<html><body>
<p>The City of Moreland at August's council's meeting has rejected a proposal to add what has been dubbed "anti-dooring" bike lanes on Sydney Road which would have seen painted bicycle lanes placed either side of the tram lanes. The council has <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/sydney-road-bike-lane-plan-rejected-amid-calls-to-scrap-onstreet-parking-20150813-giy5ii">reportedly</a> voted to lobby the State government and VicRoads to investigate building separated bike lanes on the road instead.</p>

<p>Perfect timing.</p>

<p>While much of the media focus has been on bikes on Sydney Road - after the recent death of a cyclist after he was 'doored' and then flung out into the middle of the road and into the path of heavy vehicle - I'd argue Sydney Road actually needs a complete root and branch review of all of its uses.</p>

<p>The priority and focus, as with designing any street, should always be on the pedestrian. Sydney Road between Park Street in Brunswick and Bell Street in Coburg could best be characterised as having:</p>

<ul>
<li>narrow footpaths clogged with hodge-podge smatterings of street furniture, parking information polls and inconsistent surfaces</li>
	<li>ugly and inconsistent awnings hanging at various levels above the footpath</li>
	<li>next to zero greenery directly planted in the street</li>
	<li>far too many cars which in turn slows trams down; trams, the very vehicles that will easily carry more passengers (inside and outside of peak) compared to the litany of single-occupant vehicles holding them up.</li>
</ul>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" scrolling="no" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sau!4v1439456211341!6m8!1m7!1sCwSoLuJ2avb_MyNLw0sDCQ!2m2!1d-37.7688422!2d144.9618176!3f185.99921544484553!4f-1.8187463972808189!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border:0" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>According to a <a href="https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/media/vanilla_content/files/Lane%20Widths%20SKM%202010.pdf">bicycle network / SKM report</a>, in 2010 VicRoads installed 80cm wide bike lanes on Sydney Road which resulted in kerbside traffic lanes being reduced to a width of 3 metres. Tram traffic lanes measure 3.3m wide.</p>

<p>The kerbside traffic lanes currently have clearways governing them in both peaks: the southbound kerbside lanes of Sydney road have clearways in the morning peak and the northbound kerbside lanes have clearways in the afternoon peak.</p>

<p>Outside of weekday peak times, the kerbside lanes revert to spaces that allow cars to park on both sides of the street. This on-street parking, of course, is in addition to the enormous amount of off-street car parking as shown by some of the examples in the map below.</p>

<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="700" scrolling="no" src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=zLzjYwjjDBk0.keWLjDGQRSyA&amp;hl=en" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>The areas which see the greatest economic activity - primarily through retail trade - located at the northern and southern extremities include vast open-air car parks and the precincts in between have a sprinkling of small car parks on both sides of the road.</p>

<h2>A new Sydney Road?</h2>

<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/sydney-road_0.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Created using streetmix.net"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="251" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/sydney-road_0.png?itok=7GTJ8t3J" title="Created using streetmix.net" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Created using streetmix.net</figcaption></figure><p>The above was created using <a href="http://streetmix.net/">streetmix.net</a> and is intended to be a cross-section looking south toward the city on Sydney Road. The features, or changes from the current allocation of space, are:</p>

<ul>
<li>Footpaths widened (utilising the 80 cm of space currently used to the quasi bike lanes VicRoads installed in 2010) and trees planted.</li>
	<li>The existing eastern (left side) kerbside lane is converted to a 3m width permanent two-way bike lane, 150cm of space for each direction.
	<ul>
<li>I chose the eastern side of Sydney Road simply because at the Park Street end it would naturally meet the existing shared bike path which runs all the way down to Melbourne University alongside Royal Parade.</li>
	</ul>
</li>
	<li>A short buffer is installed to separate the converted bike lane and the city bound tram/traffic lane.</li>
	<li>The tram lanes are still mixed tram/car traffic lanes and the western (right side) kerbside lane remains a parking and peak clearway much like how it currently operates.</li>
</ul>
<p>This kind of set up would further discourage through traffic on Sydney Road in the morning peak (although, heavens knows why anyone would opt to use Sydney Road as a through route to the city in the first place…) yet still provides extra peak traffic capacity in the afternoon to use the route, functioning as an overflow route for the traffic which turns left from Royal Parade into Park St / Brunswick Rd heading to Citylink.</p>

<p>There's much greater emphasis on space for pedestrians and a proper bike lane set up through the heart of the municipality that would cater for both local cyclists and commuters alike. Commuter cyclists would be encouraged away from the Upfield bike path, which is currently shared with pedestrians.</p>

<p>Likewise the dedicated bike lanes would supercharge both the perception and reality of bike and pedestrian safety on Sydney Road thanks to complete separation of transport uses and coupled with extra bike parking facilities (thanks to the widened footpath) there's a greater incentive for people to travel to the entire strip.</p>

<p>After all, making a stand by turning a car sewer into a more pleasant urban environment <em>will</em> bring more people into the precinct thus creating more economic activity and flowing through to the retailer's bottom lines. Swanston Street, anyone?</p>

<h2>While we're at it…</h2>

<p>If the loss of morning peak traffic carrying capacity is just too much to bear for some (the people who would regularly troll comment threads with "cyclists should be licensed/pay registration"), perhaps implement the reverse on Lygon/Holmes/Nicholson Street; after all, this strip is and will continue to see just as much development density increases over time as Sydney Road.</p>

<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/lygon-street_0.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Created using streetmix.net"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="251" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/lygon-street_0.png?itok=OjOkbkBq" title="Created using streetmix.net" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Created using streetmix.net</figcaption></figure><p>In this cross-section - the same as the Sydney Road one, we're looking south towards the city - exactly the same allocation of space to different transport modes applies except the converted bike lane is on the western (right) side of Lygon/Holmes/Nicholson Streets thus providing citybound clearways in the morning peak.</p>

<p>It then would fall with City of Melbourne to continue the bike infrastructure through their municipality. Having the two way bike lane on the western side of Royal Parade and the eastern side of Lygon Street would allow for the use of the wide path which skirts around Melbourne General Cemetery and Princes Park (extending the path out to the trees and if necessary reducing the amount of space available to pedestrians) thus funnelling bike traffic on to Swanston Street, which already has Copenhagen lanes.</p>

<h2>Edit: Schooled</h2>

<p>This is how you do a presentation! This is the document that was submitted to Moreland Council, the one Jonathan (first in the comments) is talking about from <a href="http://sydneyroad.org/">sydneyroad.org</a>.</p>

<p>Jonathan also tells me that they polled retailers on Sydney Road and only 30% were opposed to the removal of on-street parking in order to widen footpaths and increase space for dining and displays.</p>

<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="480" scrolling="no" src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByO18-w-cDzDZDRHUk81cGlvNjA/preview" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>The following is from the July meeting of Moreland council. Also check out Revitalising Sydney Road's facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/revitalisesydneyrd">page</a>.</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wh1d5OzRnXA?start=3339" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<h2>Over to you</h2>

<p>Tell us your ideas for Sydney Road (or the wider area) by posting in the comment section below.</p>
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Alastair Taylor

Toying with ideas to improve Sydney Road

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<p>Architects. They're the glue in the development process: interpreting, balancing and binding the various capitalist, creative and regulatory inclinations, goals and motivations. This special role that architects play ensures there's quite a lot of them if a city is pivoting toward a medium and high density development future like Melbourne is.</p>

<p>Our <a href="/developments">project database</a> has over 200 different firms that are linked to at least one project. The following list looks at the architecture firms who are most frequently referenced.</p>

<p>Together they are responsible for 39% of all projects and the raw numbers as listed in the Data Portal are 315 out of a total 805 projects at time of writing.</p>

<p>Fast fact: the top five referenced firms are responsible for an eye-popping 33% of all dwellings (30,000 out of 91,000) listed across all the various project phases on the database.</p>

