City Plan 2010

Towards a Thriving and Sustainable City

City Plan Foreword
I am very proud to present City Plan 2010. This is a very exciting,
visionary document, which sets the agenda for the Council and
the City for the next 10 years. Our vision is for the City of Melbourne
to be a thriving and sustainable city. We will work to achieve this
by simultaneously pursuing economic prosperity, social equity and
environmental quality.
This Plan was prepared after extensive consultation with our
community and is the Council’s most important strategic document,
outlining key issues and objectives for the city as a whole.
City Plan 2010 is revised on a three-yearly basis with this version
representing the first revision. This revision of City Plan 2010
ensures that its objectives and strategic directions are appropriate
and current and that the City is positioned to address emerging
issues and future challenges.
We have many positive attributes and enduring assets which
provide us with one of the most liveable city environments. These
assets include a vibrant and diverse recreational, cultural and arts
environment; world-class parks and gardens; and our built heritage.
By 2007 the City is anticipated to grow significantly with the
handover of Docklands to the City of Melbourne. The handover of
the administration of Docklands represents an exciting opportunity
for the City to build on its proven record as a great place to do
business and its reputation for innovation.
My Council is committed to working towards the vision outlined
in this document during its next three years in office.
I commend this document to the people of Melbourne.

John So
Lord Mayor, City of Melbourne

This publication has been printed on 50% Recycled Paper

Contents

The City of Melbourne’s vision 2

The City of Melbourne in 2005 8

The changing City 19

Strategic directions for the City of Melbourne 28

Connected and Accessible City 29
Innovative and Vital Business City 39
Inclusive and Engaging City 49
Environmentally Responsible City 60

The City of Melbourne’s local areas 68

1
 City Vision
Introduction
City Plan 2010 is Melbourne City
Council’s primary planning strategy. It
sets out what we believe must happen
over the next 10 years to achieve our
vision for the City of Melbourne in 2010.

Our vision is for the City of

Melbourne to be a thriving
and sustainable city.

Melbourne City Council will work

with all who have a stake in the
City of Melbourne’s future to realise
this vision and will simultaneously
pursue:
• economic prosperity
• social equity; and
• environmental quality.
The path to achieving sustainability is long
and will take many years to travel. However,
by 2010, we will have taken many significant
steps. We will have made many positive
changes to the natural and physical
environment, to the City’s culture, to the
way we do business, and to how we value
our community.
Council has adopted a set of strategic
directions to realise this vision. These directions
are organised around four themes:

Theme 1
Connection and accessibility

Theme 2
Innovation and business vitality

Theme 3
Inclusiveness and engagement

Theme 4
Environmental responsibility

2
Triple bottom line
Council is committed to monitoring the City’s

City Vision
economic, social and environmental performance
to see how the City is working towards the vision
of sustainability. For Council, triple bottom line
accountability means taking responsibility for
achieving social, environmental and economic
improvements through all our endeavours and
reporting on them openly and transparently. We
have applied a triple bottom line approach to the
use of indicators in this plan to measure the City’s
performance. Council, as an organisation, has also
adopted triple bottom line reporting and decision
making for its own actions.

Triple bottom line accountability

Social equity — making decisions that lead to
greater physical, cultural and financial access and
equity in services and justice. Strengthening
cultural heritage and the bonds between people
and increasing their willingness and ability to
become involved in community life.
Environmental quality — not using more
resources than required to deliver activities and
services. Improving the overall amenity (including
physical amenity) of a city while reducing the
effect on natural capital. Practical steps include
using energy from renewable resources,
maximising resource and infrastructure use and
minimising pollution and waste.
Economic prosperity — promoting development
of jobs, business prosperity and market growth in
a sustainable manner.
Local areas
The City of Melbourne has 14 local areas that
each have distinctive and unique characteristics
and roles. City Plan 2010 outlines the challenges
facing the City as a whole, as well as the key
strategic issues and objectives for each of these
local areas. The City’s local areas are the places
where the vision of being a thriving and
sustainable city will be achieved and a vision
and specific objectives for each of these local
areas are on pages 56 to 73 of City Plan.
Key definitions
The following terms are used throughout
City Plan 2010:
• Council — describes the Melbourne
City Council
• City of Melbourne and the City —
describe the municipal area
• Central City — describes the central area
of the City of Melbourne defined as covering
the Hoddle Grid/Central Business District
(CBD), the northern edge of Southbank, and
the area up to Victoria Street and containing
the Queen Victoria Market (bounded by
LaTrobe, William and Peel Sts).
• Central Activities District — comprises
the Central City and Docklands
• Melbourne — refers to metropolitan
Melbourne as a whole

3
 Achieving the vision
vision
The vision of City Plan 2010 is for Melbourne
to be a thriving and sustainable City that
simultaneously pursues economic prosperity,
social equity and environmental quality.
Council understands that realising the vision will
require the cooperation of all those who have a
stake in the City of Melbourne’s future. Council
will develop and maintain strong relationships
with Victorian Government, the business and
wider community, and other key stakeholders
to take opportunities to achieve our vision.
Council will contribute by providing:
• strong capital city governance;
• leadership, support and education;
• delivery of a range of key city services;
• maintenance of city infrastructure and assets
(for example, its heritage, parks, gardens,
roads, and social infrastructure);
4
• an efficient and effective integrated regulatory
environment;
• marketing of the city’s culture, characteristics,
advantages and abilities;
• innovative and integrated strategic and
corporate planning;
• advocacy on the needs of the residential and
business communities;
• networks of businesses, agencies and
community groups;
• partnerships, brokering agreements and
alliances with key stakeholders; and
• sponsorship of events, businesses, festivals
and other initiatives.
The main way we will achieve the vision is
by delivering works programs, services and
daily activities, and by continuing to find ways
to use sustainable products and processes in
construction, maintenance and service programs.
Council’s Integrated Planning Framework
Council has developed an Integrated Planning

