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It's not every day I get an unsolicited press release in my inbox, so it was with great excitement and joy to receive our first from top-shelf developer Mirvac.

Mirvac's Yarra Point is complete and has opened its doors to residents and at the same time, Mirvac have announced an Australian-first: An <a href="http://www.olystudio.com/" target="_blank">Oly San Francisco</a> styled display Sky Residence on the tower's highest floor - level 31.

<blockquote>
The Oly display is truly one of a kind - we want our customers to walk through the Sky Residence apartment and feel surprised with something refreshingly unique.
<cite>John Carfi, Mirvac CEO Residential</cite>
</blockquote>

It is also styled for someone who doesn't follow the latest fashion or interior trends:

<blockquote>
I wanted this apartment to feel real and lived in, not staged. The Oly pieces create a contemporary style that is unexpected, adding a sense of play to a luxurious property.
<cite>Rohan Smith, Interior Designer, <a href="http://www.cocorepublic.com.au/furniture-and-homewares/product-listing/oly-san-francisco/" target="_blank">Coco Republic</a></cite>
</blockquote>

Quirky, playful and downright colourful, Apartments.com.au had a preview of the display and we've included images supplied by Mirvac in the gallery at the bottom of this page.

Yarra Point is a 31 level tower with a total project value of $200 million, apartments range from 55sqm up to 214sqm with prices ranging from $520,000 up to a cool $2.42million for a four-bedroom Sky residence. Four display apartments are open on Level 1, 11, 23 and the level 31 Oly San Francisco Sky Residence.

For more information and contact details, visit <a href="http://www.yarrapoint.com.au" target="_blank">Yarra Point's website</a>.

You can also view the <a href="//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ufr9AYFJIw" target="_blank">Yarra Point video</a> on YouTube.

While you're with us, you can also find more information about Mirvac's most recent Yarra's Edge precinct project, <a href="/buildings/array-100-lorimer-street-docklands#content" target="_blank">Array by Mirvac</a> on Apartments.com.au's project database. We are also covering the construction, like all urban projects around the metro, of Array on our discussion <a href="/news">forum.</a>

We're happy to see more unsolicited Urban Industry press releases, so <a href="/contact" target="_blank">contact us</a>!
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Alastair Taylor

Mirvac announces Oly San Francisco Display Apartment at Yarra Point

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... and that's the problem.
Melbourne was very good at locating shopping centres away from rail lines and stations when they were first proposed, and we're paying for it now.  Well at least, the good 'burghers of Chadstone, who live opposite or in the immediate vicinity of the shopping centre that bears the same name, are.
In our <a href="http://urbanmelbourne.info/development/2013/04/16/chadstones-twin-towers-sharpen-up#content">piece</a> yesterday on the updated proposals for a Hotel and Office at Chadstone Shopping Centre, Mark posted images from Atomic 3D and Bates Smart that act as a perfect example of  how utterly auto-centric these “activity” centres are. Have a look at the Dandenong Road vista – shopping centres have always been internally focused and Chadstone is no exception – however the new proposal has solidified this internal mentality by only providing a barely windowed facade at ground level, completely cut off from the footpath.
There’s absolutely zero active frontage and it's dominated by vehicular access paths.  Some effort in opening the proposed section of the site to Dandenong Road may have been been a good sign of things to come; nevertheless we're stuck with the ode to auto-centric suburbia that Chadstone and other centres are synonymous with.
Sure, Dandenong Road is a major arterial and not the most pedestrian friendly environment comes to mind of but Chadstone could do so much better.  If we accept shopping centres are going to become legitimate multi-use activity centres in the decades to come, we must correct the past mistakes of not integrating them with high capacity mass public transport routes, reject dumb design that turns its back on the street and start opening them up to their surrounds.
Chadstone’s public transport is currently riding on the back of the humble bus.  At present the best train + bus option is to take a train to Oakleigh and then swap to the 802, 900 or 902, or walk from Hughesdale Station.  The buses are timetabled for 9 minutes between Oakleigh and Chadstone SC, but as we all know that is susceptible to Warrigal Road and Middle Road traffic. PTV’s site states there’s a 4-5 combined frequency across the aforementioned routes - excellent service compared to other routes around the metropolitan area.
It is interesting to see the bus bay has been placed closer to the Dandenong Road entry for Chadstone in yesterday’s piece by Mark.  Buses – from Oakleigh – will be able to avoid all the Monash FWY-bound traffic on Middle Road and turn left at Dandenong Road from Warrigal Rd and then right turn almost directly into the bus station.  This should improve reliability and potentially shave a minute or two off the timetable.
But going by how quickly Chadstone expands and its popularity citywide – good marketing will do that – at what point do we say: enough is enough, bite the bullet and start providing alternative high-capacity access?
As I alluded to a few weeks ago, one of the biggest elephants in the room with regards to the Rowville Rail Study was the ignoring of Chadstone and more recently with the release of the PTV Heavy Rail plan, the Rowville line is completely dependent on the Metro Tunnel.
Rowville study Mark II (as the first one outlined further investigation must be carried out on the city side of Huntingdale) should focus on studying the benefits of removing the Rowville line’s dependency on the Metro Tunnel and as an alternative, study how the Burnley group of lines could work in Rowville’s favour.
We now know that PTV sees the eventual quadruplication of Burnley to Camberwell, but before we get to that – lets look at how Rowville can assume the operation of Alamein with a terminus at Camberwell – at least for the first stage.
We know that there is some spectre of hope for a Rowville rail line eventually, so lets take that for granted. 
From Huntingdale another track pair could be built alongside the existing corridor to Oakleigh, with a 1-2km tunnel built from Oakleigh underneath Dandenong Road and adjacent to Chadstone SC to the old Outer Circle Rail alignment just south of Waverley Road.  From there a line could transition to an elevated structure with a station at East Malvern, and then traverse the Monash Freeway and Gardiner’s Creek valley (where the old trestle bridge from the outer ciricle line did 100 years ago) and then use the old alignment to south of Alamein.
The existing Alamein line would require grade separation at Riversdale Rd and Prospect Hill Rd offering an opportunity to delete Willison Station as Willison and Riversdale stations are 300m from one another. Entries to the newly grade separated Riversdale station located to the south of Riversdale road could eaasily cater for the loss of Willison and reposition the new Riversdale station to cater for both catchments.  Click <a href="https://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?msid=211205020527797360410.0004da78fe6cb979be7b7&amp;msa=0&amp;ll=-37.876208,145.082788&amp;spn=0.054538,0.132093" target="_blank">here</a> to see full map.
<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/chad_line_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/chad_line_1.jpg?itok=PBMS-dXu" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
PTV similarly wouldn't need to create expensive and longer stations on the Rowville line - as the Alamein and Camberwell-City sections are not mooted to get the same upgrades as the Dandenong corridor.  And as a start, off-peak 10 minute services moving to 7-8 minutes in peak would interface with all the activity centres and the 3 primary lines this Camberwell-Rowville shuttle would intersect.
Creating this line will not only provide a one-stop rail journey for the East and South East of Melbourne to Chadstone, it will start linking the region’s other activity centres (Monash/Mulgrave, Camberwell and Glenferrie), provide numerous more non-car Public Transport options for those who live or work in the east and also add heavy rail network redundancy to all Eastern and South Eastern lines.  
Rowville Mark II needs to look at how linking Alamein and Oakleigh via Chadstone could impact the economic case for the Rowville rail line and it should similarly probe Gandel/CFS on their thoughts on potentially going into a PPP - i.e Gandel/CFS pay for the Chadstone station allowing them to fully integrate it into the centre in return for being allowed to expand the use of the land - residential apartments and more commercial above the shopping centre below.
It’s clear that Gandel and CFS have their eyes on diversifying the land use at Chadstone Shopping Centre, and in order to make it work let's integrate it so as to start linking even more eastern suburbs activity centres at the same time.
 
