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Not too hot. Not too cold. Just right.

Substitute cold for underdevelopment; hot for development that would frighten the locals to the point where pitchforks will be seen on the streets and at council meetings; and you're left with the goldilocks planning zone.

It's an umbrella term I use to describe General Residential Zone, Residential Growth Zone and the mixed-use zones which broadly interface with the two aforementioned residential-focused zones throughout the metropolitan area.  

Because height is the currency of describing buildings with words, the heights of new development in the Goldilocks zone are 3, 4, 5, 6 and sometimes a higher number of floors.  Those height limits are broadly contained within the General Residential, Residential Growth, and Mixed-Use/Commercial zones in the planning scheme.

<h2>Case Study 1 - 280 Waverley Road, Malvern East</h2>

A typical high street development in an area of Melbourne where to grow, the only way is up.

Real Goldilocks Zone: <a href="http://planning-schemes.delwp.vic.gov.au/schemes/vpps/34_01.pdf">Stonnington C1Z</a>. Floors: 4.  

Site area: 704 square metres (0.0704 hectares).  Number of dwellings proposed: 17.  Equivalent dwellings per hectare: 241.

<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/280_wav_road.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="280 Waverley Road, Malvern East"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="336" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/280_wav_road.jpg?itok=yuXpChG2" title="280 Waverley Road, Malvern East" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>280 Waverley Road, Malvern East</figcaption></figure><h2>Case Study 2 - 15-17 Marriott Parade, Glen Waverley</h2>

A noteworthy case study because the site is an amalgamation of two former single family properties right next door to the City of Monash's council building. The site as seen on streetview:

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sau!4v1475028476594!6m8!1m7!1ss5g3fq-sv-AGyCguTDKwwA!2m2!1d-37.8834388!2d145.1634338!3f320.13606876090705!4f0.17557985880368676!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border:0" width="100%"></iframe>

Real Goldilocks Zone: <a href="http://planning-schemes.delwp.vic.gov.au/schemes/vpps/32_08.pdf">Monash GRZ</a>, <a href="http://planning-schemes.delwp.vic.gov.au/schemes/monash/ordinance/32_08s02_mona.pdf">Schedule 2</a> (GRZ2).  Floors: 4.  

Site area: 2,169 square metres (0.2169 hectares).  Number of dwellings proposed: 63.  Equivalent dwellings per hectare: 290.

<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/15-17_marriott.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="15-17 Marriott Parade, Glen Waverley"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="323" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/15-17_marriott.jpg?itok=TmzEAP_c" title="15-17 Marriott Parade, Glen Waverley" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>15-17 Marriott Parade, Glen Waverley</figcaption></figure>The list below represents some of the other recent 'Goldilocks' additions to the project database.
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Alastair Taylor

The 'Goldilocks' zone well represented in new additions to the project database

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One day after the Port of Melbourne lease announcement, the Victorian Government has brought forward 11 level crossing removals, two of which - Buckley Street in Essendon and Camp Road in Campbellfield - will be fast-tracked with work commencing next year and complete by 2019.

The 11 level crossings have been split into two packages with both now out to tender.

The "North Western" package has five sites. As well as the two fast-tracked projects, the package includes Glenroy Road in Glenroy, Bell Street in Coburg and Moreland Road in Brunswick.

The "Western" package of level crossing removal sites includes Koroit Creek Road in the industrial area of Williamstown North - as well as the partial duplication of the Altona loop - Aviation Road in Laverton, Ferguson Street in Williamstown (site of Williamstown North station), Cherry and Werribee Streets in Werribee and the south-eastern anomaly Abbots Road in Dandenong South.

Construction on the Koroit Creek Road level crossing removal and Altona loop partial duplication will begin next year.

<h2>Comment</h2>

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sau!4v1474336743058!6m8!1m7!1sEgXp20gKYkgrd0-Rv44oqA!2m2!1d-37.7777888!2d144.9581032!3f9.71486674783417!4f0.5847791448704527!5f1.1924812503605782" style="border:0" width="100%"></iframe>

I'm loath to use the term "sky rail" however with Bell Street in Coburg and Moreland Road in Brunswick is there an opportunity to take an axe to the mind-bogglingly high number of level crossings between Park Street and Bell Street, with one fell swoop?

The primary benefit of elevating rail lines is that space, once occupied by rail track, is turned over to other public uses. Brunswick and Coburg see some of the highest rates of cycling in the city yet the Upfield bike path is routinely called out as inadequate and congested with both cyclists and pedestrians sharing the same space.

While the Upfield line is not the busiest line on the network, things appear to be changing with this year's budget having funds to reconnect the end of the Upfield line to the Craigieburn line thus creating a path for regional (and freight) trains.

Bell Street to Park Street measures roughly 4-5km, has five stations and a whopping 12 level crossings (it used to have more). The density of crossings is highest at the southern end in Brunswick, which just so happens to be the area which will see the highest population growth based on development project pipeline data on the Apartments.com.au project database.

Calling all Brunswick and Coburg residents: should this entire stretch be elevated in one go so that a) there's better rail infrastructure for increased services, b) better cycling infrastructure and c) more public space?
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Buckley Street and Camp Road level crossings to be fast-tracked

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Victoria's treasury after October 31st will have a large injection of cash with the announcement on Monday that the Port of Melbourne has been leased to the Lonsdale Consortium on a 50-year term.

The lease that the Lonsdale Consortium, comprised of organisations <a href="http://www.qic.com.au/about-qic/about-us/who-we-are">QIC</a>, <a href="http://www.global-infra.com/whatWeDo.php">GIP</a>, <a href="http://www.omers.com/corporate/OMERS_at_a_Glance.aspx">OMERS</a> and the <a href="http://www.futurefund.gov.au/About-us">Future Fund</a>, has signed is worth more than $9.7 billion to the state and to top it off, more money on top of the sale value is expected to flow to the Victorian Government through the Federal Government's asset recycling programme.

The Department of Treasury and Finance has <a href="http://www.dtf.vic.gov.au/Infrastructure-Delivery/Leasing-the-Port-of-Melbourne/Frequently-asked-questions">published </a><a href="http://www.dtf.vic.gov.au/Infrastructure-Delivery/Leasing-the-Port-of-Melbourne/Frequently-asked-questions">a FAQ</a> which provides more detail on terms of the lease.

The Victorian Government has already made it clear where it intends to spend the money - it was an election promise to use the proceeds to pay for the level crossing removal programme - and Monday's announcement has expanded on this.

