Local developer Harridan is seeking to turn its Woolloongabba apartment project into the first stage of a broader transformation of Burke Street, using a new 16-storey mixed-use building to establish a greener pedestrian connection toward the rapidly evolving Boggo Road transport and knowledge precinct.

The South East Queensland developer has filed plans for 154 apartments on the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/4-burke-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">southern side of Burke Street</a>, where its proposal has been designed alongside a wider vision by LatStudios for the street.

That vision positions the southern side of Burke Street for buildings of 15 storeys and above, while envisaging lower-rise development of up to five storeys on the northern side to transition into Woolloongabba's existing character housing. It also proposes wider pedestrian verges, deep planting, new street trees and upgrades to the pedestrian approach to Boggo Road Station.

The Harridan development itself has been designed by Brisbane-based Arqus Design and will comprise 154 apartments across 16 storeys. The mix is weighted heavily toward two-bedroom apartments, with 121 proposed alongside 10 one-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom residences. There will typically be around 14 units per floor.

A lower-ground car park and three podium levels will accommodate 156 resident parking spaces, along with visitor and commercial parking. There will also be 154 resident bicycle spaces and 40 visitor bicycle parks.

&nbsp;

Harridan is a family-owned developer and part of the Holmwood Highgate Group, with more than three decades of development activity across South East Queensland. Its portfolio spans residential, commercial and industrial property, with current residential projects including Riverbank on Byron in Bulimba, Esperance Residences in Carina and The Precinct at Kinross Road in Thornlands.

Wooloongabba has been popular for apartment developers, particularly since the announcement of the 2032 Summer Olympics games in Brisbane.

While there have been a lot of development applications, it has failed to materialize into real supply.&nbsp;

Sarazin has been the major player in the area. They are under construction at Murcia Residences, on the fringe of East Brisbane and Woolloongabba. They have just launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-stanley-residences-woolloongabba-8-trafalgar-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">The Stanley Residences</a>, in Woolloongabba on Trafalagar Street. They also have Nuage coming soon on the nearby <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nuage-woolloongabba-14-wellington-road-woolloongabba-qld-4102">Wellington Road</a>.

Joel Robinson

First look: Harridan plans Burke Street transformation beside Boggo Road transport hub

IN BRIEF

<ul>
	<li>
	Just three double-storey Sky Homes sit at the top of The Waterline, each with its own private marina berth and rooftop terrace.
	</li>
	<li>
	Construction on The Waterline is complete, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.
	</li>
	<li>
	Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and are priced from $3.65 million.
	</li>
</ul>

<hr />
Lewis Land has opened the first completed sky home for inspection at Harbour Shores, giving buyers their first opportunity to step inside one of just three double-storey residences crowning The Waterline.

Each sky home comes with its own private marina berth, rooftop terrace and Broadwater views, combining the scale of a larger home with direct access to the boating lifestyle that underpins the wider <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/harbour-shores-biggera-waters-564-oxley-drive-biggera-waters-qld-4216">Harbour Shores</a> masterplan.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366708]

Lewis Land Head of Development Michael Long said the inclusion of a berth with every Sky Home had become increasingly valuable as marina access across the Gold Coast tightened.

“Marina berths are becoming increasingly difficult to secure across the Gold Coast, so including one with every Sky Home makes this a genuinely rare offering,” Long said.

“The private 70-berth marina will accommodate boats up to 12 metres in length and is positioned just 2.5 kilometres from the Broadwater, placing the open ocean only 15 minutes away.

“Being able to step out of your home onto your boat is a rare luxury, and it’s something residents here can look forward to when it opens later this year.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366709]

The display opening comes as construction completes on The Waterline, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.

The three Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and each feature three bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive kitchens with butler's pantries and large balconies taking in the Broadwater outlook.

Each residence also has three secure basement car spaces and additional storage.

“This is the first opportunity the Gold Coast has had to step into Harbour Shores and see, touch and feel what we’re bringing to life here,” Long said.

“There are only three Sky Homes within The Waterline, ranging in size from 282sqm to 367sqm, with each residence featuring three large bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive custom-built kitchens with butler’s pantry, and large balconies capturing Broadwater views.”

<img alt="Harbour Shores" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bab65e10-4fab-45e1-92d8-fc56e2ab98ff" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-25%20at%202.00.16%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=XT8q76LsPkw3cYTsvN3JfFDaPLud90PN" />

Residents of The Waterline will have access to a private pool, along with Harbour Shores' wider collection of amenity including a lagoon pool, social clubhouse, tennis court, gym, yoga facilities and sauna.

Lewis Land partnered with Studio Collective to furnish the completed display, with the interiors designed to demonstrate how the residences could function as permanent homes rather than simply as show apartments.

Studio Collective Director Melissa Park said the surrounding waterways informed the interiors, but in a more restrained way than a traditional coastal scheme.

“We drew inspiration from the canals and coastal surrounds, but our approach was to interpret that subtly through layered materials and a grounded palette of earthy tones, rather than literal coastal references,” Park said.

“We introduced hero moments of green and teal to reference the surrounding waterways, while mirrored elements help reflect natural light.

“The result is a residence that feels elevated yet comfortable, somewhere buyers can genuinely imagine themselves living, entertaining and unwinding.”

Sky Homes are priced from $3.65 million.

Lewis Land is also offering private marina berths with The Residences, its limited collection of three and four-bedroom villas positioned directly along the Harbour Shores waterfront boardwalk.

Three-bedroom villas are priced from $2.99 million, while four-bedroom residences start from $3.19 million.

Harbour Shores is being marketed by Colliers International.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=113271]

Lewis Land opens sky home display as The Waterline completes at Harbour Shores

St Vincent de Paul Society Housing Australia has filed plans for a major mixed-use housing precinct on the southern edge of the North Sydney CBD, adding another significant proposal to a pocket around North Sydn​ey Station that is quickly becoming one of the LGA's busiest development zones.

The State Significant Development Application covers a 5,990 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/1-19-mackenzie-street-lavender-bay-nsw-2060">1-19 MacKenzie Street and 211 Blues Point Road in Lavender Bay</a>, immediately south of Nor​th Sydney Station and between the commercial core and the lower-rise Lavender Bay Heritage Conservation Area.