 
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All roads lead to Chadstone

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Thank the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunzel" target="_blank">gunzel</a> Gods for both the Victorian and Federal Governments releasing their grandiose plans within the space of two weeks.  So much to analyse, so much to salivate over.
On Thursday when Federal Transport Minister Albanese released the <a href="http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/rail/trains/high_speed/" target="_blank">Phase 2 study into High Speed Rail</a>, the immediate thing which drew my attention was the preferred path to be taken into Melbourne.
The Federal Government's High Speed Rail (HSR) study favours the Upfield corridor path as the primary access to central Melbourne with the terminus at Southern Cross.  Putting my past-life Business Analyst cap on: hello project synergies!
<a href="http://ptv.vic.gov.au/news/news-promotions/network-development-plan-metropolitan-rail/" target="_blank">Public Transport Victoria's (PTV) plan for heavy rail in Melbourne</a> states that in 20 years time, the Upfield corridor will be upgraded to allow far more frequent service than currently exists (a paltry 20 minute all day every day service regardless of peak or off peak).  Let's try and reconcile both plans for a moment.
The HSR plan sets out:  Sydney to Canberra as Phase 1.  Canberra to Melbourne Phase 2.  And all those areas north of Sydney in later stages.  It's not completely absurd to assume Phase 2 will more or less co-incide with PTV's Phase 4 in about 20 years from now.  
As a 2 year resident of the City of Moreland, I've long loathed using the Upfield line as a means to get to/from the city or any further up and down the Sydney Road corridor owing to the substandard frequencies that currently opeate (I prefer, and do, walk 25 minutes further west to Moonee Ponds to catch far more frequent Craigieburn services).  Upfield requires more frequent trains and far more frequent cross-town bus routes feeding it to make it a real mass-transit corridor.
You don't need a crystal ball to predict the response from naysayers and the foamers over the High-Speed Rail plan, but if you assume:
<ul>
<li>
		it will go ahead in some shape or form, in the phased stages as outlined in the study,</li>
	<li>
		Melbourne airport will receive some kind of heavy-rail treatment within 10-20 years (PTV estimate is within 15 years),</li>
	<li>
		the Federal Coalition stops brain-farting and starts to look at the benefit of investing in Urban as well as National Rail - to keep the PTV and High Speed Rail plan momentum alive if the Gillard government loses power on September 14</li>
</ul>
... you can easily draw this conclusion:
Despite the Phase 2 of High-Speed Rail being a minimum 15 years away, the difficult and most expensive work at this end of the whole Brisbane-Melbourne line could be done sooner by combining the national and local projects.  PTV's plan studied an Upfield (and Craigieburn) line option, and assumes an Airport metro service will branch off the Melbourne Metro Tunnel, but let's take 3 steps back and look at it this way.
The Victorian and Federal governments can go into a joint venture in building the Southern Cross - Upfield section of the eventual High Speed Line sooner.  
<ul>
<li>
		Shut down the Upfield corridor for 2-3 years,</li>
	<li>
		Add longer clearways to Sydney Road and then double the amount of tram services on the Sydney Road route to cater for the temporary loss of Upfield Train services,</li>
	<li>
		Rip up the existing track in the Upfield corridor and associated infrastructure, all the way from Park St in Brunswick to Mahoneys Road in Campbellfield,</li>
	<li>
		Dig a long trench, wide enough for 4 tracks - the two outer tracks would become a subterranean Upfield Metro corridor upon re-opening and the two inner tracks would be the High-Speed through lines,</li>
	<li>
		Re-build Jewell, Brunswick, Anstey, Moreland, Coburg, Batman, Merlynston, Fawkner and Gowrie stations underground to interface with the outer Metro lines,</li>
	<li>
		The new airspace created above this trench will provide a small benefit in financing the construction of the cut and cover tunnel by allowing developers, subject to a new Moreland City council structure plan, to build on the newly created surface above the rail corridor,</li>
	<li>
		PTV and/or Melbourne Airport Rail Link study partners can re-factor this newly created train path into a revised PTV project to bring heavy rail to Tullamarine along the High Speed Lines into the airport from the East.</li>
</ul>
There is enormous scope for synergising the PTV and High Speed Rail plans - with numerous urban benefits as outlined above.  And it shouldn't be dependent on the later phase 2 Canberra - Melbourne construction of the High Speed Rail line.  
And it's over to you.
Editor's Note: too much gunzelling can be bad for your health, seek professional help (or just stop waiting for a damned Hitachi to roll on by) if you feel it is getting the better of you. 
 
