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Track laying on Australia's first major railway line that will operate with driverless trains has been completed with the final sleepers and rails that were laid forming a crossover at the transition of the line from its elevated section back down to earth at Kellyville.

The first phase of Sydney Metro, dubbed Sydney Metro North West, will remain under construction as rail and electrical infrastructure is installed over the coming months.  A testing phase will occur thereafter.

In all, 105 kilometres of rail has been laid in the new twin 15 kilometre tunnels from Epping to Bella Vista, the 4km elevated rail section through to the northern terminus at Rouse Hill.

60,948 sleepers were used and covering them is 35,000 tonnes of Ballast.  237,000 tonnes of concrete was used in the track laying process alone, according to a media release on the project's <a href="https://www.sydneymetro.info/article/track-laying-finished-sydney-metro-northwest">website</a>.

<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="350" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSydneyMetro%2Fvideos%2F2057175511236747%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="100%"></iframe>

One of the last major components of building the new Sydney Metro North West line is to convert the existing Epping-Chatswood Link in order for the new Sydney metro services to be able to use the track and stations.

NSW Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance in early April announced that buses will replace trains on the Epping-Chatswood Link from September 30 2018 for a period of 7 months so conversion work can get underway.

The 13km Epping to Chatswood Link was opened in 2009 and up until September this year, rail services on Sydney's T1 Northern line operate through it, linking the area directly to the city and Hornsby.

Passengers on the North West metro will need to change trains at Chatswood temporarily for a period of 4-5 years while the second phase of the metro line, dubbed Sydney Metro City &amp; South West, is built.

Once complete, the North West and City/South West sections will be merged and form a single line running from Sydney's outer north-western growth areas through the city and out to Bankstown.  The section of existing track between Sydenham and Bankstown, like the Epping to Chatswood rail link, will be re-purposed for metro train usage.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/syd_metro_pitt_demo.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Demolition in Pitt Street is now complete. Image: Sydney Metro"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="334" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/syd_metro_pitt_demo.jpg?itok=yp0hVMr_" title="Demolition in Pitt Street is now complete. Image: Sydney Metro" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Demolition in Pitt Street is now complete. Image: Sydney Metro</figcaption></figure>Initial works for the second phase City &amp; South West section of Sydney Metro continue with demolition at the site of the new Pitt Street station now complete.

Eight buildings were removed with the largest having 14 levels to make way for the northern entrance to the new underground station and like with the CBD stations on Melbourne's Metro Tunnel project, acoustic sheds will be erected on site to minimise noise and dust during the main thrust of construction.

The second phase of the first Sydney Metro line is scheduled to be complete by 2024 with services starting on the first phase next year.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SydneyMetro/photos/a.1404688343152137.1073741828.1398640573756914/2055159891438309/?type=3&amp;theater">Sydney Metro on </a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SydneyMetro/photos/a.1404688343152137.1073741828.1398640573756914/2055159891438309/?type=3&amp;theater">facebook</a>.
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Alastair Taylor

Track laying complete on Sydney Metro North West

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<h2>Comment</h2>

With the dizzying array of infrastructure projects happening around central Melbourne and many new projects focused on Melbourne's West, you could be forgiven for forgetting about the South East - well, the long-term planning for transport infrastructure at least.

The Regional Rail Link, Melbourne Airport Rail Link, new &amp; faster services to Geelong, maybe Melbourne Metro 2 at some point down the track (pardon the pun) - the array of projects Melbourne's overall westward march when it comes to greenfield and increasingly brownfield development.

We have two tiers of railway service in Victoria - one which is focused on Melbourne, metro, and one that is focused on connecting regional areas, V/Line. 

We've been on a journey to gradually separate these two service layers, physically through different sets of tracks for each, and in no place is this more obvious than in Melbourne's West where the Regional Rail Link has added dedicated tracks from the City through to Sunshine and then around the back of Werribee to connect with the Geelong line.

That separation that has been achieved is strained and is at threat of being unraveled as the Melton line is set to be electrified in the near future which would mean, if there were no extra tracks added, we'd have come full circle. 

Likewise, the Geelong services operating on the Regional Rail Link are doing a large amount of moving suburbanites - the state and federal budget commitments to studying how to 'speed up' Geelong services has an information deficit so we can only surmise that this will mean that corridor might be quadruplicated or an entirely new fast rail corridor for Geelong services is devised and built.

<h2>South-East Melbourne isn't going away any time soon</h2>

While so much focus is on the west, there's one two-track train line in the South East that is seeing major improvements which will unlock passenger carrying capacity but won't achieve the same speed / journey time transformation the railway lines in Melbourne's west look destined to maintain and improve upon.

The Melbourne Metro tunnel project, level crossing removal programme in the area, the new trains and signaling system will squeeze a lot more capacity on the two tracks for metro/V/Line and freight services which run from Caulfield to Pakenham via Dandenong, however V/Line services will still be stuck behind metro trains in peak times.

Consider this: the City of Casey and the Shire of Cardinia, the last remaining greenbelt growth areas in the south-east, have a combined population of 430,000.  That's the equivalent of the population of Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo combined.

In Plan Melbourne, approximately 100,000 new housing units are projected to be built in the Southern Region, which is almost exclusively within the urban growth boundary in both the City of Casey and Shire of Cardinia.  A further 180,000 residential dwellings are projected to be built in established areas which encompass the entire southern region which spans from the Bay to Pakenham and all of the Mornington Peninsula.

Journeys to the city from stations beyond Dandenong start at 47 minutes (from Hallam) and 49 minutes (from Lynbrook) with journeys from remaining stations further out increasing from there.

Not everyone who lives beyond Dandenong works in the city - not by a long shot - but Spring Street wouldn't be upgrading the existing line now with more stopping all stations services if they didn't expect that to grow.

Throw in the planning work on Monash and Dandenong South's national employment clusters, which aim to concentrate and grow more employment in these two specific regions (and similarly they are both serviced by the two-track railway in question), and you have a recipe for increased need for rapid &amp; frequent rail services in Melbourne's South East.

<h2>Let's not forget about the long-term needs of the South East and Gippsland</h2>

In this year's state budget, money would be allocated to study how to speed up Geelong services.  The fastest timetabled journey from Geelong to Southern Cross (80km via the regional rail link) is 1 hour (6:53 from Geelong, arrives 7:53 at Southern Cross - doesn't stop in the outer suburban areas of Melbourne's West).  