City Vision
Framework to ensure that all of the actions
Council undertakes, and policies and strategies
that are developed, work towards the
achievement of the vision for the City expressed
in City Plan 2010. Our Integrated Planning
Framework is made up of a series of corporate
and strategic planning tools to implement the
vision. The framework includes:
The Integrated Planning Framework includes:
• City Plan 2010 — Council’s most important
strategic document that provides broad based
objectives and strategic directions for the City.
• The Council Plan — Council’s four-year
corporate plan containing actions derived from
City Plan 2010.
• The Annual Plan and Budget — a business
resource allocation plan. It identifies all of
Council’s services and the key initiatives to be
delivered over the financial year.
The Framework also includes strategies such as All of these documents relate to each other
the Municipal Strategic Statement—the strategic and contain the actions that Council will
land use policy and development framework for pursue in order to realise the vision of
the municipality, which assist the delivery of City Plan 2010. Copies of documents
City Plan’s Strategic Directions. The diagram below are available from the Council offices and
shows the relationship between these documents. online at www.melbourne.vic.gov.au.

The Integrated Planning Framework

City Plan 2010

City Plan 2010
Monitoring Report

Council’s Policies,
Strategies and Programs
(inc. the Municipal Strategic
Statement) assist realisation Ongoing Review and
Council Plan 2004 of the City Plan and Council Monitoring of Policy,
Plan Strategic Directions. Strategy and Programs
They also have a strong
relationship with Annual
Planning and Budgeting.

Annual Plans & Budget Annual Reports

‘The Top Shelf’- Issue & Area Based Council Policies,

Monitoring
Whole of Council Strategy Strategies and Programs

Figure 1 - The City of Melbourne’s Integrated Planning Framework

5
 Relationship to
Other Strategies
Melbourne 2030
Melbourne 2030 – Planning for Sustainable
Growth is Victorian Government’s framework for
guiding and coordinating the future development
of Melbourne and its immediate surrounds.
The plan covers land use, population growth,
sustainability and activity centres, freight
management, public and private transportation,
and capital city management. Council's City Plan
2010 is consistent with Melbourne 2030 and
assists in the achievement of many of its aims.

Inner Melbourne Action Plan

(IMAP)
The City of Melbourne, together with Port
Phillip, Stonnington and Yarra Councils, have
developed an Inner Melbourne Action Plan.
This Plan builds on the role inner Melbourne
plays as the primary business, retail, sport and
entertainment hub for the metropolitan area.
The Plan will address a broad range of regional
urban management issues including housing
density; activity centres and tourist precincts;
public transport, pedestrian, cycling and road
networks; the physical environment and
character of the inner area; major sporting and
recreation facilities; and business development.

6
Linking Melbourne: Metropolitan
Transport Plan
In 2004 an integrated transport plan for the
management and development of Melbourne’s
transport system was released by the Victorian
Government. Entitled Linking Melbourne,
the Plan considers strategies and actions
for the next 4-5 years which will address
Melbourne’s current transport challenges
and those arising from Melbourne’s expected
population growth. The Plan addresses issues
related to private travel such as management
of roads and parking, as well as public transport
access such as improvements to the rail
network and the bus network in outer areas.
The Plan also discusses improvements to freight
movement via roads, rail and ports including
‘cross-town’ connection as a tool for economic
growth. City Plan 2010’s transport objectives are
consistent with this plan.
Regional Housing Statement
As an initiative of Melbourne 2030, an Inner
City Vision
Melbourne Regional Housing Working Group was
established to develop a Regional Housing
Statement for inner Melbourne which highlights
housing issues and needs, identify challenges,
and determine innovative and sustainable
responses to housing provision. The Housing
Working Group for inner Melbourne comprises
the Cities of Melbourne, Port Phillip, Stonnington,
and Yarra, and Victorian Government.
The Regional Housing Statement evaluates the
capacity of areas to accommodate housing
growth whilst incorporating important local
community aspirations for established residential
areas. It contains actions around 3 themes;
• Maintaining the liveability and economic
capacity of the region whilst providing for
housing growth;
• Supporting diverse, sustainable communities
through meeting a wide range of housing
needs, now and into the future; and
• Managing the infrastructure needs of a
growing population.
7
 The City of Melbourne in 2005
The Port of Melbourne is a 24-hour working port
and is a major component of the City’s economy.
The municipality also offers a safe and secure
environment in which to live, work and visit. In
April 2000, this was recognised internationally
when the World Health Organisation granted
Melbourne safe community accreditation.
Melbourne was only the third major city in the
world at the time to achieve such recognition.
The neighbourhoods of Carlton, Parkville,
Southbank, North and West Melbourne, East
Melbourne, South Yarra, Flemington, Kensington
and Jolimont are residential and business areas
that significantly complement metropolitan
Melbourne’s global image as a liveable and diverse
city. Docklands is the newest neighbourhood and
an extension to the Central City. It is envisaged
that municipal governance of Docklands will be
returned to the City of Melbourne in 2007.