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Thanking the gunzel Gods: PTV and High Speed Rail synergies in Melbourne

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The Federal Government has made Phase 2 of its previous election commitment into the study of High-Speed Rail along Australia's East Coast public.

Direct link to all the documentation <a href="http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/rail/trains/high_speed/" target="_blank">here</a>.

Setting aside cost and the timeframe for implementation for the moment (as that's what the mainstream debate will focus on) -  let me emphasise we must ensure the regional cities - those that have a mooted station - have proper structure plans in place to harness the opportunity which fast connectivity to capital and other regional cities will bring.

It's unfortunate Julia Gillard has already been spruiking the commuting benefits of the project with this  first (bottom) tweet:

<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/jg_hsr_tweet.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Tweet from the Prime Minister 11/4/13"><img alt="" class="image-article-half-width-351px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_half_width_351px/public/pictures/article-images/jg_hsr_tweet.png?itok=fmyYjPdB" title="Tweet from the Prime Minister 11/4/13" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

Selling High Speed Rail as a commuting option to alleviate housing affordability in Sydney is the absolute wrong message we should be selling this project on.  In fact using the system as any kind of long-distance commuting option should be discouraged.

Selling the benefits of the project to the public this way will have the effect of extending the issues of mass movement of people from the outer more affordable fringe areas of cities to the centralised employment centres, predominantly located in our respective central cities - it's garden city planning on steroids!

Fast commute? absolutely.  Cheap to commute? not on your nelly - in 2065 it's estimated an Albury - Melbourne fare would be $42 one way.

Instead, Victoria and New South Wales have a unique opportunity to leverage the infrastructure to grow their regional centres - the Australian Inland Empire if you will.

Shepparton, Albury-Wodonga, Wagga Wagga are the three cities between Melbourne and Canberra that are likely to have a station with regionally-focused services.   Our supplimentary debate about the benefits of High Speed Rail should include the respective councils of these regions and focus from the Federal and State levels of government should be on growing the economies of these respective cities to the point where new industries: be they services, manufacturing or further expansion of agri-business can flourish.

Growing and diversifying these economies will be made easier, as the fast access to and from the three capital cities on the route will provide quick access to airports for global connectivity.  It's not rocket science, regional cities are lower-cost employment environments which businesses can leverage to create jobs which in turn will attract people to live in these cities - not commute to them.

Melbourne, and Sydney, are learning that in order to grow their respective cities, urban high-density, short-commute principles are the best to implement - as they take advantage of existing infrastructure, local economic activity expands and diversifies and this knowledge <a href="/developments" target="_blank">the development market is now catering for</a> throughout capital metropolitan areas can be applied to these regional centres.

It's not just the capitals which should grow into true urban centres; regional cities are equally as relevant and deserving of a strong urban focus.
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Harnessing High-Speed Rail in regional cities

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When people say "Lygon Street", many will automatically think of Melbourne's Little Italy, just beyond the CBD and Trades Hall in Carlton.  Indeed many residents of our city don't really associate Lygon Street with Brunswick, let alone are aware of the change that it is rapidly coming to the fore on this inner north urban thoroughfare.

Lygon Street East Brunswick is also rapidly gaining a reputation for being one of Melbourne's craft beer hubs. Temple and Thunder Road breweries are now located and producing either side of the street; The Alehouse Project, Atticus Finch, Eydies, Mr Wilkinson and many other bars in the area place a strong emphasis on sourcing their beer from micro breweries, be they Victorian or interstate.

