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A rail service to Melbourne's Tullamarine airport is a step closer with the State Government announcing it will join the Commonwealth in proceeding with a rail link that will run via the <a href="http://vpa.vic.gov.au/project/sunshine-employment-cluster/">National Employment and Innovation Cluster</a> (NEIC) in <a href="/new-apartments/sunshine-vic-3020">Sunshine</a>.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan announced a route options assessment undertaken by Transport for Victoria has resulted in the Sunshine route - also known as the Albion (East) route - has come out on top.  The strategic appraisal has now been <a href="https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/318571/MARL-Sunshine-Route-Strategic-Appraisal.pdf">published</a> on the government's Big Build website.

In the route selection process, the Victorian Government has reaffirmed what previous studies have resulted in - from a connectivity and constructability point of view, the Sunshine (Albion) corridor has the greatest merit.

The other three routes, via Flemington, Maribyrnong and Craigieburn have all rated lower than the Sunshine corridor.  Constructability and cost penalise the Maribyrnong and Flemington routes with the strategic appraisal estimating 8-10 years and $15-$20 billion via Flemington and a whopping 10-12 years and $20-$25 billion via the Maribyrnong defence site.

The Craigieburn route scored the best on lowest cost ($5-$10 billion) and had a similar constructability and delivery time (7-9 years) as the preferred Sunshine route ($8-$13billion).   Sunshine won out over Craigieburn in connectivity and reducing travel time to key economic centres.

<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/marl_routes1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="The routes that were assessed - again. Image: Transport for Victoria"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="803" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/marl_routes1.png?itok=G4XN0p9L" title="The routes that were assessed - again. Image: Transport for Victoria" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The routes that were assessed - again. Image: Transport for Victoria</figcaption></figure>A new super-hub station will be created at Sunshine for facilitating greater interconnection with the Ballarat and Geelong regional lines.  

Reflecting the position we're in with regards to the electoral cycle - Spring Street goes to an election on the last Saturday in November - the language from the Premier and Minister for Public Transport is starting to sharpen up.

"Only Labor has removed the level crossings and is building the Metro Tunnel – and only a re-elected Labor Government will deliver the Melbourne Airport Rail Link," the Premier said.  "The Andrews Labor Government will build the airport link via Sunshine, so that all Victorians can access the airport by rail, no matter where you live," the Minister for Public Transport said.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
BREAKING NEWS: Airport Rail is finally happening. We've spent the last few years removing level crossings, and building the Metro Tunnel. Now we'll get this done. Watch how. <a href="https://t.co/JxxXCBmQ8l">pic.twitter.com/JxxXCBmQ8l</a>
— Daniel Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/1020813444327485440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2018</a>
</blockquote>

<h2>Analysis &amp; Comment</h2>

All (rail) roads certainly do lead to Sunshine.

There's still a long way to go before shovels hit the ground.  The Strategic appraisal sets out a timeline over the next four years and now that the route has been selected, a detailed business case on that route will be conducted and finalised by '2019/2020'.

"This strategic assessment will now inform the development of a full Business Case," the documents published today say - and hopefully when the business case is finished we'll know why the line is expected to cost $8-$13 billion.

Noting that maps released today state city access options are to be explored, I'd expect the full business case to now focus on different levels of quality. 

Quality in the sense the Airtrain concept from the <a href="http://www.railfutures.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/180530-Airport-Brochure_v7.pdf">Rail Futures Institute</a> would be at the upper echelon because it's as strategic as the 1960s-era act of locating Tullamarine where it now stands and by comparison simply building a branch line to the airport from the metro tunnel track pair would be significantly lower in quality.

The Government's language is headed in the right direction - even though the new infrastructure is located entirely within metropolitan Melbourne, there are just as many benefits for regions outside the capital as well.

Another hope for the full business case would be that the powers-that-be take a more holistic approach to public transport planning for the airport. 

Beyond the headline heavy rail link this would including looking at the benefits/costs of extending the #59 tram to the airport from its current terminus at Airport West - therefore servicing the jobs located on airport land to the south of the terminals and connecting passengers (and employees!) who live in the inner-middle north-west with the airport.

We also have a robust freeway network that is going to see a lot of changes in the north-east very soon - taking a detailed look at a strategy to get faster/express bus services into the areas to the east of the airport on dedicated lanes on the Western/Northern Ring Road should also be studied.
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Alastair Taylor

Victorian Government commits to Sunshine-Albion corridor for Melbourne Airport Rail Link

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The Kororoit Creek Road level crossing in Williamstown North has been completed one week ahead of schedule just as community consultation starts ramping up on the Moreland Road, Brunswick and Bell Street, Coburg level crossing removal projects.

On Monday the Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, announced trains would start to roll again on the Altona Loop today (Monday), one week ahead of schedule at the Kororoit Creek Road level crossing removal program in Williamstown North.

The Level Crossing Removal Authority has built a new rail bridge over the road and has also duplicated a portion of the Altona loop line from the junction with the main Werribee Line to Kororoit Creek itself.

Another construction blitz is set to start in late August with the government confirming buses will replace trains on some sections of the Craigieburn between August 24th and September 9th to enable work to ramp up on the Buckley Street level crossing.

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/shYPVPyTbAs" width="100%"></iframe>

Buckley Street itself will be closed for a period of 52 days from the evening on August 9th.

For a period of six weeks, Seaford Road and Railway Parade will be closed from August 17th to enable the Seaford Road level crossing to be removed.  Buses will replace trains southwards from Carrum on the weekend of 18th-19th August and the 8th and 16th of September.

Buckley Street and Seaford Road road underpasses will both be re-opened to traffic at the end of their respective shutdown periods.

