<html><body>
The Victorian Greens have unveiled a 10-year plan to purchase 300 high-capacity trams costing $4.1 billion over the decade and furthermore announced $2.3 billion worth of tram route upgrades, as part of the 2018 state election campaign.

By prioritising the busiest tram routes, the Greens aim to rebuild stops with low-platforms similar to other parts of the network, noting the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 requires 90% of the network to be accessible by 2017.  As of today, only 25% of the network has accessible tram stops.

Routes 109, 86, 58, 19, 11, 6 and 1 are the highest priority tram routes for upgrades.  These routes also travel through electorates where there are sitting Greens members or attracted a strong vote in the previous election.

<blockquote>
Melburnians love our trams, but right now too many of them are overcrowded, slow and un-accessible. We need investment right now to transform the network.

The busiest and most overcrowded routes will be upgraded first, with level access stops along the entire route, better separation from traffic and traffic light priority. It means better access, more reliability and a better experience for passengers.

The Greens' investment in new high capacity trams will also be on the track sooner by supercharging the manufacturing process right here in Melbourne.
<cite>Sam Hibbins, Greens spokesperson for Transport</cite>
</blockquote>

Route 109 from Box Hill to Port Melbourne has some accessible tram stops however like many other routes, they are inconsistent and predominantly exist only at high patronage stops outside the central city - such as Victoria Gardens in Richmond and at the eastern terminus in Box Hill.

Route 86 which along with the Mernda tram line, is the backbone of north-south public transport through Thornbury, Northcote and Clifton Hill, as well as the main route through Smith Street in Fitzroy, appears second on the list of priorities for investment.

One part of the pledge by the Greens is to manufacture 30 trams per annum in Victoria over 10 years, which accounts for the bulk of the money.  Bombardier are manufacturing E-Class trams in Dandenong however, the Green's policy pledge does not mention a specific manufacturer.

The Greens' statement cites an ABC report that outlines how Melbourne's trams are some of the slowest in the world.  The ABC <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-19/melbourne-trams-among-slowest-in-the-world/8541228">report</a> which in turn cites Yarra Trams' figures claims the average speed of a tram in Melbourne is 16kph outside of the inner city, and 11kph in the CBD.

Route 96 is an existing project that the Green's pledge cites as an example of how tram routes would be upgraded.  Entire routes would have level access/accessible tram stops, higher priority for trams at traffic lights and 'better separation of trams from general traffic' are <a href="https://greens.org.au/sites/default/files/2018-10/Transforming%20Melbourne%27s%20Trams.pdf">mentioned</a>. 

It is unclear whether route &amp; infrastructure upgrades will result in the removal of some or all on-street car parking on narrow roads.
</body></html>

Alastair Taylor

Victorian Greens unveil $6.4 billion tram network policy

<html><body>
Terry Rawnsley, principal &amp; partner at SGS Economics &amp; Planning, has completed an analysis that looks at the number of people living, working or undertaking tertiary education near the stations identified in the Andrews Government's proposed Suburban Rail Loop.

The report highlights how significant land-use planning work will be required - particularly along the route's northern flank - and on top of looking at the current state of play, SGS's report also flags certain geographical constraints the route of the Suburban Rail Loop may run into.

The title and question posed in the SGS report -  Will the $50 billion Suburban Rail Loop shape the Melbourne we want? - explains how 'city-shaping' projects can be justified and contrasts two viewpoints: the city we want versus the traditional predict and provide approach to transport planning.

<blockquote>
Major transport projects, like the Suburban Rail Loop, have the potential to reshape the pattern of city development and substantially shift the way businesses and households make choices about location.

What makes a city-shaping project? Generally speaking, a project needs to redefine land markets, housing markets and labour markets to be considered a city shaper. Over the past 25 years, city-shaping projects have played a crucial role in Melbourne’s transformation into a leading knowledge-intensive economy.