The same stretch of street is starting to feel like it is urbanising faster than you can order 2 pints of Holgate Temptress @ The Alehouse.   From Brunswick Road in the south to Albion Street in the North, Lygon St East Brunswick is fast becoming the poster-child of appropriate retrofitting of existing urban areas to increase urban density with a genuine focus on Public and non-motorised Transport. 

The Stratus project, located at 360 Lygon Street in Brunswick East, is a perfect example of how the principles in the <a href="/news/transforming-australian-cities-a-must-read" target="_blank">Transforming Australian Cities</a> strategy are more or less being implemented outside the City of Melbourne LGA.

The new development is currently under construction, designed by <a href="http://maparchitecture.com.au" target="_blank">MAP Architecture</a>, developed by <a href="http://www.blueearth.com.au/">Blue Earth Group</a> with interiors by <a href="http://eadesandbergman.com/project/stratus/" target="_blank">Eades &amp; Bergman</a>. 

<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/00-RENDER003-Exterior_Victoria-Look-Down_001_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Image © Fraher Design 3D"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/00-RENDER003-Exterior_Victoria-Look-Down_001_0.jpg?itok=MoAk9bwd" title="Image © Fraher Design 3D" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

<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/00-RENDER001-Exterior_Crn-Victoria-Lygon_001_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Image © Fraher Design 3D"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/00-RENDER001-Exterior_Crn-Victoria-Lygon_001_0.jpg?itok=PXQ5UeH8" title="Image © Fraher Design 3D" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>Ticking the Transforming Australian Cities strategy boxes:

<ul>
<li>The building is 7 floors high and therefore is roughly the same height as Lygon Street is wide.  </li>
	<li>The building is higher at the street boundary and is set back further from the street, minimising impact on the residential areas beyond the main thoroughfare</li>
	<li>Strong active frontages on Lygon Street.</li>
	<li>Vehicular access is from the rear of the building.</li>
</ul>
Kudos to MAP for also integrating a stand-out green to both the awning (where many existing buildings generally have ordinary awnings, Stratus does not!) above the Lygon Street footpath and the picture frame-like crown facing Lygon Street.  

Editorial deadline constraints prevented me from contacting Blue Earth for comment in time (I'll try for a follow up in the next week or two), however UrbanMelbourne will endeavour to frequently highlight how the urban small is just as important, if not just as exciting, as the urban tall.  

Based on the sheer volume of projects currently either gearing up or in full swing all around metropolitan Melbourne, which you can all witness for yourselves in our <a href="/developments" target="_blank">Project Map</a>, it is pleasing to see the principles of the <a href="/news/transforming-australian-cities-a-must-read" target="_blank">Transforming Australian Cities</a> strategy are being implemented by the organisations which are key to building Melbourne's urban future. 

 
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Spotlight on the database: Stratus

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Sticking with the Fishermans Bend theme, today I want to have a brief look at the Transport aspects of the area.
At present, and reflected in City of Port Phillip’s structure plan for Montague, the eastern extremities bordering Southbank of the Fishermans Bend precinct is served by the very high frequency #96 tram to St. Kilda Beach while slicing right through the heart of the Montague precinct, the #109 Port Melbourne tram will be the primary non-road transport option for the area.
The PTV’s recent public release of the heavy rail plan that has more or less been in use for 5-6 years states that an extension of the Clifton Hill – Parkville – Flagstaff – Southern Cross tunnel, envisaged to be operating by 2030, will eventually end up as a terminus in Fishermans Bend.
<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/schematic_stage_4.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Stage 4 of the PTV's plan shows an extension to Fisherman's Bend"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/schematic_stage_4.png?itok=nR7DOsLE" title="Stage 4 of the PTV's plan shows an extension to Fisherman's Bend" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
As a footnote to the Fishermans Bend extension, PTV states the line may end up crossing the Yarra and connecting with Werribee/Altona Loop/Williamstown lines at Newport. This footnote requires a much more detailed look as there are significant impacts for the West Gate bridge should Fishermans Bend develop without any significant public transport investment to enable south-western connectivity.
Using the statistics from City of Port Phillip’s Montague structure plan, the three precincts inside Montague are planned to have 379, 519 and 520 people per hectare in the City road, Southern neighbourhood and Northern neighbourhood precincts respectively – or an average of 472 people per hectare.
Likewise the jobs density is planned to be 233, 412 and 148 jobs per hectare in the City Road, Southern neighbourhood and Northern neighbourhood precincts respectively – or an average of 264 jobs per hectare.
Applying those averages across the whole Fishermans Bend area (240 hectares) that equates to a potential resident population of 113,000 people and 63,000 jobs.
Montague in isolation may be able to cope by utilizing the two Light Rail lines + bus route improvements but when we look at greater Fishermans Bend area, it’s not hard to see that two small tram lines navigating through congested Clarendon and Spencer Street city intersections just won’t cut it.
The PTV’s plan appears to place a Clifton Hill-Southern Cross tunnel dependency on the Fishermans Bend line and it was grouped with all the potential network extensions that have been studied – Rowville, Airport and Doncaster – in the later stages of the plan.
There’s some obvious reasons for this as the PTV plan tends to revolve around building capacity through the centre of the city in order to then expand branch lines.  
However, like all proposed rail extensions or new lines in Melbourne, serious consideration for differing railway technologies operating independently of the existing and soon-to-be upgraded network over the next 2 decades should be studied sooner rather than later.
A Newport-Clifton Hill line via Fishermans Bend and the CBD is a prime candidate as a start to implement something similar to the Canada Line in Vancouver for Melbourne with extensions via conversions of existing rail lines to Williamstown and Laverton via Altona to the west and extensions to Doncaster from Clifton Hill (or Victoria Park) to the east thereafter.  Refer to the Orange line on this <a href="https://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?msid=211205020527797360410.0004d2a9a5c2cf8aaec20&amp;msa=0&amp;ll=-37.822802,144.951811&amp;spn=0.058646,0.132093" target="_blank">map</a>.
This could in turn remove the need to build a larger and therefore more expensive rail tunnels from Clifton Hill to Southern Cross.  Similarly it removes the Clifton Hill-Southern Cross dependency for a Doncaster Line and frees up capacity on the existing Newport-Footscray corridor for more trains running into Werribee, and as per the PTV plan, eventually to Wyndham Vale/Tarneit.  Further minimizing potential costs could be another bridge across the lower Yarra adjacent to the West Gate Bridge.
It’s possible that Fishermans Bend may be implemented in a way that Docklands should have been: one stage at a time, and therefore the pressure to build heavy or hybrid heavy/light rail infrastructure for full connectivity to both the east and the west will not be as great. However, judging by the speed in which large development sites are being secured by developers and proposals being drawn up in the Montague precinct already, the PTV’s plans to roll out this necessary piece of rail infrastructure is in danger of being rolled out too late.
The Victorian Government would be wise to set aside funds in the upcoming budget to study the potential for long-term Public Transport connectivity in this important urban renewal project.
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Gazing into the Fishermans Bend transport crystal ball