Designed by Wardle, the proposal would deliver a new residential tower comprising 88 build-to-sell apartments and 19 affordable apartments, alongside a separate co-living building with 57 rooms and a building manager's studio.

It would also see the significant restoration and upgrade of St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, the adaptive reuse of the former school building, new parish facilities, retail, a new public square and around 1,000 sqm of publicly accessible open space.

<img alt="Vinnies North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d5dd7f87-a617-463e-b577-17541e01f0e9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.13%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4R8TsFN3P_LrrXO2HswTOIrx2blil8lh" />

The project is seeking a concurrent rezoning of the site to R4 High Density Residential and an increase in the maximum building height to allow a tower reaching RL120, or up to 20 storeys. The proposal was progressed through the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The build-to-sell component will be weighted toward larger apartments, with just six one-bedroom apartments compared with 31 two-beds, 43 three-beds and eight four-bedroom residences.

The 19 affordable apartments will comprise two studios, 15 one-bedroom apartments and two two-bedroom apartments, taking the total apartment component to 107 residences before the 58 co-living rooms are included.

<img alt="Vnnies" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7d568ca5-cb90-4e18-96c6-d9795dba0c56" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=GY2R5M9VtQh0EKy1vajaea19PSLOPuRD" />

Wardle's design for the Vinnies site has sought to negotiate that emerging high-rise context while retaining the lower-scale character of MacKenzie Street and the adjoining heritage conservation area.

The main building adopts a three-storey podium and tower arrangement, with the podium aligned to the ridgeline and front setback of St Francis Xavier Church.&nbsp;Wardle has designed the podium with colonnades, seating, recessed entries and active ground-floor frontages, with sandstone-toned precast concrete and face brick referencing the materiality of the existing church.

The tower then steps back eight metres to the south and six metres to the north before rising in a sculpted form comprising four interlocking quadrants. Wardle has also introduced rounded forms and chamfered corners to reduce the tower's perceived bulk and improve view sharing with neighbouring development sites.

Resident facilities and outdoor areas are planned at the separation between the podium and tower at Level 3, oriented toward Sydney Harbour and the CBD skyline.

The tower itself will feature a glass reinforced concrete facade, with recessed balconies and deep reveals used both to provide shading and privacy and frame views toward the harbour and city. The lower levels take a different architectural approach, using brick and sandstone-toned finishes intended to establish a stronger relationship with St Francis Xavier Church. The Church itself will be conserved and upgraded for its continued use, while the former school building will be adaptively reused as part of the co-living component.

<img alt="Lavendar Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2d4418ad-90aa-4d49-af93-c80b140aea80" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.09.47%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Kv4gzbsACaGvZSRuaqcfGC54jEJRXIDJ" />

&nbsp;

The proposal adds to an increasingly concentrated pipeline of residential development around Blue Street, MacKenzie Street and Lavender Bay.

Just west of the site, Central Element lodged plans earlier this year for one of the most significant residential developments proposed in Lavender Bay in recent years.

Central Element's SJB-designed scheme at 64-66 Lavender Street and 3-7 Middlemiss Street would deliver 163 apartments across two towers rising 23 and 32 storeys, replacing five existing apartment buildings containing 32 homes. The project also forms part of the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-central-element-reveals-lavender-bay-apartment-plans?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">First look: Central Element reveals Lavender Bay apartment plans</a>

Immediately around North Sy​dney Station, another two significant proposals have emerged at 5 and 15 Blue Street.

Zurich Australian Insurance Properties is seeking to adaptively reuse its longstanding commercial building at 5 Blue Street, directly above North Sydney Station, rather than demolishing the structure.

Its SSDA proposes converting the building into a 14-storey mixed-use development with 62 apartments and 86 co-living rooms, together with ground-floor retail and a major refurbishment of Blue Street Plaza. The application is currently at the Response to Submissions stage.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-zurich-targets-north-sydney-office-conversion-with-148-unit-proposal-above-metro-station">First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station</a>

&nbsp;

First look: Vinnies files for 20-storey Lavender Bay apartment tower as North Sydney housing pocket heats up

When the opportunity arose for South Australian developer Palumbo to return to Kent Town, where it had previously delivered East Park Apartments and the East 
Rundle Apartments, it wasn't one the longstanding developer-builder was going to pass up.

The decision was quickly vindicated, with more than 30 apartments sold within the first month of launching <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/royal-apartments-kent-town-2-8-north-terrace-kent-town-sa-5067">Royal Apartments</a> to the market.

The 206-apartment development, which will bring significant new supply to Adelaide's tightly held eastern city fringe, also gives <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/palumbo">Palumbo</a> the opportunity to bring new life to one of Kent Town's most recognisable watering holes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376073]

Royal Apartments incorporates the historic Royal Hotel, a venue Palumbo Managing Director Daniel Palumbo said has a longstanding connection with the local community.

"Everyone in the area has history with the Royal Hotel," Palumbo told Apartments.com.au.

"It was quite an active pub and social gathering place for locals. We want to bring it back to its former glory."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376072]

The wider development will comprise two residential towers alongside the restored hotel, sitting on North Terrace opposite the Adelaide Park Lands.

For Palumbo, the project also marks a return to familiar territory.

The developer completed East Park Apartments next door more than a decade ago and jumped at the opportunity to develop in Kent Town again when the Royal Hotel site became available.

"The opportunity emerged, and we moved to secure the site," Palumbo said.

"We were approached by the previous landowner, who said they had extensive commitments in Sydney and weren't in a position to deliver the project.

"We took over the site and within six months recut the design scheme to be more in keeping with the type of development we want to bring to Adelaide.

"Now we're on the market and those changes have really resonated with local buyers."

That has translated into a strong start to sales, with 33 apartments transacting in the project's first 35 days.

Palumbo said the early purchaser profile had been consistent with the group's traditional focus on owner-occupiers rather than investor-led apartment stock.

"Local owner-occupiers have always been our market," he said.

"There are always some investors, but we've never developed what would be called traditional development stock. Owner-occupiers are very much our market."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376068]

The buyer mix has been diverse so far, with downsizers and younger professionals both accounting for a significant portion of early sales.