City-shaping projects are a powerful and, perhaps, the pre-eminent policy lever for determining city structure. Land use regulation through planning schemes and the like are more likely to play a supplementary role in managing urban development. Which means that city-shaping projects should be considered within the context of a preferred urban structure, that is, ‘creating the sort of city we want’ as opposed to following the more conventional ‘predict and provide’ philosophy where transport investment merely responds to demonstrated demand.
</blockquote>

Using a 2km buffer around each of the stations identified, SGS calculated that if the Suburban Rail Loop were in operation today, 270,600 jobs, 416,100 residents, 212,300 workers and 112,600 higher education students live/work/study in those catchments.

They're meaty set of numbers and the report breaks the SRL line in to three segments - South-East (<a href="/new-apartments/cheltenham-vic-3192">Cheltenham</a> to <a href="/new-apartments/box-hill-vic-3128">Box Hill</a>), North-East (Box Hill to the Airport), Western (Airport to <a href="/developments/werribee-vic-3030">Werribee</a>) - and through the analysis, SGS identified the South-East section as having over three quarters of the high-ed enrolments and half of all the jobs, population and workers for the entire line.

<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/sgs_srl_analysis_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Breakdown of population, jobs, workers and enrolled students around the Suburban Rail Loop - image: SGS Economics &amp; Planning"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="235" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/sgs_srl_analysis_1.jpg?itok=COSnJ3So" title="Breakdown of population, jobs, workers and enrolled students around the Suburban Rail Loop - image: SGS Economics &amp; Planning" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Breakdown of population, jobs, workers and enrolled students around the Suburban Rail Loop - image: SGS Economics &amp; Planning</figcaption></figure>In the North-Eastern section between Box Hill and the Airport, the report highlights possible geographical challenges for the route, specifically between Box Hill and <a href="/new-apartments/doncaster-vic-3108">Doncaster</a> as well as crossing the Yarra River between Doncaster and <a href="/new-apartments/heidelberg-vic-3084">Heidelberg</a>.

At street level, Box Hill station sits approximately 95m above sea level, Doncaster at 110m (the corner of Doncaster and Manningham Roads) but between the two points, the Eastern Freeway in the Koonung Creek Valley rests at 54m.  This suggests the station at Doncaster, if the entire route will be underground, will be very deep, unless a rail system that can handle 3-4% grades is ultimately chosen &amp; implemented to run the services.

SGS's report notes that the North-Eastern section has half the jobs and higher-education enrolments compared to the South-East section and singles out <a href="/new-townhouses/reservoir-vic-3073">Reservoir</a> and <a href="/developments/fawkner-vic-3060">Fawkner</a> as areas that require catalyst projects to maximise the land-use benefits around those two identified station interchanges.

The report also raises the question of whether the Monash NEIC on the South-East section should include two stations - one at the University campus and another near Ferntree Gully Road - in order to better serve the area.

A comparison is drawn between the South-East section of the Suburban Rail Loop and Sydney's Epping-Chatswood line which opened in 2009 and with stations at <a href="/new-apartments/epping-vic-3076">Epping</a>, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, North Ryde and <a href="/new-apartments/chatswood-nsw-2067">Chatswood</a>.  This tunnel is to be converted from mainline trains to the exclusive use of the first phase of Sydney Metro.

The reference to the Epping-Chatswood line is poignant as the report notes the patronage for the soon-to-be-converted line was running at 250% above the predicted patronage and it has similar characteristics to the South-East section of the Suburban Rail Loop - connecting universities (Macquarie versus Monash &amp; Deakin), major job nodes (Chatswood, North Ryde and Macquarie Park versus Monash NEIC, <a href="/new-apartments/clayton-vic-3168">Clayton</a>, <a href="/new-apartments/cheltenham-vic-3192">Cheltenham</a> and Box Hill) and emerging high-density residential precincts (Chatswood, Epping versus Box Hill &amp; <a href="/new-apartments/glen-waverley-vic-3150">Glen Waverley</a>).

<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/sgs_srl_analysis_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Entries/Exits at Epping-Chatswood line stations - image SGS Economics &amp; Planning"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="464" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/sgs_srl_analysis_2.jpg?itok=JeqSB9Av" title="Entries/Exits at Epping-Chatswood line stations - image SGS Economics &amp; Planning" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Entries/Exits at Epping-Chatswood line stations - image SGS Economics &amp; Planning</figcaption></figure>For more information on the Suburban Rail Loop see the updated Strategic Assessment documents on <a href="https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/328901/Suburban-Rail-Loop-Strategic-Assessment-.pdf">bigbuild.vic.gov.au</a>

To read the SGS report, click <a href="https://www.sgsep.com.au/news/latest-news/will-50b-suburban-rail-loop-shape-melbourne-we-want">here</a>.
</body></html>

SGS Economics asks: will the Suburban Rail Loop shape the Melbourne we want?