The fastest journey from Pakenham (60km from Melbourne) on a metro service is 1 hour 11 minutes (Pakenham to Parliament in morning weekday peak as per existing timetable).

What would 'speeding up' Geelong services involve?  We'll have to wait and see as there's no apparent logic being followed from any publicly available transport plan however I'd surmise it would involve building the second track pair in the regional rail link corridor for Geelong V/Line services, leaving the existing track pair to be electrified and have Werribee line services extended after the third side of the West Werribee triangle junction is added.

Sunshine to the Deer Park junction will likely need quadruplication because the State Government has all but confirmed the Melton line will be electrified and having four tracks in this section, two for regional and two for metro.

If a terminating platform at the new Sunshine transit hub the state government has begun spruiking was built, that would allow the Werribee line to get back to the job of serving people in metropolitan areas and V/Line can get back to its job of serving regional areas.

How would we 'speed up' Gippsland services, Pakenham services and provide capacity for freight trains to run at any time of the day, such as to the long-mooted Port rail shuttle terminal in Lynbrook? 

By effectively doing a regional rail link in the east - two more tracks from the city to at least Dandenong.

While not wanting to lessen the emphasis on benefiting regional passengers with faster journeys, any new rail infrastructure in Melbourne's South-East should at least involve services which benefit outer metropolitan areas as well as provide the capacity to shift trucks from the Port of Melbourne to the distribution centres in the south east off the roads - like what could happen with port rail shuttles.

If we apply equal weight to those three goals (and keep them in mind when assessing both formally and informally the benefits/costs), the scope and type of new rail infrastructure that would need to be built in order to facilitate those three goals narrows and is fairly clear: track capable of relatively fast speeds (100kph versus the 80kph top speed of the existing track, the faster the better) from the city to Dandenong, minimal new stations/platforms and especially in the inner-city (between Caulfield and the city), tunneling.

A casual reminder: the original East-West Eddington study devised an entirely new track pair from South Kensington to Caulfield - the 'hard' (tunnelling) part that would have been completed in two phases (Phase 1 - South Kensington to Domain, Phase 2 - Domain to Caulfield).  The previous Liberal government bastardised that concept into a much shorter tunnel from North Melbourne via Southern Cross to Montague, Domain and then surfacing at South Yarra.

The Metro tunnel that is now under construction is effectively Eddington Phase 1 with the shortened connection to existing tracks just south of South Yarra which will orphan a track pair between the City and South Yarra.

Addressing Western Melbourne's imbalance in infrastructure is rightfully in vogue, however the regional areas to the east and the large amount of new people who will live in the outer south-east, either on the fringe or in established areas is likely to be larger than all the western regional cities combined.

Is it right to 'speed up' Geelong services when there's no long-term plans to undo the short-termism on the Dandenong corridor?

Lead image credit: <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/FlindersStreetStation-clocks.jpg/1280px-FlindersStreetStation-clocks.jpg">Wikipedia</a>.
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Let's not forget Gippsland and Melbourne's South East in long term rail infrastructure plans

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Last week's podcast, this week! Or something like that.  Apologies for the delay.

This week Laurence sits down with Nick Deans and Richard Weinman from Warren &amp; Mahoney where they talk Fitzroy, The Spanish Club and the architecture industry in general.

Subscribe via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/urban-melbournes-weekly-podcast/id1356864009?mt=2">iTunes</a>, you can also see all previously published on the site <a href="/guides">here</a>.

<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="300" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/435242517&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true&amp;visual=true" width="100%"></iframe>

 
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Weekly Podcast: Episode 11 - Guests Nick Deans and Richard Weinman from Warren & Mahoney

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The State Government has announced $50 million to be allocated in the state's budget this year will go toward detailed investigations for fast rail infrastructure between Melbourne &amp; Geelong which will, the government claims, will compliment planning work already underway for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link.

The only high-level concept/vision released with the announcement was the video, embedded in the Premier's tweet below, which points toward Sunshine becoming a super-hub for rail.

Money allocated in this year's state budget will also 'consider a new fleet of dedicated trains capable of travelling between 250 and 300 kilometres per hour'.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
Airport Rail. Geelong Fast Rail. Here’s how we’re going to do it. <a href="https://t.co/ahivW3eE4M">pic.twitter.com/ahivW3eE4M</a>
— Daniel Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/989348577477410816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2018</a>
</blockquote>

The inclusion of '250 to 300kph' speeds in the media release raised a few eyebrows around the Apartments.com.au newsroom, given that traditionally, trains running at those speeds only become economic when travelling very long distances.  Melbourne &amp; Geelong, depending on the path taken are 70-90km apart.

Victoria's regional lines outside of Melbourne, broadly speaking, have a top speed of 160kph to Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Traralgon - elsewhere railway lines (and signalling) only permit speeds of 130kph or less.

The State Government reiterated it wanted a future Melbourne Airport Rail Link to integrate with the existing rail network and compliment faster services to regional Victoria.

<blockquote>
The Labor Government wants a future Melbourne Airport Link that integrates into the existing rail network.

This would maximise the benefits of the link, unlocking capacity in Melbourne’s booming west and north and providing better services for regional Victoria.

Today’s announcement complements the work already underway on a joint preliminary business case for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link between Victoria and the Commonwealth.
</blockquote>

Spring Street also announced the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority, which was set up to deliver the Metro tunnel project and since has been given the reigns to deliver projects like the South Morang - Mernda extension, will be renamed.

Rail Projects Victoria will be the new brand name and all projects currently underway in Victoria - the Metro Tunnel project, The Regional Rail Revival project unveiled last year, and the faster-rail-to-Geelong investigation work - will now be carried out by the newly renamed authority.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/electrificaiotn.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Further suburban electrification projects are on the cards as part of the planning money announced today"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/electrificaiotn.png?itok=EdeRmhtB" title="Further suburban electrification projects are on the cards as part of the planning money announced today" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Further suburban electrification projects are on the cards as part of the planning money announced today</figcaption></figure>
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Spring Street allocates $50 million toward planning work for faster rail services to Geelong

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The draft design report for the Brisbane Metro has been released and the Brisbane City Council is now inviting <a href="https://yoursay.brisbane.qld.gov.au/BneMetro">feedback</a> on the project.