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As a precursor to numerous planning applications appearing for Fishermans Bend, today we'll focus on Montague - one of four defined Fisherman's Bend sub-precincts planned by the state government. Montague has a structure plan, with the City of Port Phillip adopting it during September 2012.
To view the entire structure plan document suite, click <a href="http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/montague-precinct-structure-plan.htm" target="_blank">here</a>, but for the time being we'll focus on Montague as seen through Port Phillip's eyes.
In the southern area of Montague, City Road is to have the least amount of change as seen below. City Road, according to the structure plan will have a simple and easy to understand built-form profile.
<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/city_road_1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Indicative scope of change for City Road - Image credit City of Port Phillip"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/city_road_1.png?itok=9RcwgXSl" title="Indicative scope of change for City Road - Image credit City of Port Phillip" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
<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/city_road_2.png" rel="gallery-all" title="City Road's basic height/setback principles - Image credit City of Port Phillip"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/city_road_2.png?itok=KhzEKzf8" title="City Road's basic height/setback principles - Image credit City of Port Phillip" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
<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/city_road_stats_map.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="City Road Neighbourhood map and stats - Image credit City of Port Phillip"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/city_road_stats_map.jpg?itok=zeYe6bRS" title="City Road Neighbourhood map and stats - Image credit City of Port Phillip" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
Moving toward the central area, the density and height of buildings will increase markedly compared to City Road as seen below. The difference between City Road and Southern Neighbourhood is clearly outlined in the basic height/setback and street profile - note the change of uses.
<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/southern_1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Indicative scope of the Southern Neighbourhood - Image credit City of Port Phillip"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/southern_1.png?itok=N1Nt4FAN" title="Indicative scope of the Southern Neighbourhood - Image credit City of Port Phillip" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
<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/southern_2.png" rel="gallery-all" title="South Neighbourhood's basic height/setback principles - Image credit City of Port Phillip"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/southern_2.png?itok=ZLdu0QMh" title="South Neighbourhood's basic height/setback principles - Image credit City of Port Phillip" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
<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/southern_stats_map.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Southern Neighbourhood map and stats - Image credit City of Port Phillip"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/southern_stats_map.jpg?itok=J35Bu-_e" title="Southern Neighbourhood map and stats - Image credit City of Port Phillip" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
The Northern Neighbourhood of Montague is where City of Port Phillip has planned to have mixed use towers of up to the 100m in height.
<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/northern_1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Indicative scope of the Northern Neighbourhood - Image credit City of Port Phillip"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/northern_1.png?itok=jRRGGKlm" title="Indicative scope of the Northern Neighbourhood - Image credit City of Port Phillip" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
<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/northern_2.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Northern Neighbourhood's basic height/setback principles - Image credit City of Port Phillip"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/northern_2.png?itok=Xxo1ev3g" title="Northern Neighbourhood's basic height/setback principles - Image credit City of Port Phillip" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
<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/northern_stats_map.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Northern Neighbourhood map and stats - Image credit City of Port Phillip"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/northern_stats_map.jpg?itok=trhb-vuZ" title="Northern Neighbourhood map and stats - Image credit City of Port Phillip" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
Given the brief outline above, what is not clear is if the Port Phillip vision will be fully implemented or even partially implemented as the Planning Minister has extended his <a href="http://planningschemes.dpcd.vic.gov.au/portphillip/ordinance/61_01s_port.pdf" target="_blank">authority</a> to the City of Port Phillip lands located within Fisherman's Bend (all land South of the West Gate Freeway).
Planning minister Matthew Guy's getting a bit of bad rap in the mainstream media at the moment with titles such as "Mr Skyscraper" and the like. We don't wish to join this mainstream media gravy train, however the Planning Minister has the authority to override the City of Port Phillip planning framework if he desires.
The Montague Structure plan on face value ticks a lot of boxes: significant increases in density, diversity of land use (heavy integration of residential, commercial and retail), unashamedly urban and very much public transport friendly (however in saying public transport friendly, we still have reservations that Light Rail will not cope with the influx of people to the area).
Many questions remain unanswered about Montague and Fishermans Bend in general. One thing is known, Apartments.com.au will bring readers information first.
To that end tomorrow we'll look at 123-125 Montague St South Melbourne, one of the area's first submitted applications.
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Port Phillip's Montague Structure plan