<html><body>
I'm back from annual leave, and this week I sit down with Laurence to talk shop about all the Victorian Government's transport projects that were making headlines across August and September.  

This includes the Suburban Rail Loop, the AirRail Melbourne market-led proposal and of course, Melbourne Metro 2.

Please note, the podcast was recorded on the 20th of September.  As always subscribe to our weekly podcast through your favourite podcast app.

<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/505799940&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=true&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe>

 
</body></html>

Weekly Podcast: Episode 33 - Suburban Rail Loop and AirRail Melbourne

<html><body>
One of the more complex level crossing removal sites is set to get underway with the State Government announcing the Mernda railway line and new Reservoir station will be elevated above the intersection of High Street, Broadway, Spring Street, Cheddar Road and Edwardes Street.

Reference drawings published on the Level Crossing Removal Authority's website depict elevated platforms that sit further north compared to the existing at-grade platforms.

One such render also emphasises the new pedestrian links that will be created by elevating the station, connecting Edwardes Street and Broadway through two pedestrian crossings and the station forecourt underneath the new platforms.

According to the State Government, 'on average, 36,000 vehicles travel through the Reservoir level crossing each day with the boom gates down for 24 minutes during the morning peak. In the past decade there were three recorded collisions and one fatality plus 26 near miss incidents at this site.'

Work has begun with site establishment, geotechnical work and the relocation of services kicking off in earnest.  The level crossing removal is expected to be complete by 2020.

<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/reservoir3.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Reference design for the new Reservoir station. Image: LXRA"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="416" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/reservoir3.jpg?itok=GSPlnKvP" title="Reference design for the new Reservoir station. Image: LXRA" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Reference design for the new Reservoir station. Image: LXRA</figcaption></figure><h2>Comment</h2>

Reservoir is one of the locations mooted to include an interchange with the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) - the election proposal by the Andrews Government to build an underground rail line from Cheltenham to the Airport and a mixture of surface and underground track between Melbourne Airport and Werribee.

Should the Andrews Government be re-elected, they have promised to invest in a business case for the SRL which will likely include a reference design for each of the proposed stations.

It's a safe bet the reference design for Reservoir will likely take further connections to an underground set of platforms into account - despite transferring passengers having to traverse at least 4 'levels' to move between platforms (Mernda Line platforms, surface/station entrance level, underground mezzanine, SRL platforms).  

Reservoir and Heidelberg stations would be the two interchange stations likely to see the most transferring passengers headed to the SRL's mooted station at La Trobe University and it will be interesting to see if there are any changes to the design of Reservoir should the Andrews Government be re-elected and pursue the SRL project.
</body></html>

Reservoir's level crossing removal set to get underway

<html><body>
The Planning Minister has approved an amendment to the Flinders Bank development to be located on the site of the former Convention Centre, which will pave the way for a St Regis Hotel and apartments to be built on site.

<a href="/news/century-group-lands-australias-first-st-regis-at-flinders-bank">In August Urban.com.au revealed that St Regis</a> had been signed on as the hotel brand and operator for the three tower development. The recent planning approval by the Planning Minister involved reducing the total number of private apartments down to 700. The original permit for the site allowed for 1060 dwellings.

A condition of the approval involved Century Group Aus committing to providing 20 units of affordable housing that will be rentals and priced 50% below the market rate.

Under an agreement with the developer the affordable housing units will be provided 'for the life of the building'. <a href="https://www.afr.com/real-estate/affordable-housing-helps-get-green-light-for-800m-project-20180921-h15p3r">According to the AFR</a>, it is expected the units would be"sold down to private investors for a lower capital value".

This is the first instance where amendments to the Planning and Environment Act undertaken earlier in 2018, have allowed developers and councils to enter into agreements to provide affordable housing within new developments.