$970 million will be spent on regional and rural infrastructure projects and a new $200 million Agriculture Infrastructure and Jobs Fund has also been established to drive growth in the regions, a Victorian Government media release states.

The windfall offers up the opportunity for the state government tinker with existing infrastructure projects - perhaps bringing some forward - yet also provides the Victorian Government with cash to unleash teams of people to assess the worthiness of projects in the pipeline.

Soon after the announcement on Monday, calls to support every project imaginable were posted on social media and the various comment threads all around the internet. In aggregate, the volume of comments, ideas and impassioned calls speak to the interest the community has in infrastructure currently available to them and the new infrastructure which could be in the pipeline.

Rather than call on the state government to get behind building any particular project, we'd prefer to see the government invest more money in sorting the good from the bad in the known pipeline of projects, and in limited cases use the cash from the Port of Melbourne windfall to buy something tangible.

Here's a wishlist.

<h2>Assess and then commit funds to buy/invest in something tangible</h2>

<h3>Schools, schools, schools</h3>

The state government has shown it is not afraid of becoming an active player in the inner-city property market with the recent announcement that it had entered into a contract to buy the General Motors-Holden site; the Victorian Government should continue to be an active player by funding and tasking Infrastructure Victoria to identify suitable sites in order for the Department of Education to build new public schools in the high-growth inner-city development zones.

For a Labor government, there's bound to be a desire to invest in public education facilities more broadly across the state. However assessing the need and at the very least buying the land to build new schools in the inner-city - which will see rapid change over the coming decades - should be done with a matter of urgency in next year's budget.

Arden and Fishermans Bend are two inner-city development zones which have active structure planning processes underway and sites for new schools, which <a href="/news/what-to-do-with-the-extra-port-of-melbourne-proceeds-a-wishlist">double as community hubs</a>, should be identified and purchased as soon as possible.

<h3>Affordable housing initiatives</h3>

In one respect up until this point, the Andrews Government planning policy can, broadly, be characterised by reigning in the excesses of the previous government's policy (or lack thereof depending on your viewpoint). The implementation of tighter controls in the Capital City Zone, the draft design guidelines on apartments, the refresh of planning in Fishermans Bend; these are but a few highly visible results which fit this narrative.

Affordable housing - the market affordable kind, and the social housing kind - is a policy area where the government's cards are being played very close to the chest. Yes, there was the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-05/vic-hands-over-500m-housing-to-aboriginal-corporation/7813358">transfer of housing stock</a> to Aboriginal Housing Victoria, however there is no overarching direction from government on how we might diversify both buying and renting opportunities for those on lower incomes in established areas.

Inclusionary zoning, direct investment from public authorities in private developments, stimulating housing co-operative models; what tickles the fancy of the Victorian Government? It's time to pick the winners and use some of the cash from the Port of Melbourne lease to start experimenting.

<h2>Assess and ensure transport infrastructure debates are well informed</h2>

It's all very well to call for money to be thrown directly into building infrastructure, whether it's for transport, for education, public housing or the justice system. But you look like a dill if you haven't got proper evidence to cite when decisions to invest are perceived to have been made without a proper process, as the current state government is finding out with the "Sky Rail" backlash and how the previous state government found out with the East-West link fiasco &amp; its ousting after one term.

Therefore, it would be prudent to fund and task Infrastructure Victoria with appraising many of the transport project initiatives that have made it into the public domain.

There's also a <a href="https://www.govhack.org/">government hackathon-like</a> opportunity for Infrastructure Victoria where some of the tools used by those who assess &amp; design transport solutions are brought into the public domain in order to facilitate a culture of deeper community engagement. Any ensuing community crowd-sourced transport ideas &amp; solutions will be naturally filtered when those who propose them have access to the right tools.

<h3>The known pipeline</h3>

Lastly, it would be good to see in 2017 or 2018's budget some money set aside to conduct full-scale assessments of the business cases for projects that have had at least one government mention.

The major road transport project that springs to mind is the North East Link: a limited access road / freeway link between the Metropolitan Ring Road and the Eastern Freeway. Let's see the business case and let's see if it stacks up compared to other high-cost transport projects.

Likewise, the laundry list of heavy rail projects in the city - ascertained through the joining of the dots in the Melbourne Metro Rail project business case - would wet many urbanists appetites, but like the North East Link, let's see how it all stacks up.

"Metro 2" from Clifton Hill to Newport, rail (heavy, light or both) to the airport, electrification of the Melton line and reconfiguration of the existing rail network into sectors (and the heavy-hitting work on reconfiguring the city loop tunnels that this would require) are all in this same category.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.amsa.gov.au/about-amsa/recent-events/2014/may-vts/index.asp">Australian Maritime Safety Authority</a>.
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What to do with the extra Port of Melbourne proceeds? A wishlist

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All Victorians, except those residing within the boundary of the City of Greater Geelong, will head to the polls to elect their next council on Saturday 22nd October and the City of Melbourne is certainly getting busy before caretaker modes kicks off this week on the 21st of September.

On Monday morning the council announced it 'proposes to enter into a commercial arrangement with Cairo Melbourne Pty Ltd for a residential and commercial development to be built on a portion of the former JH Boyd School in Southbank'.

<blockquote>
The new agreement reinforces our commitment to transform the former school site into a key civic centre and provide much needed open space for Southbank residents, workers and visitors.

Retail shops will be located on the ground level with 200 residential apartments in the floors above.

Twenty per cent of the development, 46 apartments, will be affordable housing. The apartments will comply with liveable housing guidelines which mean they will be safe, comfortable and easy to access for people of all ages and abilities.
<cite>Robert Doyle, Lord Mayor of Melbourne</cite>
</blockquote>

Cairo Melbourne Pty Ltd has agreed to pay $15.5 million for the cost of the land sale and the proposed sale will be considered by Council before the end of 2016, a City of Melbourne media release states.

<h2>Last Future Melbourne committee meeting before caretaker period</h2>

According to the <a href="http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/about-council/committees-meetings/meeting-archive/pages/future-melbourne-committee-20-september-2016.aspx">agenda posted on the council's website</a>, the last Future Melbourne committee meeting to be held before the caretaker period will see multiple items discussed at the meeting on the 20th of September.

71-87 City Road, Southbank has a <a href="http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/about-council/committees-meetings/meeting-archive/MeetingAgendaItemAttachments/754/13549/sep16-fmc2-agenda-item-6.1.pdf">recommendation</a> that council not support the application based on height and setbacks '[do] not provide an appropriate transition to adjoining areas, dominates the urban form, does not consider the equitable development potential of adjoining lots'.