Between August 28th and the 8th of September, buses will replace trains between Dandenong and Cranbourne as work enters the final stretch on the Abbotts Road level crossing removal project in Dandenong South.

Abbotts Road like Skye/Overton Road north of Frankston is a rail bridge over the existing road level.

<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/railover-2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rail over road scenario for Bell Street would also see Munro Street level crossing removed. Image: LXRA"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="257" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/railover-2.jpg?itok=lt3R7R20" title="Rail over road scenario for Bell Street would also see Munro Street level crossing removed. Image: LXRA" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rail over road scenario for Bell Street would also see Munro Street level crossing removed. Image: <a href="https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/media/publications/bell-street-coburg-and-moreland-road-brunswick-removing-a-level-crossing">LXRA</a></figcaption></figure>Originally announced as part of a wider package two years ago, the Moreland Road (Brunswick) and Bell Street (Coburg) level crossing removal projects are now entering their main public consultation phase.

Diagrams posted on the Level Crossing Removal Authority's <a href="https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/media/publications/bell-street-coburg-and-moreland-road-brunswick-removing-a-level-crossing">website</a> show that in both cases road under rail or road over rail design and engineering solutions have been ruled out for those two-level crossing removals.

If a rail over road solution is chosen, in Coburg's case, there is an added bonus that Munro Street would also be removed at the same time as completing Bell Street's level crossing removal.

Community drop-in sessions were held last week however feedback can still be lodged on <a href="https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/media/publications/bell-street-coburg-and-moreland-road-brunswick-removing-a-level-crossing">levelcrossings.vic.gov.au</a>.
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Level crossing removal projects: 1 newly complete, 3 about to go, 2 enter consultation phase

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Knox City Council in Melbourne's outer-east will at its council meeting tonight be presented with a <a href="http://www.knox.vic.gov.au/Files/MeetingsCouncil/2018_07_23_Council_Supplementary_Agenda.PDF">report</a> by council officers which recommends the council undertake a shift in its advocacy for Public Transport to and from and within the LGA in the run-up to the Victorian election in November.

The report recommends the council endorse a two-page advocacy brochure which outlines a three-stage light and heavy rail rollout that would better serve the wider middle-ring and outer eastern areas of metropolitan Melbourne.

Noting that its own advocacy of projects would be more effective when undertaken in the wider context of an Eastern Melbourne public transport plan, the report argues the economic case for the projects will improve when viewed across the sub-regional level.

To Knox's west is Monash, to the north is Whitehorse and Maroondah, to the south is Greater Dandenong and to the east is Yarra Ranges Shire - all these councils are a part of the <a href="http://www.etc.org.au/">Eastern Transport Coalition</a> which advocates for improved public transport in Eastern Melbourne.

The advocacy brochure appended to the council report certainly does take on a wider sub-regional context with two north-south light rail lines, one of which does not enter Knox's municipal territory, and the Rowville Rail project runs for the most part through the city of Monash before entering Knox.

It also includes proposals for three new bus routes which would better serve the employment precincts within the Knox LGA including one route which would require a road bridge to be constructed in Scoresby.

The report notes the history of studies relating to Rowville heavy rail but in light of the Federal Government's allocation of $24 million for planning over the forward estimates and a commitment of $475 million to build a heavy rail line, council officers recommend changing tack on its PT advocacy.

<blockquote>
As the Victorian State Government has essentially operated without a formal transport plan to guide investment across the last ten years, the only true gauge of Government’s position on Rowville Rail has been through direct approaches with elected representatives through both Council and the ETC.

Over the last 4-5 years, the Government response when pressed on Rowville Rail has remained consistent, namely that at best, it represents a longer term aspiration of Government, noting that delivery of the Melbourne Metro project and the Level Crossing Removal Program remain the top priorities

When the current Government established Infrastructure Victoria to assess infrastructure priorities across both metropolitan Melbourne and Regional Victoria, the Rowville Rail project was considered, however ultimately disregarded. It was again seen as a longer term priority, noting that a lower order transit solution, namely bus rapid transit or light rail might be deemed more appropriate.
<cite>Knox council report</cite>
</blockquote>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/knox_advocacy1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Map from the draft advocacy brochure - image: Knox"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="406" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/knox_advocacy1.png?itok=zaTRKXY9" title="Map from the draft advocacy brochure - image: Knox" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Map from the draft advocacy brochure - image: Knox</figcaption></figure>Knox is one of the outer eastern LGAs that has zero capacity for outwards expansion and although limited at the time of writing, it is not without projects on the <a href="/developments?lga=Knox">Urban.com.au Project Database</a>.

The LGA has two projects under construction near Knox Shopping Centre with the remaining projects either under assessment, approved or at sales.

One such project, 711-717 Mountain Highway that was profiled on Apartments.com.au a year ago has had a redesign and its fate will be decided upon at the same meeting tonight.  The council officer report for the development recommends the council grant a town planning permit.

To view the council's public transport advocacy report and draft brochure, see <a href="http://www.knox.vic.gov.au/Files/MeetingsCouncil/2018_07_23_Council_Supplementary_Agenda.PDF">knox.vic.gov.au</a>.

Lead image credit: <a href="http://www.knox.vic.gov.au/c149">Knox Amendment C149</a>
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Knox City Council to vote on new Public Transport advocacy in light of recent Eastern Melbourne announcements

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Testing on the Sydney Metro Northwest has begun expanding across sections of the new line beyond the Tullawong terminus, storage, maintenance and operations depot area where testing has been limited to thus far.

Trains have begun rolling over the new Windsor Road bridge and onto the new Kellyville Station this week with the ultimate aim to move into the new 15km long tunnels between Bella Vista and Epping soon.