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For the first in a weekly spotlight on foreign projects, we're going to actually feature an entire site that has high relevance to Apartments.com.au, and that site is <a href="http://urbantoronto.ca" target="_blank">Urban Toronto</a>.

Urban Toronto was the first of the splinter sites that was borne out of large-scale forums like <a href="http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=65" target="_blank">SkyscraperCity</a> (where the owners and editors of Apartments.com.au first met, developed and further expanded their interests in urbanism) or <a href="http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/" target="_blank">SkyscraperPage</a>.

Whether it was frustration about not getting enough exposure to attract more of the city's residents or the lack of detailed and integrated information relating to a specific geographic region, splinter sites like Urban Toronto and Apartments.com.au exist for the following reasons:

<ul>
<li>An untapped critical mass of people who are interested in the same thing: the urban expansion of their city and the need to focus and nurture that discussion.</li>
	<li>Technological &amp; financial willingness, know-how and sheer drive by the owners of these sites who seek to focus discussion &amp; provide raw data on urbanism for their city to consume.</li>
	<li>Provide a platform for the whole community of that city to come together and discuss, debate, critique and ultimately project an image of how they want their city to develop over time.</li>
</ul>
This isn't a cheap shot to the aforementioned global forums, quite the contrary - without these sites Urban Toronto or Apartments.com.au wouldn't exist, it's just that myself, Mark Baljak and Chris Peska, like Ed Skira on Urban Toronto sought to do what I listed in the three points above.

Urban Toronto in its current form has been live for three years and I've been lurking over there for near six-seven years - even back in its previous incarnation on the now defunct EZBoard forum structure.

You might notice that it has a similar structure to Apartments.com.au - a primary editorial / news <a href="http://urbantoronto.ca/" target="_blank">main page</a>, a <a href="http://urbantoronto.ca/database" target="_blank">project database</a> and a <a href="http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/forum.php" target="_blank">forum</a> - that's because UT was my direct inspiration for going to Mark and Chris and saying: let's do this.

So here's to Toronto, and Urban Toronto.

I don't really need to highlight any specific project, just have a browse through the Urban Toronto Database: <a href="http://urbantoronto.ca/database" target="_blank">http://urbantoronto.ca/database</a>

<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/empty_quarter_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Winter Wonderland, image credit UT member Empty_Quarter http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread.php/8967-Toronto-skyline?p=700780#post700780"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/empty_quarter_1.jpg?itok=oQOK1fDn" title="Winter Wonderland, image credit UT member Empty_Quarter http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread.php/8967-Toronto-skyline?p=700780#post700780" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

Highly recommend the forum <a href="http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread.php/8967-Toronto-skyline/" target="_blank">thread</a> that image came from and especially photos by UT members Empty_Quarter (above) and <a href="http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread.php/8967-Toronto-skyline?p=713024#post713024" target="_blank">lucci</a>.
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Kudos to Urban Toronto

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....in the form of the <a href="http://www.regionalraillink.vic.gov.au/home" target="_blank">Regional Rail Link</a>.

<h2>What is the RRL and how is it relevant?</h2>

The Regional Rail Link (RRL) project is a Kevin '07 stimulus project that aims to separate V/Line-regional traffic heading to Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo from metro traffic by building one new track pair all the way from Southern Cross station to Tarneit via Footscray, Sunshine and Deer Park.

When built, all V/Line traffic heading to Geelong, Ballarat or Bendigo will use this track enabling faster regional journeys and just as important: freeing up capacity on the Werribee and Sydenham metro lines so frequencies can be increased on these lines.

In short RRL is a big shot in the arm for rail capacity in the western suburbs.

<h2>Current V/Line operations - without the RRL</h2>

The following is a snapshot of what the current timetables on the Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo lines between 5 and 6pm on a weekday look like - it's to be expected that the same or very similar levels of service will be using the RRL once it's opened for business.

<ul>
<li>Geelong - 5 trains per hour (TPH): 4:57pm, 5:08pm, 5:21pm, 5:32pm, 5:54pm</li>
	<li>Ballarat - 4 TPH 5:07pm, 5:22pm, 5:52pm, 6:02pm</li>
	<li>Bendigo - 3 TPH 4:57pm 5:28pm 5:48pm</li>
</ul>
So by the time the RRL opens, out of a potential 24-30 train paths (a train every 2.5 minutes or 2 minutes hurtling down the RRL tracks), only 12 will be used (5 + 4 + 3)

In summary the track will only have up to 50% of its capacity used if you assume the same or similar timetable will be used upon opening.