The City of Melbourne is the capital city of The City of Melbourne is

Victoria and the State’s premier municipality. It is
Victoria’s hub of business, international trade, 1 of only 3 cities to enjoy
arts, entertainment and sporting activities —
extremely important functions and ones that World Health Organisation safe
make the City unique in Victoria. The City offers
employment, shopping, leisure and cultural
community accreditation.
opportunities for all Melburnians.
Significant residential growth has occurred in the
Central City, Docklands and Southbank since The City of Melbourne — a snapshot
1996. The City has a daytime business, working
and visiting population of more than 650,000 Area 36.5 sq km
people and a night-time population of some Estimated residential population* 58,031 people
128,000 people, with an increasing number of Daytime population** 650,000 people
regional and international visitors. 47 per cent of Total length of roads 315 km
daily visitors come for work purposes and
Total area of parkland 565 ha
approximately 29 per cent come for shopping,
recreation and dining. The City also has Australia’s Total number of businesses 12,102
only building with a UNESCO World Heritage Total employment 323,697 employed
Listing; the Royal Exhibition Building and the Total number of dwellings 33,399
surrounding Carlton Gardens. It also has the best
collection of historic Victorian buildings in Australia, Central Business District area 3.54 sq km
and it’s parks and gardens are world-renowned Total number of dwellings 8,518
and contribute to the liveability of the City. Total number of businesses 7,166
Many city activities are grouped around the Yarra Total employment 175,735
River in the Central City, Southbank and the Sports
In comparison —
and Entertainment Precinct. Close proximity of
Metropolitan Melbourne area 8806 sq km
diverse activities is a distinctly Melbourne feature
— major corporations, government and non- Estimated residential population 3 560 226
government agencies are located close to
*Australian Bureau of Statistics, March 2004
significant industrial areas, port and railway
** Includes daytime business, working and visitor population
infrastructure and premium sporting facilities, with
access to a curfew-free international airport, high
quality residential and retail environments, and an
extensive park system.

8
The City’s regional role
and context
The City of Melbourne is Victoria’s Capital City
and is the premier location for business and trade,
accommodating the headquarters of many
Victorian, national and international companies,
peak bodies, non-government organisations and
Australian Government agencies. The City houses
the Victorian Parliament and is the State’s national
and international gateway; defining the external
image of Victoria for interstate and international
tourists, investors and other visitors.
Surrounding municipalities
The City of Melbourne shares boundaries with
the City of Port Phillip to the south, the Cities of
Stonnington and Yarra to the north and east,
the City of Moreland to the north and the Cities
of Maribyrnong and Moonee Valley to the west
and north-west.
Many of the changes occurring in and around the
City are common to these inner city municipalities
and the City of Melbourne needs to work
collaboratively to address the following issues:
• improving access to, and the quality of, the

Melbourne Today
Yarra and Maribyrnong Rivers and the natural
The City is a hub of decision making and environment;
coordination and an incubator of metropolitan and • changing business and industry functions;
regional prosperity. From its central position, • improving city sustainability;
Council is responsible for leading public policy
• housing affordability;
development.
• increasing public transport use;
The City of Melbourne is Victoria’s focus for
• managing traffic and ageing city infrastructure;
finance, retail, commerce, tourism, culture and
and
entertainment. It is an outward-looking city,
projecting into the Asia-Pacific region. It is highly • managing and responding to residential
growth.
sought after as a location for regional
headquarters, particularly for North American and
European companies expanding into Asia. The City Australia
boasts superior educational and research facilities
and capabilities and is a significant exporter of
professional and educational services.
The City is proudly the only Australian city with
membership of the prestigious Business Partner
City Network of 12 Asian cities, and it conducts
business with a host of other international cities. It
enjoys long-standing Sister City relationships,
promoting business, cultural and trade exchanges
Victoria
with Boston, Milan, Osaka, Tianjin, Thessalonika
and St Petersburg.
One of the attractions of the City of Melbourne,
and especially the Central City, is its accessibility.
The municipality is at the heart of the state,
regional and metropolitan road, rail and bus
systems, and the metropolitan tram system.
Efficient public transport and road networks are
critical to the municipality and serve the City's Metropolitan
Melbourne
diverse residents, key institutions and business,
retail, sports and entertainment activities.
It is Victoria’s transport hub — a role that will
increase significantly over the coming years as
transport and freight links improve with the
redevelopment of Southern Cross Station (formerly
City of Melbourne
Spencer Street) and improvements are made within
the Port of Melbourne and at the Dynon Rail Hub
in the West Melbourne Industrial Area.

9
 The higher proportion of young adults reflects
The City’s people the City’s high student resident numbers and the
inner City’s popularity for young people. This
As part of its commitment to indigenous creates a demand for affordable accommodation,
Australians, Melbourne City Council recreation and social opportunities. An estimated
respectfully acknowledges the traditional 28 per cent of the City’s resident population
is students; their impact on the life of the
people of the Kulin Nation. For the
City and the housing market is substantial.
Boonerwrung, Woiworung, Taungurong, However, lower income households are finding
Djajawurrung and Wathaurung that it increasingly difficult to afford accommodation
make up the Kulin Nation, Melbourne in inner Melbourne2.
has always been an important meeting Despite there being fewer children in the City,
place and location for events of social, families and children are major and important
parts of the municipality’s residential, working
educational, sporting and cultural
and visiting population. Around half of all City
significance. Based on the of Melbourne households can be described
Acknowledgement Wording endorsed by as a ‘family’3.
the Melbourne City Council Aboriginal It is estimated around 13 per cent of the
Consultative Group, 2000) residential population living in the municipality
have a disability and, of this, approximately
75 per cent have a physical disability4.
Today the City of Melbourne is one of the great In addition, a significant number of people
multicultural cities of the world — a significant who visit and work in the municipality have a
meeting place. We are a peaceful, highly tolerant vision or mobility impairment.
community formed from diverse cultures, whose
strength lies in accepting and celebrating cultural
difference.
More than 30 per cent of all City of Melbourne
City of Melbourne Resident Age Profile
2000
residents speak a language other than English
and people from more than 130 countries call the 20000
City home1. In 2001, 48 per cent of residents
were born in Australia compared to a
metropolitan Melbourne figure of 65 per cent. 15000