The approved amendment to the Flinders Bank development application will also see a public plaza created as well as new pedestrian crossings on Sidderley Street.

Early stages of the development are currently accepting registrations with Colliers running point over the development.

<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/the-st-melb_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="St Regis at Flinders Bank"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="493" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/the-st-melb_0.jpg?itok=63YLoXck" title="St Regis at Flinders Bank" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>St Regis at Flinders Bank</figcaption></figure>As we revealed back in August, St Regis is one of the latest high-end hotel brands that have been secured in Melbourne. The St Regis brand, after the acquisition of the Starwood group, is now owned by Marriott International.

The mammoth Marriott International group includes other hotel brands like JW Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, W, Westin, Sheraton, Le Meridien and Aloft.

Ritz-Carlton is set to open at <a href="/buildings/west-side-place-melbourne-250-spencer-street-melbourne-vic-3000">West Side Place</a> on the former site of The Age on Spencer Street. W has signed on for <a href="/buildings/collins-arch-447-collins-street-melbourne">Collins Arch</a> ('The Pantscraper'), Aloft is signed on to <a href="/new-apartments/402-416-chapel-street-south-yarra">402 Chapel Street</a> in South Yarra.

The Westin is located behind city square, next to the site of the Town Hall Station site, Sheraton is now located in a new building in Little Collins Street and Le Meridien used to be the brand name for the InterContinental next to Rialto.
</body></html>

Flinders Bank planning amendment to include 20 affordable housing units

<html><body>
The City of Monash wants to give Oakleigh Station and its immediate surrounds an upgrade through its Oakleigh Activity Centre Transport Interchange proposal. The council is now seeking public comment on the proposal.

The stated themes of the proposal are to enhance Oakleigh’s village character by making pedestrian infrastructure improvements in and around the station, and to encourage ‘higher value use’ of the land around the station.

One aspect of the proposal is to draw pedestrians to use the spaces to both the north and the south of the station. A large car park dominates the southern side at present which as part of the proposal for the station precinct, the City of Monash report shows could be redeveloped into an 8 level building.

Other pockets of land to the north of the station, the side of the station which sees the greatest amount of pedestrian activity, would also be developed albeit at a smaller scale, according to the report.

The report is compiled by Global South with participants BKK Architects, project management and quantity surveyor outfit Rider Levett Bucknall and advisory firm Charter Keck Cramer listed in the introductory section.

Oakleigh Station has seen rail infrastructure changes as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project between Caulfield and Dandenong – the southern-most face of the island platform which use to carry all city-bound trains – will no longer be used with city-bound trains shifting to the northern face of the island and Dandenong-bound trains are using the third separate platform.

<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/oakleigh_preinct2.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Overview of the proposal for the Oakleigh Public Transport Interchange. Image: Global South/City of Monash"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="405" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/oakleigh_preinct2.png?itok=CInuZL1l" title="Overview of the proposal for the Oakleigh Public Transport Interchange. Image: Global South/City of Monash" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Overview of the proposal for the Oakleigh Public Transport Interchange. Image: Global South/City of Monash</figcaption></figure>The report notes the Level Crossing Removal Authority will be implementing other changes at Oakleigh Station including upgrading the pedestrian underpass including adding lifts, new stairs and upgraded ramps; new station canopies above underpass access ramps; and a new entrance from Haughton Road (the southern station entrance).

The key changes north of the station include creating a new forecourt infront of the station which will "match the pavement of Eaton Mall, and will extend across into Portman Street and the intersection with Station Street, creating continuous, seamless and direct pedestrian movements routes to/from the station”.

No major changes to how buses interact with the precinct are proposed, except buses will no longer be using the existing roundabout.

Surface car park consolidation – in order to better re-use the land for other uses - is another theme of the proposal and the Global South report mentions that the development on the southern car park could be integrated to include public car parking with other live/work uses located above the public car park.  The southern side is part-owned by Council and VicTrack.

Estimates provided by Rider Levett Bucknall and published in one of the appendices of the report put the total cost of the proposal at $14.1 million.  