Fast forward three decades post RRL completion and for argument's sake lets say Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo double in population and the service level also doubles notwithstanding the option of also extending train lengths for more capacity:

<ul>
<li>Geelong 10 TPH</li>
	<li>Ballarat 5-6 TPH*</li>
	<li>Bendigo 5-6 TPH**</li>
</ul>
*By then, Melton trains won't be using the RRL tracks in the city as they'll have been electrified, and potentially even Bacchus Marsh.

**An extra Kyneton terminating train.

Assumption total: 20-22 trains per hour will be using the Regional Rail Link tracks between Southern Cross and Sunshine in three decades.

<h2>The missing link</h2>

The Bracks/Brumby governments identified the Albion corridor as their preferred corridor to link Tullamarine with the city and this has <a href="/news/questions-still-remain-on-the-melbourne-airport-rail-link-study">recently been confirmed</a> by Baillieu/Napthine government.

The recent study has shown that the favoured option is to have new track built alongside the existing freight lines, where the new track would leave the Sydenham/Bendigo corridor near Albion Station and then travel alongside the existing dual gauge freight lines.

A new bridge over the Maribyrnong River would be required, and the extra track would run under Keilor Park Drive and the Calder Freeway, at which point the line would ramp up onto an elevated section to traverse the Western Ring Road and Airport Drive and utilise the wide corridor that exists there and then come back down to earth on the southern boundary of Melbourne Airport's land at Sharps Road.

It's anticipated the line would travel through the airport land and would tunnel underground 1km before the Tullamarine Airport terminal station.

The Airport's own master plan appears to take into account an underground station, however it is curious why this is so when an elevated structure would require less capital expenditure and the airport is similarly planning to build a giant elevated road network to service the new parking facilities opposite the new Terminal 4.

<h2>Who should operate the "Tullamarine link"?</h2>

V/Line. Upgrading the signalling on the new Sunshine-Southern Cross RRL track would allow more frequent trains and why bother throwing up catenary above the RRL between the City and Sunshine (or add another branch line to the Sydenham Metro tracks) when V/Line is perfectly capable of operating the service at higher speeds than Metro?

No point adding yet another class of rail vehicle to the network to intermix with existing Metro Trains - and the Melbourne Airport rail Link (MARL) study said itself the opportunity for express services will be limited if the Airport Line mixed with Sydenham (or Craigieburn) services.

V/Line's fleet of Dandenong-built Vlocity class trains would fit the bill perfectly because V/Line trains are built for extra luggage (which airport services require).

<h2>What about V/Line-Regional operating patterns?</h2>

Well as I stated earlier, when the RRL goes live, only half the capacity will be used from day 1.

If you assume a 15 minute service from Southern Cross to the airport, that would bring the earlier total of 12 Geelong/Bendigo/Ballarat services up to 16.

If you fast forward 30 years to the regional service projections I came up with earlier, of the 20-22 Geelong/Bendigo/Ballarat trains per hour using the City-Sunshine section of the RRL plus 4-6 TPH going to the airport we're looking at finally reaching the absolute capacity.

It appears that the RRL tracks out the back of Werribee will be used for stopping trains to service the new suburban subdivisions - let's hope this is only temporary and the corridor is quadruplicated sooner than later so the Werribee Metro line itself can operate the services and the RRL track gets back to actually separating Metropolitan and Regional services.

This peak capacity scenario would be made easier by eliminating all V/Line stops at Footscray and instead expanding Sunshine station and making it the only non-city stop in the metro area for regional services, because....

<h2>You hit two birds with one stone</h2>

Having all regional services (Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat) stop at Sunshine, as well as having all City - Airport services stop at Sunshine allows connectivity for the inner-city, North Eastern and South Eastern quadrants of the metro area (connecting at Southern Cross or Sunshine via Melbourne Metro tunnel) a quick non-road based transport solution to Tullamarine as well as offering a one change service for people travelling from the regional cities to Tullamarine.

Wait times at Sunshine would be minimal if a 15 minute, or even better a 10 minute frequency of service ran for City-Airport - Assuming a 5-6 TPH frequency for Geelong, the average wait time would be 5 minutes, Ballarat and Bendigo in the order of 7 minutes would be the average wait time.