<p>Select a firm's name to view a summary of their associated projects.</p>

<h2>
<a href="/architects/urban-design-architects">Urban Design Architects</a> (10 projects)</h2>

<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/eight_murphy.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Eight Murphy, South Yarra"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="377" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/eight_murphy.jpg?itok=o9YbVnzd" title="Eight Murphy, South Yarra" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Eight Murphy, South Yarra</figcaption></figure><h2>
<a href="/architects/clarke-hopkins-clarke-0">ClarkeHopkinsClarke</a> (10 projects)</h2>

<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/esse_apartments.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Esse Apartments, Essendon"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="314" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/esse_apartments.jpg?itok=ACHOMkng" title="Esse Apartments, Essendon" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Esse Apartments, Essendon</figcaption></figure><h2>
<a href="/architects/map-architecture">MAP Architecture</a> (11 projects)</h2>

<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/fin_apartments.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Fin Apartments, Sandringham"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="373" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/fin_apartments.jpg?itok=Z01VXK2f" title="Fin Apartments, Sandringham" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Fin Apartments, Sandringham</figcaption></figure><h2>
<a href="/architects/metaxas-architects">Metaxas Architects</a> (11 projects)</h2>

<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/c3.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="C3 Apartments, Brunswick"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="375" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/c3.jpg?itok=mWRMdv0I" title="C3 Apartments, Brunswick" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>C3 Apartments, Brunswick</figcaption></figure><h2>
<a href="/architects/dko-architecture">DKO Architecture</a> (12 projects)</h2>

<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/marina_tower.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Marina Tower, Docklands"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/marina_tower.jpg?itok=AE1GXxja" title="Marina Tower, Docklands" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Marina Tower, Docklands</figcaption></figure><h2>
<a href="/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> (13 projects)</h2>

<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/garden_hill.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Gardenhill, Doncaster"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="410" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/garden_hill.jpg?itok=DyubiuJ3" title="Gardenhill, Doncaster" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Gardenhill, Doncaster</figcaption></figure><h2>
Buchan Group (14 projects)</h2>

<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/sovereign_square.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Sovereign Square, Box Hill"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="348" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/sovereign_square.jpg?itok=5tVXgdM0" title="Sovereign Square, Box Hill" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Sovereign Square, Box Hill</figcaption></figure><h2>
<a href="/architects/jackson-clements-burrows-architects">Jackson Clements Burrows</a> (15 projects)</h2>

<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/166_gertrude.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="166 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="339" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/166_gertrude.jpg?itok=nN9s4UhX" title="166 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>166 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy</figcaption></figure><h2>
<a href="/architects/peddle-thorp-architects">Peddle Thorp Architects</a> (18 projects)</h2>

<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/whitehorse_towers.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Whitehorse Towers, Box Hill"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="637" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/whitehorse_towers.jpg?itok=tMl4_Y8B" title="Whitehorse Towers, Box Hill" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Whitehorse Towers, Box Hill</figcaption></figure><h2>
<a href="/architects/artisan-architects">Artisan Architects</a> (18 projects)</h2>

<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/leo_he.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Leo, Hawthorn East"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="371" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/leo_he.jpg?itok=spWUJWvA" title="Leo, Hawthorn East" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Leo, Hawthorn East</figcaption></figure><h2>
<a href="/architects/cht-architects">CHT Architects</a> (21 projects)</h2>

<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/wills_place.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Wills Place, Melbourne"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="312" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/wills_place.jpg?itok=5tKjxK-a" title="Wills Place, Melbourne" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Wills Place, Melbourne</figcaption></figure><h2>
Plus Architecture (23 projects)</h2>

<p>Plus Architecture are an Apartments.com.au Industry Hub member.</p>

<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/402_chapel_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="402-416 Chapel Street, South Yarra"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="380" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/402_chapel_0.jpg?itok=pKo-IZo5" title="402-416 Chapel Street, South Yarra" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>402-416 Chapel Street, South Yarra</figcaption></figure><h2>
<a href="/architects/sjb-architects">SJB Architects</a> (25 projects)</h2>

<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/6-10_keele.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="6-10 Keele Street, Collingwood"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="330" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/6-10_keele.jpg?itok=UaDrKP3p" title="6-10 Keele Street, Collingwood" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>6-10 Keele Street, Collingwood</figcaption></figure><h2>
<a href="/architects/hayball">Hayball</a> (33 projects)</h2>

<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/york_prahran.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="York Prahran"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="363" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/york_prahran.jpg?itok=AFtVp_1S" title="York Prahran" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>York Prahran</figcaption></figure><h2>
<a href="/architects/fraser-partners-0">Elenberg Fraser</a> (34 projects)</h2>

<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/estelle.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Estelle, Richmond"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="319" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/estelle.jpg?itok=AcOsy6dU" title="Estelle, Richmond" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Estelle, Richmond</figcaption></figure><h2>
<a href="/architects/rothelowman">ROTHELOWMAN</a> (47 projects)</h2>

<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/hive_thornbury.jpeg" rel="gallery-all" title="Hive Thornbury"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="386" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/hive_thornbury.jpeg?itok=LmLIeskP" title="Hive Thornbury" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Hive Thornbury</figcaption></figure><p><span style="font-size:10px;">Lead image credit: <a href="http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=125827744&amp;postcount=3427">GlennWilson</a>.</span></p>
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The top 15 architecture practices referenced on the Urban.com.au Project Database

<html><body>
<p>The correct answer to that question is: it's complicated.</p>

<p>On one hand if you look solely at the number of dwellings in developments, they are very much concentrated in the City of Melbourne + Fishermans Bend Renewal Area and the traditional high-density areas of inner Melbourne: Cities of Yarra, Stonnington and Port Phillip.</p>

<p>On the other hand if you are looking at the number of individual projects, regardless of the number of dwellings contained with in them, then the balance shifts. The centre of the city plus the traditional high-density areas of inner Melbourne make up 53% of all development projects within the Apartments.com.au project database, with the balance spread throughout what we deem to be the 'emerging' high-density areas of Melbourne and all other outer Local Government Areas.</p>

<p>Let's explain.</p>

<p>At the time of writing there are 805 projects listed in the project database and they can be broken into predominant use:</p>

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th class="rtecenter" scope="col">Use</th>
			<th class="rtecenter" scope="col">Number of Projects</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">Residential</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">724</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">Mixed Use*</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">49</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">Commercial</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">28</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">Hotel</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">4</td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>* Mixed use buildings are where there is substantial other uses, for instance a residential tower with hotel suites or service apartments. Residential regularly feature retail or food outlet space but the primary tower levels are of a single use and therefore recorded as Residential.</p>

<p>If we exclude the commercial an hotel-only buildings we're left with 773 buildings which feature, or will feature, dwellings for sale depending on how far the project progresses through the development cycle.</p>

<h2>The traditional high-density areas</h2>

<p>Next we have dwelling count data for the majority of residential / mixed-use projects and that totals 91,568 for the entire metropolitan area. This is for projects that are either at Planning Assessment, Approved, at Sales or Under Construction. We can break the City of Melbourne plus the three LGAs which are traditionally high-density areas of Melbourne down geographically as follows:</p>

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th class="rtecenter" scope="col">Local Government Area / Precinct</th>
			<th class="rtecenter" scope="col">Number of Projects</th>
			<th class="rtecenter" scope="col">Number of Dwellings</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">Melbourne + Fishermans Bend Urban renewal area</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">194</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">42,585</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">Yarra</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">84</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">6,154</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">Stonnington</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">74</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">5,667</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">Port Phillip (excluding Fishermans Bend)</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">56</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">4,443</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter"><strong>Total</strong></td>
			<td class="rtecenter"><strong>408 (53% of metro)</strong></td>
			<td class="rtecenter"><strong>58,849 (64% of metro)</strong></td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>There is little doubt that Central Melbourne is seeing the lion's share of medium and high density development, especially when it comes to purely looking at the number of dwellings. Those four local governments are generally located with a 5km radius of Melbourne's GPO (with the exception of Stonnington: it does stretch much further east, but as most of its development activity is concentrated in the western half within the 5km radius I've included it in the above table).</p>