Brisbane Metro is a project which is designed to provide frequent, predictable bus services on two new lines that will utilise and in some cases augment existing busway infrastructure within central Brisbane.

The proposal includes two separate lines which run from Eight Mile Plains to Roma Street and the Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital with the University of Queensland's primary campus at St Lucia. Both lines will share the same infrastructure between Roma Street and Buranda.

Much of the existing busway infrastructure will be re-used between Eight Mile Plains, UQ and the RBWH and the primary infrastructure changes are predominantly limited to the centre of the city.

South Brisbane's Melbourne &amp; Grey Streets intersection, which currently hosts the surface busway from Victoria Bridge, would see a new underground structure built, complete with a station at the Cultural Centre, to give buses priority.  

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/bne_cbd_changes1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Proposed changes to Brisbane CBD city streets for the Metro project - image: Draft Design Report"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="532" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/bne_cbd_changes1.png?itok=holp3Px4" title="Proposed changes to Brisbane CBD city streets for the Metro project - image: Draft Design Report" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Proposed changes to Brisbane CBD city streets for the Metro project - image: Draft Design Report</figcaption></figure>Victoria Bridge would be closed to car traffic and instead stay open only for new metro services, buses, cyclists and pedestrians.  A suite of works in the CBD including a tunnel under Adelaide street and traffic changes are also proposed to separate metro services and provide access to the King George Square bus station.

Together, the draft design report estimates 150 buses will be removed from the surface streets in central Brisbane.

A dedicated fleet of 60 vehicles with a capacity around the 150 mark will boost the capacity of the inner busway system to 22,000 passengers per direction, per hour and the draft design report estimates it will reduce journey times by up to 30% in the AM peak and up to 50% in the PM peak.

To view the draft design report, click <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://yoursay.brisbane.qld.gov.au/34726/documents/75464">here</a>.  To make a submission, see <a href="https://yoursay.brisbane.qld.gov.au/BneMetro">yoursay.brisbane.qld.gov.au</a>
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Brisbane Metro's draft design report released for consultation

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Melbourne Airport's March performance results were released earlier this week with a total of 3,161,672 passengers moving through the domestic and international terminals in March, up from 2,948,113 in March 2017.

The airport authority said the earlier Eastern break boosted the March numbers compared to last year with 916,849 people flying in and out internationally compared to 786,978 in 2017.

For the financial year-to-date, Tullamarine has seen a total of 27,915,922 passengers pass through both domestic and international terminals (this number excludes people transiting, and therefore don't leave the passenger terminals).

<blockquote>
Nine years of consecutive passenger growth is no flash in the pan. It is an extraordinary milestone and underlines the need to construct a third runway in order to keep up with traveller demand and the needs of the state.  
We are seeing more airlines introduce new non-stop long-haul services making international travel cheaper, with more choices for more people than ever before.  
We know Victoria’s visitor numbers and spend are growing faster than any other state in Australia and we will continue to play a vital role in enabling nation-wide and international connections.
<cite>Lyell Strambi, Melbourne Airport CEO</cite>
</blockquote>

At the same time as welcoming the Federal Government's $5 billion commitment to part-financing a rail line to the airport, Melbourne Airport's CEO made mention that plans for the 3rd runway are being brought forward.

<blockquote>
In a few short months we will bring forward our proposal for the third runway, which will set us up to welcome almost 70 million passengers per year by 2038.  
At the same time we are investing in our terminal infrastructure and our internal road network to ensure the traveller experience is in line with Melbourne’s reputation as a destination of choice for international visitors and the world’s most liveable city. 
A rail link can help us to realise the full potential of Melbourne Airport, injecting enormous value into the Victorian and national economies, creating and supporting jobs for the local community and putting the world within reach for millions of Victorian travellers.
<cite>Lyell Strambi, Melbourne Airport CEO</cite>
</blockquote>

The third runway project aims to lengthen and widen the existing east-west runway and build a parallel runway on an east-west axis two kilometres south of the existing east-west runway.

Parallel runways will allow the airport to shift to operations which might include takeoffs and landings that are handled by their own runway, therefore allowing a higher throughput of aircraft on each runway or allow dual simultaneous landings and takeoffs.

Many airports with multiple runways switch operation modes throughout the course of the day - simultaneous take-offs and landings or dedicating one type of aircraft movement to a specific runway - namely Sydney in our own backyard and Singapore (2, soon to be 3, parallel runways), Kuala Lumpur (3 parallel runways), Hong Kong (2, soon to be 3, parallel runways) and Los Angeles (4 parallel runways) further afield. 

Brisbane and Auckland are both are different stages of introducing parallel runways as well.

The airport authority has been consulting the community about the third runway plans since 2014 and it's expected the draft of the major development plan will be released this year with a public comment period set to begin thereafter.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.melbourneairport.com.au/Corporate/Media-centre/Gallery">Melbourne Airport</a>
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Melbourne Airport sees passenger boost in March, confirms 3rd runway plans will be open for comment soon

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The <a href="https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/application/files/1915/2412/4069/Transport_Strategy_Public_Transport_Background_Paper.pdf">background paper</a> authored by Dr John Stone of the University of Melbourne and Dr Ian Woodcock of RMIT which adds to the growing suite of documents to inform the City of Melbourne's transport strategy refresh strikes an interesting, metropolitan-wide, tone.

Drs Stone and Woodcock neatly tie together all the pieces in the haphazard puzzle of projects that are out in there in the public domain (they also insert some of their own ideas) and provide a narrative upon which the City of Melbourne could be an advocate for proper metropolitan-scale public transport network planning.

At the heart of the city and therefore the rail networks, the City of Melbourne naturally benefits when any public transport project is implemented - whether it's a suburban extension to South Morang which brings more people into the municipality or the Melbourne Metro 2 project, the paper acknowledges this and effectively lobbies the council to use that position to the benefit of other municipalities.

The paper defines the Melbourne Metro 2 project - another cross-town rail tunnel from Clifton Hill to Newport, joining the South Morang and Werribee lines together - as the top priority for the council as, without it, the projected passenger demand by 2031 could not be met on the existing rail network.