488-494 La Trobe Street, West Melbourne carries a <a href="http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/about-council/committees-meetings/meeting-archive/MeetingAgendaItemAttachments/754/13551/sep16-fmc2-agenda-item-6.3.pdf">recommendation</a> that council support the proposal subject to a height reduction that deletes one podium and one tower level. The site saw a proposal for a 98m residential building in late 2014 which was subsequently knocked back by council and VCAT upheld the council's decision.

Lend Lease have submitted an application to alter the Victoria Harbour Development Plan (2010) that would see a reduction in commercial uses (retail and/or office space) and an increase in residential uses in Collins Wharf - the last remaining undeveloped portion of Victoria Harbour. The <a href="http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/about-council/committees-meetings/meeting-archive/MeetingAgendaItemAttachments/754/13552/sep16-fmc2-agenda-item-6.4.pdf">report to the committee</a> notes that Lend Lease has included an additional 5,000 square metres of public realm under the proposed 'Victoria Harbour Collins Wharf Development Plan (2015)'.

383 La Trobe Street, Melbourne has a <a href="http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/about-council/committees-meetings/meeting-archive/MeetingAgendaItemAttachments/754/13553/sep16-fmc2-agenda-item-6.5new.pdf">recommendation</a> that council support the 70-level, mixed-use residential &amp; hotel proposal.

The last Future Melbourne committee meeting will also decide on a proposal that is 100% within the purview of City of Melbourne: 271 Spring Street, Melbourne. The <a href="http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/about-council/committees-meetings/meeting-archive/MeetingAgendaItemAttachments/754/13550/sep16-fmc2-agenda-item-6.2.pdf">recommendation</a> is that council provides a 'Notice of Decision to Grant a Permit' for the proposal that has <a href="/news/key-sticking-points-hammered-out-as-ispt-seeks-approval-for-its-spring-street-tower">drawn the ire of some in the Urban.com.au community</a>.

The September 20th meeting agenda also carries an item titled "Better Apartments Draft Design Standards Submission" yet at the time of writing, the document had not been uploaded to the council's website.
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City of Melbourne gets busy as caretaker mode kicks in this week

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This morning at a media conference in the historic Newport Workshops, the Premier, Minister for Public Transport and Minister for Industry and Employment announced the Evolution Rail consortium was the successful bidder for the contract to supply the next generation of Melbourne's train fleet: High-Capacity Metro Trains (HCMT).

Keen to emphasise the employment opportunities, 15% of the expected 1,100 jobs created through the awarding of this contract will be for apprenticeships, trainees and cadets and transitioning automotive workers.

<blockquote>
We’re guaranteeing more local work than ever with 60 per cent local content, as well as ensuring the inclusion of 15 per cent Victorian apprentices, trainees and cadets, and a partnership with Toyota to help transition workers out of the auto industry.
<cite>Wade Noonan, Minister for Industry and Employment</cite>
</blockquote>

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/imwSqb4wpQE" width="100%"></iframe>

The Evolution Rail consortium comprises Downer Rail (ASX: <a href="http://www.asx.com.au/asx/research/company.do#!/DOW">Downer EDI Limited</a>), CRRC and Plenary. Furthermore, the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) will set up an Australian regional headquarters and establish "Australia's only bogie manufacturer" in Melbourne, the Victorian Government media release states.

Downer Rail has previously worked with a CRRC subsidiary - Changchun Railway Vehicles - to create the most recent fleet of trains operating on Sydney's rail network, <a href="http://www.sydneytrains.info/about/fleet/a_sets">the A Sets</a>, better known as the Waratah fleet.

The historic Newport workshops will see a $16 million upgrade to allow manufacturing to occur on-site.

<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/new_hcmt_interior.png" rel="gallery-all" title="HCMT interior. Screen capture from media release video"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="304" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/new_hcmt_interior.png?itok=H_R4_qAK" title="HCMT interior. Screen capture from media release video" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>HCMT interior. Screen capture from media release video</figcaption></figure>As foreshadowed when the tender was announced, a new dedicated maintenance facility will be built in Pakenham East - as well as a light service facility in Calder Park - and the new fleet will be dedicated to the Pakenham/Cranbourne lines, with the Sunbury line being added to the list once the Melbourne Metro Rail tunnel project connects all three lines.

The first tranche of new trains is set to begin testing in 2018 and they will begin roaming the mainline in 2019 after the Caulfield-Dandenong level crossing removal project has been completed. The entire fleet order of 65 new trains will be operating once the new Melbourne Metro Rail tunnel is complete in 2026.

<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/new_hcmt2.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Victorian Government's message of public transport and manufacturing jobs continues unabated"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="304" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/new_hcmt2.png?itok=Y6WP2yr3" title="Victorian Government's message of public transport and manufacturing jobs continues unabated" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Victorian Government's message of public transport and manufacturing jobs continues unabated</figcaption></figure><blockquote>
These new high capacity trains will do the heavy lifting on the Cranbourne-Pakenham lines, ahead of the opening of the Metro Tunnel, enabling more passengers to travel during the busiest parts of the day.
<cite>Jacinta Allan, Minister for Public Transport</cite>
</blockquote>

The new trains will be formed in seven car consists and passengers will be free to move to any part of the train once aboard. The longer train and internal configuration will purportedly enable 20% more space in each train compared to trains which currently operate on the Melbourne network.

In an ASX media release before market open at 10am on Monday, Downer EDI Limited stated:

<blockquote>
The Evolution Rail consortium will deliver the HCMT project which includes

<ul>
<li>Design, manufacture and commissioning of 65 HCMTs for use on the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines in Melbourne;</li>
	<li>Design and build of two training simulators;</li>
	<li>Design, construction and commissioning of a train maintenance facility and stabling yards at Pakenham East;</li>
	<li>Design, construction and commissioning of a light service facility at Calder Park; and</li>
	<li>Maintenance of the rolling stock fleet for 30 years and also of the train maintenance facility, the light service facility and the simulators.</li>
</ul>
Downer's scope of work includes:

<ul>
<li>Project management services for the HCMT construction;</li>
	<li>Design, construction and commissioning of the train maintenance facility, stabling yards and light service facility; and</li>
	<li>Maintenance and overhaul of the HCMT fleet, train maintenance facility, light service facility and simulators for 30 years</li>
</ul>
<cite>Downer EDI Limited <a href="http://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20160912/pdf/43b3gt5bckj1z3.pdf">ASX media release</a></cite>
</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/new_hcmt_interior2.png" rel="gallery-all" title="HCMT interior. Screen capture from media release video"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="312" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/new_hcmt_interior2.png?itok=aK6Lhayz" title="HCMT interior. Screen capture from media release video" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>HCMT interior. Screen capture from media release video</figcaption></figure>The Premier's media centre now has a section dedicated to rail: http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/trains/
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Next generation of Melbourne's train fleet unveiled

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Refreshed stations delivered as part of the ongoing level crossing removal project, the new Melbourne Metro tunnel, ballsy private sector-lead high-speed rail proposals like CLARA and now the Rail Futures 'InterCity' paper. It's a good mix of shovels in the ground and an eye on the future of rail in the state.