<h2>The emerging high-density areas and hotspots</h2>

<p>Next we have the 'emerging' high-density areas. They're characterised with existing population densities with roughly 4,000 people square kilometre or less located beyond the inner 5km radius of the GPO.</p>

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th class="rtecenter" scope="col">Local Government Area</th>
			<th class="rtecenter" scope="col">Number of Projects</th>
			<th class="rtecenter" scope="col">Number of Dwellings</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">Maribyrnong</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">30</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">6,006</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">Moreland</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">52</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">4,702</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">Darebin</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">41</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">3,382</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">Manningham</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">24</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">2,998</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">Whitehorse</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">32</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">2,617</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">Boroondara</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">39</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">2,305</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter">Moonee Valley</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">29</td>
			<td class="rtecenter">2,111</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td class="rtecenter"><strong>Total</strong></td>
			<td class="rtecenter"><strong>247 (32% of metro)</strong></td>
			<td class="rtecenter"><strong>24,121 (26% of metro)</strong></td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>The main conclusion I draw from the numbers in the emerging areas is that Melbourne's north and immediate west are the biggest development hotspots outside the inner-city, away from where the majority of people currently live in metropolitan Melbourne. The arc from Maribyrnong to Darebin has just as much development in the pipeline as Yarra, Stonnington and Port Phillip (excluding Fishermans Bend) combined.</p>

<p>While Whitehorse is very much an established middle-ring suburban area, the urban-friendly infrastructure - high-frequency rail and a solid connecting bus network - puts the LGA firmly in the emerging area which might over time pip Manningham for clubhouse leader in the eastern suburbs.</p>

<h2>The remainder</h2>

<p>118 projects and 9,798 medium and high-density dwellings is nothing to sneeze at; just ask cities like Adelaide or Canberra.</p>

<p>Greater Dandenong with just under 10% of the near-on 10,000 dwellings in the development pipeline can only increase from here given it is now either entirely surrounded by suburban areas or green belts.</p>

<h2>Conclusion</h2>

<p>It's tempting to say yes, Melbourne's apartment boom is concentrated in the inner city, but as the data shows it depends on the primary metric in use when attempting to draw a conclusion and it also depends on what your definition of the inner city is.</p>

<p>A final thing to take away from the data tables listed above is that while many of the LGAs in the emerging list straddle the inner-city and middle ring of suburbs, there is an enormous pipeline of development work contained in these areas.</p>

<p>Yes, the inner-city is a beast of a thing but it would be idiotic to completely ignore what's hapenning beyond 5km from the GPO; these areas are richest when it comes to existing residential amenity, services and infrastructure, and they're the areas which have multiple structure plan reviews underway and have likewise undergone planning zone reform.</p>
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Is Melbourne's apartment boom concentrated in the inner city?

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<p>There are a few outstanding metropolitan strategic planning issues that need to be sorted before any Government commits to expanding the Dandenong rail corridor over and beyond already announced projects. To a large extent, it hinges on how freight is going to be moved in the South East over the longer term.</p>

<p>Back on the 19th of July <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/dandenong-rail-line-needs-two-extra-tracks-to-end-commuter-crawl-20150719-gidpqz">it was reported</a> the Victorian Transport Action Group had warned Spring Street that their project of removing nine level crossings in the Dandenong rail corridor and ordering the next generation of trains to be used on the line will only go part way to solving the line's reliability problems. The Group stated "the Dandenong rail line will need four tracks in the not too distant future" and that "express trains [on the two extra tracks] will reduce travel time for outer urban and regional commuters by more than 15 minutes".</p>

<p>Having multiple tiers of service - stopping-all-stations and express services - would indeed be welcome for outer suburban commuters and also enhance Dandenong's status in the south east by reducing the time to travel between the respective Melbourne and Dandenong CBDs. However, there is one problem, and it's exactly the same problem that the Melbourne Metro Rail project is attempting to fix.</p>

<p>The number of tracks through the inner city.</p>

<p>Cast your mind back to the release of the Eddington report into East-West travel in Melbourne and you might remember the original proposal for rail across the city was to split it into two phases. Phase 1 was to run from South Kensington to Domain Interchange and Phase 2 was to run from Domain Interchange to Caulfield via St Kilda Road / Dandenong Road thereby creating an entirely new track pair right through the inner city to Caulfield.</p>

<p>When the Ballieu/Napthine Government came to power this longer, more expensive two phase approach was ditched and the Phase 1 one approach was altered so the new rail tunnels would meet the existing rail alignment between South Yarra and Hawksburn.</p>

<p>Yes, by all means every station that is to be rebuilt as part of the level crossing removal projects in the Dandenong corridor should be designed with four tracks (but not necessarily four platforms) at each station, however if four tracks were laid and put into use as part of the level-crossing removal project then all it would do is create a massive choke point at Caulfield.</p>

<p>If the VTAG got it wanted - an extra track pair built to Dandenong - (and ignoring the Frankston line's third overtaking track between Caulfield and Moorabbin), to the east and south of Caulfield there would be trains running on three track pairs fighting for space on the two track pairs between Caulfield and South Yarra.</p>

<p>The choke point created at Caulfield under that scenario would reduce the maximum capacity of the four track railway between Caulfield and Dandenong (assuming all passenger services run through to the city as they do now) and therefore likely maintain the status quo in poor reliability.</p>

<p>This is exactly what we <em>don't</em> want.</p>

<h2>Port Phillip versus Western Port</h2>

<p>As part of any study into the need for an extra rail track pair as far as Dandenong, one area of infrastructure contention which every now and then gets its five minutes of fame (<a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/lack-of-rail-driving-melbourne-to-lose-number-one-container-port-status-20150818-gj1lxd">yesterday no less</a>) is the long term plans for containerised freight at Melbourne's seaports. Based on positions in the previous government, the ALP favours, over the long-term, much of the infrastructure moving to the western shore of Port Phillip and the LNP favour expanding the existing Hastings port on Western Port.</p>

<p>The ALP-favoured Bay West expansion would be located near the existing national standard gauge rail network. The Liberal-favoured Hastings option is connected by a rail line that at present but only has broad gauge and all freight traffic would have to mix with metro traffic on the Frankston Line or the Cranbourne line if a branch were created and sent south to link up with the Stony Point line which runs into Hastings at present.</p>

<p>Bay West on Port Phillip or Western Port. Deciding on the long term future for port expansion is paramount, as siding with the Hastings option will have a more profound impact on the rail infrastructure requirements throughout the South East and this action would subsequently open up another round of debate.</p>

<p>One question to ponder: Is it wise to run more and more freight from an expanded seaport on the existing rail network right through the heart of the city where land for rail expansion would be at its most expensive?</p>

<p>Furthermore would an orbital, freight-only, standard gauge rail line running from Craigieburn to Hastings be a viable alternative?</p>

<p><span style="font-size:10px;">Lead image credit: Wikipedia.</span></p>
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Comment: The Dandenong line and quadruplication

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<p>Moonee Valley City Council has opened up its draft Essendon Junction structure plan for community feedback. You can view the draft structure plan and all other supporting documents on the <a href="http://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/essendonjunction">City of Moonee Valley's website</a>.</p>