South Australia's current stamp duty settings, which allow&nbsp;eligible homeowners in South Australia aged 60 savings of up to $103,830 on stamp duty when they downsize to a new property valued at up to $2 million,&nbsp;have helped encourage downsizer activity, while younger buyers in their late 20s and early 30s have been attracted to the opportunity to live immediately outside the CBD while still being able to walk into the city.



Location has been a major part of the proposition for both buyer cohorts.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376075]

Royal Apartments sits on North Terrace directly opposite the Adelaide Park Lands, with residents able to walk through the parklands toward the East End, Rundle Street and Rundle Mall.

Apartments have been positioned to capture views across the parklands, Adelaide skyline, Botanic Gardens and Adelaide Hills.

Palumbo believes the scarcity of developable land along this section of the Park Lands makes the site particularly difficult to replicate.

"There's very few allotments on that side that can be developed," he said.

"If this location was in New York and you were sitting on Central Park, you'd be talking about a $60 million apartments."

Royal Apartments will offer a broad mix of residences, ranging from one-bedroom apartments through to four-bedroom sub-penthouses and penthouses.

Current listings include one-bedroom apartments from $680,000, while larger three and four-bedroom residences are priced around $2.5 million.

Residents will have access to a swimming pool, gym, barbecue and recreation areas, residents' lounge and dining space, and a communal deck.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376067]

The apartments will feature generous balconies, while secure parking, bicycle storage and storage cages will also be provided.

A porte-cochère-style arrival and drop-off area has also resonated with buyers, particularly those attracted to being able to walk into the CBD during the day while retaining secure vehicle access at home.

Palumbo is acting as developer, architect and builder on Royal Apartments, continuing the vertically integrated model it has used across its South Australian portfolio.

The group was also behind the $150 million Sofitel Adelaide, the 251-room five-star hotel and residential tower which opened in 2021.

Palumbo said Royal's launch had come at an interesting time for the broader Adelaide apartment market.

Buyer confidence had initially been impacted by uncertainty surrounding the Federal Budget and broader economic conditions, but Palumbo believes sentiment is beginning to improve against a backdrop of significant investment flowing into South Australia.

He pointed to increased activity across defence and resources, including Olympic Dam, as potential long-term drivers of the state's economy and housing market.

"Money is starting to flow into Adeliade, significant amounts as Adelaide bucks the trend of the rest of the country.," Palumbo said.

"There's a lot of activity in the economy over the next decade. I think more investment will come into this market."

Early works on Royal Apartments are expected to commence this year, with major construction activity and cranes anticipated on site from early next year.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6109]

Palumbo's return to Kent Town strikes early chord with buyers

Go-to builder-developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/graya">GRAYA</a> is continuing to bulk out its already impressive and diverse apartment portfolio across South East Queensland. Their latest milestone is securing development approval for Silk, its boutique riverfront apartment development in St Lucia.

The approval clears&nbsp;the way for the team to begin construction planning for the 22-residence project.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/silk-st-lucia-16-18-sandford-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">Silk</a> will rise 15 levels from an 810 sqm site at 16-18 Sandford Street, occupying a prominent bend of the Brisbane River with a prized northern aspect across Orleigh Park toward the Brisbane CBD.

The approved scheme will comprise 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences, continuing GRAYA's move into larger-format apartment developments targeting Brisbane's prestige owner-occupier market.

The project has been designed around the site's broad river frontage and dual-direction views, with GRAYA prioritising larger residences, privacy and outlook over apartment yield.

<img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="aa5c2349-f96c-4914-a812-1f2cd6827af8" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.44%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=WY0vEU_7vYjeRJKQHiCwFdMxu8PvFh52" />

GRAYA Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Rob Gray said the project had been shaped around local homeowners wanting to remain in St Lucia without maintaining a traditional family home.

"St Lucia is one of those suburbs people do not want to leave," Gray said.

"They know the river, the trees, UQ, the golf course, Toowong and Indooroopilly, and that familiarity is hard to replace.

"True riverfront opportunities here are exceptionally scarce. What we have designed at Silk is a way to stay in the suburb people love, with the scale and privacy of a private home and far less to maintain.

"This is not typical apartment product. It is a proper home on the river, and that is exactly what this market has been missing."

The approval comes as new apartment development continues to increase across the St Lucia and neighbouring Toowong corridor, although direct riverfront sites remain considerably more tightly held.

GRAYA Co-founder and Managing Director Andrew Gray said securing the approval had removed a significant element of development risk from Silk.

"Genuine riverfront sites of this quality in St Lucia are not something that comes up regularly," Gray said.

"The approval removes a substantial layer of execution risk, and the location underwrites demand in a way very few inner-city sites can.

"The fundamentals here are as strong as anything we have assessed in Brisbane."

<img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d0f3d734-65e1-48e8-8ed3-2e0715ffcdd9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sOLSs_jdHkXLWbBKzRyayf5BfTb2vPsD" />

Silk will see GRAYA return to a stretch of the Brisbane River where it already has recent construction experience. The vertically integrated group recently completed ARC in neighbouring Toowong as builder for developer Spyre, delivering the riverfront project on a constrained site.

GRAYA will take a different role at Silk, controlling the project from design and development through construction and aftercare under its vertically integrated model.

The development will include a gym and resident leisure areas at ground level, integrated with the river's edge.

Silk joins a growing pipeline for GRAYA across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, which includes Enclave, The Gallery, Coral and Ripple.

The developer-builder has also recently lodged plans for its largest project to date, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-silo-19-chester-street-newstead-qld-4006">The Silo</a>, a proposed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/graya-buys-frasers-newstead-site-plans-the-silo-between-james-street-and-gasworks-precincts">$700 million mixed-use development</a> in Brisbane's James Street precinct.

Silk is expected to predominantly target local owner-occupiers and prestige buyers seeking a permanent riverfront home in Brisbane's inner west.

Registrations of interest are now open, with further details on the project and construction program to be released as it progresses.