The Consolidated Land and Rail Australia (CLARA) high-speed rail and InterCity paper by Rail Futures have a true statewide focus through the creation of brand new cities serviced by a high-speed rail line (CLARA) and InterCity's advocacy for population decentralisation outside of Melbourne.

While it is tempting to launch straight into an analysis of the hard infrastructure proposals in the InterCity report, we need to talk about the notion of a "State of Cities".

It's quite easy to throw phrases like "building sustainable cities" around, and 9 times out of 10, the message will likely be interpreted as building green cities, which is fine, but what about a growing city sustaining its own residents through increased local employment opportunities?

I must echo the comments made by Alan Davies <a href="https://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2016/09/07/are-regional-dormitories-the-way-to-grow-our-cities/">earlier this week</a>: the overriding vision in the InterCity report seems to focus largely on enhanced regional rail line infrastructure and services as the new high-speed commuter conduits from the regional cities into central Melbourne.

Talk about throwing the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to the '20 minute city' concept (regardless of how pithy that aspiration is). Inter-city commuting, on the scale of Ballarat/Geelong/Bendigo to central Melbourne, would be the domain with those with high levels of income.

The regional cities may currently have, and potentially build new, affordable housing, but it won't be cheap to commute, nor should it. We should be focusing our efforts on creating jobs in the regional cities so that locals can work local.

It would be wrong to narrow the affordable housing debate into one of grand-scale long-distance commuting to Melbourne from the regional cities and this specific debate needs further study, not just from the planning and transport realm, but also the health, economic and small, medium and large business realms.

Moreover in InterCity, there's an assumption that regional rail services will remain diesel-powered.

In light of the Victorian Government's recent posturing to kick-start renewable energy investment as well as the <a href="http://reneweconomy.com.au/2016/new-hope-for-solar-towers-as-south-aust-seeks-energy-competitors-94366">recent news</a> that the SA Government 'announced a new tender designed to introduce new competition in the [generation] market': to build solar-based power plants and storage, capable of dispatching electricity into the grid 24 hours a day. I'd argue that on top of assessing the individual proposals, a switch to greater electrification throughout the regional rail network should also receive a look in.

Overall however, InterCity is an elegant and informative document and will likely be a report that's referenced a lot in future (the proposals contained within it now need to run the gauntlet of cost-benefit analyses to ascertain whether any of its multiple proposals stack up).

<h2>CLARA and InterCity: a crossover?</h2>

The proposals outlined in the <a href="http://www.railfutures.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/160804-Regional-Rail-paper-v14.1.11-final-for-printing.pdf">InterCity report</a> are spread over two phases:

Phase 1 would see an investment program which deals with incremental change over a few election cycles: line speed upgrades (trackwork, signaling, level crossing protection), duplicating single track sections and quadruplicating metro area track to allow greater separation of regional and metro trains as well as increase regional service frequencies. The start of the cross-country network on the newly converted standard gauge track between Geelong, Ballarat and Maryborough/Horsham would also begin in this phase.

<blockquote>
Phase 1 also includes a fundamental shift in transport govenance, to actively integrate planning across transport modes and to deliver on the objectives of the Transport Integration Act 2010.

<cite>InterCity: How regional rail can re-balance population growth and create a 'state of cities' in Victoria (page 44)</cite>
</blockquote>

Phase 2 is the more meaty part of the infrastructure proposal, made possible by changes in phase 1: further line speed upgrades to enable 200kph operations where achievable, a dedicated fast line that would extend from Southern Cross to Melbourne Airport and then act as a new main line for Bendigo/Echuca/Swan Hill and Seymour/Shepparton/Wodonga regional services.

This new route would also double as the future path for future inter-state high-speed rail services to enter Melbourne.

The second phase also calls for a new fast line to Geelong that would connect to the cross-country network and that same network would then be extended from Maryborough into Bendigo. Overarching everything would see more and more lines converted from broad gauge track to standard gauge, presumably made simpler by installing dual gauge sleepers from the get-go so that a gauge switch can eventually be carried out with minimal disruption.

<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/intercity_phase2_map.png" rel="gallery-all" title="InterCity: infrastructure investment in phase 2 (page 45)"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="457" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/intercity_phase2_map.png?itok=IWhWXT_5" title="InterCity: infrastructure investment in phase 2 (page 45)" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>InterCity: infrastructure investment in phase 2 (page 45)</figcaption></figure>The <a href="http://www.clara.com.au/">CLARA</a> high-speed rail and city-building proposal came to light in mid-July with ex-Premiers of Victoria and New South Wales fronting a media conference. The organisation's website is vague and much of the media reporting at the time was also vague: there's still a lot of cards being held close to the chest of the CLARA directors.

One might expect a proposal such as this to tout a particular rail technology, alas, it didn't. Instead, visitors to CLARA's website are presented with images and a video which depicts conventional high-speed rail (metal wheels on metal tracks) and maglev technology.

No doubt there are commercial reasons behind not revealing the type of high-speed rail CLARA will run with eventually, however if any tests that might prove any of InterCity's proposals to be worthy of adding to the long-term infrastructure for the state come back positive, this would likely force the hand of CLARA or any other future high-speed rail proposal linking the state capitals.

Inherent in InterCity's proposal is that the airport will function as a major hub: regional services would run to and from Bendigo and Seymour, City-Airport rail shuttle services and high-speed rail would use this corridor over the longer term. If this proposal is studied at any great length and it is found to have merit, the tracks initially built for the regional and shuttle services will not be able to handle maglev trains.

The sooner a clearer picture of the entire CLARA proposition is made public, the better.

<h2>InterCity's airport hub focus: multiple birds with one stone?</h2>

Based on media reporting at the time of CLARA's unveiling, it has become apparent that the Melbourne end of the route to Sydney is likely to kick off first. And fundamental to this will be the decision on how to access the terminus in central Melbourne.