To view the report and to have your say, see <a href="https://www.monash.vic.gov.au/About-Us/Council/Have-Your-Say/Oakleigh-Public-Transport-Precinct-Proposal">monash.vic.gov.au</a>
</body></html>

Oakleigh's station precinct plans open for public consultation

<html><body>
Well and truly into Spring, we've hit peak spring-like weather in Melbourne.  Warm one day, cold for the next three!

I've been on leave for a month so I've added a few of the images posted from August in this month's snapshot.

As always, click the link in the line of text above each image to view more from the project's corresponding forum thread.

The student accommodation project at <a href="/developments/north-melbourne-vic-3051">1 Flemington Road</a> is turning into a <a href="/news">forum </a><a href="/news">favourite</a> now that it's facade is all but complete.

<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/northmelb1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="1 Flemington Road. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="871" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/northmelb1.jpg?itok=lwgmIqeH" title="1 Flemington Road. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>1 Flemington Road. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak</figcaption></figure><a href="/buildings/collins-arch-447-collins-street-melbourne">Collins Arch</a> at <a href="/news">447 Collins Street</a> is making its mark with the glazing now appearing on the commercial component of the tower(s).

<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/447.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Collins Arch. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/447.jpg?itok=n-etvV6z" title="Collins Arch. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Collins Arch. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak</figcaption></figure><a href="/buildings/melbourne-village-377-spencer-street-west-melbourne">Melbourne Village</a> in West Melbourne.

<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/melb_village.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Melbourne Village. Image originally posted by UM user redden"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/melb_village.jpg?itok=ugi4-4as" title="Melbourne Village. Image originally posted by UM user redden" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Melbourne Village. Image originally posted by UM user redden</figcaption></figure><a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">80 Collins Street</a>.

<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/72-82_collins_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="72-82 Collins Street. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="908" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/72-82_collins_0.jpg?itok=LOFtyYcg" title="72-82 Collins Street. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>72-82 Collins Street. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak</figcaption></figure> 

<a href="/buildings/aurora-melbourne-central-224-la-trobe-street-melbourne">Aurora Melbourne Central</a> is continuing to make an impression among its tall peers.

<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/img_6857.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Aurora Melbourne Central. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="870" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_6857.jpg?itok=qwQnnK43" title="Aurora Melbourne Central. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Aurora Melbourne Central. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak</figcaption></figure><a href="/buildings/elm-stone-387-docklands-drive-docklands">Elm &amp; Stone</a> - Quest Docklands.

<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/img_6631.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Elm &amp; Stone. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_6631.jpg?itok=kzKjrtuq" title="Elm &amp; Stone. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Elm &amp; Stone. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak</figcaption></figure>​​​​The enormous <a href="/buildings/melbourne-square-93-119-kavanagh-street-southbank">Melbourne Square</a> site.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/p8270829.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Melbourne Square. Image originally posted by UM user redden"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/p8270829.jpg?itok=b4t343ng" title="Melbourne Square. Image originally posted by UM user redden" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Melbourne Square. Image originally posted by UM user redden</figcaption></figure>Not long now for <a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">42-50 La Trobe Street</a>. 

<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/img_6829.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="42-50 La Trobe Street. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_6829.jpg?itok=WuFU6b1G" title="42-50 La Trobe Street. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>42-50 La Trobe Street. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak​​</figcaption></figure><a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">271 Spring Street.</a>

<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/img_6804.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="271 Spring Street. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_6804.jpg?itok=BZTNSlf4" title="271 Spring Street. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>271 Spring Street. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak </figcaption></figure><a href="/new-apartments/sky-one-box-hill-545-563-station-street-box-hill">Sky One, Box Hill.</a>

<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/img_6258.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Sky One Box Hill. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="870" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_6258.jpg?itok=HsLsJ7d9" title="Sky One Box Hill. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Sky One Box Hill. Image originally posted by Mark Baljak</figcaption></figure>​​​​​​
</body></html>

A snapshot of Melbourne's construction - September 2018

<html><body>
When governments are willing to commit upwards of $10 billion and the private sector is willing to tip in a further $5 billion, it's safe to say Melbourne Airport's long-awaited airport link will happen.

What shape or form the link will take is another question altogether.