<hr />
<h2>SILK PROJECT FACTS</h2>

Developer-builder: GRAYA

Project: Silk

Location: 16-18 Sandford Street, St Lucia

Apartments: 22

Built form: 15 levels

Site: 810 sqm riverfront holding

Mix: 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences

Status: Development approved

Next step: Construction planning underway

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152168]

GRAYA greenlit for riverfront St Lucia apartment development, Silk

Melbourne Airport

<html><body>
It has been known and talked about in closed circles for some months, but Australia Pacific Airports Corporation Limited have finally unveiled their intention to comprehensively overhaul Melbourne Airport's International T2 Terminal. On Monday evening before 700 individuals representing business, government and the wider community, APAC Limited offered a sneak peek into the future redevelopment of the International Terminal as part of a sustained investment campaign.

Within the 2013/2014 financial year Melbourne Airport's capital expenditure weighed in at $420 million with Melbourne Airport CEO Chris Woodruff stating during the evening "next year alone we expect to invest around $700 million as part of sustained ten year investment period.”

Contained within the <a href="http://melbourneairport.com.au/docs/map-stakeholder-pres-2014_final_low-res.pdf">Melbourne Airport annual stakeholder report</a> are multiple concept images depicting total redevelopment of the previously untouched 1970's edifice. The intended redevelopment follows recent 'waves' of regeneration and expansion to Terminal 2, which currently sees works in play to enlarge the terminal's arrivals area.

<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/image15map.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A new visitor/user experience in the making. Image courtesy Melbourne Airport"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="240" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image15map.jpg?itok=4jS9Kya7" title="A new visitor/user experience in the making. Image courtesy Melbourne Airport" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>A new visitor/user experience in the making. Image courtesy Melbourne Airport</figcaption></figure>As for the intended development, <a href="/">Apartments.com.au</a> understands it to be valued in the billions with the visitor/user experience at the crux of the new space. Under the working title of Market Place, a cavernous new terminal space offering a variety of services and retail outlets will stretch over the three existing terminal frontages, with Terminal 2 at its heart.

Departure Drive currently used by vehicles disembarking passengers will be banished, with all arriving transport modes relocated to the multi-level car park forecourt. In doing so it is expected the manic traffic flows to the terminal departure areas will be eliminated in favour of an enhanced user experience once the redevelopment is complete.

Multiple large blue retail pods are shown over ground floor with a vast expanse of space directly behind the sheer glass facade. Elsewhere double height luxury retail outlets will frame the internal space with a multitude of airline lounges set to crown the internal area in what will be a quantum leap forward for all users of the new terminal space.

Apartments.com.au also understands that once regulatory approval is gained via the Federal Government, APAC Limited is keen to facilitate construction as soon as is practically possible.

<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/image16map.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A sign of things to come. Image courtesy Melbourne Airport"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="245" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image16map.jpg?itok=TcFtsNz5" title="A sign of things to come. Image courtesy Melbourne Airport" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>A sign of things to come. Image courtesy Melbourne Airport</figcaption></figure>According to <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/international_airline_activity-annual_publications.aspx">statistics on BITRE</a>, since 2007 Melbourne Airport's international growth has been consistently higher in percentage terms than that of Sydney airport with 24% of all international traffic in Australia now flying through Tullamarine.

In 2007, 20% of Australia's international traffic was moving through Melbourne Airport and this refresh of Melbourne's primary international gateway is sure to leave a better impression of our city on all those who pass through it.

In due course Apartments.com.au intends to cover the proposed International Terminal redevelopment in detail, including all interested parties perspectives on what is expected to become one of the State's flagship infrastructure projects.

With Alastair Taylor.

<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/image17map.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The new terminal follows Departure Drive's curvature. Image courtesy Melbourne Airport"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="242" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image17map.jpg?itok=ty_NfB1T" title="The new terminal follows Departure Drive's curvature. Image courtesy Melbourne Airport" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The new terminal interior follows Departure Drive's curvature. Image courtesy Melbourne Airport</figcaption></figure>
</body></html>

silvermb

Melbourne Airport's stakeholder presentation reveals a new International Terminal

<html><body>
Melbourne Airport yesterday rolled out another plank in their aggressive facility expansion by commencing a $100 million extension of Airport Drive. Ultimately connected to the M80 Ring Road and slated to open prior to Terminal 4's completion, the link is designed to reduce congestion and provide alternative means of accessing the airport. Melbourne Airport CEO Mr Chris Woodruff conveniently tied together the Airport Drive expansion and pending rail link with the following statement:

<blockquote>
The new Airport Drive is also where the airport rail link will enter Melbourne Airport with room for the rail link in the centre of the extended four lane road. We are one of the only airports in the world with 30 million annual passengers, and no rail link, so we were delighted with the recent state government commitment to build a rail link from the CBD to Melbourne Airport.
<cite>Chris Woodruff, Melbourne Airport CEO</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/Image145.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="ITH west elevation. Image © Hassell Studio"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="319" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Image145.jpg?itok=QMWNpEf5" title="ITH west elevation. Image © Hassell Studio" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>ITH west elevation. Image © Hassell Studio</figcaption></figure>Nearby work on the Integrated Ground Transport Hub has quickened with the arrival of subcontractor I &amp; D Constructions' Jaso tower crane. The first of its kind in the Victorian market, the tower crane will accelerate works on the structure which will see an elevated roadway attached which will funnel arriving airport traffic into the structure, eliminating the current traffic snarls when arriving at Terminals 1-3.

Incidentally plans for Integrated Ground Transport Hub are available via Melbourne Airport's website and show amongst other materials Polycarbonate roofing as one of the external materials. Add an excess of precast panels plus solid colorbond panelling to ground level and we surely have ourselves a progressive design here... or the result of project managers usurping an architect's want?

<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/1529_27-06-2014_7467.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Melbourne Airport's image via their website"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/1529_27-06-2014_7467.jpg?itok=aFhlGh7Z" title="Melbourne Airport's image via their website" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Melbourne Airport's image via their website</figcaption></figure>As Melbourne Airport's image above demonstrates the initial phase of Terminal 4 is taking shape with its steel skeleton in place. Tiger terminal above left will be demolished in due course once the new terminal is capable of handling limited passenger flow, after which the newer Terminal 4 will continue southward until it reaches its intended size.

