a "mini suburb" by Yarra Council in   December.Victorian chief executive of the Urban Development Institute of Australia, Danni Addison, says the planned project is one of the most environmentally sustainable developments in Australia.Compared with other buildings, the YarraBend houses are expected to have a standout water reduction of 43 per cent, landfill reduced 80 per cent and the potential to reduce energy use by 34 per cent.YarraBend will include a mix of free-standing houses, apartments and townhouses, totalling 2500 new dwellings, with the first 60 yet-to-be-built homes to go on sale this week.  
Homes will range in price from $1.48 million to $2.1 million, and are more expensive than Alphington's median house price of $1,285,000.The houses are designed with environmentally focused features including low-energy lighting and appliances, and will generate and store solar power. As well as housing, the suburb will gain a primary school, community centre, two parks and a commercial precinct. Within the suburb will be communal charging stations for electric cars and interconnected bike paths. YarraBend will even have its own app, connecting users to public transport timetables, home delivery menus and social events. Residents are expected to begin moving in by late 2017, the Heidelberg Leader reports.