Securing the best corridor for the track, placing an appropriate amount of stations along the line and figuring out an optimal frequency of service are all important tasks, however another is setting the correct fare level and ensuring there's enough connectivity to make the link a success from day one.

Many people would be familiar with how fares are set for Sydney and Brisbane's airport trains - Sydney has an airport access fee ($14.30 on top of the distance-based fare) and Brisbane adds a surcharge on top of its zone-based fare system - but there are also relevant &amp; recent international examples of new airport rail links.

In 2015 Toronto was scratched off the <a href="https://www.ptua.org.au/2015/10/29/busiest-airports-rail/">list the PTUA maintains</a> of large airports without a rail link when it opened the Union-Pearson Express; a four station service between Union Station in central Toronto, two suburban stations which connect with various other public transport services and the final station at Toronto's Pearson International airport.

It's a dedicated airport service running on a frequency of four trains an hour - every 15 minutes - and the journey takes 25 minutes.  As I've <a href="/news/is-torontos-airport-rail-link-a-model-for-melbourne">written before</a>, the similarities between Melbourne &amp; Tullamarine and Toronto &amp; Pearson are uncanny. The service is operated by the Ontario provincial level agency Metrolinx which is similar to PTV.

When it began operating, one-way fares were set to an eye-wateringly high $27.50CAD if you paid with cash or if you used the local smart card, called Presto, the fare was $19.00CAD. The Australian and Canadian dollars for the past decade have ebbed and flowed around parity, the current exchange rate is $1AUD = $0.94CAD.

Local and <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/union-pearson-express-ridership-slumps-to-all-time-low/article28634074/">national Canadian press</a> back in early 2016 reported on the patronage slump after the Pan-American games were held in Toronto (2015) citing fare levels as culprit.  A year after substandard patronage performance, fares were slashed by over 50% to $12.00 CAD if paying by cash or $9.,00CAD if using the local smart card.

Not surprisingly patronage trebled after the fare cuts and more people started using the service between the two intermediate suburban stations and Union in central Toronto.  

The AirRail Melbourne proposal unveiled last weekend came with a projected fare that is likely to be 'under $20'.  The current skybus fare is $18.  Compare with a myki money zone 1 &amp; 2, 2 hour fare: $4.30 (or a daily $8.60).

It's not inconceivable that the overwhelming majority of people who will use the Melbourne Airport Rail Link will use another public transport service to get to an Airport Link station and therefore will either be paying the 2 hour or daily myki fare as well as the fare to the airport - just like how passengers need to pay the myki and skybus fares separately now.

A $20 airport link fare plus $4.30-$8.60 is putting the total cost of getting to the airport via public transport into the mid 20s, almost $30 category, similar to the fares that Toronto started with (for balance, Toronto's TTC subways, trams and buses operate on pay-per journey basis, it costs $3.00CAD for each journey).

Aside from fares, there are other lessons to learn from the Toronto experience, as outlined in <a href="http://humantransit.org/2016/03/keys-to-great-airport-transit">this article</a> by Jarrett Walker.  Although the Melbourne Airport Rail Link will likely tick Jarrett's a few boxes on that articles list - namely ensuring the rail line serves more than one destination.

However should the Melbourne Airport Rail Link as we understand it to run from the city to Sunshine and the airport also extend to Broadmeadows to maximise connections from day one?

"Combine air travelers and airport employees on the same train/bus" is one of Jarrett's key points - Sunshine ensures employees living immediately west of the airport will have an easy connection, adding Broadmeadows will ensure airport employees living anywhere between Moonee Ponds and Craigieburn have an easy connection. 

The Suburban Rail Loop would extend that connectivity to both employee and passenger alike to the rest of northern and north-eastern Melbourne.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://railgallery.wongm.com/metro-trains-melbourne-northern-group/E108_4197.jpg">Marcus Wong</a>.
</body></html>

Is $20 a reasonable fare for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link?

<html><body>
<h2>Comment</h2>

If the voting public are to take the Andrews Government's <a href="/news/victorian-government-unveils-suburban-rail-loop-election-proposal">Suburban Rail Loop</a> proposal on face value, over time, Melbourne will have a train line from Cheltenham to Werribee via the north-east and Melbourne Airport.