If I were a betting man, I'd offer good odds that the Rudd and Gillard-era high-speed rail study for the east coast from 2012 has informed a part of CLARA's proposal. Thanks to the documents that are now in the public domain we know <a href="https://infrastructure.gov.au/rail/trains/high_speed/files/HSR_Phase_2_Appendix_Group_3D_Melbourne.pdf">the indicative route</a> and the estimated capital costs involved in the 2012 study.

<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/ec_hsr_costs.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Estimated costs on the East Coast High Speed Rail network (Appendix 4B)"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="427" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/ec_hsr_costs.png?itok=MeqT6wY4" title="Estimated costs on the East Coast High Speed Rail network (Appendix 4B)" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Estimated costs on the East Coast High-Speed Rail network (<a href="https://infrastructure.gov.au/rail/trains/high_speed/files/HSR_Phase_2_Appendix_Group_4_Cost_and_program.pdf">Appendix 4B</a>)</figcaption></figure>The 2012-era study foresaw the east coast high-speed rail network as a conventional line (minimum 300kph operations) which require their own corridor but do have the ability operate over the conventional networks. This is how the TGV system works in France: all high-speed lines lead to Paris and they connect with the mainline network on the outskirts of the city, and then travel to the various terminii on the lower-speed network.

Regardless, due to the century's old Australian anachronism of differing rail gauges, a new track pair would need to be built in Melbourne (or the really cheap solution would be to go really slow over the existing standard gauge line, fighting for access with freight trains).

The 2012 study found that the most effective solution to access Southern Cross is to build an approximately 12-13 kilometre tunnel from Gowrie station, near the Western Ring Road and Hume HWY, all the way to Southern Cross underneath the existing Upfield line; the orange line in the map below is an approximation of this route.

<iframe frameborder="0" height="480" scrolling="no" src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1D-QCvXH91ehwoHgPkWlO70JxkeA&amp;hl=en" width="100%"></iframe>

The estimated cost of this tunnel in 2012 was $2.2 billion. If you're trying to get your head around that figure by trying to compare it to the $6 billion figure for the 9km Melbourne Metro Rail tunnel, just don't. In short, a basic explanation is: the high-speed rail tunnel would just be that: a tunnel. No stations en route, just a path for trains to move in and out of Southern Cross and the Melbourne metropolitan area.

The 2012 study also has a "Northern Melbourne" station located just outside the tunnel in Campbellfield. The <a href="https://infrastructure.gov.au/rail/trains/high_speed/files/HSR_Phase_2_Chapter_3.pdf">indicative service plan</a> as part of the study foresaw this station effectively working in peak flow directions on the flagship inter-city express services: morning peak all Sydney-bound trains would stop en route, and in afternoon peaks all Melbourne-bound trains would stop here.

The rest of the 'pretty' lines on that map are my attempt to adapt the InterCity Melbourne Airport hub and the 2012 east-coast high-speed rail study. The blue line is a tunnel, measuring 14km - approximately 1 kilometre longer than the 2012 study tunnel - and the pink line is an elevated track leading to an elevated station 'bolted on' to the Terminal 1 expansion (which is depicted in Tullamarine's master plan); zoom in on the airport for more detail.

The Green and Yellow lines beyond the airport are my approximation of the new regional (and eventual high-speed) lines from the InterCity report.

Essentially the 2012 study route and station has been moved westward in that map: a tunnel leading all the way to Southern Cross is still the backbone, there's a "Northern Melbourne" station at the airport and the connections beyond the airport run outside the urban growth boundary for the most part (the 2012 study would have seen a new line built in the existing Upfield and Craigieburn-Wallan rail corridors, right through the middle of the growth areas).

Taking the known estimates for the 2012 study, I assume the cost to build the proposal as shown in the map would be similar to the study's cost breakdown; perhaps with a higher station, bridge and earthworks cost.

Like many others I don't hold high hopes for a high-speed rail line anytime soon. That's said, I'll be watching the CLARA proposal with interest and here's hoping the ducks fall into line across the various governments.

Furthermore I acknowledge the <a href="http://metrotunnel.vic.gov.au/resources/business-case">Melbourne Metro Rail business case</a> makes it pretty clear that airport rail services will eventually run through it; however it's always good to take a fresh look at things, especially now that the InterCity report is out in the open.

To close, I'll leave you with this thought: a 19km journey from Southern Cross through the tunnel and over the elevated sections into the airport station with a maximum speed of 200kph could be done in 8-10 minutes. How do you like them apples, Skybus and Transurban?
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CLARA & Rail Future's InterCity: a crossover?

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The Victorian Planning Authority and the City of Melbourne have created and now released for consultation <a href="https://vpa-web.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Draft-Arden-Vision-Framework.pdf">a draft vision and framework</a> for the Arden precinct. A Spring Street media release estimates the total value of development for the precinct over 30 years is $7billion.

To date, the area has been referred to as the Arden-Macaulay precinct thanks mostly in part to the <a href="http://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/ardenmacaulayc190">City of Melbourne's C190 amendment</a> and while the area looks to keep the hyphenated name for the foreseeable future, this consultation round that Spring Street have now launched is specifically for Arden: the 56 hectare parcel that was not included in the City of Melbourne's consultation rounds.

<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/arden_macaulay_context.png" rel="gallery-all" title="The Arden Urban Renewal precinct in the wider context: draft Arden vision and framework page 8"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="406" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/arden_macaulay_context.png?itok=s0DYwHRn" title="The Arden Urban Renewal precinct in the wider context: draft Arden vision and framework page 8" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Arden Urban Renewal Precinct in the wider context: draft Arden vision and framework page 8</figcaption></figure>What the Ministers say:

<blockquote>
The Draft Arden Vision &amp; Framework outlines the Victorian Government’s strategic vision for the precinct. It sets out key design principles and strategic directions to deliver our vision and creates a platform for an informed conversation about these plans with the community, including residents and potential investors.

A transformed Arden will change the way the city works and functions. Growing the central business district with new hubs in Parkville and Arden, will build the knowledge economy while protecting the valued character of North Melbourne.
<cite>Richard Wynne, Minister for Planning</cite>
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
Catalysed by the new underground station at Arden, the precinct provides the opportunity to connect growth areas in Melbourne’s west to the growing knowledge workforces and residential communities in Docklands and Parkville, and existing communities in North Melbourne and West Melbourne.

This new station is expected to stimulate over $7 billion in urban development in the surrounding precinct and transform the area into a distinctive new central city destination. One of the country’s most exciting urban renewal opportunities, its location will facilitate the continued expansion of Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD) to the north and west, and respond to a rebalancing of metropolitan population growth.