The paper also advocates for a station at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on the second cross-town railway line and also advocates for the second (third) station in Fishermans Bend to be located at the employment precinct.  The transport plan for Fishermans Bend has two alternative rail routes for Melbourne Metro 2, the route via the employment precinct is one of them.

A denser and better connected inner-city tram and bus network is another theme of the background paper in which the authors argue council should advocate for increased capacity in the tram and bus networks, achieved through improving vehicle speeds and on-road priority for both modes.

The paper notes the state government has not released any public plans for the development of the bus and tram networks and calls for the City of Melbourne to advocate for such a release so that interest groups and the wider public can engage with the plans, therefore allowing the state government and private operators to establish and staged program of works.

Inner-city orbital light rail routes are present in the background paper - including a line that would re-use parts of the old outer-circle rail line and connect with Highpoint and Sunshine in the west and be tunneled under Hoddle Street to connect with Anzac, née Domain, station and South Melbourne.

Likewise, the middle and outer suburbs, despite being far from the City of Melbourne, are present in the background paper. 

The paper serves as a reminder that not everyone works in the City of Melbourne right now and that the National Employment and Innovation Clusters, as they're known, in the middle and outer suburbs are just as worthy of proper mass transit and in the end, by the City of Melbourne using its weight to also advocate for these outer suburban light rail lines, it enhances connectivity with the municipality in the long-run.

To read the background paper, click <a href="https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/application/files/1915/2412/4069/Transport_Strategy_Public_Transport_Background_Paper.pdf">here</a>.  Also, to make a submission to the City of Melbourne's transport strategy refresh, see <a href="https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/transportstrategy">participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au</a>

Lead image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tram_to_Collins_St_(6760096449).jpg">Wikipedia</a>
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City of Melbourne's transport refresh background paper advocates for better metropolitan-wide PT

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<h2>Comment</h2>

The news today that R&amp;F has turned the first sod of soil at its massive Kinnears site is a reminder that Melbourne's west is a lot bigger than just one redevelopment zone.

When the Prime Minister and Treasurer turned up to Melbourne Airport the other week to announce $5 billion would be allocated in the Federal Budget for a Melbourne Airport Rail Link, the Maribyrnong defence site which the Federal Government owns and is looking to unload from the government's balance sheet, featured on two of the four possible alignments.

This is not new - the airport link route alignments are from a Baillieu/Napthine Government era study.

I applaud the Federal Government for its focus on financing new urban rail lines and redeveloping sites around stations as a way of getting a return out of that investment - infrastructure goes in, new housing, commercial and retail space comes out.

However when an opportunity comes along to build an airport rail link that separates regional and metro services even more - such as what the Rail Futures Institute's AirTrain vision would do - the greater good for the state (through the regional city to airport connections that would be possible) should trump all else.

Melbourne Airport needs its own ground public transport plan - a rail line to do the heavy lifting from the airport to key locations where passengers can connect to other parts of the network plus a suite of smaller projects which are focused on providing greater accessibility between the suburbs nearer the airport that a heavy rail line will more than likely bypass - is key.

The City of Melbourne, through its transport refresh, is even advocating long-term for a second rail connection - much like London's Heathrow or Paris's Roissy/Charle de Gaulle airports which have at least two different approaches to the airport by rail. London has its tube and express to centre of the city services, Paris has its RER network to take people into central parts of the city and regional high-speed services connecting to the airport.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/maribyrnong_tram1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="A combination of network extensions and tram priority roadworks would connect the defence site to very high quality public transport"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="340" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/maribyrnong_tram1.png?itok=12gYmONA" title="A combination of network extensions and tram priority roadworks would connect the defence site to very high quality public transport" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>A combination of network extensions and tram priority roadworks would connect the defence site to very high quality public transport</figcaption></figure>Despite endorsing the vision for Melbourne's first major public transport to the airport like the one that the Rail Futures Institute has developed, it shouldn't mean we turn attention away from the Defence site, and specifically the tram network in the north west.

The area already has tracks in the ground and a minor extension of the existing #57 route into the Defence site would add that 'last mile' infrastructure right into the heart of the future redevelopment zone.

At present, there are two tram routes running along the southern boundary of the site - the #57 which weaves its way through Ascot Vale, Flemington and North Melbourne to the city and the #82 which connects Moonee Ponds, Highpoint and Footscray.

Right now, the timetable for the 82 on a journey from the stop near the intersection of Wests Road and Raleigh Road (the southern boundary of the Defence site) is timetabled to take 20 minutes to Footscray.

Footscray station in the next 5 years will see increased services which will, towards the city, either take people around the loop or through the new metro tunnel - in short, Footscray will be one of the best connect suburbs in Melbourne.  The barebones to make interchanges are already in place, we should focus on speeding services up and making them more frequent.

<a href="/news/live-city-footscray-begins-construction-pushing-r-fs-current-apartment-pipeline-beyond-3-000">The Kinnears site kick off</a> adds weight to improving the existing Footscray-Maribyrnong tram line and if the government decides to move the Footscray hospital to the massive surface car park that is located at the intersection of Geelong and Ballarat roads opposite Victoria University, the Tiernan/Droop Street tram stop will bring public transport closer to the wider, redeveloped, hospital and university precinct.

Tram priority or 'light-railification', whatever you want to call it, the projects identified in the map above, are well within the bounds of the Infrastructure Victoria ethos that we should sweat our current assets more - and augment them where necessary.  For instance:

<ul>
<li>Separate car traffic from tram tracks using small in-road barriers like those installed on Lygon Street in Carlton North recently and on <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/kuiKaFzX9EH2">Queensbridge Street in Southbank</a>
</li>
	<li>Remove on-street parking along the length of the route from the Defence site to Footscray and in part between the Defence site and Newmarket.</li>
	<li>Implement absolute priority for trams at all signalised intersections, minimising unnecessary stopping time.</li>
	<li>Combine building the new triangular junction at Wests/Raleigh Road with grade separation over Raleigh Road into the tram corridor toward Highpoint.</li>
	<li>Rationalise stops and introducing platforms at all of them.</li>
	<li>Rebuild the Footscray terminus with two terminating platforms.</li>
	<li>Rebuild Newmarket station with a proper platform to new tram platform interchange.</li>
	<li>Introduce larger tram vehicles such as the E-class.</li>
</ul>
The aim should be to have a Defence site to Footscray or Newmarket station journey time of 10-15 minutes. 