The profile of the City of Melbourne’s residential

population also differs from metropolitan
Melbourne in the following ways: 10000

• A lower proportion of young children

(0–14 years) — 9 per cent compared to
metropolitan Melbourne’s 20 per cent. 5000

• A higher proportion of 15–29 years olds

— 37 per cent compared to 22 per cent in
the metropolitan area. 0
0-4 5-14 15-24 25-39 40-59 60-74 75+
• A lower proportion of elderly residents (65+) Age group
— 8 per cent compared to 12 per cent in
the metropolitan area.

1
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Census 2001
2 ABS, Census 2001
3
Two or more persons living in a household related by blood, marriage (inc. de-facto), adoption, step or fostering
4
ABS, Census 1998; Department of Human Services; and City of Melbourne Estimates 2004

10
The City’s people are its fundamental strength –
its ‘social capital’. Social capital produces a
society where individuals trust or feel a mutual
sense of obligation towards one another.
Social capital brings an enhanced ability to
resolve conflict by providing the capacity for
people to work collaboratively and to recognise
shared values. Issues such as drugs, gambling
and homelessness require a collaborative and
holistic response from all levels of government
and other stakeholders to enable all people to
positively participate in and contribute to the
life of the City.

Melbourne Today
As the City’s population grows, it is important
that the community’s needs are monitored over
time. Services and facilities will need to adapt
to new community needs in order to contribute
to community health, wellbeing and inclusion.
One example of Council’s response to these
changing needs has been the establishment
of a lending library for the first time in the Central
City. Other ‘social infrastructure’ will continue to
be enhanced and adapted to reflect emerging
needs and demands.

11
 Future Population and All areas are expected to increase in population,
with the most significant gains expected in
Household Growth Docklands, the Central City and Southbank.
The City of Melbourne’s population in 2004 was
58,0315 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, March
2004). This is forecast to grow to at least 94,036
Table 2 –
by 20116 at an average annual growth rate of City of Melbourne Households by Area
around 8 per cent. This growth rate is one of the Population Forecast Year
fastest in the nation and creates new challenges
2001 2011
for the City to provide facilities, services and
employment opportunities and to manage effects City of Melbourne
on the environment. (Municipal Area) 23,147 43,129

The population will be housed in approximately Carlton 4,445 5,896

20,000 new dwellings, with the average number Docklands 76 5,229
of people per household remaining relatively
East Melbourne 1,940 2,693
stable at around two people per dwelling.
Kensington 2,109 2,971
The distribution of the current and future
population and households for City of Melbourne, Melbourne City 4,037 8,671
as forecasted by the Australian Bureau of North Melbourne 3,239 3,947
Statistics and the City of Melbourne, is shown in
Parkville 1,589 2,678
the Tables below.
South Yarra-St Kilda Road 2,724 3,134

Table 1 – Southbank 2,027 6,107

City of Melbourne Population by Area West Melbourne 961 1,802

Population Forecast Year Source: ABS 2001 Census and City of Melbourne
Population Forecast 2003. The area boundaries are in
2001 2011 accordance with ABS Collector Districts.
City of Melbourne
(Municipal Area) 52,117 94,036
Carlton 9,695 12,719
Docklands 158 11,367
East Melbourne 3,917 5,322
Kensington 4,807 6,622
Melbourne City 8,271 17,319
North Melbourne 7,146 8,571
Parkville 5,577 8,116
South Yarra-St Kilda Road 5,471 6,213
Southbank 4,401 13,187
West Melbourne 2,675 4,600

Source: ABS 2001 Census and City of Melbourne

Population Forecast 2003. The area boundaries are in
accordance with ABS Collector Districts.

5
ABS, March 2004
6 City of Melbourne Population Estimates, 2003

12
The City’s culture
The City of Melbourne is a place for entertainment
and celebration, drawing crowds from metropolitan
Melbourne, regional Victoria and beyond. It is
Australia’s arts capital and has a strong history of
cultural expression through the mediums of art,
music, film and theatre. The City of Melbourne’s
rich cultural life contributes to the City’s liveability,
innovation, competitiveness and image.
There are more than 48 galleries within the
municipality, which range in size from the National
Gallery of Victoria to smaller independent galleries.

Melbourne Today
In 2003, the City of Melbourne celebrated the
opening of the Ian Potter Centre at Federation
Square, the world's first major gallery dedicated
exclusively to Australian art and comprising over
20 galleries. The City’s culture is expressed in a
variety of venues and performance spaces as well
as in street art throughout the municipality.
Our cultural activities must be built on local
experience so that they celebrate cultural diversity
and encourage community participation. People
from diverse cultures and nationalities enrich
Melbourne life. The City’s indigenous culture is
also fundamental to the full expression of
Melbourne’s artistic and cultural life, and is an
essential component of Council’s ongoing efforts
towards reconciliation.