Terminal 4 will coincide with a revamp and expansion of Terminal 3, a video of which can be viewed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubM-uU44lhc" target="_blank">here</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/Image144_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The end result. Image © Hassell Studio"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="477" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Image144_0.jpg?itok=0MQH3NGm" title="The end result. Image © Hassell Studio" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The end result. Image © Hassell Studio</figcaption></figure>According to Melbourne Airport a future expansion of what is now under construction will see the new Terminal 4 expand to 35,000 square meters and be capable of handling 20 million passengers annually.
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Melbourne Airport's expansion program gathers momentum

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What costs in excess of $20 million to construct and $14 million to maintain over its 15 year life design period? The humble little precast facility photographed below.
Within its walls lies Melbourne Airport's new tri-generation plant, capable of producing eight megawatts or enough power to cover nearly 70% of the airport's requirements. Under the guidance of <a href="http://www.gallagherjeffs.com.au/Projects/Details/PK/118/Project/Melbourne-Airport-Trigeneration-Plant">Gallagher Jeffs</a>, the new facility will run parallel to existing mains power while being able to power the entire Virgin terminal and half of the international terminal in its own right.
<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_5754.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Melbourne Airport trigeneration plant under construction"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Img_5754.jpg?itok=4BezGLya" title="Melbourne Airport trigeneration plant under construction" width="580"></a>
Clearly some genuine gains exist in order to expend a vast sum of money on a facility which has a relatively short life span. Aside from grid independence, the tri-generation plant will provide a green energy source which it is estimated will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 920 000 tonnes over its 15 year cycle.
The new plant will aid Australia Pacific Airports Ltd (Tullamarine's operator) aim of having <q cite="http://melbourneairport.com.au/about-melbourne-airport/environment/energy--climate-change.html">15% of operational energy consumption to be generated or purchased through on-site renewables or accredited green power schemes by 2018.</q>
<h2>
	What is tri-generation?</h2>
Electrical technologies firm <a href="http://www.haronrobson.com.au/">Haron Robson</a> provide an excellent description via their website, part of which states:
<blockquote>
	Tri-generation is the production of electricity, heat and cooling in the one process. Typically this means a gas fired generator producing electricity and heat with the exhaust heat going to an absorption chiller which produces chilled water and hot water for air conditioning or alternatively the heat is used to heat a swimming pool. The ratio of electricity produced and exhaust heat for the absorption chiller and then the ratio of cooling to heating can be varied to meet the specific site requirements.
	<cite><a href="http://www.haronrobson.com.au/product-and-technology-reviews/what-is-tri-generation">Haron Robson: What is Tri-generation?</a></cite>
</blockquote>
<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/whatstrigeneration.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Image © Haron Robson"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="154" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/whatstrigeneration.jpg?itok=fme_R2xp" title="Image © Haron Robson" width="580"></a>
Principal benefits of the facility driven by four TCG 2020 natural gas-powered engines include savings on energy costs, lower greenhouse emissions and grid independence which is critical given the airport has been susceptible to power outages in the past.
<h2>
	15 years too far?</h2>
Designed to power (in part) T2 International, one wonders if the tri-generation plant will provide enough output to cater for demand over its lifecycle? Multiple whispers abound that T2 International is in store for wholesale changes - something far more substantial than a simple refurbishment and extension. Time will tell whether the rumours are proven to be true, but for the time being November will usher in a new model of energy production at Melbourne Airport.
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Talkin' bout my (tri)generation

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The Herald Sun is reporting plans are underway for a $1 billion monorail link between Melbourne's CBD and Tullamarine Airport. The plan is reportedly in its early phases and has garnered interest from a local infrastructure developer.

8 to 10 minutes travel time from either Flinders Street or Southern Cross station are the numbers being reported as well as the benefits of prefabricated construction techniques utilising factory line labour that is being laid off from the automotive industry.

The journalist quoted Peter O'Brien, the brainchild of the plan, as saying:

<blockquote>
The whole problem with heavy rail is you have to buy the land from the public and that’s expensive and takes years. Newly proven technology means we can now follow the established use of airspace in the northern hemisphere without building huge concrete edifices.
<cite>Peter O'Brien</cite>
</blockquote>

The report doesn't go into much detail and leaves many questions unanswered however that should not distract from taking this proposal seriously - any unsolicited private sector project should be assessed on merit once more public domain information is released and we very much look forward to that day.

Having said that, the following is an attempt to make sense of the limited information contained in the article.

The road distance from Southern Cross to Tullamarine is 22km as per Google maps which takes a route along Spencer Street, Dynon Road, Citylink and the Tullamarine Freeway. It's safe to assume that an 8-10 minute trip would mean the monorail vehicles would have a top speed in the range of 200kph given it takes approximately 20 minutes to drive the same distance and the speed limit on the freeway section of the route is 100kph.

Claims about not needing huge concrete edifices is interesting given utilising airspace is mentioned. The assumption here is that the monorail guideway would be elevated and therefore would need to clear the multiple overpasses currently crossing the Tullamarine Freeway - Ormond Road, Dawson Street, Victoria Street, Albion Street, Moreland Road and the very high Bell Street overpass just to name a few.

The Herald Sun report likewise mentions the Melbourne plan would be similar to that of a monorail built in Seoul without mentioning the Seoul project is in fact a maglev for the Incheon airport district yet the Melbourne proposal is reportedly to run on rubber-wheels.

Whether a classic steel wheel on steel rail, rubber-wheel or a maglev technology is utilised for the train, the bulk of any guideways (and therefore visual impact) depends on the width of the vehicles and whether there will be dual track or not - and this amongst other things is not made clear in the report.

If the service is to have capacity for 40,000 passengers an hour one can only assume this would be configured with dual track and vehicles with a capacity for 1000 people running every 3 minutes in each direction - impressive given the reported $1 billion price tag as reported by the Herald Sun.

<a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/bold-plan-to-build-1-billion-monorail-above-the-tullamarine-freeway-under-way/story-fni0fit3-1226844195129">The Herald Sun report</a> is available for viewing.