With an average 5 minute interchange time after the Metro tunnel opens which will see frequencies in peak and off-peak increase through Footscray and Newmarket, people who chose to live in the Defence site would have a relatively quick 2-seat journey to the city, but also, and more importantly, be connected to multiple activity and employment centres in the region.

<h2>Melbourne Airport needs a plan and package of new routes</h2>

The Federal Government threw down the gauntlet with their announcement kerbside at Melbourne Airport - they want the state government to match their commitment.  If that's the case - here's one possibility.  

If the AirTrain vision that the Rail Future's Institute can be costed under $10 billion, then the Federal Government's $5 billion should be allocated 100% to that project with the State Government picking up the balance. 

In order to match the $5 billion in Federal Government money, the State Government should commit to improving public transport to the Defence Site plus also get started on a suite of other public transport projects for the airport.

This would include extending the #57 tram from its current terminus at Airport West under the Western Ring Road and then along Sharps Road and Airport Drive; high-frequency bus routes, with priority roadworks, to the east through Broadmeadows, Upfield and onto Epping/South Morang.  
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R&F's Kinnears site kick off adds impetus in creating a new tram link to the Maribyrnong defence site

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The City of Melbourne has released the latest discussion paper that is being used to inform submissions on its transport policy refresh.

The daily population of the municipality is projected to grow from 900,000 today to 1,400,000 by 2036 and the council is looking to refresh all facets of its transport strategy. 

Two weeks ago, the first two discussion papers were <a href="/news/city-of-melbournes-transport-strategy-refresh-should-it-not-apply-to-other-municipalities">released</a> - they're focused on walking and space-related aspects.

The <a href="https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/application/files/7015/2412/3934/Transport_Strategy_refresh_-__Public_Transport.PDF">latest document</a> is solely focused on public transport and covers all the major modes of public transport that runs through the municipality.

<blockquote>
A world-class public transport system is critical to a liveable, prosperous and sustainable city. Mass public transport is the most space-efficient means of moving high volumes of people across medium to long distances.

The City of Melbourne manages much of the interface with the public transport network: our streets. The experience of people on the streets in our city, including at interchanges and transfer points, impacts on the reputation of the city.

Our public transport network is under strain. The number of people living, working and visiting the municipality is growing faster than can be accommodated by current services and committed public transport projects. The crucial Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel will be at capacity soon after completion.
</blockquote>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/mm1_mm2_capacity.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Heavy Rail capacity impacts of Metro 1 and Metro 2 rail projects - image: City of Melbourne"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="380" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/mm1_mm2_capacity.png?itok=le3iJyp2" title="Heavy Rail capacity impacts of Metro 1 and Metro 2 rail projects - image: City of Melbourne" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Heavy Rail capacity impacts of Metro 1 and Metro 2 rail projects - image: City of Melbourne</figcaption></figure>Rail-based transport networks feature heavily, as you'd expect, and the discussion paper includes the above infographic which looks at the patronage on the rail network in 2011 and then the projection of demand in 2031 and the capacity impacts that the Metro 1 - now under construction - and Metro 2 projects will have.

The discussion paper even goes on to say 'the crucial Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel will be at capacity soon after completion'.  Assuming the projections in the paper come to fruition, it's a sobering thought, but not surprising given the slow, medium or high population growth scenarios which the ABS publishes for all major centres.

Not mentioned in the discussion paper or made plainly obvious in the rail capacity projections is the city-loop reconfiguration project which is present in the <a href="/news">Network Development Plan of 2012/2013</a> and again features in Infrastructure Victoria's long-list of analysed projects.

The City Loop reconfiguration project is intended to link the Frankston &amp; Craigieburn lines together through the two city loop tunnel those lines currently use (by changing tunnel entrances and connections at North Melbourne &amp; Richmond).  The same project will make it possible to link the Sandringham and Upfield lines that would run via Southern Cross and Flinders Street.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/potential_concept_metro_train_map.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Melbourne's rail future? Vision from CoM's transport refresh document suite"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="374" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/potential_concept_metro_train_map.jpg?itok=CYTaEpuK" title="Melbourne's rail future? Vision from CoM's transport refresh document suite" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Melbourne's rail future? Vision from CoM's transport refresh document suite</figcaption></figure>The discussion paper states that tram priority measures - separating trams from car lanes, adding tram priority at signalised intersections etc - should be 'supercharged'.

Familiar statistics are outlined in the paper as well - 80% of the tram network mixes with car traffic - and Zurich is used as a comparison in the tram priority stakes.

The rail vehicles operating on tram network in Zurich, according to the paper, only spend 6% of their time at intersections compared to 17% in Melbourne.  The paper points out that a project begun in the 1980s gives trams 'absolute priority at intersections and allocates dedicated road space to trams, with the ideal situation being one where trams need only stop to set down or pick up passengers'.

It sounds wonderful - trams with absolute priority - perhaps our issue is that the council isn't the only responsible authority for roads in Melbourne - VicRoads or the state government will probably have other ideas - and that's perhaps one of our fundamental issues.

To read the latest discussion, paper, see <a href="https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/transportstrategy/public-transport-network">participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au</a>.
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New Public Transport discussion document released as part of City of Melbourne's transport strategy refresh

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Infrastructure Victoria has been busy devising a new swathe of advice for the state government, releasing its Five-year focus: immediate actions to tackle congestion <a href="http://infrastructurevictoria.com.au/sites/default/files/images/Five-year%20focus%20-%20Immediate%20actions%20to%20tackle%20congestion%20-%20April%202018.pdf">paper</a> today.

Interestingly enough, the Herald Sun has chosen to portray the release of the paper as a plan, with its frontpage teaser on its website suggesting it's a plan that will get executed.

Alas, as with anything Infrastructure Victoria does, it's more advice rather than concrete planning.  Transport planning is carried out by Transport for Victoria.

The advice agency, and increasingly Victoria's best public repository of transport data, has reiterated its call first made upon the release of the 30-year strategy for a new road pricing regime to better manage demand on the road network.