Council recognises Indigenous people
as the custodians and first peoples of
Australia, including recognition of
traditional ownership and connection to
land and waters. The City acknowledges
the value of Indigenous cultures to the
heritage of all Australians. Council is
committed to ensuring the protection of
sacred sites and special places within
the municipality.
A continual calendar of sporting, arts and cultural
events and festivals is staged in the City’s diverse
venues, including its public domain. These will
be supplemented by new and upgraded facilities
for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Good
access and quality surrounds for these facilities
are critical. The events make a significant
contribution to the economy — Melbourne’s
sporting industry is the biggest in Australia, and
contributed an estimated $800 million to the local
economy in 2003. Events such as the Melbourne
Writer’s Festival, Comedy Festival and Melbourne
International Arts Festival also contribute to
community vitality and inclusiveness and
consolidate the City’s reputation as a world class
‘Creative City’7.
The City of Melbourne’s public environment — its
buildings, streets and spaces — is a valuable
venue for cultural activity and for expressing and
sharing cultural values.

7 Florida, 2003, The Rise of the Creative Class, Pluto Press

13
 The City’s enduring assets
and urban form
The Hoddle Grid, the Yarra and the two hills
The City of Melbourne was originally planned by
Robert Hoddle, Charles LaTrobe and Andrew
Clarke over the period 1837 to 1858. Its key
features are the Hoddle Grid with its regular street
and lane pattern; the main boulevards radiating to
the northwest, north, east and south; the parks
and gardens that ring the Central City; and the
government and public buildings located within
the Hoddle Grid and along boulevards.
The site of the Hoddle Grid was chosen to enable
ship access from the Yarra River below the Yarra
Falls and to maximise access to the river frontage
before it turned to the south. Two hills were
included in the Grid—Batman Hill at the western
end of the Grid and Eastern Hill at the east.
The early location of the Port at the western end
of the Hoddle Grid; the turning basin and the
Yarra falls near the ‘valley’ between the two hills
have had an ongoing influence on City structure.
Environmental factors and this early planning set
a trend of industry to the western end,
government and the most prestigious residential
areas to the east and retail in the centre; a City
structure which remains to today.
Today the Hoddle Grid is characterised by a
dense building form and a clearly defined street
pattern with high quality public spaces. High rise
commercial and office districts are clustered on
the hills at the east and west, while the central
valley between Swanston and Elizabeth Streets is
low in building scale, and is dominated by retail
outlets and high levels of pedestrian activity.

14
The City’s enduring assets include:
• major boulevards;
• the Hoddle Grid (the original nineteenth
century City subdivision pattern), including its
laneways;
• historic buildings and arcades, streetscapes
and neighbourhoods;
• the Yarra River corridor, including the Sports
and Entertainment Precinct, Victoria Dock, the
Port of Melbourne, and Southbank;
• the Maribyrnong Valley;
• high quality urban design and innovative new
buildings;
• parks and gardens;
• public art and sculptures;
• cultural activities and facilities;
• high quality educational and research facilities;
• well established and highly accessible
commercial districts; and
• attractive residential areas.
Each asset contributes to the City’s distinct urban
character and is a key point of difference to
visitors, distinguishable from other Cities. Local
and metropolitan residents and visitors see
Melbourne as an attractive, exciting and vital
place. Amenity and safety are extremely
important to City users and are also major factors
in attracting more activity.
Many significant public, civic and private buildings
can be found throughout the municipality. While
mostly known for Victorian and Edwardian
streetscapes; many examples of outstanding
interwar, post war and contemporary architecture
exist in the municipality. The City of Melbourne
contains many precincts, intact streetscapes and
buildings which are recognised for their cultural
heritage significance. Their preservation is vital to
the continuing character of Melbourne.
The City is renowned for the high quality and
consistency of its urban design and quality public
environment. These are recognised as key factors
in the liveability and attractiveness of the City as a
place to live, work and visit.
Melbourne Today
Our older neighbourhoods such as Parkville,
Carlton, East Melbourne, South Yarra, North and
West Melbourne and Kensington, developed as
distinct neighbourhoods, reflecting the timing and
size of subdivision, the nature of their predominant
uses, the socio economic status of the population
and the topography of the land. Preserving the
specific historical layout, character and ambience
of these separate historic neighbourhoods is
essential to the City's ongoing diversity and identity.
It will also be important that areas experiencing
substantial built form change, such as the Central
City, Southbank and Docklands, retain their own
existing ‘enduring assets’, whilst emerging as
distinct and attractive new neighbourhoods
accommodating significant residential densities.
The public environment is a precious City asset.
The way a city manages its public environment
can mean the difference between an inclusive city
and an uninviting one.
15
 City Structure

16
The City’s economy
Strong employment growth has occurred since
1997 in the property and business, finance and
insurance, culture and recreation, communications
and services (for example, restaurants) sectors
within the Central City. In July 2004, the overall
vacancy rate in the Central City was 10.2 per cent,
with a prime office vacancy rate of 6.4 per cent8.
The Central City is also Victoria’s largest retail
centre, providing 32,008 jobs 9 in retailing and
associated activities, 678,315 square metres of
floor space and an annual turnover of $1.8

Melbourne Today
billion10. Ongoing revitalisation of the City’s retail
core, such as that to be undertaken in Bourke
Street Mall, and exciting retail expansions like the
newly opened QV, GPO and refurbished
Melbourne Central, will ensure that Melbourne
continues to be the dominant retail core in the
metropolitan region despite strong competition
from suburban retail centres.
The municipality has some 6,706,174 square
metres of floor space used for industrial
purposes11. The City has a traditional
manufacturing and industry base located in the
areas of Port Melbourne (including the Port of
Melbourne and Fishermans Bend), the West
Melbourne Industrial area, and parts of
Kensington and North and West Melbourne.
The Port of Melbourne handles nearly $70 billion
of trade annually and makes a direct contribution
of $5.4 billion a year to State Domestic Product12.
In 2000-01, the Port contributed $418 million to
the City of Melbourne’s Gross Regional Product.
The Port is the largest container cargo, and one
of the largest general cargo ports in Australia,
taking almost 40 per cent of the nation’s
container trade. Over 95 per cent of Victoria’s
exports are by sea13.