The NSW Government says so far there have been 10,000 journey kilometres of train testing contained within the Rouse Hill / Tullawong area, 44km of the project's catenary is now installed (out of a total 78km) and 9 out of the first 22 trainsets have been delivered.

Trains are limited to 60kph during the initial testing phase on the elevated track section through Kellyville and Rouse Hill, eventually, trains will be tested at 100kph before moving onto the underground sections.

Sydney Metro Northwest and the second phase City &amp; Southwest is Australia's first driverless railway that will provide passengers who sit at the front of the train a forward view - something that is not possible in any other Australian railway system.

The initial fleet of 22 trains will be expanded once the line is extended to Bankstown via the CBD as part of the Sydney Metro City &amp; Southwest project.  Each 6-car train will seat approximately 400 people and the combined seating and standing capacity will be 1100 passengers.

When demand warrants it, Sydney Metro stations will be expanded to handle 8 car trains which coupled with up to 2-minute headways on the line could boost the passenger carrying capacity to over 45,000 passengers per direction, per hour.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/syd_metro_windosr_road2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Test train crosses the Windsor Road bridge - image: Transport for NSW"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="311" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/syd_metro_windosr_road2.jpg?itok=xu6XS8AE" title="Test train crosses the Windsor Road bridge - image: Transport for NSW" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Test train crosses the Windsor Road bridge - image: Transport for NSW</figcaption></figure>The terminus and outer stations on the new Sydney Metro line are seeing significant planning proposals either proposed adjacent or within an easy walk of the new stations.

As Apartments.com.au reported on <a href="/news/tallawong-station-precinct-south-destined-for-intensive-urban-renewal">Tuesday</a>, NSW Government development agency Landcom will oversee staged development on a site located directly south of the Tullawong terminus station.

Upwards of 16 buildings scaled up to 8 levels in height producing approximately 85,000 square metres of residential space across 1,107 dwellings are on the cards.

A further 5 projects are currently before council, 3 have been approved and three other projects are currently under construction in the immediate area as well.

The first phase of the Sydney Metro is expected to begin operations in 2019 with the full line open to Bankston by 2024. 
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Sydney Metro Northwest train testing expands to Kellyville

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The City of Moreland has released a draft update of its Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy and Car Parking Strategy.  The update was not scheduled to occur for another two years, however given the rate of change, particularly in the south of the municipality, the review was accelerated.

In the draft Car Parking Strategy, changes are proposed that will enable development to occur with zero parking as of right and a proposed strategy to complement the parking changes would force behavioural change and stop on-street car parks filling up with residents cars.

After a community consultation round that commenced in December 2017, residents responded by telling council they dislike issues associated with increasing traffic - such as congestion, rat-running through minor residential streets - and that many would use active and public transport more to get around but can't owing to infrastructure and service deficits.

<blockquote>
Many people would support measures to improve walking, cycling and public transport options, even if this might make driving through the area a bit slower – this was the case in both the north and south of Moreland, and across users of all transport modes, including car drivers.

Parking has been identified as an important area over which Council has significant control. The Draft Parking Strategy shows how we would implement the parking actions in the Draft Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy.

It aims to reduce the growth of cars in Moreland as our population increases, while protecting the ability of existing residents to park on-street by introducing more parking restrictions.
<a href="http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/about-us/projects/transport-and-parking-projects/transport-strategy/"><cite>City of Moreland</cite></a>
</blockquote>

Some of the biggest changes relate to the Parking Strategy.

Parking minimums are proposed to be removed from the three main activity centres in Moreland - Brunswick, Coburg and Glenroy - and in their place, parking maximums would be implemented.  

In Moreland, residents are able to apply for a permit that exempts them from any parking restrictions on the street - this, however, does not apply to people who live in dwellings that were subdivided after 2011.

In conjunction with post 2011 permit exemptions, the switch from minimums to maximums, this would clear the decks for developments that seek to have zero or minimal car parking and in order to stop residents of dwellings in the new development from parking cars on the street, it is proposed that  restrictions based on time be added to streets in activity centres that do not currently have them.

Likewise, each of the three major activity centres would have buffer zones surrounding them that too would introduce timed parking restrictions if they don't already exist.

In twelve neighbourhood centres, it is proposed there will be no switch to parking maximums however minimum parking requirements would be reduced by 20% and these areas would also have time restrictions added to streets which don't have them.

Elsewhere in the <a href="http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/globalassets/areas/transport/draft-parking-strategy.pdf">Car Parking Strategy</a>, there is a section which deals with the reallocation of road space.  

"Support net reduction in car parking where this facilitates sustainable movement corridors or creates places for people, consistent with the road user hierarchy", "Continuously and proactively review whether car parking is needed and take steps to repurpose the space for movement or place for people" and "Seek opportunities to re-use Council off-street car parking areas as green community spaces" are but a few of the proposed actions.

The Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy and Car Parking Strategy can be viewed and submissions can be lodged on <a href="http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/about-us/projects/transport-and-parking-projects/transport-strategy/">moreland.vic.gov.au</a>.  Feedback closes at 5pm until August 17th.

Lead image credit: <a href="http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/globalassets/areas/transport/draft-mits.pdf">Draft MITS</a>.
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New draft Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy seeks to reduce growth in cars

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Hot on the heels of announcing that, if elected at the Victorian state election in November, a new Liberal-National government would <a href="/news/victorian-opposition-commits-to-extending-cranbourne-line-if-elected-in-november">extend the Cranbourne line to Clyde</a>, the Victorian opposition has further announced another railway electrification and upgrade project to Baxter.