Lead Image source: <a href="http://kojects.com/2012/01/28/maglev-at-incheon-international-airport-to-be-completed-this-year/" style="font-size: 10px;">kojects.com</a>.
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Alastair Taylor

Monorail proposal to link Melbourne airport

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A small piece of Melbourne's history will begin disappearing in the days and weeks to come as Melbourne Airport's water tower continues to be engulfed by scaffolding and mesh in preparation for demolition.
A pronounced structure viewed by hundreds of millions of travellers yet never at the forefront of anyone's thoughts, the tower has stood the test of time since it began appearing on the horizon during 1969 as evidenced by the Melbourne Airport image below.  More recently the water tower became far more recognisable, gaining a lick of paint to closely resemble a Tiger Airways aircraft livery.
<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/1384_19-11-2013_3817.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Melbourne Airport's image of the water tower under construction during 1969"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="380" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/1384_19-11-2013_3817.jpg?itok=w69b9LT2" title="Melbourne Airport's image of the water tower under construction during 1969" width="580"></a>
According to Melbourne Airport, demolition will consist of  "A series of innovative cutting and propping techniques, regarded by engineering specialists as the safest procedure for a demolition of this scale."  In what will most likely resemble the demolition of the Lonsdale Street Power Station chimney some years ago, large horizontal rings will be cut with a diamond tipped cable mechanism and then repositioned by mobile crane to terra firma for recycling offsite.
The water tower is to make way for the new integrated ground transport hub with forms part of the larger precinct redevelopment of which <a href="http://www.leightoncontractors.com.au/" target="_blank">Leighton Contractors</a> is the chief builder.  As seen below works have commenced well back from the terminal precinct for associated infrastructure such as elevated roadways and the like.  Piling for the integrated ground transport hub and part of the terminal precinct are well advanced.
<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_3625.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Early works with Melbourne's skyline in the distance"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Img_3625.jpg?itok=WMYbZ732" title="Early works with Melbourne's skyline in the distance" width="580"></a>
Visit Melbourne Airport's website <a href="http://melbourneairport.com.au/about-melbourne-airport/media/photo-gallery?gallery=historical-photos" target="_blank">here</a> to see a collection of images dating back to the early 1960's.  Further construction images of current works are provided in the link below.
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Tiger loses its tail!

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Before you foster grand plans of outdoing Homer Simpson's "Persephone" or adding a Wet and Wild atop the upcoming Terminal 4, Australia Pacific Airports Corporation Pty Ltd (APAC) last week released a statement calling for public design input into the finer grain aspects of the new terminal which will house Melbourne's two low-cost airlines. It reads as follows:
We're seeking feedback on the design of its new domestic terminal.  Construction is underway on the new Terminal 4, which will be home to growing low-cost airlines Jetstar and Tigerair. A survey has been compiled based on a fly-through animation of the new Terminal 4, and we're seeking input from the general public and a range of stakeholders. Frequent Melbourne Airport passengers and visitors, aviation enthusiasts and anyone interested in the development of the new terminal are invited to participate in the survey. 
Survey respondents are asked their opinion on the look and feel of the design, as well as questions around how they would like to spend time while waiting to depart or visitors to arrive. Melbourne Airport will monitor the survey site regularly for useful feedback on the design of the new terminal, which will be updated as progress continues.
Whilst our article title may be slightly facetious, it's a wise move on APAC's behalf to involve public feedback where possible given the bare bones (if not shambolic) nature of the current low-cost facility.  
Designed by <a href="http://www.hassellstudio.com/" target="_blank">Hassell</a>, Melbourne Airport's new southern terminal precinct will be delivered by <a href="http://www.leighton.com.au/" target="_blank">Leighton Holdings</a> with a construction contract valued at $370 million. Covering 20,000 square metres, the initial phase now under construction will be capable of handing 10 million passengers per annum upon completion, doubling in capacity if and when expansion plans are enacted upon.
Impressive enough yet what would be a worthwhile addition to Melbourne Airport's Terminal 4 given the complex's design for the most is set in stone? Reinventing the wheel and suggesting truly ground breaking ideas would be a pointless exercise given APAC's penchant for function over form, as evidenced by the 1970's international terminal facade still greeting passengers upon their arrival.  
It's a domestic terminal with minimal layover times therefore the need for a terminal user to relax or be stimulated for a few hours maximum is paramount; making the terminal a passenger experience rather than a choir would be ideal, therefore:
<ul>
<li class="rtejustify">
		Incorporate a well sized, low maintenance, functional rooftop garden akin to Freshwater Place Southbank's (below right) which would double as a viewing platform where users could relax, have a drink or meal, and take in sweeping views of the aircraft before them to the CBD beyond.  Introducing a much more diverse material palette - brick pavers, timber, high quality concrete finishes etc. </li>
	<li class="rtejustify">
		Mimic <a href="http://www.a-r-m.com.au/projects_MelbCentral" target="_blank">Melbourne Central's rejuvenated retail precinct</a> or QV's food hall with a multi-level retail and service dominated layout - give users a high quality offering and those excruciating one to three hours of dead time will be no more.</li>
	<li class="rtejustify">
		Have institutions such as Melbourne Zoo, Melbourne Aquarium, Scienceworks, Melbourne Museum or the NGV sponsor mini exhibits where columns (not necessarily structural) such as that below left are placed within the terminal acting as aquariums, displays or reptile/insect exhibits - keep the kids occupied whilst also exposing Melbourne's tourist attractions at the first point of contact for most travelers.</li>
	<li class="rtejustify">
		Paraphrasing this article '<a href="http://www.futuretravelexperience.com/2013/10/new-technology-influencing-design-future-airport/" target="_blank">How new technology is influencing the design of the future</a>,' implement the technologies that passengers find highly useful to allow their terminal experience to be enjoyable, rather than an obstacle.</li>
</ul>
<img alt="" height="395" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/pictures/article-images/Image1_47.jpg" title="Images courtesy Yelp &amp; Fytogreen" width="1073">
Why stop there!  The oversized car park masquerading as a Ground Transportation Hub is abysmal if the below render is anywhere near accurate in its depiction.  Surely APAC which rakes in stupendously high revenues from car parking fees can loosen the purse ever so slightly more and allow those charged with designing the complex to actually design?  
A search of 'car park facades' in Google Images yields both impressive and intriguing.  The array of facade materials and the technologies backing those facades is impressive and makes the below render look quite pathetic in the process.
The ideal outcome for the Ground Transportation Hub - a functional, efficient facility that has minimal ongoing maintenance costs whilst also being aesthetically pleasing given it is a massive facility not easily missed.
<img alt="" height="600" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/pictures/article-images/MLS_06.jpg" title="Potentially average. Image © Gareth Servant" width="1442">
The solution - <a href="http://archrecord.construction.com/features/designvanguard/2013/1312-JOHO-Architecture-slideshow.asp?slide=2" target="_blank">Herma Parking Building</a> by JOHO Architecture.  Located in Seoul, the impressive structure is both functional and daring in its design.  Rather than the above eyesore, a clad of polycarbonate and stainless steel panels punctuated by diagrid metal vents (below) offers a slightly more expensive, immeasurably more impressive design outcome with essentially no long term maintenance costs due to the materials used.
Better yet, what chances of a mixed use development where a hotel or admin/office space is placed atop the car park in akin to this mixed-use <a href="http://www.big.dk/#projects-mtn" target="_blank">Bjarke Ingles Group</a> project? Its been done with the opposing Melbourne Airport Car Park &amp; PARKROYAL, why not once more?
<img alt="" height="991" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/pictures/article-images/Image3_26.jpg" title="Herma parking centre. Images courtesy Architectural Record" width="921">
See the link below to Melbourne Airport's webpage inviting feedback and should you have any suggestions we'd love to hear them as well via the comment section below.
http://melbourneairport.com.au/News-Events/Listing/Overview/have-your-say-on-our-new-terminal.html#sthash.MCBWzTQk.dpuf
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Melbourne Airport says design your own terminal