<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/026.JPG" rel="gallery-all" title="A simple safety message at the end of runway 34 at Tullamarine; the simple message for the State Government is maximise the use of new rail capacity"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/026.JPG?itok=fBUWiCVn" title="A simple safety message at the end of runway 34 at Tullamarine; the simple message for the State Government is maximise the use of new rail capacity"></a>

<figcaption>A simple safety message at the end of runway 34 at Tullamarine; the simple message for the State Government is maximise the use of new rail capacity</figcaption></figure>A potential timetable departing Southern Cross could look like this:

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%">
<thead><tr>
<th scope="col">Destination</th>
			<th scope="col">Southern Cross</th>
			<th scope="col">Sunshine</th>
			<th scope="col">Airport</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Airport</td>
			<td>17:00</td>
			<td>17:11</td>
			<td>17:20</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Geelong</td>
			<td>17:03</td>
			<td>17:14</td>
			<td> </td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ballarat</td>
			<td>17:08</td>
			<td>17:19</td>
			<td> </td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bendigo</td>
			<td>17:12</td>
			<td>17:23</td>
			<td> </td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Airport</td>
			<td>17:15</td>
			<td>17:26</td>
			<td>17:35</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Geelong</td>
			<td>17:20</td>
			<td>17:31</td>
			<td> </td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ballarat</td>
			<td>17:25</td>
			<td>17:36</td>
			<td> </td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Airport</td>
			<td>17:30</td>
			<td>17:41</td>
			<td>17:50</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bendigo</td>
			<td>17:32</td>
			<td>17:43</td>
			<td> </td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Geelong</td>
			<td>17:36</td>
			<td>17:47</td>
			<td> </td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ballarat</td>
			<td>17:40</td>
			<td>17:51</td>
			<td> </td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Airport</td>
			<td>17:45</td>
			<td>17:56</td>
			<td>18:05</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bendigo</td>
			<td>17:48</td>
			<td>17:59</td>
			<td> </td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Geelong</td>
			<td>17:50</td>
			<td>18:01</td>
			<td> </td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ballarat</td>
			<td>17:55</td>
			<td>18:06</td>
			<td> </td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Airport</td>
			<td>18:00</td>
			<td>18:11</td>
			<td>18:20</td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
City to Airport rail services must be fast and express to make the case for attracting patronage.

The MARL study claimed there would be limited opportunities for express City-Airport services if Metro (and the Metro fleet) were to operate the services and the same South-East connectivity can be achieved by passengers on the Pakenham/Cranbourne lines changing trains at Sunshine using the V/Line &amp; RRL track option.

The Baillieu/Napthine Government's MARL study also identified the possibility of creating a new MYKI zone for this purpose and we, the travelling public, should make it absolutely clear that this should be a modest increase, not just another revenue stream for the entity that owns the lease over Tullamarine airport.
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Half of the Melbourne Airport Rail Link is currently under construction

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Welcome to the first in a regular series where we put the spotlight on projects in our <a href="/developments" target="_blank">database</a>.  Be sure to check out the project map as well - at the time of writing we currently have 120 projects published and open for viewing, we have another 200+ projects we anticipate we'll add to the database in the weeks/months ahead.

To get the ball rolling let's have a look at <a href="/buildings/upper-house-516-520-swanston-street-carlton">Upper House</a>, located at 516-520 Swanston Street in Carlton.  Developed by <a href="/developers/piccolo" target="_blank">Piccolo Developments</a> and designed by <a href="/architects/jackson-clements-burrows-architects">Jackson Clement Burrows</a>, Upper House will replace the current Electrical Trades Union building on the south east corner of <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=Swanston+and+Queensberry+streets&amp;hl=en&amp;ll=-37.804793,144.963301&amp;spn=0.001833,0.004128&amp;sll=-37.860283,145.079616&amp;sspn=1.875722,4.22699&amp;hnear=Swanston+St+%26+Queensberry+St,+Carlton+Victoria+3053&amp;t=m&amp;z=19&amp;layer=c&amp;cbll=-37.804686,144.963322&amp;panoid=n1ZZPkQOdI20zk7JHeGcPw&amp;cbp=12,142.74,,0,-4.39" target="_blank">Swanston and Queenberry Streets</a>.  

<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/upper_house_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Upper House - 516-520 Swanston Street, Carlton. Render © Piccolo Developments / Jackson Clement Burrows"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/upper_house_1.jpg?itok=ng4aW3Kx" title="Upper House - 516-520 Swanston Street, Carlton. Render © Piccolo Developments / Jackson Clement Burrows" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

From Upper House's <a href="http://upperhouse.com.au/" target="_blank">website</a>:

<blockquote>
<div>Introducing Upper House. With apartments starting at $380,000, this boutique project is brought to life by the award-winning Piccolo group, renowned for luxury, style and distinction. Located on Swanston Street where Carlton meets the CBD, this is true urban living, in the clouds.</div>

<div>Made up of two distinct apartment buildings – The Podium and The Cloud – Upper House is the master work of award-winning Jackson Clements Burrows Architects. The Podium structure provides elevated serenity from the dynamic Melbourne arterial of Swanston Street. While The Cloud perches above the low-lying Carlton skyline, offering intimate views of Australia’s cultural capital, Melbourne.</div>
</blockquote>

<div>Carlton, and the Swanston Street corridor in particular, is a haven for generic, precast student accomodation buildings and kudos must go to Piccolo for pitching the development above this market, bringing more diversity into one of our city's primary urban corridors and having a hand in delivering this unique building. The Upper House sales campaign have been successful with Hamilton &amp; Marino builders soon to deliver a high quality product to Carlton. Apartments.com.au will soon look at another tower currently submitted for planning approval in the immediate area, which may well add another interesting dymanic to the area.</div>

<div> </div>

<div>Follow the links below to view the project's stats in the UrbanMelbourne.info project database and the relevant discussion forum thread.</div>

<div> </div>
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Spotlight on Melbourne projects - Upper House in Carlton

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

Joel Robinson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alastair Taylor

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