Fisherman’s Bend is Australia’s largest urban renewal project, which aims to connect Melbourne’s CBD and the bay by revamping approximately 480 hectares of land.
Across the City of Melbourne and the City of Port Phillip, Fisherman’s Bend will consist of five precincts that will shape a brighter and greener future for all interested parties.
This well-overdue project is one that will benefit the community and residents, land owners, developers, businesses, investors, the environment and, with the excessive provision of employment, the economy.
Read on to find out how Fisherman’s Bend can benefit you too.
One door closes, another 80,000 open…
The framework of Fisherman’s Bend development has been strategically planned to guide long term benefits to interested parties, providing residential and job opportunities, convenience and ease of access to core facilities.
This urban renewal project confidently predicts that Fisherman’s Bend will be host to 80,000 jobs and accommodate 80,000 residents by 2050, a sign of its prime location within the metropolitan Melbourne economy.
The Fisherman’s Bend development is also committed to attracting young families to the area, as evidenced by the four primary schools and a secondary school set to be constructed.
Public transport facilities will also enhance the infrastructure of Fisherman’s Bend; the framework includes plans for four tram routes, two additional train stations and a plethora of bus routes.
Being optimally located between Melbourne’s CBD and the bay, Fisherman’s Bend urban renewal is focused on sustainability. As such, the plans currently allocate 121 hectares of open space, including parks, walking and cycling tracks, to enhance leisure and wellbeing.
The grass really is ‘greener’ on the other side…
Fisherman’s Bend Melbourne will be developed according to its sustainable vision. There are eight goals that will guide Fisherman’s Bend to obtain world-leading environmental, economic and social responsibility practices:
- To provide all residents and employees access to open space within 200 metres of walking distance
- To connect the community through sustainable transport facilities
- To be a zero carbon footprint community, according to the Victorian Government target
- To keep flooding and climate significantly low
- To conserve water consumption by limiting residents to 100 litres of potable water per day
- To provide employment within Fisherman’s Bay to more than one job per household
- To recycle at least 70% of household waste for a cleaner and greener community
- To maintain a biodiverse community by supporting the flora and fauna of Fisherman’s Bay
Each of these goals are moulded to provide residents and workers in the Fisherman’s Bend community a better and brighter lifestyle. You can obtain more information about the importance of sustainability to Fisherman’s Bend in the framework itself.
The Framework of Fisherman’s Bend
Renewing the precincts across Montague, Lorimer, Wirraway and Sandridge, the Fisherman’s Bend urban renewal project will also deliver an Employment Precinct, creating 480 hectares of improved land usage for the betterment of the community. Here we summarise some key projection info that each precinct hopes to achieve by 2050…
Montague
“A diverse and well-concentrated mixed use precinct celebrating its significant cultural and built heritage, and network of gritty streets and laneways”
- Gross size: 43ha
- Population: 20,800 residents
- Dwellings: 9,244 household number projections. Planning permits for 4000 new dwellings have already been approved. 5000 more will be approved to meet current targets.
- Jobs: 4000+
- Open space: 6.36 ha
- Net development site area: 25ha
As part of the major redevelopments, Montague will also feature high level infrastructure projects, including an upgraded tram stop, parks, Ferrars Street Primary School and Community Facility, Montague Recreation Hub and Montague Arts and a Cultural Hub.
Lorimer
“A vibrant, mixed use precinct close to the Yarra River and connected to Melbourne’s CBD, Docklands and emerging renewal areas”
- Gross size: 25ha
- Population: 12,000 residents
- Dwellings: 5,881 household number projections.
- Jobs: there will be 6,000 employment opportunities
- Open space: 5.04 ha
- Net developable site area: 25ha
The smaller precinct of Lorimer covers 25 gross hectares but will have plenty of space to transform it into an attractive, sustainable precinct. As for major infrastructure delivery, among many facilities will be the Lorimer Health and Wellbeing Hub, the Lorimer Education and Community Hub and a Northern corridor tram.
Sandridge
“One of Melbourne’s premium office and commercial centres, balanced with diverse housing and retail”
- Gross size: 86ha
- Population: 29,600 (the current number is 500)
- Dwellings: 14,949 household number projections
- Jobs: approximately 26,000 employment opportunities
- Open space: 12.89ha
- Net developable site area: 63ha
The planning for Sandridge is on a larger scale, since there are 86 gross hectares to work with. Of this large space, plans exist for a railway station, Sandridge Education and Community Hub, a new tram route, a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the freeway, Sandridge Sport and Recreational Hub and more.
Wirraway
“A family friendly inner city neighbourhood close to the Bay and Westgate Park”
- Gross size: 94ha
- Population: 17,600 predicted
- Dwellings: 6,822 household number projections
- Jobs: approximately 4,000 employment opportunities
- Open space: 27.63ha
- Net developable site area: 58ha
Wirraway is the largest residential precinct and is expected to grow significantly. As such, the Fisherman’s Bend project will deliver a secondary school, a Wirraway Health and Wellbeing Hub, a potential underground rail and several open space projects.
Employment Precinct
This enormous precinct of 230 hectares is being redeveloped as a National Employment and Innovation Cluster (NEIC). These clusters cater for the provision of 21st century jobs concentrated around innovation, entrepreneurship and design excellence in manufacturing.
The state and local government will be joining ventures with industry and key stakeholders in the planning of this Fisherman’s Bend clusters. As a result, this will not be completed within the same time span as the other four precincts of the urban renewal project.
The infrastructure delivery of the employment precinct will offer a Northern tram corridor, GHM site redevelopment, an upgrade of the Westgate Punt, a sewer mining treatment plant and a potential underground rail.
However, much planning for this project to become a NEIC is not yet underway, with a thorough investigation of a SWOT analysis to identify constraints and opportunities.
Find out more information regarding the redevelopment of the five precincts in the Fisherman’s Bend Framework Draft for Consultation or keep up to date with the progress of the Fisherman’s Bend urban renewal project and all things property development on the Development Ready blog!