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It's that time again; other media outlets are reporting on Melbourne Airport's most up-to-date figures regarding its ever expanding car parking revenues.  And cue the inevitable uproar on the lack of perceived non-car access methods to the airport. 

As we've seen, even on Apartments.com.au, there's a lot of debate on how to provide alternative access methods to Tullamarine.  Martin Mankowski dished up a thought provoking piece during June on <a href="/news/melbourne-a-city-of-two-tales-skybus-vs-the-airport-train" target="_blank">Skybus versus Airport Rail</a> while back in March I wrote that <a href="/news/half-of-the-melbourne-airport-rail-link-is-currently-under-construction" target="_blank">half of the Melbourne Airport Rail Link is already under construction</a> in the form of the Regional Rail Link.

This regular cycle of mainstream reporting and subsequent commentary doesn't appear to be going away and unless norms (read: PTV Melbourne Metro dependencies, notions that the Regional Rail Link should be treated as a sacred cow for regional passengers) are challenged the same cycle will be repeating itself a decade from now.   The East-West freeway tunnel is likely to soak up many years worth of capital which could be redirected into Public Transport projects so the not-so-new question is: how best to get non-road transport out to Tullamarine?

I still form the view V/Line would be the best operator to run trains to and from the Airport mainly because the Regional Rail Link will be injecting additional capacity into and out of the inner city: an asset that could get a higher return - for more Victorians - if it were at least initially used for Airport rail services.  Conjointly the rolling stock V/Line utilise is presently better suited for passengers with bags compared to a standard metro train configuration whilst little thought is given to the fact that auxiliary trains required to operate these services would be built in Dandenong - adding more local jobs to the equation.  

<img alt="" class="image-article_full_width_702px" height="318" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/VLocitySet36.jpg?itok=dPALl6mU" title="Vlocity at Southern Cross - Image credit: Wikipedia: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VLocitySet36.jpg" width="702">

Image credit: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VLocity_160" style="font-size: 10px;" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>

In light of the amount of capital that will be sucked out of Spring Street's budget to facilitate the East-West freeway project, further measures to deliver an Airport Rail service need to be looked at.  Australia Pacific Airports (Melbourne) Pty Ltd - the owner of Melbourne Airport - favours an underground station in the Terminal precinct (refer to <a href="http://melbourneairport.com.au/docs/MasterPlan_2013_PreliminaryDraft_s9_Ground_Transport.pdf" target="_blank">Ground Transportation Plan, Page 129</a>) - however is this the best option?  

Given the airport is set to receive a large elevated road structure to better interface with the new Terminal development to the South of the existing T3 (Virgin), is an elevated rail line completely out of the question?  An underground station will mean passengers using the trains will need to ascend multiple floors to get to the departures level of the terminals and not to mention underground stations are invariable the most costly to build.

An elevated solution, like that of Brisbane's Airtrain Station seen below, has the advantage of easily traversing the horrific amount of car parks that currently surround the airport.  The station itself isn't overly fancy (we should remove the thought from our minds of building a grand terminal like the proposals we saw recently for Flinders Street), it's pleasant enough and gets the job done - just what  a train station should be.  Not to mention it would have been a darn site less expensive to build than a tunnel and two platforms underground.

<img alt="" class="image-article_full_width_702px" height="468" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Brisbane_Airport_domestic_terminal_Vabre.jpg?itok=UL_ttNVa" title="Brisbane Airport Domestic Station - Image credit: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_Terminal_railway_station,_Brisbane" width="702">

Image credit: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_Terminal_railway_station,_Brisbane" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>

Attempts to ask APAM about whether an elevated structure could well be looked at the next iteration of the Airport's master plan were met with an automated message on the phone number listed on Melbourne Airport's site for the Master Plan.  Suffice it to say not much effort thereafter was employed to pursue the matter.

Reflecting on deleting Footscray as a V/Line stop, as mentioned in the March piece, the recent release of Plan Melbourne seems to work with this idea quite well.  Sunshine is highlighted as an emerging employment cluster and having a major transport interchange located within it - especially with traffic going to and from the airport - would go a long way to ensuring this planning initiative is successful.  Should Sunshine be the primary western suburban stop for regional services, the emerging area will be the first port-of-call for all Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo V/Line services; having a regular CBD-Airport rail service stop via a potential Sunshine V/Line hub allows seamless connectivity for regional passengers, removing the need to travel into an already congested city station.