Extending the Frankston line to Baxter would include duplicating existing Stony Point line track, electrifying it and adding two stations at Frankston east and Langwarrin plus undergoing a major upgrade at the Baxter terminus.

The railway corridor in question currently operates as a diesel passenger service between Stony Point on Westernport Bay and Frankston station.  The line also sees freight trains run from the Long Island steel mills in Hastings.

The Victorian Government has a $3 million study to develop a business case for the upgrade underway and in the most recent Federal budget, $225 million was reserved for the electrification project.  Matthew Guy, the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-16/frankston-baxter-rail-upgrade-frankston-east-langwarrin/10000738">ABC reports</a>, has committed to match the Federal contribution if elected in November.

<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMatthewGuyMP%2Fvideos%2F10155376611576555%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="100%"></iframe>

The location of the Frankston East station is designed to cater for passengers travelling to the Peninsula campus of Monash University and the Frankston Hospital.  Leawarra station on the Stony Point line is within the vicinity but judging by the video from Matthew Guy's facebook feed above, the location of the Frankston East station would be located closer to the Moordooduc Highway.

The new Langwarrin station appears to be located in an isolated part of the rail corridor with the Langwarrin Flora and Fauna reserve to the east and another strip of open green spaces located to the west.

The terminus station at Baxter, historically the junction station between the Stony Point line and disused Mornington line, appears to correlate with the location of the existing station.

<h2>Analysis &amp; comment</h2>

There is clear pub test logic in creating the new 'Frankston East' station away from the current location of Leawarra.  Thankfully both major political parties are committed to not introducing new level crossings and given the Liberal party's resistance to elevated railway lines, I assume a trench will be dug with Clarendon St and the Moorooduc Highway passing at their existing grades over the top.

Locating the Frankston East station directly underneath Moorooduc Highway would allow station entrances to be created on either side of the road - similar to Nunawading on the Belgrave/Lilydale lines - and in turn it would become a task of improving pedestrian links to Frankston Hospital and into the Monash University campus to encourage usage of the station by those two large patronage generators.

The location of a station as shown in the Opposition Leader's video at Langwarrin does not appear to be all that clear-cut, however.  The station is isolated between a protected wildlife reserve and open space next to the Peninsula Link / Frankston bypass.  There's no obvious centre - or major existing residential settlement in the immediate vicinity - to serve by placing a station in this area unless there are also plans to develop either the reserve or open space.

The Langwarrin reserve and Peninsula Link open space are outside Melbourne's Urban Growth Boundary.

Locating the station further south nearer Robinsons Road has clearer logic but there is still a lack of patronage generators. Perhaps the station could become a major park and ride station however that appears to be better served at Baxter where the Peninsula Link / Frankston bypass has two major interchanges to the north and the south of Baxter station.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/MatthewGuyMP/status/1019039715847127040/photo/1">Matthew Guy on Twitter</a>.
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Victorian opposition continues its run of public transport announcements

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Victorian Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, has marked the start of construction at the Parkville station site while also announcing Spring Street has signed the final contract to deliver the Metro Tunnel project. 

The Rail Infrastructure Alliance contract has a value of $1 billion that covers the construction of the eastern and western portals that connect the tunnel and surface tracks.

A consortium of John Holland, CPB Contractors and AECOM have been selected as the preferred bidders to deliver the RIA package.

On top of construction of the dive structures in South Yarra and Kensington, the appointed consortium will be responsible for rolling out the new high capacity signaling system between Tottenham and the Western Portal as well as between Caulfield and the Eastern Portal according to the original contract <a href="https://gateway.icn.org.au/project/3958/rail-projects-victoria-rail-infrastructure-alliance-ria">scope</a>.

<blockquote>
The RIA also includes works on train lines out in the suburbs to maximise the benefits of the Metro Tunnel and take full advantage of the extra capacity it creates.

Public spaces near the eastern tunnel portal, including South Yarra Siding Reserve, Lovers Walk and Osborne Street Reserve, will be rejuvenated as part of these works before being returned to the local community once tunnel entrance works are complete.
<cite>Spring Street media release</cite>
</blockquote>

The 'works on train lines out in the suburbs' referred to above, according to the tender's original scope, relate to construction an extra platform at West Footscray, adding driver amenities at Oakleigh, improvements to the Frankston line tracks between Caulfield and South Yarra and the construction of rail network redundancy crossovers in the vicinity of the eastern and western tunnel portals.

Construction underway at the Parkville station site is focused on creating underground support structures to enable further excavation to occur.  Approximately 200,000 cubic metres of rock and soil will eventually be removed to create the Parkville station pit below Grattan Street.

The other major contracts that have been signed related to early works which have been ongoing since 2016 and the primary civil, build-and-operate contract that relates to creating the tunnel and stations.

The Premier visited the manufacturing site for the TBMs on a recent trade mission to China in late May.

Outside the scope of the Metro Tunnel project but related to its operations, the Victorian Government has also signed a $2 billion contract to build a dedicated fleet of trains for the Pakenham, Cranbourne and Sunbury lines as well as signing a $1 billion rail systems alliance contract which will see a modern communications-based train control high capacity signaling system on track between Watergardens and Dandenong.

According to the Minister for Public Transport, the new tunnel and associated extra capacity created on other lines, the Metro Tunnel project will create room for a further 100,000 peak passenger trips each weekday.

Early works on the tunnel portals will begin later this year.
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$1 billion contract to construct tunnel portals on the Melbourne Metro project signed

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<h2>Comment</h2>

Accurately projecting population growth in order for Governments to plan better for our cities and regions won't mean much if at the end of the day local electorate politics trumps region-wide progress.

WA Senator Dean Smith led the ABC's National Wrap program on Sunday night and as host Andrew Probyn said in the opening remarks, the Senator wishes to start a national conversation on population growth.