Arden will also provide a critical link between Melbourne’s planned and existing renewal precincts, including Docklands, E-Gate and, in the longer term, Dynon
<cite>Jacinta Allan, Minister for Public Transport and Minister for Major Projects</cite>
</blockquote>

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l8DwL-AkemI" width="100%"></iframe>

Arden station - set to open in 2026 with the rest of the Melbourne Metro Rail project stations - will receive the most intensive activities 'to make maximum use of the transport connections' and another key objective in the draft vision and framework is to provide a flexible and fine grain block structure 'that can be developed in multiple ways and at a variety of scales'.

The five strategic directions for the precinct include:

<ul>
<li>Urban transformation: sets out principles for new and more intensive land uses that are appropriate for an expanded central city area.</li>
	<li>Places for people: emphasises the role of community infrastructure, diverse housing and the design of streets in creating a highly liveable precinct.</li>
	<li>A diverse public realm: proposes a network of public realm opportunities to boost liveability through recreation, amenity and environmental regulation and to support city resilience.</li>
	<li>A water-sensitive approach: encompasses revitalisation of the Moonee Ponds Creek and a precinct-wide approach to managing the flooding challenge in Arden and Macaulay and beyond.</li>
	<li>Sustainable movement: emphasises the role of local walking and cycling connections to support the proposed Arden Station, and of complementary public transport for regional connections.</li>
</ul>
<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/arden_key_propositions.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Key propositions for Arden: draft Arden vision and framework page 12"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="399" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/arden_key_propositions.png?itok=SUp5aBu1" title="Key propositions for Arden: draft Arden vision and framework page 12" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Key propositions for Arden: draft Arden vision and framework page 12</figcaption></figure>Further reading and links:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://vpa.vic.gov.au/project/arden/">Arden Urban Renewal Precinct (VPA)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/ardenmacaulay">Arden-Macaulay (Participate Melbourne)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://metrotunnel.vic.gov.au/locations/arden">Arden Station (Melbourne Metro Rail)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/ardenmacaulayc190">Amendment C190 (City of Melbourne)</a></li>
</ul>
<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/arden_artists_impression.png" rel="gallery-all" title="An artist's impression of the 56 hectare Arden Urban Renewal Precinct"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="424" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/arden_artists_impression.png?itok=mwdd0CTK" title="An artist's impression of the 56 hectare Arden Urban Renewal Precinct" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>An artist's impression of the 56 hectare Arden Urban Renewal Precinct</figcaption></figure><h2>Comment</h2>

It is anticipated that the Arden Urban Renewal Precinct will be home to 15,000 people and 34,000 jobs in 30 years.

A key difference to other urban renewal precincts that are seeing structure plans/frameworks drawn up - Fishermans Bend, for instance, is the most high-profile example - is that Spring Street owns a significant proportion of the land within the Arden precinct, theoretically allowing the state government to control the pace of development to its choosing.

Likewise, there is a significant opportunity for the state government to play a meaningful role in designing, fostering and experimenting with new affordable housing models upon the land in which it owns.

Urban.com.au urges the state government to pursue this course of action in Arden.
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Arden urban renewal precinct vision and framework now open for public consultation

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Do you work in the urban industry, but not directly in a design or planning role? Are you interested in how humans might design a city for 'an ultra-green, ultra-urban' future? Are you thinking of a career change and looking to wet your appetite in the city-making space? Are you interested to learn more about the development process?

<a href="https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/re-enchanting-the-city">Then this massive open online course</a>, 'Re-enchanting the city: designing the human habitat', run by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Built Environment faculty and conducted through the FutureLearn platform, could be for you.

It's free, runs for six weeks and starts next week.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-vSSdMogn2w" width="100%"></iframe>

<h2>About the Course</h2>
<blockquote>
The city is humanity's most complex and extraordinary artefact. As the world population grows and becomes ever more urban, the making of future cities is no longer just about aesthetics or convenience. Questions of sustainability and culture are more and more crucial. Increasingly, the future of the city is the future of the species.

This course is an introduction to the interdisciplinary nature of city making. The focus is on a cutting-edge, high-density urban infill project, Central Park, in contemporary Sydney. We use this project to explore the interdependencies of the professions at play; urban design, architecture, city planning, construction management, sustainable development, landscape architecture, interior architecture and industrial design.

We investigate the entire development process from the earliest planning and site purchases through to completion and from the broad contextual scale through to the design intricacies. In so doing, we examine design innovations in green technologies, structure, construction, environmental and building service, framing this within the wider context of infrastructure, governance and the political economy.

As a course participant, you will engage in critical discussion from different perspectives; design and sustainability. You will also analyse the cultural, environmental and political conversations that drive the development, gain an understanding of how key players interact in city making and see how different built environment disciplines relate in this process.

Drawing on designers, thinkers and developers at the forefront of their professions, this course will investigate a key question facing global cities today: how do we engage local democracy to make urban density both sustainable and poetic?

<cite><a href="https://www.be.unsw.edu.au/re-enchanting-city-designing-human-habitat">Re-Enchanting the City: Designing the Human Habitat</a></cite>
</blockquote>

The course is set to run over six weeks commencing September 5 and upon completion, students can buy a printed certificate of achievement and/or a statement of participation. The course is structured as follows:

<dl>
<dt>Week one</dt>
	<dd>What is the built environment?</dd>
	<dt>Week two</dt>
	<dd>Fight for the Site</dd>
	<dt>Week three</dt>
	<dd>Architecture in the City</dd>
	<dt>Week four</dt>
	<dd>Being Green</dd>
	<dt>Week five</dt>
	<dd>Technopolis</dd>
	<dt>Week six</dt>
	<dd>Inside Out</dd>
</dl>
To enrol, head over to the <a href="https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/re-enchanting-the-city">FutureLearn website</a>. See also the <a href="https://www.be.unsw.edu.au/re-enchanting-city-designing-human-habitat">UNSW's Built Environment website</a> for more detailed information about the course.
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UNSW's free online course 'Re-enchanting the city: designing the human habitat' starts next week

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<h2>Analysis</h2>

All too often the story of Melbourne's continuing development is presented as one of extremes: the rapid rise of inner-city 'high-rises' and continued detached dwelling construction on the fringes. And when the meaning of a 'high-rise' is "a building with multiple floors", context becomes increasingly important.

<a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/highrise-apartments-are-bad-to-live-in-and-bad-for-society-says-respected-architect-20160828-gr39nf">This Age</a> article published on Monday, for instance, is clearly referring to 'inner-city high-rises' as those that are either proposed, approved, at sales or under construction either in or very close to the CBD. But the development story is far more nuanced than the centre of the city. 