<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/essendon_junction_context.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Essendon Junction Activity Centre - Image from Moonee Valley City Council Essendon Junction structure plan"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="421" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/essendon_junction_context.png?itok=qzMctuLD" title="Essendon Junction Activity Centre - Image from Moonee Valley City Council Essendon Junction structure plan" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Essendon Junction Activity Centre - Image from Moonee Valley City Council Essendon Junction structure plan</figcaption></figure><p>Moonee Valley City Council's vision for Essendon Junction is stated in the plan:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Essendon Junction will be a great place to live and work and a vibrant destination to visit, with attractive streetscapes and a seamless transport interchange. The Junction will be the cultural and entertainment heart of Essendon, offering an integrated network of streets with innovative developments complementing the existing heritage</p>
<cite><a href="http://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/~/media/Files/Planning%20and%20Building/Long%20Term%20Planning%20in%20Moonee%20Valley/EJNAC%20SP/Essendon%20Junction%20Structure%20Plan.pdf">Draft Essendon Junction Structure Plan</a></cite>
</blockquote>

<p>As expected from any structure plan document, there is a strong emphasis on maintaining existing characteristics, while providing a framework for new development of varying densities within the activity centre.</p>

<p>The activity area is separated into six precincts - all with varying height limits and preferred setback treatments - with precinct number 2 (Essendon Station) hosting the largest height limits of 12 levels on the VicTrack land fronting Mount Alexander Road and precinct number 3 (The Core) having height limits up to six levels, in keeping with current development along Napier Street.</p>

<p>For instance on Brewster Street - which forms the northern boundary of Essendon FC's Windy Hill precinct - there are mandatory landscape setbacks of five metres from a street front, and in the case where a development may abut a sensitive or rear of an adjoining property, a non-mandatory setback of 4.5 metres from the property line is sought with further building setbacks for new development over three levels. Refer to pages <a href="http://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/~/media/Files/Planning%20and%20Building/Long%20Term%20Planning%20in%20Moonee%20Valley/EJNAC%20SP/Essendon%20Junction%20Structure%20Plan.pdf">12 through 15 in the draft structure plan</a>.</p>

<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/essendon_junction_precincts.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Essendon Junction precinct map"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="376" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/essendon_junction_precincts.png?itok=BMu9Helv" title="Essendon Junction precinct map" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Essendon Junction precinct map</figcaption></figure><p>On Thursday 23rd of July, Moonee Valley City Council will be holdings its second information session at Ukranian House on Russell Street, Essendon between 6pm and 8pm.</p>

<p>Moonee Valley City Council are encouraging its citizens to engage with them and you can leave feedback, as well as view all other documentation on <a href="http://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/essendonjunction">City of Moonee Valley's website</a>.</p>

<h2>Buckley Street and Mount Alexander Road grade separation</h2>

<p>Central to the draft structure plan is a council-endorsed plan to make major changes to the existing rail infrastructure in the center of the activity centre. At present the Craigieburn line is grade separated over Mount Alexander Road, but still has a level crossing on Buckley Street at Essendon Station.</p>

<p>Buckley Street is on the State Government's list of 50 level crossings to be removed over the next eight years. The supplementary documentation linked from City of Moonee Valley's Essendon Junction page includes <a href="http://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/~/media/Files/Planning%20and%20Building/Long%20Term%20Planning%20in%20Moonee%20Valley/EJNAC%20SP/14%2093660%20%20Appendix%20A%20%20Essendon%20Junction%20Grade%20Separation%20Feasibility%20Study(2).pdf">a report created by GHD Australia</a> in 2013-2014 which sought to provide options for grade separation in the area.</p>

<p>The preferred option 3 would see the following occur:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>In this option, the rail drops below Buckley Street and through the existing heritage station precinct. A new below grade station would be located in the middle of the activity centre with the potential for a station entrance on Mount Alexander Road or near the existing station. The final location of the platforms would depend upon their required length and alignment.</p>

<p>Mount Alexander Road would be reinstated to grade. The tracks would travel below Mount Alexander and start to rise back to grade, north of Raleigh Street. This is the preferred option out of the 3 scenarios. The cost involved with the larger area of excavation and the construction of the underground station is seen to be justified given the value of their associated benefits. The deeper excavation ensures that the heritage station and its integrity are left intact.</p>

<p>The restoration of the Mount Alexander road surface to natural ground level eliminates the barrier of having the road below grade level; as it is currently or above grade level, as is the case in Option 1. Therefore this option provides the optimal opportunity for modal interchange and increased pedestrian connectivity, which is crucial for the development of the activity centre.</p>

<p>Locating the underground platforms between the existing heritage station and Mount Alexander Road, as per Option 3, maximises station accessibility with opportunities for entrances from Mount Alexander Road, Russell Street or Rose Street.</p>
<cite><a href="http://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/~/media/Files/Planning%20and%20Building/Long%20Term%20Planning%20in%20Moonee%20Valley/EJNAC%20SP/14%2093660%20%20Appendix%20A%20%20Essendon%20Junction%20Grade%20Separation%20Feasibility%20Study(2).pdf">GHD Australia, Essendon Junction Grade Separation (Draft Feasibility Assessment Report), December 2013</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/essendon_junction_future_dev_parcels.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Future development parcels created by grade separation"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="298" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/essendon_junction_future_dev_parcels.png?itok=I6fTbO9d" title="Future development parcels created by grade separation" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Future development parcels created by grade separation</figcaption></figure><p>The report also includes a high-level cost estimate which GHD stresses would require further investigation. No single grade separation project currently underway is the same as any other in the metropolitan area, however it does make for interesting reading into all the input costs of a grade separation project.</p>

<p>A screen grab from page 71 of the <a href="http://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/~/media/Files/Planning%20and%20Building/Long%20Term%20Planning%20in%20Moonee%20Valley/EJNAC%20SP/14%2093660%20%20Appendix%20A%20%20Essendon%20Junction%20Grade%20Separation%20Feasibility%20Study(2).pdf">Essendon Junction grade separation feasibility study</a>:</p>

<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/essendon_grade_sep_costs.png" rel="gallery-all" title="High level cost estimate provided by GHD"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="408" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/essendon_grade_sep_costs.png?itok=_OQI-U4L" title="High level cost estimate provided by GHD" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>High level cost estimate provided by GHD</figcaption></figure><h2>Comment</h2>

<p>Moonee Valley City Council's preferred option for grade separation to my mind is a sound one, as it ticks all the right boxes: removing a level crossing, retaining a heritage station building (bonus points would be awarded for repurposing it as a community facility), far stronger train to tram connectivity, restoring Mount Alexander Road to a proper boulevard and removing the current rail barrier at Raleigh Street.</p>

<p>Assuming GHD's cost estimates for under $200 million are correct and when the entire Essendon Junction structure plan is taken into consideration - more specifically the amount of dwelling supply and economic activity it will create over time - I don't believe it would be all that difficult for the benefits to outweigh the costs in this context.</p>

<p>Here's hoping the State Government adopt the council's preferred grade separation option.</p>
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Essendon Junction structure plan and Buckley Street grade separation

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<p>On Monday 29th of June, the Minister of Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, and Minister for Industry, Lily D'Ambrosio, called for expressions of interest for the design, construction and maintenance of a 'next generation, high-capacity metro train' (HCMT) for Melbourne.</p>

<p>Foreshadowed in the recent Andrews' Government budget, 37 new trains along with the building of a new maintenance centre in Pakenham East is expected to cost $1.3 billion.</p>

<p>A <a href="http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/victoria-begins-high-capacity-metro-train-procurement">Railway Gazette</a> article states that on top of the order for 37 new trains for the Pakenham/Cranbourne lines, the State Government seeks to have the right over 25 purchase options for the Melbourne Metro Rail project and a further 38 options to begin phasing out the 1980s era Comeng trains.</p>

<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/sandown_park_platform_length.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Sandown Park station on the Dandenong corridor"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="353" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/sandown_park_platform_length.png?itok=fiw8zv5h" title="Sandown Park station on the Dandenong corridor" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Sandown Park station on the Dandenong corridor</figcaption></figure><h2>Sweating more out of the platform space</h2>

