Sunshine is a 30 minute train trip, You can get homes in Westall for 500k that are 29min to the cbd.
The difference between Sunshine and Westall is that Sunshine, for all its faults, is a real community with a discernible centre and life that's grown over years. It's got shops, cafes, schools and even a seat of local government. It has a history which is intertwined with the state's. Numerous community groups call Sunshine home.
The same can be said for Brunswick, Yarraville, St Kilda, Prahran, Port Melbourne, etc. And even Clayton, Springvale, Berwick, Frankston and Werribee. So 'real communities' can be found at all prices. The mixed use diverse centres these have are perhaps more resilient and accommodating of change than areas with big high-rises, which will nevertheless deteriorate and require reconstruction eventually.
Whereas Westall, like Hillside or St Kilda Rd, is not a real community. Westall is just some new high-density units under power pylons beside a train line in a light industrial area. It looked like Westall got a lot of housing in the '60s and '70s but went to sleep for about 30 years before the subdividers moved in.
There are shops but they are rudimentary. For almost all needs you'd be going to Springvale or Clayton.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37...m2!1sY7WHHNeUUIl8Cpe_ZWe5HQ!2e0!6m1!1e1?hl=en
Westall's main strength is it's drivable to employment in the Monash precinct. It has better access to the north because the road goes over the rail. Despite its proximity it has no direct public transport to Monash University, so is of limited appeal to this market.
Westall may suit some types of investment. Eg buying an old house on a big block and subdividing. The townhouses near the station may appeal to a worker market who values convenience but otherwise has no life outside. It may appeal to certain ethnic markets. But I am not convinced that in all aspects it is necessarily superior to Sunshine.