8 Melbourne Office Market Index Brief, 2003

9
City of Melbourne, CLUE, 2002
10 City of Melbourne, CLUE, 2002
11 Defined by Melbourne Census for Land and Employment 2002
12
Port of Melbourne Authority, 2003
13
Port of Melbourne Land Use Plan, 2001

17
 The City of Melbourne has positioned itself as a
global city with a knowledge based economy,
focused not only on traditional strengths, but also
on emerging ‘knowledge intense’ sectors, such
as biotechnology; information and communication
technologies; specialist finance, legal, and
administration services; educational services; and
environmental technologies.
The municipality is an excellent base from which
to supply markets in the Asia-Pacific region. Its
shared time zone makes it suitable for regional
company headquarters to work across the region
as ‘follow the sun’ global information centres.
18
The City’s natural
environment and systems
The municipality is highly urbanised and the
natural environment is substantially modified.
Despite this, it must be recognised the
municipality is part of the larger Yarra River
catchment. The quality of the Yarra River and
other waterways in the city is vitally important to
the municipality’s attractiveness, aquatic life and
recreation. In Melbourne, buildings channel
around 316 billion litres of waste water into
the ocean and community water consumption
in the City of Melbourne Municipality in 2003
was 181 litres per person per day, down from
296 litres per person per day in 1999.
Land use and development activities that occur
within the municipality impact on the
environmental values of the catchment and
beyond, as in the case of greenhouse gas
emissions.
In 1996 greenhouse gas emissions generated
within the City of Melbourne were approximately
3,487,000 equivalent tonnes of carbon dioxide
(C02)2. The industrial sector generated 31% of
emissions, the commercial sector 60%,
residential sector 4%, transport 3% and waste
2%. Electricity usage has been identified as a
substantial component of emissions. Reductions
in energy demand (such as energy efficient
design) and the generation and use of alternative
energy sources will have to increase in response.
One of the central goals of environmental
sustainability is to reduce the amount of waste
produced, and reuse materials more efficiently to
minimise impact on the environment. Despite
recycling greater volumes of materials, the overall
amount of waste we produce has increased.
More emphasis must be placed on reducing the
amount of resources we use and the waste we
produce as part of the path to environmental
sustainability.
The City has several sites containing indigenous
vegetation and wildlife habitat, including the
City’s parks and gardens, some private land
and the aquatic environments of the Yarra River,
Maribyrnong River and Moonee Ponds Creek.
The Changing City
New developments and economic,
social and environmental trends and
processes all affect the City’s vitality,
liveability and culture. It is essential to
identify and act on new opportunities,
while at the same time, protect and
enhance the City of Melbourne’s highly
valued assets.
The Yarra River
Melburnians have transformed the way they think
and feel about the Yarra River and how it is used.
New development projects such as the
development of Federation Square, Birrarung Marr,
Southbank and Docklands have all increased the
attraction of the river and improved access to it.
With increasing use of the river for transportation,
tourism, cultural activities and developments, the
focus on, and transformation of, the Yarra River will
continue into the future. The river will be a key focal
point during the 2006 Commonwealth Games and
Transport
It is estimated that around 650,000 people visit the
City each day which is expected to rise over the
coming years. Given that the municipality is the
focal point for business and employment in
Victoria, it will be critical to further improve the
effectiveness and efficiency of the public transport
network serving the City and the broader
metropolitan area, to meet this challenge.
Existing strengths of the City’s transport include the
Port of Melbourne and the arterial road, rail and
public transport networks. With the operation of
City Link and other developments, access to the
airport and Port has been made easier and travel
times to the City have been substantially reduced.
Redevelopment of Southern Cross Station (formerly
Spencer Street), improved links to Docklands, tram
‘superstops’, and improved tram connections along
St Kilda Road and Victoria Parade will enhance
public transport access to the City.
Pedestrian and bicycle trips are growing in number
throughout the City. The Central City is designated
as a pedestrian priority area. Provision of cycling

The Changing City

continues to be celebrated by Moomba Waterfest.
facilities and safe cycling networks will encourage
By 2010, Melbourne will be reoriented around its greater usage of bicycles for a range of journeys,
water spine, integrating Southbank with the Central including commuting to work and shopping, as
City, which in turn will be linked to the river by the well as for recreation.
upgraded Northbank through a suite of development
projects. Improvements to environmental
management practices within the municipality and
throughout the Yarra River catchment will ensure
continual improvements to the water quality and
river health over the next decade.

City precincts
The City of Melbourne has 15 distinctive precincts,
each of which contribute significantly to the City’s
diversity, attraction and fascination. The
restaurants of Chinatown, the Greek Precinct and
Carlton’s Lygon Street Italian Precinct, relish in
Melbourne’s ethnic diversity and Hardware Lane is
a Central City dining favourite. Queen Street,
Collins Street and the West End precincts are the
heart of the City’s legal and big business activity.
The City offers an array of shopping experiences
ranging from the lively atmosphere of the Market
Precinct encompassing the Queen Victoria Market;
to the exclusivity of Collins Street, with the
Magnificent Seven City Arcades, Melbourne’s ‘little’
streets and laneways such as Little Collins Street
and the Flinders Quarter in between. Bourke Hill is
renowned for its theatres and amongst the literati
for its quality bookshops. The Yarra Precinct is the
City’s sports and entertainment hub.