<p>The station platforms on Melbourne's rail network - those on the surface, measurable by Google Maps - are around 160 metres and according to the Railway Gazette article the new high capacity metro trains look set to take full advantage of the existing infrastructure.</p>

<p>Not since the 1970s when the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harris_(train)">Harris trains</a> were primary workhorse of the rail fleet has there been any train marshaled in a configuration of more than 6 carriages. The recently departed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitachi_(Australian_train)">Hitachi</a> and the current fleet of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comeng_(train)">Comeng</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X%27Trapolis_100">X'Trapolis</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siemens_Nexas">Siemens</a> trains have all been marshaled as 3 or 6 x 23-24m motor and trailer carriage trains measuring a total length of 71-72 metres for 3 car trains or 143-144 metres for 2 x 3 car sets which are now the standard configuration across all lines.</p>

<p>At 160m it would appear the next generation of trains to run exclusively on the Cranbourne/Pakenham lines would likely be marshaled in a 8 x 20m carriage configuration (or 7 x 22-23m configuration as pointed out in <a href="http://www.danielbowen.com/2015/07/01/next-gen-trains/">Daniel Bowen's blog</a>) thus utilising the full length of the existing platforms at stations along those lines.</p>

<h2>Piece by piece</h2>

<p>If there is any communications-related criticism to be levelled at the current State Government, it's that the piecemeal approach they have taken by drip-feeding announcements related to their huge book of Public Transport projects doesn't link back to the overall 'big picture' narrative.</p>

<p>Nevertheless, the table below is an attempt to at least put projects in some logical order and it's based on information that has previously been released as well as some assumptions denoted by an asterisk.</p>

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th scope="col">Puzzle piece</th>
			<th scope="col">Date</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Sunbury line level crossings removed - Main Road and Furlong Road in St Albans</td>
			<td><a href="http://economicdevelopment.vic.gov.au/transport/major-projects/level-crossing-removal-project/current-projects#2">2017</a></td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dandenong corridor level crossing removal project complete - 9 level crossings and 4 rebuilt stations</td>
			<td>2018*</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>First next generation HCMTs start rolling off the production line</td>
			<td><a href="http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/victoria-begins-high-capacity-metro-train-procurement">2018</a></td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Melbourne Metro Rail project - start of civil works</td>
			<td><a href="http://mmrailproject.vic.gov.au/about-the-project">2018</a></td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Trial of new signalling system begins on Sandringham Line</td>
			<td>2019-2021*</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>State Government exercises HMCT purchase options for Melbourne Metro Rail</td>
			<td>2020-2021*</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>First batch of HCMTs nears end of production cycle</td>
			<td><a href="http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/victoria-begins-high-capacity-metro-train-procurement">2022</a></td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Melbourne Metro Rail project - civil works and station construction complete, rail equipment installation and testing begins</td>
			<td>2022-2023*</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Second batch of HCMTs for the Melbourne Metro Rail / Sunbury line starts production cycle</td>
			<td>2022*</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Pakenham, Cranbourne and Sunbury lines retrofitted with new signalling system</td>
			<td>2024-2025*</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Second batch of HCMTs for the Melbourne Metro Rail / Sunbury line nears end of production cycle</td>
			<td>2024-2025*</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Melbourne Metro Rail project - Pakenham/Cranbourne services begin running through to Sunbury and vice versa</td>
			<td>2024-2025*</td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2>Wouldn't it be nice…</h2>

<p>If the State Government took a leaf out of the NBNCo's book and centralised all public transport project information - big picture and fine detail - in one <a href="http://www.nbnco.com.au/sell-nbn-services/rollout-map">giant map</a>?</p>

<p><span style="font-size:10px;">Lead image credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X'Trapolis_100">Wikipedia</a>.</span></p>
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Melbourne's train fleet to be expanded

All being equal podcast: affordable housing in Melbourne

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<p>The Premier and Minister for Public Transport this morning announced four more level crossing removals had been funded - Main and Furlong Roads in St. Albans, Blackburn Road in Blackburn and Heatherdale Road in Mitcham.</p>

<p>"These four level crossings will all be removed by 2018, and are part of our $2-2.4 billion commitment in the 2015-2016 Victorian Budget to remove at least 20 of these congested death traps over four years" the Premier said.</p>

<p>Leighton Contractors, Aurecon and Hyder Consulting will be working together to both design and build the four grade separation projects with input from public sector agencies VicRoads, Public Transport Victoria and the operator of the metropolitan rail network, Metro Trains Melbourne.</p>

<p>In a media release distributed on Tuesday morning, the Government has announced the package of works will cost around $480 million including $151 million from the Federal Government. This federal money is reportedly derived from savings made on the Regional Rail Project which began operations on Sunday.</p>

<p>Heatherdale Road, Blackburn Road and Furlong Road projects will be funded by the Victorian Government and the Main Road grade separation project funded by the Regional Rail Link savings.</p>

<p>In terms of rail corridor changes, at all four project sites the rail lines will be lowered under the existing road grade and three stations will be re-built as a consequence: St. Albans, Ginifter and Heatherdale.</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sau!4v1435019591184!6m8!1m7!1so6nLJDygseyT_7R6joKtsQ!2m2!1d-37.818875!2d145.213361!3f282.51!4f-2.819999999999993!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border:0" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>​Of all four level crossing removal projects which were awarded today, Heatherdale is likely to be the more intriguing from a design perspective. As seen in the google street view above, the existing station is already on a downhill (toward Ringwood) grade and lowering the rail line below the existing road grade will likely require a large amount of excavation to the west of the station in order to smooth out the rail corridor between Mitcham and Heatherdale stations.</p>

<p>As Blackburn Road and Heatherdale Road are completed, the only remaining level crossings between the city and Ringwood will be located at Union Road in Surrey Hills and Mont Albert Road in Mont Albert. Given Surrey Hills and Mont Albert Stations are located within a kilometre of each other, Apartments.com.au expects that both of these stations - which have three tracks and platforms like the recently announced Frankston line level crossing removals - would be completed at the same time, whenever they are prioritised by Government. These two level crossings do not feature in the list of 50 grade separation projects.</p>

<p>With the announcement of Main Road and Furlong Road projects today, once complete in 2018, all Sunbury line trains as far as Watergardens will be running on track with no level crossings, thanks to previous removal projects in the region with the most recent being Anderson Road as part of the Regional Rail Link project.</p>

<p>The State Government has also announced that geotechnical investigations have begun in the Dandenong corridor where nine previously announced level crossings are to be removed and four stations are scheduled to be rebuilt.</p>

<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/level-crossing-removal-locations.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The 50 level crossings the Government aims to remove over eight years. Economicdevelopment.vic.gov.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="417" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/level-crossing-removal-locations.jpg?itok=doEZZzJe" title="The 50 level crossings the Government aims to remove over eight years. Economicdevelopment.vic.gov.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The 50 level crossings the Government aims to remove over eight years. <a href="http://economicdevelopment.vic.gov.au/transport/major-projects/level-crossing-removal-project/level-crossing-removal-locations">economicdevelopment.vic.gov.au</a></figcaption></figure><h2>Level crossing removals announced to date</h2>

<p>The Dandenong corridor:</p>

<ul>
<li>Grange Road, Carnegie</li>
	<li>Koornang Road, Carnegie - includes rebuilding Carnegie station.</li>
	<li>Murrumbeena Road, Murrumbeena - includes rebuilding Murrumbeena station.</li>
	<li>Poath Road, Murrumbeena - includes rebuilding Hughesdale station.</li>
	<li>Clayton Road, Clayton - includes rebuilding Clayton station.</li>
	<li>Centre Road, Clayton</li>
	<li>Corrigan Road, Noble Park</li>
	<li>Heatherton Road, Noble Park</li>
	<li>Chandler Road, Noble Park</li>
</ul>
<p>Expressions of interest were being sought in June and an earlier media release from the Minister for Public Transport stated the work was expected to start in 2016 - and today's announcement confirms that - and complete by 2018. Total value, designs and contractors not yet announced.</p>

