This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
THE Victorian government has approved the master plan for Fishermans Bend — Australia's largest urban renewal precinct, however the Green Building Council of Australia is concerned over the lack of sustainability initiatives.
Planning minister Matthew Guy said the new 250ha precinct on the doorstep of Melbourne’s CBD will more than double the size of the central city.
He added that the Fishermans Bend Strategic Framework Plan would guide the development of the precinct, which will link the CBD to Port Phillip Bay, supporting 40,000 new jobs and providing homes for at least 80,000 residents.
“Construction alone will deliver billions of dollars in economic benefits to Victoria over the next 40 years. The precinct will ultimately double the size of our central city, boosting Melbourne’s productivity by extending the capital city’s commercial appeal and skilled workforce,” he continued.
Guy said the development of Fishermans Bend was a key initiative of Plan Melbourne, which sets out the management of Victoria’s growth to 2050.
“Melbourne is expected to have a population of 7.7 million by 2051, rapidly growing from its current population of 4.3 million. Accommodating this growth requires careful long term planning and development in strategically important locations.
“Planning for Fishermans Bend has been informed by extensive community consultation and collaboration with the City of Melbourne and City of Port Phillip,”
Guy said a Development Contributions Plan for the precinct was being prepared, with Section 173 agreements to be used as an interim measure for existing permit applications.
“Development of Fishermans Bend is a 40-year project but I have approved a limited number of permit applications that will allow some construction to start in the near future. Developers will be required to make financial contributions towards new infrastructure as part of their permit conditions,”
Guy said permit applications would be assessed in the context of the Fishermans Bend SFP. The Metropolitan Planning Authority, which prepared the plan, will become the responsible authority for the precinct.
The Fishermans Bend SFP has been adopted as an amendment to the Melbourne and Port Phillip planning schemes. This plan also includes detailed design guidelines.
Meanwhile the GBCA is urging the government to ensure that the project meets practice benchmarks for sustainability.
“How will the 80,000 residents of Fishermans Bend, close to Melbourne’s CBD and currently being touted as ‘Australia’s most significant urban renewal project’, know that their community is efficient, healthy, productive or sustainable?” GBCA chief operating officer Robin Mellon asked.
Mellon said meeting these benchmarks does not need to cost more, but will deliver massive long-term benefits.
“How we plan, design and build a precinct of this size – one that will double the size of central Melbourne – will have an enormous impact on more than the Victorian economy. It will also have an enormous impact on the environment and on people’s lives, health and wellbeing,” he added.
Mellon said other significant urban renewal projects such as Barangaroo South and the Parramatta Square in Sydney, Caloundra South and Ecco Ripley in Queensland, Bowden and Tonsley in Adelaide, and Alkimos Beach and Waterbank in Perth, not to mention the University of Melbourne’s Parkland Campus in Melbourne, are applying the Green Star – Communities rating tool.
“The Victorian government has the opportunity to lead the way in setting world-leading social, economic AND environmental benchmarks at Fishermans Bend – it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we cannot afford to waste,” Mellon concluded.
Property Review