But will it be a 'single' train line - for example, the same service, no matter which part of the new rail line you are traveling on? 

Business case development currently underway for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link (MARL) and - should the Andrews Government be re-elected - the Suburban Rail Loop, will determine that outcome however, there may be some benefit to developing what in effect would be two separate rail lines to form the one greater loop line.

In recent days we saw a private proposal dubbed 'AirRail Melbourne' which is concerned with building a new railway from Southern Cross to the Airport via Sunshine and as I mentioned in my <a href="/news/ifms-airrail-melbourne-proposal-helps-other-projects-to-get-financed">commentary</a>, that specific railway is unlikely to cost $15 billion in total and the private investment - to the tune of $5 billion - would give governments the choice to reallocate funds to expanding other rail corridors and introducing new metro and regional services.

AirRail Melbourne, the proposal which will seek to use the market-led infrastructure process set up by the Victorian Treasury, positions itself to take a bet each way on how other projects might work with it. 

For instance, extrapolating the AirRail Melbourne proposal we might foresee a new dedicated line built Southern Cross - Sunshine - Airport and a new track pair from Sunshine - Deer Park - Wyndham Vale to the Geelong/Werribee line junction. Likewise, governments will have a choice to position the MARL/AirRail Melbourne line as a future path for Bendigo and Seymour-Shepparton services just like how the Rail Futures Institute has advocated for in the past.

Governments might even choose to extend the track eastward to form the wider Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) too.

<h2>But should they?</h2>

When the SRL was unveiled by the Premier, the eastern and northern sections on the map looked somewhat obvious - by simply looking at the map we can see its purpose is to move people around the middle suburbs between the existing radial network of metropolitan and regional services.

The western section looked undercooked, but one suspects that's because of the already announced business case development work occuring for the MARL and look at the situation now - the State Government called for expressions of interest to participate last week and already a well-rounded proposal has had its 15 minutes in the sun.

The passenger movement task to and around the west is different to the northern and eastern sections of the SRL - the west has far more complexity: High-speed rail to Geelong, city to airport services, should MARL be used in future for Bendigo and Seymour-Shepparton?

And so it follows, might - or should - the Suburban Rail Loop as Melbourne's orbital rail line, be two different systems given the two broad passenger movement tasks in different regions of the metropolitan area?

If we assume the western side of the city will proceed with the MARL or something like the AirRail Melbourne proposal which includes rail corridor expansion to the west, the SRL from the Airport to Cheltenham could be a separate rail system akin to what the Sydney Metro is to the wider rail network in Metroplitan Sydney (and regional NSW).

<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/projects-stations-bukitbintang-02-1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Bukit Bintang station on Kuala Lumpur's newest MRT line SBK9 - image: my-mrt.my"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/projects-stations-bukitbintang-02-1.jpg?itok=zAOmBLiD" title="Bukit Bintang station on Kuala Lumpur's newest MRT line SBK9 - image: my-mrt.my" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Bukit Bintang station on Kuala Lumpur's newest MRT line SBK9 - image: <a href="http://mymrt-underground.com.my/projects/sungai-buloh-kajang-sbk-line/">my-mrt.my</a></figcaption></figure>I was recently in Kuala Lumpur, where last year they opened the second and final phase of that city's latest MRT line.  It's a turn-key system, with portions of underground and elevated track broadly connecting through the centre of KL and out to the east and west of the Klang Valley.

We know the Andrews Government has cornered themselves into an underground rail line from Cheltenham to Broadmeadows and some of the most expensive components of underground railway construction are the stations.  The bigger the station, the higher the cost as the rule of thumb goes.

On the Metro Tunnel project, the five stations are enormous - in platform length in particular - to cater for lengthened trains. Upwards of 220 metres.

On KL's Line SBK Line 9 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sungai_Buloh%E2%80%93Kajang_MRT_line">Sungai Buloh-Kajang 9</a>), trains are just as wide and each four-car train has a similar capacity as our standard metro trains in Melbourne (3-3.1m &amp; 1,200 passengers per train) but with only four cars, the trains are shorter and therefore platform length requirements are shorter as well. The trains are 90 metres in length.