<p>The Frankston Line:</p>

<ul>
<li>North Road, Ormond - includes rebuilding Ormond station.</li>
	<li>McKinnon Road, McKinnon - includes rebuilding McKinnon station.</li>
	<li>Centre Road, Bentleigh - includes rebuilding Bentleight station.</li>
</ul>
<p>The Glen Waverley Line:</p>

<ul>
<li>Burke Road, Glen Iris - includes rebuilding Gardiner station.</li>
</ul>
<p>Contracts for these four level crossing removals were awarded to a consortium which comprises John Holland and KBR. $524 million and complete by 2018.</p>

<p>The Ringwood corridor:</p>

<ul>
<li>Blackburn Road, Blackburn.</li>
	<li>Heatherdale Road, Mitcham - includes rebuilding Heatherdale station.</li>
</ul>
<p>The Sunbury Line</p>

<ul>
<li>Furlong Road, St. Albans - includes rebuilding Ginifer station.</li>
	<li>Main Road, St. Albans - includes rebuilding St. Albans station.</li>
</ul>
<p>Contracts awarded to an alliance of Leighton Contractors, Aurecon and Hayder Consulting. $480 million. St. Albans projects complete by 2017, Ringwood corridor projects complete by 2018.</p>

<p><span style="font-size:10px;">Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.818875,145.213361,3a,75y,282.51h,87.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1so6nLJDygseyT_7R6joKtsQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en-GB">Google Street View</a>.</span></p>
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St. Albans, Blackburn and Mitcham set to see more level crossing removals

<html><body>
<p>For many a year now there's been talk of a rail link to Melbourne Airport with the Albion corridor named as the preferred alignment. While an airport heavy rail link via the preferred corridor would serve the Airport, Sunshine, the city centre and most parts of the metropolitan area in the East and South via a change of trains in the city, it doesn't do much for people living in the north and working at the airport, let alone cater for passengers accessing the airport.</p>

<p>On top of origin/destination trips to the airport's terminals, the airport master plan foresees significant non-aviation development and employment sprouting on the outer edges of the land it controls between Melrose Drive and the Tullamarine Freeway, notwithstanding the large amount of semi-industrial employment already in the region.</p>

<p>Essendon Fields is seeing ongoing commercial development, most notably in recent times with Linfox moving in, and Moonee Valley have currently zoned the area to the west of Matthews Ave as Business Zone 3 which allows for mixed-use residential and commercial uses. Apartments.com.au even has its eyes on development in this very precinct: see <a href="/news/the-northern-light-rail-link">83 Matthews Avenue</a>.</p>

<p>Suffice it to say residents of Moonee Valley, Darebin and Moreland - areas where many people who work at Melbourne Airport reside - wouldn't directly benefit from a heavy rail link. These residents either have to travel into the city to catch the skybus (or in future the train) back out to the airport or play roulette with infrequent bus to bus (and rail to bus) connections; the only exception to this rule is the frequent connection between the Craigieburn line and Airport smart bus connection at Broadmeadows.</p>

<h2>The idea: a light rail line stretching from Thornbury to Melbourne Airport</h2>

<p><iframe height="480" src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=zLzjYwjjDBk0.k7Yg81lZOXQQ" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<h2>Airport West to Melbourne Airport</h2>

<p>From the current terminus of route 59 at Airport West, new tram track would be built along the western side of Melrose Drive into the airport zone.</p>

<p>In order to not play havoc with existing vehicular traffic from the current terminus, the tram track would be elevated across the Matthews Ave/Dromana Ave/Melrose Drive intersection at the main entrance to Westfield Airport West, remain elevated across Mascoma Street and the Albion corridor rail line and then would transition to an open trench in order to have a clear path underneath the Malvern Avenue/Western Ring Road/Sharps Road interchange.</p>

<p>Between the Western Ring Road and Melbourne Airport, save for a short 200-300m section of Melrose Drive, the tram track would be laid at grade in the median that currently separates the northbound Melrose Drive traffic lanes and the service road. All sections where the tram track intersects with streets would be signalised and only triggered as trams approach the crossings, effectively giving light rail services priority.</p>

<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="400" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sau!4v1434616867136!6m8!1m7!1sRWP8PKQYzvOWihNysMOo6Q!2m2!1d-37.703101!2d144.882849!3f172.6402970433707!4f-2.7853582439360167!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border:0" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>From Trade Park Drive right up into the Airport lands - and where the new Tullamarine freeway exit intersects with Melrose drive - the trams would run in the ample space beside Melrose Drive and then switch to the Melrose Drive median up to Service Road and the Melbourne Airport Terminals.</p>

<p>The total length of this route is 6.3km, 350m of which is in an open below-grade trench and 550m is elevated at Airport West.</p>

<h2>Essendon to Coburg</h2>

<p>Using the short section of track which currently hosts the route 8 on Moreland Road, this idea would see both ends of that track extended west and east.</p>

<p>The first new track section from Essendon would run from where the existing route 59 trams turn out of Fletcher Street into Pascoe Vale Road down to the Moreland Road intersection and then turn eastward and run all the way to Moreland Station, where the existing tram track ends at Brunswick tram depot.</p>

<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="400" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sau!4v1434617381097!6m8!1m7!1sAiNojxEgGGCYXBqiiBgrqQ!2m2!1d-37.753691!2d144.949251!3f253.85!4f-2.6299999999999955!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border:0" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>Engineering issues which would need to be dealt with along this route: Moreland road descends moderately from Pascoe Vale Road and the general road corridor narrows over the Moonee Ponds Creek Bridge, this would need to be widened.</p>

<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="400" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sau!4v1434617059827!6m8!1m7!1sRgdL9xm5HmNKSG1dITqHFQ!2m2!1d-37.751078!2d144.927044!3f283.0521102350623!4f-7.56721222747305!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border:0" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>Similarly Moreland Road at Moreland station on the Upfield line would need to be grade separated - that's aken care of as it's already on the current government's <a href="http://economicdevelopment.vic.gov.au/news-and-media-releases/work-begins-to-remove-50-of-the-worst-level-crossings-in-melbourne">map of 50 level crossing removals</a> - but for the most part, Moreland Road is quite wide (parallel parking, bike and a single traffic lanes in each direction) and somewhat similar in profile to other roads in the area which have trams running on them.</p>

<p>This section of new tram track would measure 3.9km in length, connect/interchange with 3 existing tram routes (59, 55 and 19) and connect with 1 rail line (Upfield).</p>

<h2>Coburg to Thornbury</h2>

<p>Running on the existing tram track from Moreland Station across Sydney Road to Nicholson/Holmes Street the new track would be laid in the centre of Moreland Road and then across the Merri Creek along Normanby Avenue to St. Georges Road. From this point the route would use the existing track in St. Georges Road and Miller Street and Terminate at Thornbury junction in Miller Street.</p>

<p>There's an opportunity near the terminus to remove the existing Thornbury rail station and rebuild it 300m north in order for a) the station to be closer to the junction and b) directly interface with this new light rail route.</p>

<p>The width of Normanby Avenue from the Northcote Golf Club across St. Georges Road and into High Street is narrow and a straight route to High Street would need to include a grade separation. There is just one short 500m section of Normanby Avenue which would require some kind of tram prioritisation if the existing St. Georges road track were to be re-used.</p>