The Senator said the population story around the country has not been uniform and the country needs to review how population projections are made.

<blockquote>
I think what we need to do is take some time to accumulate the evidence. What is it that we know about our population projections? What is it that we know about why the population projections might have been so inaccurate for such a long time? 

And then around that, perhaps, [we need to] build better modelling so we can more accurately project population. 

Importantly, [we need to] make sure that we are properly planning for infrastructure and regional development against future population projections, and importantly it's not just the size of population but where the population might find itself.  

Does it find itself in regional towns and cities? Does it find itself predominanently in Melbourne &amp; Sydney?

Because we know that the population story across the country has not been uniform.
<cite>Dean Smith, Senator for Western Australia - <a href="https://iview.abc.net.au/show/national-wrap">National Wrap</a></cite>
</blockquote>

Evidence-based policy development and implementation is always welcomed and in any review of how population projections are made the Commonwealth Government will need to involve all the states and territories.  And should a new suite of tools for modelling population projections be developed, they need to be flexible enough to look beyond the federal level of government adn take state and local policy parameters into account.

In the population debate that has been running for a while now, attention seems to always shift to immigration - whether the numbers are right or wrong.  But as the Senator rightly points out, the population story across the country is not uniform, nor do states and territories callibrate their policies in the same way.

In 2008-2009 Australia had a net migration rate topping 300,000 people and in 2017-2018 the net migration level is down from that earlier peak in around the 250,000 level.

The difference between 2008-2009 and now is that late last decade the population growth was spread around the country evenly - Western Australia and Queensland were doing much heavier lifting than they are now.

This illustrates why trying to 'better' the projections for population growth must take a deeper dive on the policy work of each individual state and territory as they have many levers at their disposal which will have an effect on the population growth.

Whether it's long-term planning-focused reform like the Postcode 3000 project in Melbourne which turned the doughnut city into one which now is the most densely populated census region in the country or wielding economic policy that sees widespread regional employment opportunities that fuels population growth - like what happened to Western Australia and Queensland during the mining boom - states and territories have a major impact on overall national population growth.

States are getting on board the 'Infrastructure [State/Territory Name]' train and the primacy of the state/territory level agencies should remain in place.  States and territories are in a far better position to judge the needs of communities and the data, research and policy work should inform the federal body, not the other way around.

<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/night-view-from-melbourne-port-victoria-australia.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Road projects had their place but it's now time to focus on getting people out of their cars"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="349" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/night-view-from-melbourne-port-victoria-australia.jpg?itok=qquvonva" title="Road projects had their place but it's now time to focus on getting people out of their cars" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Road projects had their place but it's now time to focus on getting people out of their cars</figcaption></figure>Australian citizens and those on visas are free to move from region to region within the Commonwealth and any attempt to restrict that movement will likely result in a date with the High Court and therefore, once we are able to accurately project population growth (if we can at all), policy should focus on economics when it comes to rebalancing the load of growth around the country.

Political parties also need to get real about the state of our cities as well.  

While you can apply transport policies which favour active modes across the spectrum of Australia's cities - whether big or small - the needs of the metro areas of Melbourne &amp; Sydney are different to those of Adelaide and Darwin and the needs of Benalla and Mittagong are different to Bendigo and Toowoomba. 

We see it around every state or federal election, the swinging voters are king and broadly located in areas that are seeing the highest amount of growth - in our context, that's generally on the fringe of suburbia where the normally the only infrastructure built to transport the new residents to and from their home is roads.  The logic follows that, well, a freeway! That'll buy us votes!

Melbourne &amp; Sydney may be congested and have major public transport projects under construction, but they also have equally enormous road projects which suck up more even more capital and will invariably turn into congested arteries &amp; orbital routes once the very well-researched induced demand phenomenon takes hold.

There's plenty of evidence out in the wild that public transport carries more people with a much smaller footprint, and if our electricity network keeps up the pace in its transition to more renewables added to the generation mix, electrified public transport will increasingly aid in reducing emissions levels in the transport sector.

There is very little appetite to pick a winner when it comes to delegating dollars to transport projects among state and federal governments, we're told we need more roads and rail ad nauseum.  

But how much longer can Melbourne &amp; Sydney grow, both of which will have populations over 5 million soon, with this 'balanced' transport manifesto that sits alongside a policy of continued outward growth into defined corridors?

The Senators remarks are welcome, but having better population evidence isn't enough when a major part of the problem lies within the electoral DNA of political parties which find it hard to have a rational debate about appropriate transport policy for our largest cities.

Some political parties have targets - quotas - in areas such as gender which aim to get more women elected to parliaments around the country; we need targets which aim to rebalance the totally out-of-balance &amp; reliance on the private car in our biggest cities.  Will the Federal Government come to the table on that?
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Better population projection is good, but implementing better transport policies would be better

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Laurence and I discuss the news in Melbourne this week.

We're getting toward the end of 'developing' Docklands, Southbank Boulevard changes kick off, Infrastructure Victoria has surprisingly gone out early for its first 30-year strategy refresh and shots fired! - the Victorian state opposition has announced their first public transport-focused election initiative.

And remember to subscribe to the Apartments.com.au podcast through your favourite podcasting app - just search for Apartments.com.au.

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Weekly Podcast: Episode 23 - Docklands, Southbank Boulevard, Infrastructure Victoria and Cranbourne-Clyde

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The Victorian Government has announced planning changes in order to move forward with its Inclusionary Housing Pilot that will deliver 100 new social housing dwellings and works to update ageing rail infrastructure in Melbourne's south-east will throw up another round of train replacements.