19
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Major Transport Infrastructure

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The Changing City

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21
 Retail
Melbourne’s Retail Core is world-renowned
as a premier lifestyle destination for local,
interstate and international shoppers and visitors.
The Retail Core offers a diverse range of external
and internal shopping and leisure environments,
and its buildings and streetscapes reflect the
history and heritage of Melbourne. However,
competition from suburban shopping centres
is growing.
The City of Melbourne, Victorian Government and
the business community are investigating as well
as undertaking four priorities as part of a Retail
Core Development Strategy:
• redevelopment of the Bourke Street Mall as a
pre-eminent pedestrian space;
• strengthening of the linear north-south
pedestrian movements along Swanston Street
and the network of laneways and arcades
between the anchor facilities of the major
department stores;
• improvement to retail activities in Swanston
Street; and
• capitalisation of the city's local, regional and
international accessibility.
Rejuvenating the Retail Core by developing
strong partnerships among all key players,
including major building owners, retailers, Council
and the Victorian Government is important to
enhance and consolidate its function.
22
Education, information
communication & technology,
biotechnology & research
The City is home to two of Victoria’s premier
universities — the University of Melbourne and
RMIT — and many other Victorian universities
and major educational institutions have City
campuses, such as Monash University, Victoria
University, Central Queensland University,
Southern Cross University and LaTrobe University.
The City also contains the William Angliss
Institute of TAFE, the Victorian College of the
Arts, and the College of Adult Education (CAE).
The concentrated hub of education and research
facilities is nationally important and represents a
very significant part of Victoria’s economy.
Biotechnology and Information and
communication technologies are important
elements of the growing ‘knowledge economy’.
Council will encourage these sectors in an effort
to further the City’s image as a modern economy
at the forefront of knowledge and information
provision.
The State Library of Victoria, the NGV and the
Museum of Victoria are custodians of the City’s
knowledge base, and all now have upgraded
facilities within which to operate. Melbourne’s
many renowned hospitals and medical research
facilities make the City the home of specialist
medical and research services. The Alfred
Hospital, located in South Yarra, is one of
Australia’s leading hospitals and plays an
important role in medical research in Melbourne
and has been identified as a Specialised Activity
Centre in Melbourne 2030.
Melbourne 2030 also identifies the Parkville
Medical and Bioscience Precinct as a
Specialised Activity Centre. Parkville is the
location of the Bio21 biotechnology precinct
and brings together leading universities, research
institutes, hospitals and industry to enhance
research and development and to capitalise
on Melbourne’s status and capabilities as the
nation’s biotechnology centre.
Key Institutions