<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="400" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sau!4v1434617163241!6m8!1m7!1sXSV3aqlX1jOiwQj5PiUKXA!2m2!1d-37.758711!2d144.992573!3f293.19504533329155!4f-10.876194806512643!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border:0" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>This section of new track from Nicholson Street to St. Georges Road measures 1.6km in length. 1.4km of existing double tram track would be re-used for the Northern Light Rail line and from the St. Georges Road/Normanby Ave intersection to Thornbury junction. The new service would connect with 4 tram routes (1, 8, 11 and 86) as well as 1 rail line (South Morang).</p>

<h2>Some employment numbers</h2>

<p>Demographer's <a href="http://home.id.com.au/">.id</a> publish a great set of data on where residents of LGA's work. Melbourne Airport sits in the <a href="http://profile.id.com.au/hume/workers?SLACode=205353274">Hume - Craigieburn SLA</a> which also includes Greenvale, Craigieburn and Roxburgh Park.</p>

<p>The 2011 census data shows that the <a href="http://profile.id.com.au/hume/residents?SLACode=205353274">Hume - Craigieburn</a> area (where the airport is located) is the employment destination for:</p>

<ul>
<li>1860 people, or 3.5% of <a href="http://profile.id.com.au/moonee-valley/residents">Moonee Valley's residents</a>
</li>
	<li>1724 people or 2.5% of <a href="http://profile.id.com.au/moreland/residents">Moreland's residents</a>
</li>
	<li>870 people or 1.5% of <a href="http://profile.id.com.au/darebin/residents">Darebin's residents</a>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Interestingly, the Hume - Broadmeadows area which stretches from Gladstone Park (where this Light Rail line would go) over to Broadmeadows itself is the destination for:</p>

<ul>
<li>1763 people or 3.3% of Moonee Valley's residents.</li>
	<li>1620 people or 2.5% of Moreland's residents.</li>
	<li>338 people or 1.3% of Darebin's residents.</li>
</ul>
<p>The <a href="http://profile.id.com.au/moonee-valley/workers?SLACode=205105065">Moonee Valley - West</a> region stretches from the Maribyrnong to Avondale Heights. The overwhelming majority of employment in this region is centred around Essendon Fields/Airport and Airport West.</p>

<p>It sees 2550 or 20% of its local residents work in the same region. 985 or 8% of its employees travel from the neighbouring Moonee Valley - Essendon region and 531 people or 4.3% travel from both the Brunswick and Coburg sub-regions of Moreland.</p>

<p>If we assume 75% of employees living in Darebin/Moreland/Moonee Valley work at/near the airport, 35% of employees from those LGAs are travelling to the Gladstone Park-Tullamarine area for work and 90% of the people are travelling to Essendon Fields/Airport West for work, then that totals approximately 8,000 employees traveling to a work place destination in the vicinity of this light rail line.</p>

<p>Throw in the wholesale integration with 7 tram routes plus 3 rail lines and the potential pool of passengers for this light rail line for travel to Melbourne airport will no doubt increase.</p>

<h2>Services</h2>

<p>The new light rail line - let's number it route 60 - running from the Airport to Thornbury via Essendon Station, Fletcher Street and Moreland Road could start with 10 minute off-peak, 8 minute peak and 20 minute late night frequencies. All new stops along the line would be accessibility compliant and services would be operated with E-Class trams.</p>

<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/e-class_interior.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Interior of a locally made Bombardier E-Class tram, image Wikipedia"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="360" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/e-class_interior.jpg?itok=gcrZ09ig" title="Interior of a locally made Bombardier E-Class tram, image Wikipedia" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Interior of a locally made Bombardier E-Class tram, image <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-class_Melbourne_tram">Wikipedia</a></figcaption></figure><p>Even though the journey would take over an hour from the city (remembering this isn't the main aim of the light rail line), there would be merit in extending the route 59 trams the extra 6km to Melbourne Airport. Using the current timetable as an example, that would mean 8 minute frequencies in off-peak times, 6 minutes in peak and 20 minute frequencies at night. Between Essendon and the Airport when combined with the new route 60 there would be an extensive amount of services.</p>

<p>According to the current route 59 timetable, from Fletcher Street and Pascoe Vale Road - where the new Moreland road extension would connect to the existing network - the journey to the terminus at Airport West Shopping Centre takes 18 minutes in off-peak times. This route travels mixed with traffic on Fletcher Street, freely via the Mount Alexander Road median, mixes with traffic on Keilor Road through the popular Niddrie shopping strip and then on its own separate track alongside Matthews Avenue up to the shopping centre.</p>

<p>By way of eliminating a future tram bottleneck, the existing track between Matthews Avenue and the Tullamarine Freeway should be grade separated at English Street: the Tullamarine freeway interchange with Matthews Avenue / primary entrance to Essendon Airport / Essendon Fields.</p>

<p>Using the Keilor Road to Airport West segment - a distance of 2.5 km - as a guide, the current timestable states this journey takes 5 minutes. Given much of the extension north of Airport West SC would be in a dedicated corridor and measures 6.3km, the journey time from Airport West to the Melbourne Airport would take in the region of 12-15 minutes. This allows us to calculate journey times on route 59 as follows:</p>

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th scope="col">Journey</th>
			<th scope="col">Time</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Melbourne Airport to Airport West</td>
			<td>12 minutes</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Melbourne Airport to Niddrie</td>
			<td>18 minutes</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Melbourne Airport to North Essendon village</td>
			<td>23 minutes</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Melbourne Airport to Essendon Station</td>
			<td>26 minutes</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Melbourne Airport to Moonee Ponds junction</td>
			<td>34 minutes</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Melbourne Airport to Flemington Bridge station</td>
			<td>45 minutes</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Melbourne Airport to route 59 terminus - Elizabeth/Flinders Street</td>
			<td>Approximately 1 hour</td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>For route 60 as there is no precedent on an east-west route for estimating travel times however I'll use route 55's timetable. Melville Road, which Moreland Road intersects with, is of a comparable width and sees a similar volume of traffic throughout the day. From Smith Street to Bell Street - the entire length of Melville Road where route 55 runs - measures 3.25km. The current timetable for route 55 sees this segment's journey time at 9 minutes; this allows us to provide a journey time estimate for route 60:</p>

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th scope="col">Journey</th>
			<th scope="col">Time</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Melbourne Airport to Melville Road (interchange with route 55)</td>
			<td>33-35 minutes</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Melbourne Airport to Moreland Station / Sydney Road (interchange with route 19 and Upfield line)</td>
			<td>39-41 minutes</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Melbourne Airport to Thornbury Junction (interchange with route 86 and South Morang Line)</td>
			<td>47-49 minutes</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Essendon Station to Brunswick (Sydney Road)</td>
			<td>12-14 minutes</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brunswick (Sydney Road) to Thornbury Junction</td>
			<td>11-13 minutes</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Essendon Station to Thornbury Junction</td>
			<td>23-27 minutes</td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2>Making things a little bit faster (and servicing different areas)</h2>

<p>You'll note on the map there are two red lines: one from Airport West slicing through Essendon Fields and heading to the North Essendon village and a second red line running from North Essendon village to the Pascoe Vale Road / Moreland Road intersection via Glenbervie. They only exist to illustrate how new areas could be opened up for direct light rail services and would allow a more direct route 60 service to operate while interfacing with the existing route 59 in North Essendon and Airport West.</p>

<p>From Airport West Shopping Centre the tram track would stay elevated and cross the Tullamarine Freeway and then use the Wirraway Road median where just before the aviation zone starts, the track would enter a 1.1km tunnel and traverse the airfield and surface next to the DFO Essendon Fields. From there, another short section of elevated track above the Bulla Road freeway interchange would then deposit the track in the Bulla Road median where it would join up with the existing route 59 track.</p>

<p>From Mount Alexander Road, to the south of the North Essendon village strip, new track would divert down Glass street then cross the top of a newly rebuilt and sunken Glenbervie station and turn south onto Pascoe Vale Road and then east onto Moreland Road.</p>