Victorian Planning Minister, Richard Wynne, announced amendments to local planning schemes for four different sites in Boronia, Broadmeadows, Parkville and Wodonga that move pilot sites forward and the government anticipates adding up to 100 new social housing dwellings as part of its programme.

"We need to build and invest in liveable communities and make the most of the land we already have, and this pilot will create up to 100 new social housing homes to support our most vulnerable," the Planning Minister said.

The amendments relate to the introduction of new zones, overlays that will preserve vegetation, ensure adequate traffic and parking management, provide public open space and ensure the proposed developments respond to local neighbourhood character.

In Broadmeadows, a 7,500 square metre park will be created for the local community's use and in Boronia there will be planning scheme protection for significant trees and local habitats.

The development of the new social housing dwellings will be pursued with community housing providers. 

<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/vline_steamrail.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Despite the shutdown, Steamrail excursions will still run - hooray! Image: wikipedia"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/vline_steamrail.jpg?itok=TqSey8n0" title="Despite the shutdown, Steamrail excursions will still run - hooray! Image: wikipedia" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Despite the shutdown, Steamrail excursions will still run - hooray! Image: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_VLine_trains_passes_a_steam_locomotive_at_Pakenham.jpg">wikipedia</a></figcaption></figure>In August another round of train replacements for the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines will occur because work will begin on updating old railway infrastructure that will enable the new fleet of High Capacity Metro Trains to run on the rail line.

On the 4th and 5th of August, buses will replace trains between Dandenong and Cranbourne and between the 4th and 12th of August, buses will replace trains between Dandenong and Pakenham.

On the 13th and 14th of August, buses will replace trains between Westall and Cranbourne and Westall and Pakenham.  All Gippsland V/Line services will be replaced by coaches for the entire journey between the 6th and 14th of August.

Despite the shutdown, the Steamrail Snow Train excursion, as it won't require overhead electricity, will still run as scheduled on the 5th of August.

Platform works at Dandenong, Officer, Cranbourne and Hallam will continue during the train replacement periods.  The other 9 stations beyond Dandenong already have platform lengths that will comply with the longer HCMTs that will soon be introduced.

Overhead wires and stanchions and signaling are the primary corridor-wide upgrades happening in the area with the government describing the infrastructure as 'decades-old'.  

The Cranbourne line has two level crossing removal projects underway at present with multiple between Dandenong and Pakenham still in the early planning phase.

Each new 7-car HCMT train will have passenger carrying capacity of 1100 people and the first train is set to begin operations from mid-2019.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.vic.gov.au/affordablehousing/housing-supply-and-planning/inclusionary-housing">vic.gov.au</a>
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Victoria's Inclusionary Housing Pilot one step closer, works to extend Cranbourne and Pakenham platforms kick off

National Australia Bank (NAB) will fund <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/palmera-residences-gold-coast-18-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Palmera</a>, a $1 billion, 52-level luxury residential tower being developed by Central Equity in one of the Gold Coast’s most tightly held coastal locations at Northcliffe.

The project, launched recently by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/central-equity">Central Equity</a>, one of Victoria’s largest private residential developers, comes at a time when construction funding for large residential developments has become increasingly competitive as lenders tighten exposure to the sector.

Multiplex has been appointed the builder, and construction is now underway.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365784]

Since its first project, Central Equity has delivered more than 85 residential developments with a combined end value exceeding $8 billion.

Palmera reflects Central Equity’s growing focus on the Gold Coast luxury apartment market and continues a relationship between Central Equity and NAB that dates back to the late 1980s, when the bank funded one of Melbourne’s earliest inner-city residential towers at a time when high-rise apartment living in the CBD was largely unproven.

“NAB’s funding of Central Equity’s $36 million CBD development in the late 1980’s to the financing of the billion-dollar tower today highlights the long-term relationship between the two organisations in delivering major residential projects” said Central Equity Founder and Chairman Eddie Kutner.

He said NAB’s early support was instrumental in helping establish the company’s development model.

“When we commenced our first residential tower in the late 1980s the concept of funding off-the-plan apartments was still largely untested in Australia,” Kutner said.

“NAB recognised the opportunity early and supported the project when others were uncertain. That relationship has now continued for more than 37 years across many developments.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365771]

Central Equity was established in 1987 when Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank precinct were still dominated by warehouses and commercial buildings. Fewer than 100 residents lived in Southbank at the time, and large-scale residential development in the inner city was not widely considered.

Recognising changing demographics and lifestyle preferences, the company began developing high-rise residential projects designed to bring permanent residents into the city centre.

Central Equity has provided accommodation for approximately 40,000 residents across Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank, while also incorporating supporting infrastructure including essential lifestyle facilities like retail spaces, childcare facilities and neighbourhood activity centres.

Central Equity has spent many years assembling the Palmera development site on the corner of Garfield Terrace and Frederick Street in Northcliffe, creating a supersite of around 3,300 sqm.

The developer said the Palmera apartment tower reflects its long-term view of the Gold Coast as a growing and increasingly diversified economy.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365768]

Supported by infrastructure including the light rail network, major road upgrades expanded education, hospital and medical facilities and continued expansion at the Gold Coast Airport with more internation and domestic flights.

Positioned in the tightly held Northcliffe precinct, the 52-level tower will deliver 347 apartments, targeting buyers seeking a high-end coastal lifestyle, from downsizers to interstate investors.

Designed by Marchese Partners with interiors by DBI, Palmera has been conceived as a next-generation residential offering, featuring a collection of oversized apartments, with premium three-bedroom residences offering sweeping northern views stretching from Surfers Paradise through to Burleigh Heads.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108274]

Joel Robinson

NAB funds $1 billion Surfers Paradise apartment development, Palmera

Two years after completing one of the newest developments in North Sydney, developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aqualand-australia">Aqualand</a> is turning its attention to the rapidly evolving St Leonards apartment market.