In fact, if we establish an arbitrary threshold for buildings which have 8 floors in them - a similar scale to the pre-1950s height limit in central Melbourne (40m) and a scale in the context of the first half of last century that would have been deemed 'high-rise' - then based on data at the time of writing from the Apartments.com.au Project Database, there are 821 projects in the pipeline at various stages in the development lifecycle.

821 projects represent 64% of the entire database at the time of writing.

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th scope="col">Number of floors</th>
			<th scope="col">Number of projects</th>
			<th scope="col">% of total database</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">4 or less</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">341</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">26.4%</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">5 or less</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">503</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">39%</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">6 or less</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">640</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">49.6%</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">7 or less</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">740</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">57.5%</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">8 or less</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">821</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">63.7%</td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
* Total published project count at time of writing: 1,288.

Of those 821 projects, only 49 are located in the City of Melbourne or Fishermans Bend &amp; St Kilda Road (both of the latter precincts are shared at various levels between the Port Phillip and Melbourne LGAs).

A further 218 of the 821 projects are located in the Cities of Yarra and Stonnington as well as the remaining areas of Port Phillip, resulting in 554 - maximum 8 level - projects located well and truly outside even the most liberal definition of 'inner-city'.

These 554 projects, located outside the inner-city and unlike the typical scale of development you'll find on the fringe of the city, includes approximately 26,000 dwellings in the development pipeline.  For all the projects which have 8 levels or less - 821 - there are approximately 37,000 units in the pipeline.

Clearly, larger buildings have a greater amount of dwellings contained within them, but is it wise to simply ignore this somewhat significant segment of the pipeline when we discuss Melbourne's ongoing development?  

Here's a sample of projects that have 8 or less floors and not located in the inner-city.

<a href="/new-apartments/spotswood-vic-3015">Lead image credit: 88 Hudsons Road, Spotswood</a>
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Inner-city 'high-rises' and suburban expansion: don't ignore the significant middle ground

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Camberwell could get a town square through the reconfiguration of Camberwell Junction in a plan that has a Boroondara councillor's support.

Public comment is being sought by the firm responsible for the design, Alexander Urbanism, and Junction Ward Boroondara councillor Jack Wegman.

The proposal is to reduce the number of roads leading into the Camberwell Junction intersection from six to four.  

Camberwell Road, which at present bisects the junction from south east to north west, would be closed off from both the north-west and south-east directions and instead would play host to a plaza and tram superstop respectively.

<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/cj_north_plaza-function.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="An overview of the proposed north-western plaza - image supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="441" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/cj_north_plaza-function.jpg?itok=QDQXoX9y" title="An overview of the proposed north-western plaza - image supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>An overview of the proposed north-western plaza - image supplied</figcaption></figure>According to the designer, Nathan Alexander, “This could become the pedestrian heart of Camberwell, the place to go and be seen. This will be the place to meet your friends, to eat a great meal, to lunch in the sun. It’ll be a great place to go before or after watching a movie at the nearby Rivoli Cinema.”

<blockquote>
At present the Junction is congested, handling approximately thirty-eight thousand vehicles a day.

According to Cameron Martyn, the transport planner who worked on the proposal, simplifying the Junction intersection will improve traffic flow on Burke Road and Riversdale Road, while motorists current travelling on Camberwell Road have a choice of alternative routes.

“With only two roads intersecting, the traffic lights will be green for longer. With more green time, more traffic can pass through the intersection. This plan makes the Junction more efficient and safer for all users – pedestrians, cyclists, tram users and motorists.”
<cite>Extract from Alexander Urbanism's description of the Camberwell Junction proposal</cite>
</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/cj_local_traffic.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The proposed changes to the Camberwell Junction road network - image supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="464" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/cj_local_traffic.jpg?itok=zK8W2RP4" title="The proposed changes to the Camberwell Junction road network - image supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The proposed changes to the Camberwell Junction road network - image supplied</figcaption></figure><blockquote>
​I’ve encouraged Alexander Urbanism to work up this concept. I look forward to the public response.

Camberwell has a great range of shops, but no decent public space.

This idea shows great potential to give Camberwell the town square it deserves. It’d make Camberwell as a whole more attractive as a shopping destination.
<cite>Cr Jack Wegman</cite>
</blockquote>

See the <a href="http://www.alexanderurbanism.com/uploads/3/4/4/9/34491523/2016-08-16__camberwell_junction_-_full_article.pdf">full report</a> on Alexander Urbanism's <a href="http://www.alexanderurbanism.com/camberwell-junction">website</a>, and the accompanying <a href="http://www.alexanderurbanism.com/uploads/3/4/4/9/34491523/martyn_group_report_-_camberwell_junction_proposal_-_2016-04.pdf">transport assessment</a> by the Martyn Group.

What do you think of the proposal? Leave a comment below.
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Could Camberwell junction be the area's new town square?

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sunland-group">Sunland Group</a> has officially lodged plans for its first Gold Coast apartment project since the departure of the Abedian family from the company three years ago, unveiling a new high-rise proposal for a prominent Broadbeach corner site on Old Burleigh Road.

The application was submitted by an entity directed by Tom Jamieson, stepson of longtime Sunland leader Soheil Abedian, and Riaz Rezvanipour, brother-in-law of Sahba Abedian, Soheil’s son.

Sunland acquired the 1,283 sqm site on the corner of Old Burleigh Road and Armrick Avenue for $9.5 million late last year and is now seeking approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/99-101-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">42-storey tower with 81 apartments</a>.

<img alt="First look: Sunland Group returns to Broadbeach with new Old Burleigh Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fea2946d-90ee-4cfc-babe-2a8ad5db2cb6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers.png?VersionId=BV0fihJw31nDIQ8ozY_h3GbS8mxDyhnm" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/contreras-earl-architecture">Contreras Earl Architecture</a>, the proposed tower at 99-101 Old Burleigh Road would deliver a predominantly larger-format apartment mix aimed at the owner-occupier market. Plans include 17 two-bedroom apartments, 55 three-bedroom apartments, and nine four-bedroom residences across 35 residential levels.

The development also incorporates three basement levels, four podium parking levels, two levels of communal recreation facilities, and rooftop plant and equipment. A total of 189 car spaces are proposed, significantly exceeding the 90 spaces required under the planning scheme.