Infrastructure Victoria, through the release of this paper, has provided modeled evidence on how introducing peak and off-peak public transport fares will also provide benefits to the transport network through both mode (from car to public transport) and time shifts.

Infrastructure Victoria also recommends extending the car parking levy that applies to the CBD into the City of Yarra and City of Stonnington - two areas that consistently see some of the worst congestion at present and with the car parking levy extended into these areas, the agency believes it would force behavioural change. Revenue raised from the extended levy would be funneled back into active transport infrastructure.

The bus network gets special attention from the agency as well.  It cites the success of the short, high-frequency bus routes which connect from stations to universities like the 401 from North Melbourne to the University of Melbourne and finds that 40% of the bus network is underperforming based on a metric which measures boardings per hour.

Any bus route which does not achieve more than 20 boardings per hour is deemed under-performing and Infrastructure Victoria recommends a widespread audit of all under-performing routes, potentially replacing them with on-call services or altering routes and frequencies.  The agency also says Spring Street should also focus on improving routes which are deemed performing by possibly strengthening routes and increasing frequencies.

In a sign of the times, active transport investment is a focus in the 5-year paper and it's not all about the inner-city.  Infrastructure Victoria has published data on current active transport trips versus potential trips for the National Employment and Innovation Clusters at Parkville, Monash and La Trobe.

Data published through the paper shows that there's potential for 80,000+ additional active transport trips to the city from surrounding areas, but crucially there is potential for 60,000 active transport trips (split 40k/20k) to Monash and La Trobe NEICs respectively.

These two areas are also a focus for increased bus services, and while it appears (and is logical) that Infrastructure Victoria's paper does not reflect the recent budgetary announcement on planning work for trams to the south-east, Wellington Road, as one of the routes IV highlights for special bus treatment in its paper is going to be a tram line.

One image to close with.  It depicts the projected increase in car trips between different metropolitan regions by 2031. 

We here at Apartments.com.au (well ok, it's just me) regularly talk about orbital or cross-town rail projects in the middle to outer ring of suburbs - while IV's paper is focused on lower cost, rapidly deployable initiatives for the next 5 years, we also need to keep on eye on the medium to longer term.

Should we be planning more road capacity in the mid-eastern to mid-south eastern regions or should we be looking at long-term behavioural change (as well as mode shifting existing car trips) with high-capacity light or heavy projects?

Ditto - there's a projected increase in trips around the inner city (mid-western/outer western to mid-northern, mid-northern to mid-eastern/mid-south eastern) - much of that car trip growth is in the not-so-insignificant 2000-4000 range - why should we be planning road expansion for that trip growth?

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/passenger_trip_growth_iv.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Projected car trip growth in metropolitan Melbourne (2031) - image: Infrastructure Victoria"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="443" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/passenger_trip_growth_iv.png?itok=AlA9G3mn" title="Projected car trip growth in metropolitan Melbourne (2031) - image: Infrastructure Victoria" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Projected car trip growth in metropolitan Melbourne (2031) - image: Infrastructure Victoria</figcaption></figure>Click <a href="http://infrastructurevictoria.com.au/sites/default/files/images/Five-year%20focus%20-%20Immediate%20actions%20to%20tackle%20congestion%20-%20April%202018.pdf">here</a> to read the Five-year focus: immediate actions to tackle congestion paper.
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Infrastructure Victoria releases new paper, initiatives to tackle congestion in the short term

Around 400 additional homes could be built at Southwark Grounds on Port Road, lifting total site capacity from 1300 to around 1700 dwellings.

A recently approved code amendment would allow apartment towers of up to 14 storeys in some areas of Renewal SA’s redevelopment of the former West End Brewery.

Renewal SA Acting Chief Executive Shane Wingard said he welcomed the code amendment, with the increase in heights and homes making a positive impact on the supply of high-quality, well-connected housing close to the city.

“By going higher across some parts of Southwark Grounds, we are adding a substantial number of very well-located homes with little impact on project delivery time or planned open space,” Mr Wingard said.

Since the project officially launched in 2025, Mr Wingard said more than 12,000 enquiries had been received about living at Southwark Grounds.

“The very strong early interest we’ve seen since homes were first released in the precinct reinforces our plans to create more housing opportunities,” he said.

The Southwark Grounds code amendment was launched in December last year, with community engagement undertaken over five weeks from January.

It proposed increasing maximum building heights from eight to 14 storeys on the eastern section of Southwark Grounds, and to 12 storeys across the remainder of the site, with minimum building heights ranging from two to four storeys.

The code amendment was implemented through an Early Commencement policy in late January, allowing developers to quickly explore the viability of increased height and housing yield while other planning processes continue.

One of the first developers delivering apartment sites have already finalised redesigns to increase the number of apartments following the code amendment.

Samaras’ development adjacent to the future Colonel Light Park is now planning to deliver 125 apartments across 11 storeys, significantly greater than original plans of around 50 apartments across four storeys.

The developer is also exploring the potential for additional affordable housing outcomes.

Most of the apartments at Southwark Grounds will be delivered within a master-planned precinct on a large parcel of land on the eastern portion of the site, covering around two-thirds of its 8.4 hectares.

Wingard said detailed precinct planning over the coming months may identify further opportunities to increase yield further that could see total apartment numbers at Southwark Grounds, exceed this number.

Affordable homes at Southwark Grounds will also see a net increase, with Renewal SA maintaining its commitment to a minimum of 20 per cent affordable housing across the development.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Civil works have begun across the site, with construction under way on the first new roads surrounding a townhouse precinct in the south‑west corner of Southwark Grounds. This includes Renewal SA’s 17 Founder’s Row homes, which are on track for completion by Christmas.

“We expect to have people living at Southwark Grounds by the end of the year, so delivering roads and public spaces for those residents is among our highest priorities.”

Construction of 40 townhouses off Anderson Street, known as West Village and being delivered by Contour, is forecast to begin in mid‑2026. Kolabb’s Anderson Lane development will follow shortly after, delivering a further 26 townhouses.

Southwark Grounds is a state government‑led urban renewal project now set to deliver around 1,700 homes over the next decade.

Homes will be supported by a supermarket, a range of retail and hospitality offerings anchored by a revitalised Walkerville Brew Tower, a childcare centre, car parking and well‑connected public spaces.