The developer, which completed AURA by Aqualand on North Sydney's Walker Street, has lodged plans for a 5,918 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/33-37-herbert-street-st-leonards-nsw-2065">33-37 Herbert Street, St Leonards,</a> seeking approval for a pair of residential towers rising above a shared podium opposite Royal North Shore Hospital.

The proposal forms part of the broader transformation underway across the St Leonards-Crows Nest precinct, where former industrial and commercial sites are increasingly being redeveloped into high-density mixed-use projects tied to major transport infrastructure.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2cc428cf-fe70-4cac-9cd5-264ad53af62c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=otKSnHtbjAvAddOnovyXQMgcAwE6DMe1" />

According to the planning documents, the site sits “within the St Leonards–Crows Nest Strategic Centre, identified by the NSW Government as a key area for accommodating future jobs and housing across Sydney.”

The proposal has been designed by fjcstudio, formerly FJMT Studio, and is being progressed through the State Significant Development pathway due to its scale and affordable housing provision.

The scheme would comprise 413 apartments, including 46 affordable housing units, alongside retail and commercial uses fronting Herbert Street. The project would also include communal open space, landscaping, a swimming pool, gymnasium, children’s play areas and podium-level resident amenities.

Planning documents show the development would consist of a part-13, part-39 storey tower form positioned above a four-storey podium.

“The development comprises a unified podium that activates the street interface, and two setback towers to accommodate new housing supply while maintaining an appropriate human scale at ground level,” fjcstudio noted in its Design Report.

The northern and southern towers have been shaped to respond to the surrounding skyline while also limiting overshadowing impacts to nearby public open space, particularly Talus Reserve.

The design report said the differing tower heights were intended to “contribute to a varied skyline while responding to the surrounding built form context and solar access considerations.”

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36da62dc-ff9e-41f2-a7e3-7be38373751c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.45%E2%80%AFAM_0.png?VersionId=Mo6Rp2r.XRLTzIfg_PEEpw8NepDH8UBs" />

The site sits directly opposite Royal North Shore Hospital and within walking distance of both St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

While the site itself sits just outside the formal Crows Nest Transport Oriented Development boundary, the planning documents repeatedly reference its alignment with the broader TOD objectives reshaping the Lower North Shore.

“The site is located adjacent to St Leonards Station and in close proximity to Crows Nest Metro which is within the Crows Nest Transit Orientated Development Accelerated Precinct which has been identified by the NSW Government to support housing delivery,” the Design Verification Statement noted.

According to fjcstudio, the project has been designed to respond to the broader transition occurring across St Leonards, where increasing residential density is being concentrated around transport infrastructure and employment hubs.

“The broader precinct is undergoing significant change, with a mix of existing mid-rise buildings and newer high-density developments,” the report stated.

“Recent and approved projects indicate a consistent shift toward taller built form, typically organised as tower-and-podium typologies with more active ground levels.”

The proposal includes close to 6,000 sqm of retail and commercial space across the ground floor and podium levels, designed to create a more activated street edge along Herbert Street.

Aqualand’s plans would also introduce a landscaped podium shared between the two towers, with communal open space in the form of a podium rooftop designed to support resident interaction and improve urban greening outcomes. The scheme would also introduce pocket parks at the northern and southern ends of the site, including a landscaped area at the corner of Herbert and Ella streets designed to improve pedestrian amenity and soften the streetscape.

&nbsp;

The proposal is being progressed through the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority pathway, which was introduced to accelerate housing supply across the state. The application was declared State Significant Development in April 2025 following an expression of interest process.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="faf6d97d-2671-454f-b85a-fe1c6a7be608" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.49%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=diVd28OBVr5.YV.7prrOz.uAanwwwm7a" />

St Leonards has been particularly active with new developments in recent weeks. Developer SP Setia’s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-sp-setia-targets-st-leonards-skyline-with-40-storey-tod-tower">plans for a new 42-storey tower</a> recently went on exhibition through the same pathway, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">Stockland’s 52-storey tower proposal</a> was also recently unveiled.

Aside from the St Leonards project, which is expected to take around nine months to move through the approvals process ahead of a potential 2027 launch, Aqualand is also preparing to launch Boronia, a new apartment project in Roseville comprising around 111 apartments on Larkin Street.

The developer also has approvals in place for the next stage of the Barangaroo precinct, which will feature new residential, retail, hospitality and community uses, alongside a new metro entry across the five-hectare site.

More than 50 new retail destinations are planned for Central Barangaroo, alongside a 270-metre-long boulevard connecting Hickson Park to Nawi Cove. Together with Harbour Park, more than 50 per cent of the precinct will comprise public open space and parkland.

First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party

<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-5" data-turn="user" data-turn-id="e65dbe94-e3b6-47f7-b62a-9cbb30c9bf79" data-turn-id-container="e65dbe94-e3b6-47f7-b62a-9cbb30c9bf79" dir="auto">Time &amp; Place’s plans to transform the former David Jones factory building in Surry Hills into a mixed-use residential precinct have gone on exhibition through the NSW Government’s In-fill Affordable Housing pathway.</section>

<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-6" data-turn="assistant" data-turn-id="request-WEB:f4d533b7-64a5-413d-86fd-5c99649c2b73-2" data-turn-id-container="request-WEB:f4d533b7-64a5-413d-86fd-5c99649c2b73-2" dir="auto">
The Marlborough House proposal, lodged for the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marlborough-house-47-97-marlborough-street-surry-hills-nsw-2010">47-97 Marlborough Street</a> site, would see the adaptive reuse of the heritage-listed warehouse building alongside the construction of new residential additions and a separate apartment building on the northern portion of the site.