The enormous capacity of the comparatively short trains is achieved with longitudinal seating and wide, open gangways between carriages. The trains are also driverless, centrally controlled with platform screen doors at all stations.

The Andrews Government claims the SRL will enable trips from Cheltenham to the Airport in 45 minutes, and it's likely that the majority of trips on the line (should it be built) will be much shorter and minimal seating in longitudinal configuration - in order to create scalability over time - would likely be acceptable to most people given the line's purpose is to rapidly move people between lines and to the newly served employment, shopping and education precincts.

Food for thought.

Lead image credit: Bukit Bintang station, <a href="http://mymrt-underground.com.my/projects/sungai-buloh-kajang-sbk-line/">my-mrt.my</a>
</body></html>

Might the Suburban Rail Loop be two separate rail systems?

<html><body>
It might have appeared to slip under the radar, but the IFM Investors-led consortium's<a href="/news/consortium-proposes-market-led-super-train-for-melbourne-airport-rail-link"> AirRail Melbourne proposal</a> has already had a long life, with work commencing over a year ago.

IFM Investors was set up by industry super funds to manage their investments.  It has stakes in Asia Pacific Airports which owns the lease and operates Melbourne Airport, and IFM also own the 30-year concession for Southern Cross Station.

The consortium behind the AirRail Melbourne proposal unveiled on the weekend, also includes Metro Trains Melbourne who in turn is majority-owned by Hong Kong's MTR corporation with John Holland and UGL Rail rounding out the minority shareholders.

The consortium brings substantial rail and aviation experience in addition to institutional finance to the table, with a spokesperson confirming the proposal had not appeared out of thin air, having undertaken a year's worth of work before the unveiling.

Speaking to Apartments.com.au, a spokesperson confirmed that IFM Investors expects to use the Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance's <a href="https://www.dtf.vic.gov.au/infrastructure-investment/market-led-proposals">market-led proposal process</a> which should it progress toward the end of Stage 2, we're likely to see far greater detail released into the public domain.

The proposal is rail technology agnostic at this stage and the corridor and references to other government or election initiatives are deliberately open, owing to the many moving parts, chief of which is the state election in a few months time and the Melbourne Airport Rail Link business case which is currently underway.

It was only last week that the state government called for expressions of interest to participate in the Melbourne Airport Rail Link (MARL) and it will be interesting to see if any other well-rounded proposals such as AirRail Melbourne come to light.  

<h2>Comment</h2>

One can't help but focus on the main organisation which is leading the consortium - they're in the investment and superannuation business. 

Committing a further $5 billion on top of the Federal and State Government's $10 billion is likewise interesting because it's like the Southern Cross, Sunshine and Airport stations, tunnels and tracks and rolling stock will not cost $15 billion. This throws up the opportunity for the joint commitment of $10 billion to be reallocated between the Airport Rail Link and projects like quadruplications in the west.

Remember, as part of the initial Melbourne Airport Rail Link announcement by the State Government in July, part of the business case was to investigate how to get 'high speed rail' to Geelong.  What high-speed actually means is anyone's guess, but the AirRail Melbourne documents published to date hint at it: it's about further separating metro and V/Line services in the west.

The groundwork for Melton electrification is currently underway with track duplication from Deer Park to Melton, and the Regional Rail Link unable to handle both Geelong and outer Melbourne suburban passenger commutes for much longer.

The Regional Rail Link was built for $3.65 billion; quadruplicating Sunshine-Deer Park-West Werribee won't cost as much - but rebuilding Sunshine station along with its rail junction won't be cheap. 

If it costs $15 billion to get the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, with its dedicated tracks between Sunshine and the city boosting rail capacity even further, as well as adding even more track (and services) to the outer west, we're looking at widespread benefits.

We'll have to wait for the outcome of the state election and the release of the business case, but the AirRail Melbourne proposal (or a competing proposal if the market-led process eventually turns into a tender) has appeared at a good time.
</body></html>

IFM's AirRail Melbourne proposal helps other projects to get financed

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

Joel Robinson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alastair Taylor

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

Alastair Taylor

Editor's Picks

Receive the latest news stories to your inbox

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News