Joel Robinson

400 new homes planned for Adelaide's former West End Brewery site

Brisbane developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/cavcorp">Cavcorp</a> has lodged plans for a new mixed-use residential development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/55-wyandra-street-teneriffe-qld-4005">55 Wyandra Street</a>, Teneriffe, anchored by an 85-metre public laneway designed to reconnect the suburb’s riverfront with the Gasworks precinct.

The buildings, known as Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane, would replace the existing Queensland Cotton head office site with a 15-storey residential tower transitioning to eight storeys toward Helen Street. The project has been designed by Plazibat Architects and lodged as a code assessable development application for 93 apartments across a 3,401 sqm mixed-use site within the Newstead and Teneriffe Waterfront neighbourhood plan.

Central to the scheme is the transformation of an existing service easement into a publicly accessible cross-block connection linking Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the new laneway will act as both a pedestrian shortcut and a landscaped civic space between the Teneriffe Riverwalk, ferry terminal, and Gasworks precinct.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="26e7f058-b065-4de8-b13d-a2b8cb64dfcc" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bldg.png?VersionId=sELS0ZKYi361oYipUa1BIKfe_.DLZoFV" />

“The revised proposal delivers a legacy public-realm cross-block link, permanently secured for community use, transforming an existing private easement into a safe, high-quality pedestrian connection between the Teneriffe heritage riverwalk and the Gasworks–Long Island precinct,” the planning report states.

The laneway will sit beneath a large subtropical loggia integrated into the podium levels of the development. The design incorporates deep landscaping, water gardens, lobby spaces, business lounges, and ground-floor apartments to create what Cavcorp describes as a climate-responsive “urban verandah.”

The tower itself has been designed as a slender form with recessed floorplates and curved translucent corners inspired by contemporary Japanese architecture. The building height aligns with the Commercial Road precinct controls, which permit towers up to 15 storeys within proximity to Longland Street.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8a17d40-43b6-4718-b3fd-67676fcbb485" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers%202_1.png?VersionId=i3VwDtp5AmL_8InW7w4qRbDFEpb744Jt" />

The project will comprise a mix of larger-format apartments aimed at owner-occupiers, downsizers, and families. The proposed apartment mix includes 11 loggia apartments across the lower levels, 50 four-bedroom Sky-Terrace apartments from levels three to seven, and 32 Sky-Pool Homes occupying the upper tower levels. The Sky-Pool Homes will feature private thermal plunge pools integrated into oversized balconies.

According to the application, the apartments are intended to reinterpret the scale and character of Teneriffe’s woolstore conversions and Queensland homes within a vertical residential format.

“The sky-pool homes build on Cavcorp’s previous projects and introduce a distinct apartment typology to Teneriffe, informed by both local and international precedent and responding to an identified market demand for enhanced safety, space and amenity,” the planning submission notes.

A major focus of the proposal is its five-level wellness and lifestyle offering, extending from the basement through to the rooftop.

Amenities proposed include a rooftop Swim &amp; Racquet Club with a 25-metre Olympic lap pool and tennis court, coworking spaces and libraries, golf simulators, wine storage, concierge facilities, business lounges, pet wash areas, and rooftop longevity-focused wellness spaces with spas, outdoor fitness zones, and landscaped terraces.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="944b352c-49b9-4247-a4c6-5967b4b69fda" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/amenity.png?VersionId=Ed_qKjAtMwFT.5gfl3jiA9QwdWxSMsaX" />

All parking will be concealed within basement levels accessed from Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the deep-basement engineering approach allows the entire ground plane to prioritise landscaping, pedestrian movement, and active frontage rather than vehicle infrastructure.

The development continues Cavcorp’s concentration in Newstead and Teneriffe, where the Brisbane developer has delivered a number of apartment projects including Lucent, Le Bain, and Luminare, as well as the Long Island Wellness Precinct nearby. Several of those projects have received national design and architecture awards, including recognition under Brisbane’s “Buildings that Breathe” program.

Cavcorp unveils wellness-focused Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane apartment buildings

Focus Group Investments has lodged plans for a new apartment development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-70-hanover-street-fitzroy-vic-3065">64–70 Hanover Street</a> in Fitzroy, seeking to utilise the Victorian Government’s recently introduced Great Design Fast Track pathway to accelerate approvals for the project.

The proposal is among the latest developments to emerge through the state-led initiative, which was established to fast-track well-designed residential projects in activity centres and transport-connected inner-city locations. The pathway allows qualifying developments that meet elevated design and housing benchmarks to bypass traditional council planning timeframes and instead be assessed directly by the Department of Transport and Planning.

Designed by SJB, the development will comprise a mix of apartments above activated lower levels, with a strong focus on architectural articulation, landscaping, and communal amenity. The design response seeks to balance the industrial character of Richmond’s former warehouse precincts with a more contemporary residential form.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abea51cc-d85b-479e-9aef-a589f3b37ca7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ground.png?VersionId=e1Kf8EyPWwyiVumtqQ4rM5S4GpOR3CCz" />

Proposed are 63 new dwellings, a wide ranging mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, and townhouses and duplexes. They will be spread across a part-three, part-eight storey building.

The Planning and Urban Context Report by Tract says the development is of an "exemplary architectural standard" and has been carefully crafted by SJB Architects.

"Dwellings&nbsp;will benefit from excellent access to natural light, cross-ventilation opportunities and extensive communal space," the report noted.

The architectural material highlights the project’s integration of landscaped elements and communal spaces throughout the building. The proposal also incorporates sustainability initiatives aligned with the Victorian Government’s push for higher-performing apartment developments under the fast-track program.

The Great Design Fast Track was unveiled by the Victorian Government in 2024 as part of a broader housing supply strategy aimed at accelerating the delivery of new homes. Projects assessed through the pathway must demonstrate high-quality architecture, sustainability outcomes, and housing diversity while being located close to public transport and existing infrastructure.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="afdbe834-8dc4-4a77-a943-ba07bc927348" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/site_11.png?VersionId=0J657j.TaChAZfp93wqJYBTqSsnREJx2" />

Focus Group, founder and led by Paul De Lutiis, is increasingly active across Melbourne’s inner suburbs, targeting well-connected urban renewal locations suited to medium and higher-density residential development. The Fitzroy proposal continues that strategy, leveraging the area’s strong transport links, established retail amenity, and proximity to the CBD.