The Changing City

23

New developments
While the Central City must retain and build on
its traditional strengths in retail and financial,
business and property services, there are growth
opportunities in the biotechnology, multimedia,
research, education, entertainment and tourism
sectors. There is a suite of development proposed
in the City in order to maximise growth in these
underdeveloped industries.
The revitalisation of Bourke Street Mall in time for
the 2006 Commonwealth Games is one such
capital works project that will realise ongoing
benefits for visitors and retailers in the City. Other
new retail redevelopments in the Central City that
will help boost turnover and market share include
QV, Melbourne Central, Melbourne GPO and
Southern Cross Station (formerly Spencer Street).
The Royal Women’s Hospital is relocating
adjacent to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in
2008. The Royal Melbourne Hospital is therefore
undergoing a review of its master plan and
proposing enabling works to accommodate the
Royal Women’s Hospital. Further, the Royal
Children’s Hospital is undertaking service and
master planning for a major redevelopment to
maintain facilities at world class standard. The
Dental Hospital moved to its new location in
Carlton in 2003, leaving the former Dental
Hospital Site as a major development site within
the Parkville precinct. In response the Victorian
Government in partnership with key stakeholders
has commenced preparation of a 10 year
Strategic Precinct Plan for the Parkville Precinct.
24
The redevelopment of the former Mazda site,
adjacent to the Yarra River and the Melbourne
Exhibition Centre, to accommodate a Convention
Centre including a 5000 seat Plenary Hall, will
strengthen Melbourne and Victoria's profile as a
leading events and business destination. The
development of nearby Queensbridge Square is
also a significant addition to the Yarra River
events precinct, and contributes to the
continuous string of cultural and entertainment
venues south of the Yarra River.
The Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games is
an enormous event which has seen significant
capital works projects. Some of the City’s venues
have also been identified as being in need of
either an upgrade or redevelopment aimed at
preparing the City for the event. Such upgrades
and redevelopments include a pedestrian bridge
from Birrarung Marr to the MCG, the MCG itself,
the Royal Park wetlands, Queensbridge Square
development and the Bourke Street Mall
redevelopment.
On the north side of the Yarra River the
completion of Federation Square, Birrarung Marr
and the installation of Artplay has seen Northbank
emerge as an important feature of Melbourne’s
public domain, complementary to the south bank.
These developments have played a role in the
Yarra River becoming an attraction for visitors and
have enhanced the importance of the Yarra River.
To the east of the Yarra Turning Basin, adjacent
to the Flinders Street Overpass, there is potential
to incorporate Banana Alley and its Vaults, the
Signal Box and the Sandridge Rail Bridge into
development that further improves links along the
Northbank and across to Queensbridge Square
on the south bank. The removal of the Flinders
Street Overpass, built in 1961, and the
redevelopment of the former Fishmarket site
would open the west end of the city to the Yarra
River. The site’s redevelopment would enable
improved access and visual links from the City to
the river and provide active frontages to Flinders
Street and Batman Park. A sustainable use of
the vaults below Federation Square would also
further enhance the northern river frontage and
improve passive surveillance of significant river
walkways. These developments will see
Northbank reach its full potential as a public
domain fully connected with the Yarra River and
the Central City.
The City’s western end, between King and
Spencer Streets, will continue to change and will
be transformed by projects relating to Docklands
such as the Southern Cross Station (formerly
Spencer Street) redevelopment. This area will
form an important interface between the Central
City and Docklands. Docklands pedestrian and
vehicle connections between the Docklands and
Central City have emerged with the partial
extension of Latrobe, Collins and Flinders Streets
into the Docklands and a wholly pedestrian link
extending from Bourke Street.
With the promotion of Southbank, Docklands and
the Central City as residential areas, there comes
an expectation of service and facility provision to
serve the residential population including
education, family health facilities, children’s
services, library and information services and
community support for the socially disadvantaged
and the disabled.
The Commonwealth Games Village is being
constructed on the site of the former psychiatric
hospital in Parkville. During the Games the site
will accommodate around 4500 athletes and
officials and when fully constructed in 2015, will
accommodate a significant new population of
6000 permanent residents. The development
seeks to achieve high standards in sustainable
design and construction, and includes a wetland
adjoining the site. A cluster of heritage buildings
will be retained on the site and used as community
facilities after the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Social housing comprises a significant proportion
of the dwellings with 200 of the 1,000 dwellings
constructed eventually being used for this purpose.
The neighbourhoods of Kensington and Carlton
are home to a high proportion of people on
very low incomes14. The redevelopment of the
Kensington Public Housing Estate seeks to
improve living standards for residents and
accommodate a greater diversity of public
housing tenants as well as private housing to
ensure the ongoing viability of these estates for
future generations. The lessons learned from
redeveloping Kensington should be considered
for any redevelopment of the Carlton public
housing estate and should positively contribute
to the amenity of the area.
14
City of Melbourne, Linking People, Homes and Communities, 2001
15 City of Melbourne, Port Melbourne Structure Plan, 1999
West Melbourne serves important industrial
purposes including accommodation of the
Melbourne Freight Terminal and the Melbourne
Wholesale Markets. The eventual relocation of the
Markets will enable the expansion of Port of
Melbourne related functions and consolidation of
this area as Australia’s premier freight and
logistics hub. The Port of Melbourne and Webb
Dock will be integrated with the Dynon Rail Hub
via a rail link across Footscray Road. When
complete, the Dynon Rail Hub will become a
world-class intermodal freight terminal. The Port
of Melbourne Corporation has developed a
landuse plan that will facilitate the growth of the
port and enhance its connections with road and
rail infrastructure. It is forecast that international
container trade will have an average annual
growth rate of 5.4 per cent to 2020.
The Port of Melbourne comprises Webb Dock, at
the mouth of the Yarra River, and Swanson and
Appleton Docks located adjacent to the West
Melbourne industrial area. The Port of Melbourne
is an economic asset to the whole of Victoria
and its capacity will increase if the proposed
The Changing City
Port Phillip Channel Deepening project is
implemented. The Port of Melbourne Corporation
is also preparing a Port Environs Plan, which aims
to manage the interface between the Port and
surrounding landuses. This will have implications
for landuse management at both the Port and in
surrounding areas.
Approximately 300 hectares of Port Melbourne
(Fisherman’s Bend) is the preferred location for
clean, high-profile advanced manufacturing and
associated research and development in the
City of Melbourne. The area’s attractiveness lies
in its large land parcels and its close proximity to
major road, rail and port infrastructure.
Major growth in the Port of Melbourne is forecast
to occur in three phases over the period
1998–2020. By 2010, it is forecast that 15,000
jobs15 will be created in this area and that the role
of Port Melbourne in advanced manufacturing will
be consolidated. Improvements to the area’s
open space will also be in place by 2010.
25
 Docklands: The City’s newest precinct
The Docklands story is one of transformational
change from a disused Port to the largest
precinct development program in Melbourne.
Melbourne Docklands is the City’s largest urban
renewal project and is developing into one of the
world's most significant urban domains and
exciting examples of dockland renewal.
Well-designed public open spaces carefully
integrated with architecture and urban spaces of
international standard are now being delivered
and are shaping the Docklands’ distinctive
physical character.
In April 2004 the Victorian Government
announced that municipal management of the
Docklands Area would return to the Melbourne
City Council in time for the precincts’ residents to
take part in MCC elections in 2008.
The precinct attracts five million visitors per year
including to Telstra Dome, cafes, restaurants and
bars, and to events and activities throughout the
precinct. Docklands is also home to the National
Australia Bank and AFL House.
26
• Docklands will increase the footprint of the
City of Melbourne from 36.5 to 38.9 Square
kilometres
• The Docklands development, the largest
construction project in Australia, has to
date attracted $7.4 of committed private
sector investment with $2.3 billion
completed or under construction.
• More than 3000 residents currently call
Docklands 3008 home and there are
expected to be 5,000 residents by the end
of 2005. A projected 20,000 residents will
live in the precinct when it is complete in
10 to 12 years.
• A total of 3000 office commuters already
come to a Docklands workplaces each day
with a projected worker population of 25,000.
• Docklands is set to become a waterfront
destination for an estimated 20 million
visitors each year, home for 20,000 people
and a workplace for 25,000.
Major Development Opportunities

The changing City

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