Bates Smart and Deakin float 2,000 homes on reclaimed Docklands

The plan, as reported, would add 2,000 new homes and 36 hectares of parkland on the reclaimed land, with the aim of doubling the suburb’s population. On height, Anderson was quoted by The Age:

“it’d be mid and low rise in order not to compromise the amenity of those existing properties”

For developers, builders and consultants, the signal is the direction of the discussion: an architecture practice and a university with a Docklands campus are arguing for residential growth in a precinct the article describes as dominated by office towers.

The numbers

Only figures stated in The Age article are used here. The proposal covers 2,000 homes and 36 hectares of parkland. The population baseline is the City of Melbourne estimate of 19,139 residents. The article does not give a cost, a staging plan, a dwelling mix or a timeline, and this report does not supply one.

The plan also sets out transport changes. As reported, a new bridge for trams, cars and pedestrians at the harbour’s western end would connect tram routes on Docklands Drive with those on Collins Street. The article says a fish market, similar to the one in Sydney, could serve as an attraction under the project idea.

Anderson also pointed to reclaimed-land projects overseas, naming Denmark, the Netherlands and Singapore, and said the southern side of Victoria Harbour could be returned to wetland near the meeting of the Maribyrnong and the harbour. Those overseas examples are his, as reported.

What’s next

The Age notes that Lord Mayor Nick Reece has made his own pledge for the area, a seafood precinct. The Age quotes Reece as saying the council welcomes any proposal that explores Docklands’ potential and that the 36-hectare park idea is worth exploring in detail. It also reports that the residents group Community 3008 is critical, citing traffic congestion and saying it would be concerned about reclaiming parts of the harbour.

The article does not say which agency would be approached or when. Developers and builders tracking Docklands should treat the 2,000-home figure as a proposal. For another Victoria project at an earlier stage, see our report on the Northcote transformation.