Fitzroy has been one of the most popular spots for developers and buyers in recent years. The likes of PACE Development Group, SMA Projects, Crema Group and Chapter Group, currently selling projects in the suburb.

First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Fitzroy apartments

The Gold Coast Planning Committee has supported the preliminary approval for the Benowa Gardens Urban Village project following an extensive community consultation and assessment process.

The proposal will now proceed to a full council vote on June 2.

The application sought approval for a masterplanned urban village on the existing Benowa Gardens Shopping Centre site, combining new housing, retail, dining, health and lifestyle amenities within a walkable, integrated precinct.&nbsp;

The proposed redevelopment includes around 413 apartments integrated above a revitalised mixed-use centre featuring a full-line supermarket of 4,000 sqm, 6,000 sqm of specialty retail and dining space across around 30 retailers, a 7,000 sqm health and wellness precinct, and roughly 9,630 sqm of office and medical suites.&nbsp;

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fb36ae47-80bc-45f0-9914-31b0c7b6007d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/PR26576%20Ashmore%20Road%20C4%201121%20FI.jpg?VersionId=6mRKk2uU4r67TmTt39DKGUlvFRbTVqWa" />

The broader masterplan also includes very significant traffic and transport improvements, wide pedestrian walkways, upgraded pedestrian and cycle connections, and enhanced public areas designed to create a more connected and walkable community environment.&nbsp;

Centre owner Patrick Lu said the milestone reflected months of detailed planning, technical assessment and ongoing communication with local residents, businesses, schools and stakeholders.

“We appreciate the time, consideration and care Council officers and the Planning Committee have given this proposal throughout the assessment process,” Lu said.

“We also sincerely thank the local community for engaging with us, sharing feedback and participating in the consultation process over many months.

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="32fd1fc3-d0e6-485f-ac57-9916c9bcb818" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/PR26576%20Ashmore%20Road%20C5%201121%20FI_2.jpg?VersionId=fz8qQKDBLQ7MyFRc856Zccfbh9nFwLOe" />

“We understand projects of this scale bring questions and concerns, which is why we have worked hard to listen carefully, provide information transparently and continue refining elements of the proposal where possible.

“Our vision has always been to create a well-designed, community-focused urban village that responds to the changing needs of the Gold Coast, while delivering improved amenity, housing diversity, healthcare access and local lifestyle benefits.

“This proposal is about creating a genuine live-work-play environment where residents can access everyday services, schools, healthcare, dining, shopping and green space within walking distance, while also supporting local jobs and economic activity.”

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="50dfbd04-590e-4fc6-983b-766880947867" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Dining%20Day%20Time%20-%20High%20Resolution.jpg?VersionId=BP7ZoKJ0DdL_8iRkkC8VVx99moICV6kg" />

Lu said the proposal had evolved significantly through consultation and technical review, particularly around traffic, pedestrian and student safety and neighbourhood connectivity.&nbsp;

Melissa Griffin, Director at Urbis, said the recommendation recognised the strategic importance of delivering more housing and services within established urban areas already supported by infrastructure.

“This proposal represents the type of thoughtful, integrated growth that planning frameworks across South-East Queensland are encouraging,” Ms Griffin said.

“The project seeks to place housing, retail, healthcare and employment opportunities together in a highly accessible location close to schools, transport and existing services.

“Importantly, the process has involved significant technical assessment and community engagement to ensure local issues and feedback were properly considered throughout the planning pathway.”

$1 billion Benowa Gardens Urban Village heads to council vote following Planning Committee support

Surfers Paradise is officially set for its first new residential development with a 45-storey skybridge connecting the two towers.

John Camilleri’s Celestino Developments has been given the green light by the Gold Coast City Council to develop its major beachfront precinct across its huge 4,000 sqm oceanfront site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/63-79-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">63–79 Garfield Terrace</a>, just five months after its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-exclusive-billionaire-winx-breeder-s-bold-two-tower-surfers-paradise-play-with-45th-storey-skybridge">submission in late 2025</a>.

The approved scheme will deliver two towers rising 55 and 48 storeys, connected by a skybridge positioned on level 45 that will house a range of resident-only wellness and entertainment spaces.

In its notice of approval, the Gold Coast City Council said the&nbsp;proposed overall built form has been designed to complement the scale, intensity and protect the adjacent amenity and surrounding streets through the use of varied setbacks, site cover and architectural elements.

<img alt="First look exclusive: Billionaire Winx breeder’s bold two-tower Surfers Paradise play with 45th-storey skybridge" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-30%20at%209.53.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=ADyPJ_TFbJvSU9wZFOiCBnlPtgF7VWqW" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/dbi">DBI</a>, the development will comprise 275 apartments across the two towers, including a mix of two-, three-, and four-bedroom residences, as well as several penthouses. The apartments will sit above a landscaped podium featuring more than 90 metres of beachfront pool frontage, private resident lawns, lounges, and wellness spaces.

DBI said the design draws heavily from the movement and form of the coastal environment, with curving balcony lines and sculpted façades intended to soften the scale of the towers while maximising ocean outlooks and passive shading outcomes.

“The project occupies a rare, uninterrupted oceanfront site and has been shaped by a design philosophy that merges architectural elegance with environmental responsiveness and a carefully curated lifestyle experience,” DBI said in planning documents submitted to the Gold Coast City Council.

The most distinctive element of the approved project is the skybridge linking the two towers at level 45. The elevated communal space is planned to include executive lounges, formal dining areas, wellness facilities, and panoramic ocean-facing outlooks.

“The skybridge enhances the identity of the development, promotes social interaction, and delivers a lifestyle experience not found elsewhere on the Gold Coast,” DBI said.

At podium level, residents will have access to a suite of resort-style amenities, including resident lounges, private dining rooms, a yoga lawn, gymnasium, plunge pools, and treatment spaces. The beachfront pool has been designed with separate lap, lounge, and children’s areas extending across the width of the site.

The project will also introduce new food and beverage offerings along the Enderley Avenue and Oceanway frontages, contributing additional activation to the beachfront precinct.

Alastair Taylor

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