<p>These two new routes marked in red on the map measure 4km and 1.65km respectively. The existing route from Airport West via Matthews Avenue, Keilor Road, Mount Alexander Road and Fletcher Street measures 6.5km plus another 500m to connect to Moreland Road.</p>

<p>5.65km versus 7km with the shorter route servicing Essendon Fields directly - specifically the southern end with its major retail uses and the northern end with its commercial focus - and providing a higher quality tram to rail connection at Glenbervie (passengers wouldn't need to walk 300m like they do at Essendon station for a connection).</p>

<h2>Costs</h2>

<p>One of the best sources of discussion on this topic is from <a href="https://melbpt.wordpress.com/tram-construction-costs/">this 2008 blog post</a>. The author used the Box Hill, Vermont South and Docklands Drive tram extensions as an example and when you place the figures in that blog post through RBA's inflation calculator, the capital cost of constructing tram track - on road mind you - turns out to be $13.4 million per kilometre in 2014 dollars.</p>

<p>From the same post, the author asserts that the operational cost of running the tram network is (in 2014 dollars, thanks to RBA's inflation calculator) $1.1million per kilometre.</p>

<p>The original order of 50 E-Class trams by the State Government in 2009 cost $300 million according to this <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/test-proves-yarra-trams-eclass-trams-too-power-hungry-for-network-20140710-zt2jd">2014 Age article</a>; I'd estimate that 30 trams would be required for the new route 60.</p>

<h2>Estimates</h2>

<ul>
<li>$15 million per kilometre for standard in-road track.</li>
	<li>$25 million per kilometre for elevated/trench track.</li>
	<li>$30 million per kilometre for tunnel.</li>
	<li>Melbourne Airport - Airport West (6.3km total, 500m elevated, 300m trench): $82.5 million + $20 million = $102.5 million.</li>
	<li>Essendon-Coburg (all in-road, 3.8km): $57 million.</li>
	<li>Coburg - Thornbury (all in-road, 1.6km): $24 million.</li>
	<li>Total capital expenditure: $183.5 million for 12 kilometres of new track.</li>
</ul>
<p>Alternative route 60 track:</p>

<ul>
<li>Essendon Fields (4km total, 900m elevated, 1.1 km tunnel): $30 million + $22.5 million + $33 million = $85.5 million.</li>
	<li>Glenbervie (all in-road, 1.65km, station rebuild costs not included): $25 million.</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:10px;">Lead image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tram_stop_56_(_Earl_St-Matthews_Ave)_at_Airport_West_(2).jpg">Wikipedia</a>.</span></p>
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The Northern Light Rail link

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<p>On Thursday the McKell Institute released a report titled <a href="http://mckellinstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/pdf/McKell_Negative-Gearing_A4_WEB.pdf">Changing Gears</a>. It's a document which looks at five different policy options in relation to negative gearing and perhaps most disappointingly it does not give strategic planning policy much of a look in.</p>

<p>First and foremost, the McKell Institute are a NSW-centric policy institute and much of the report views the issues with the existing negative gearing system through Sydney-coloured glasses - a quick word find search of the document yields 53 references to Sydney and 3 to Melbourne.</p>

<p>In saying that however, I welcome its favoured policy response of grandfathering existing negative gearing arrangements and allow new negative gearing only for new housing stock.</p>

<p>As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, very little attention is paid to strategic planning and much of the preferred policy response focuses on using negative gearing to drive more broadacre supply. Is it smart to accelerate metropolitan fringe growth thus further lengthening the time between when residents move in and infrastructure - be it community-related, transport-related or health/education-related - is put in place?</p>

<p>Building new houses on the fringe without adequate infrastructure and locking new residents into auto-centricity from day one is the peak definition of sprawl.</p>

<p>Melbourne's urban growth boundary underwent a review of 'logical inclusions' in 2012 and subsequently another 6000 hectares was added to the supply pipeline. In 2010, the then Planning Minister Justin Madden added a mammoth 40,000 hectares. Just those two changes alone is enough land for upwards of 700,000 houses (at 15 houses per hectare).</p>

<p>Melbourne does not have an issue with broadacre supply.</p>

<p>Rewinding back to the Guy Planning era and the reformed planning zones, regardless of how well it has been implemented by individual councils, it was an attempt to drive more supply into brownfields development across the existing metropolitan area. And this is what the McKell Changing Gears report doesn't appear to address: different states have different strategies.</p>

<p>States and cities around the country vary when it comes to housing and planning policy, some have urban growth boundaries, some don't. Some encourage large pockets of high-density development, some have planning schemes which encourage medium density development across a broader metropolitan area. If a great big axe is to be wielded by Canberra (the McKell Institute is aligned with the ALP) then Canberra must ensure this negative gearing policy switch aligns with the wishes and planning policies of the states.</p>

<p>Given that the ability to deduct interest expenses from a person's income only applies on property which is not the individual's principal place of residence then we're talking about increasing the supply of rentals on the fringe within the context of the Changing Gears report.</p>

<p>But this is where this policy should be tweaked: it should apply to new 3+ bedroom apartments only, especially in areas throughout the metropolitan area where new planning zones allow it.</p>

<p>In the apartment boom of early last decade, 1 bedroom apartments were more common than 2 or 3 bedroom apartments - this decade it's safe to say most new developments split 1 and 2 bedroom configurations evenly with a small smattering of larger apartments. If we're going to attempt to intervene on an apparent market failure, rather than increase the supply of rentals on the fringe, it should be targeted at the dwelling type we have a lack of - and that's family-sized apartments.</p>

<p><span style="font-size:10px;">Lead image courtesy mckellinstitute.org.au.</span></p>
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Targeting the right kind of new rental housing with negative gearing policy changes

<p data-end="256" data-start="0"><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.</p>

<p data-end="446" data-start="258">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.</p>

<p data-end="645" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node="" data-start="448">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>.</p>

<p><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" /></p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.”</p>

<p data-end="626" data-start="350">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.</p>

<p data-end="928" data-start="628">“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.”</p>

<p data-end="1147" data-start="930">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”.</p>

<p data-end="1510" data-start="1149">“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.”</p>

<p data-end="1510" data-start="1149"><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" /></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>The application joins a growing pipeline of luxury residential projects reshaping Broadbeach, including nearby developments by 5Point Projects, Polycell, and Graya.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<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">
<p data-end="305" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node="" data-start="0">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.</p>
</section>


Joel Robinson

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

<p style="text-align:start">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;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><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" /></p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>An early works program is taking shape, which&nbsp;includes the first stages of an international design competition.&nbsp;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>The competition will be led by the Bays West Delivery Authority in partnership with Government Architect NSW.&nbsp;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>“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.</p>

<p>“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;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>“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.</p>

<p>“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.”</p>


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

<p>Around 400 additional homes could be built at Southwark Grounds on Port Road, lifting total site capacity from 1300 to around 1700 dwellings.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>“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.</p>

<p>Since the project officially launched in 2025, Mr Wingard said more than 12,000 enquiries had been received about living at Southwark Grounds.</p>

<p>“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.</p>

<p>The Southwark Grounds code amendment was launched in December last year, with community engagement undertaken over five weeks from January.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>One of the first developers delivering apartment sites have already finalised redesigns to increase the number of apartments following the code amendment.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>The developer is also exploring the potential for additional affordable housing outcomes.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>“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.”</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Southwark Grounds is a state government‑led urban renewal project now set to deliver around 1,700 homes over the next decade.</p>

<p>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.</p>


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

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><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" /></p>

<p>“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.</p>

<p>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.”</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><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" /></p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>“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.</p>

<p>A major focus of the proposal is its five-level wellness and lifestyle offering, extending from the basement through to the rooftop.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><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" /></p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>


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

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><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" /></p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>"Dwellings&nbsp;will benefit from excellent access to natural light, cross-ventilation opportunities and extensive communal space," the report noted.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><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" /></p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>


Alastair Taylor

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