The proposal seeks approval for 172 apartments across three buildings, including 15 per cent affordable housing managed by a community housing provider for at least 15 years from occupation.

<img alt="Marlborough" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5d1d3c2a-bf13-47d6-a335-7c01102cdee1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.29.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=cjMYrbR.BLUlWH4dar0RVDDo0bG.u2YT" />

Interior view from the Northern Building Penthouse overlooking the park

&nbsp;

The redevelopment is planned for the prominent 3,413 sqm site bounded by Marlborough Street, Goodlet Street and Lansdowne Street, directly opposite Eddie Ward Park and around 200 metres from the Surry Hills light rail stop.

Time &amp; Place acquired the former David Jones building in 2024, marking the first time the property had changed hands in around 50 years.

Designed by Wardle, the proposal centres around the adaptive reuse of the former David Jones factory, originally constructed between 1913 and 1935 in the Inter-War Chicagoesque architectural style.

Wardle noted in its Architectural Design Report that the building “occupies a significant place in the industrial and cultural history of Surry Hills” and at its peak was “the largest department store manufacturing facility in Australia, employing over 800 people and fuelling the growth of Sydney’s fashion and retail industries.”

The practice said the project positions itself “not as an isolated intervention, but as a contributor to the civic, social, and architectural grain of the precinct.”

The proposal would deliver 75 apartments within the retained southern heritage building, 59 apartments within the central addition, and a further 38 apartments within the new northern building fronting Lansdowne Street.

Planning documents show the scheme would comprise a mix of heritage apartments, new-build apartments, townhouses and penthouses.

<img alt="Marlborough" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="57758518-40a3-4b83-958c-d06e96a2cffa" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.29.42%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=VerlX9ST5xgBi8.1_YRsqdWTJeT6ygjs" />Interior View of the Heritage Building Apartment

The development would also include a ground-floor retail tenancy on the corner of Marlborough and Lansdowne streets, rooftop communal open space, a landscaped pedestrian link along the western edge of the site, and basement parking accessed from Lansdowne Street via a car stacker system.

&nbsp;

The scheme emerged from a competitive design process run by Urbis, with Wardle ultimately selected as the winning architect ahead of FJC Studio, TZG, Architectus and Wilkinson Eyre.

The Design Integrity Panel later described several aspects of the Wardle scheme as fundamental to the project, including “the stepped character of the new addition to the north of the site”, the landscaped western pedestrian link, and the “garden arrival” experience separating the original Marlborough House from the heritage addition.

Wardle’s design heavily references the site’s industrial and heritage history, while also responding to the surrounding Surry Hills streetscape.

The Architectural Design Report describes Surry Hills as “a finely grained neighbourhood with beautiful and expressive brickworks throughout the suburb,” with the proposal introducing a material palette intended to sit comfortably alongside the existing warehouse fabric and neighbouring terraces.

The report also outlines the project’s relationship with Eddie Ward Park and the broader landscape context of the area.

“Marlborough House occupies a site of deep cultural memory and the neighbouring Eddie Ward Park is of local ecological significance, where natural systems, topography, and stories have long shaped human experience,” Wardle noted in the report.

The architects said the proposal sought to “rebind built form to Country” through landscape, materiality and the adaptive reuse of the heritage structure.

<img alt="Marlborough House" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9ae3f2f9-c85f-477a-a6f8-b43f6cb97c41" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.29.53%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=B.qUCLqRvJOR.n9CvYcTpaknIX9LuqKZ" />

The project is also being progressed under the NSW Government’s in-fill affordable housing provisions, allowing developments that include affordable housing to access additional height and floor space incentives.

Under the plans, 2,593 sqm of the project’s floor space would be dedicated to affordable housing, slightly exceeding the required 15 per cent threshold.

In its Design Excellence Strategy, Urbis said the project aimed to “sensitively adapt and enhance the heritage-listed building on site through alterations and additions that preserve its historical significance” while delivering “high-quality market and infill affordable housing development in Surry Hills.”

Time &amp; Place has been one of the most active developers nationally in the last 12 to 24 months. Late last year they completed&nbsp;The Queensbridge in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a>, a mixed-use tower with 353 apartments and a hotel. They are currently selling Park Modern, 246 apartments near the famous Botanic Gardens in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/south-melbourne-vic-3205">South Melbourne</a>, and have future projects, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-wilmot-173-burke-road-28-hope-street-glen-iris-vic-3146">The Wilmot</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/glen-iris-vic-3146">Glen Iris</a>, the redevelopment of the Northcote Plaza, and another tower in South Melbourne.

The developer broke into Sydney just a few years ago with Two Tides in Manly. They have another project nearby, which is at the ultra-luxury end of the market on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/shoreline-manly-beach-89-90-north-steyne-manly">North Steyne</a>, fronting the beach.

It is also continuing to work through the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-time-place-settles-on-design-for-the-chimes-potts-point-redevelopment">redevelopment of The Chimes building</a> on Macleay Street in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/potts-point-nsw-2011">Potts Point</a>, as well as a project on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/time-place-to-take-on-mosman-apartment-market">Mosman's Redan Street</a>.
</section>

First look: Time & Place unveils Marlborough House redevelopment designs for former David Jones warehouse in Surry Hills

The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

Wing Tai unveils 325-apartment St Kilda Road tower on former VACC House site

Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.

The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.

The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.

The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" />

SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.

“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.

The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.

“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" />

The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.

Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.

The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.

COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" />

“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.

The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.

The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.

Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a>

Alastair Taylor

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