The architecture adopts a sculpted, curvilinear form, with deep wraparound balconies and integrated landscaping intended to soften the tower’s vertical expression. The planning report states the building’s “slender footprint/form provides a complimentary yet varied built form within the local streetscape” and contributes to “a varied, yet ordered skyline.”

Contreras Earl noted in its Architectural Statement that from the early stages, the project addressed a fundamental challenge: how to accommodate the required residential yield while avoiding the conventional model of a tower sitting on a rigid, fully resolved parking podium.

“The most direct response would have been to consolidate parking into a singular, flat podium and extrude a repetitive tower above,” the statement said. “While efficient, this approach would result in a consolidated built form with limited engagement with the surrounding landscape and public realm.”

Instead, the conventional podium model was “deliberately rejected”. The architects described the base of the building as “a landscaped architectural condition where structure, planting and circulation are integrated”.

“Rather than presenting a continuous built mass, the base of the building is articulated through a series of concrete planter elements that organise the podium into a fragmented system,” the statement said. “This approach reduces the perceived bulk of the lower levels while establishing a more permeable interface with the streetscape and adjacent open space.”

<img alt="Sunland" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="923fad8d-c960-4527-8fbe-975cf1ddf88d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-25%20at%2010.32.03%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=pngwb0hYOIUpq9vDw6F2EsOiVuHF3DiX" />

&nbsp;

The site sits within the High Density Residential Zone and inside the City of Gold Coast’s unrestricted “HX” building height area, where the planning framework anticipates intensified residential development tied to the expanding light rail corridor. The planning report notes the area is undergoing “transition toward more intense development forms” given its proximity to Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise, and high-frequency public transport infrastructure.

Positioned directly opposite Broadbeach Park and within walking distance of Florida Gardens light rail station, the development would sit among a rapidly evolving stretch of Old Burleigh Road that has become one of the Gold Coast’s most active apartment development corridors.

The application joins a growing pipeline of luxury residential projects reshaping Broadbeach, including nearby developments by 5Point Projects, Polycell, and Graya.

The planning report argues the project contributes toward the Gold Coast’s long-term housing targets under the South East Queensland Regional Plan, which forecasts the need for more than 100,000 additional high-rise dwellings across the city by 2046.

<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-4" data-turn="assistant" data-turn-id="request-WEB:84a2af5e-d7cf-4ddf-922a-f4d44d6c6caa-1" data-turn-id-container="request-WEB:84a2af5e-d7cf-4ddf-922a-f4d44d6c6caa-1" dir="auto">
The Abedian family departed Sunland Group in late 2023, ending a four-decade association with the company, and subsequently established the private development firm Abedian &amp; Co. The group is currently delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/greenmount-residences-cnr-hill-street-and-marine-parade-coolangatta-qld-4225">Greenmount Residences</a> at Rainbow Bay and recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/18-mary-avenue-14-18-mary-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4218">18 Mary Avenue</a> in Broadbeach.
</section>

Joel Robinson

First look: Sunland Group returns to Broadbeach new apartment market with new Old Burleigh Road tower plans

The Minns Labor Government has established the new Bays West Delivery Authority to lead the development&nbsp;of the Bays West Precinct and Blackwattle Bay Precinct.&nbsp;

The Authority is charged with creating Sydney’s newest precinct, a thriving, connected, sustainable hub with White Bay Power Station as its cultural heart. Its vision is to build on the area’s natural, cultural and industrial history to shape a vibrant new neighbourhood.

The precinct will deliver up to 8,500 well-located homes, including a minimum of 10 per cent affordable and essential worker homes. Combine new housing with public open space, opening public access to the waterfront for the first time in more than 100 years, while retaining important deep-water facilities to support Sydney’s working harbour.

Located just minutes from the Sydney CBD and connected to a world-class metro, ferry, walking and cycling links, the Bays West precinct will rebalance housing growth towards well-serviced inner-city locations and help tackle the state’s housing crisis.

The Bays West Delivery Authority,&nbsp;an agency of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, will report to the NSW Minister for Lands and Property who already has oversight of major precinct renewal projects including at Blackwattle Bay and Barangaroo.

As part of the broader Bays West transformation, the Minns Government recently announced that a proposal from Lendlease to redevelop part of the Bays West Precinct has progressed to Stage 2 of the NSW Government’s unsolicited proposals process.

<img alt="Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2ed71eb9-d8e8-4fa7-b9d1-de4531dcf2f3" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-25%20at%209.42.31%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=IDryFIbped9SNDg72LEN_EecvhUsOPvp" />

The Minns Labor Government has also confirmed the Bays West precinct will have a new suburb name. This will be the first major suburb built in close proximity to Sydney’s CBD in decades and will encompass the area currently being referred to as Bays West, including Glebe Island and the White Bay Power Station. Served by a new Metro station just five minutes from the CBD, it will become one of the most populous suburbs in the Inner West and one of Sydney’s premier cultural destinations.

An early works program is taking shape, which&nbsp;includes the first stages of an international design competition.&nbsp;

The aim of the Bays West&nbsp;International&nbsp;Design Competition is to&nbsp;ensure design excellence is embedded in the project from the start. The competition will deliver an&nbsp;urban framework that defines the character, ambition and long-term identity of&nbsp;this&nbsp;former industrial precinct as it transitions to a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable residential&nbsp;neighbourhood.

The competition will be led by the Bays West Delivery Authority in partnership with Government Architect NSW.&nbsp;

It will launch with an invitation for a global Expressions of Interest, before moving to an invitation-only stage that will be assessed by a panel that&nbsp;will provide advice to Cabinet who will select a winner.

Premier of NSW, Chris Minns said the establishment of the new Authority is the first step in transforming the Bays West precinct into a vibrant, livable suburb minutes from the Sydney CBD and two stops from Hunter St Station on the Metro West line.

“The Authority will deliver well-located homes close to the heart of the city and integrate the new precinct with Blackwattle Bay and the new Sydney Fish Market.

“This is a generational opportunity to build a new suburb on the city’s edge and open the harbour foreshore to the public for the first time in a century.”&nbsp;

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said the new Bays West Delivery Authority established by the Minns Government will turbocharge the development of Sydney’s newest suburb.

“The Authority is working at a record pace to deliver an international design competition, planning pathways and a financial model so that this development benefits Sydney with well-designed homes in a central location, close to public transport, jobs, entertainment and essential services.

“If we want Sydney to stay liveable and affordable, we need to be bold about using underutilised government-owned land to deliver homes for the future while making sure essential working harbour functions can be accommodated.”

Bays West Delivery Authority established to "turbocharge" Sydney’s newest suburb

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.

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.

Alastair Taylor

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