Once the Regional Rail Link is complete, effectively the start of works to build an airport rail link will be in Sunshine.  A structure to remove potential conflict between Airport bound trains and the Sydenham line would need to be built around Albion and at least initially, a single bi-directional track could be laid alongside the existing Albion corridor (therefore reducing capital expenditure).  Factor in an elevated station at Tullamarine and the comparisons to a dual electrified track with metro services terminating at an underground station are stark, particularly in construction costs.  The newly formed Metropolitan Planning Authority will have two clear choices upon which to advise Government no doubt.

Leap forward 10 years after an airport link is complete, the Melbourne Metro tunnel is operational and the pressure on Regional Rail Link capacity increases; maybe then could the 'norm' be implemented.  

In saying that however, I dare say the faster  V/Line service would be sorely missed if an airport rail link switched to a stopping all stations slower metro service as outlined in the PTV Heavy Rail plan.
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Reflecting on the Melbourne Airport Rail Link

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Asia Pacific Airports (Melbourne) Pty Ltd - the owner and operator of Melbourne's Tullamarine airport - released its <a href="http://melbourneairport.com.au/About-Melbourne-Airport/Media/Media-releases/melbourne-airports-july-passenger-traffic-results" target="_blank">July year-on-year passenger statistics</a> yesterday.  Standing out amongst all other statistics in the media release, was that Tullamarine has for the first time registered more than 30 million passengers passing through its terminals.

Likewise more than 2 million passengers passed through the domestic terminals and as stated in media release, APA have acknowledged early works have begun on expanding Terminal 4 - the low-cost terminal which Tiger Air currently operates out of.  You can see some of the renders posted on our forum back in April <a href="/news/tullamarine-joins-the-30-million-passengers-per-year-club" target="_blank">here</a>.

I've always liked to think growth in airports - be it passenger numbers, aircraft movements or infrastructure growth - are a reflection of the city they're located in.  When an airport is growing through passenger numbers and therefore aircraft movements, it's generally a good sign the city the airport is attached to is likewise seeing healthy growth.  

It's not all about Melbourne's profile being expanded through the greater connectivity afforded by airlines increasing frequencies, such as Singapore airlines recently moving to 4 x daily operations between Melbourne &amp; Singapore, or creating new routes like Air India will be soon to Delhi; it's just as much a reflection of the mood of Melburnians and their happiness/ability to splurge and go see the rest of the world.

<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/air-india-boeing-787-dreamliner-during-paris-air-show.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Arriving within days, an Air India 787 Dreamliner. Image © Indian Economic Times "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/air-india-boeing-787-dreamliner-during-paris-air-show.jpg?itok=PigXJ7Iu" title="Arriving within days, an Air India 787 Dreamliner. Image © Indian Economic Times " typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

Image Credit: Indian Economic Times.  Click <a href="http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=%3D%22boeing+787-8+dreamliner%22&amp;airlinesearch=%3A%28%22air+india%22+OR+%22air-India%22+OR+%22%28air+india%29%22+OR+%22%28air-india%29%22+NOT+%22express%22+NOT+%22regional%22%29&amp;countrysearch=&amp;specialsearch=&amp;keywords=&amp;sort_order=photo_id+desc&amp;page_limit=15&amp;daterange=&amp;range=&amp;thumbnails=&amp;engine_version=6.0" target="_blank">here</a> for more photos of Air India's 787.

Despite a general belief that a high-speed rail corridor between Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney would be good thing for the environment (as long as the power generated for the new line was from a renewable or cleaner-than-coal source) as well as capacity issues in Sydney, we're likely to be stuck with Tullamarine as our primary entry and exit point for many years yet.   It's encouraging to see the many-times-over refreshed masterplan is slowly coming to fruiting through the recently announced 3rd runway planning project and the ongoing terminal expansion projects but as I and others have written on UrbanMelbourne.info before, one of the main issues which will remain with Tullamarine is ground transport access.  

It might take another decade for Tullamarine to reach 40 million passengers a year - the passenger figure generally thought to be where there will be a definite "<a href="http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/six-million-people-would-use-train-to-melbourne-airport/story-e6frfkp9-1226647198690" target="_blank">need</a>" for a rail line to and from the centre of the city - but it will be an interesting decade given the push to expand the Tullamarine Freeway between the Western Ring Road and the airport.  

Will we see more frequent skybus services in the interim?  Who knows, but it's a sure bet on the road to 40 million passengers, the pressure to service Tullamarine from a ground transport perspective is going to increase and here's also hoping the State Government comes to a better agreement to channel more non-skybus services into the precinct from areas where most airport employees live.
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Tullamarine joins the 30 million passengers per year club

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Growing up, I couldn't believe we had no train to the airport. I could catch a train to such distant wonderlands as Hurstbridge, Tecoma and Tyabb (albeit on a 'Red Rattler'!); towns so small and far away that to most people they sound mythical. Yet if I wanted to catch a train to the airport, located in Tullamarine, a suburb just 17km from the CBD, I was left scratching my head whilst dad inserted half his weekly wage into the parking machine in order for us to pick Grandma up on her return from Europe.

Any friends which visited from overseas/interstate would look at me gobsmacked and laugh. “What, there's no train? I thought you said Melbourne was the most liveable city in the world”!

Tullamarine Airport opened fairly recently (1970) in the infrastructure scheme of things. Its predecessor, Essendon Airport (still used for charter and general aviation) also didn't have a rail link, making this continued oversight even more frustrating. Admittedly, the new Tullamarine site was chosen for its relative lack of surrounding housing, theoretically making future expansion an easier proposition. If you look at the debacle that is currently the search for a site of Sydney's second airport, this foresight has turned out to be worth its weight in gold!

43 years on, we still have no end in sight with regards to high capacity (although we do have high frequency) public transport to and from Tullamarine. Multiple rail routes have been mooted – branches from the Craigieburn and Upfield lines, a direct underground line, and a branch from Albion-Jacana standard gauge freight and interstate corridor, as well as an extension of the tram line from Airport West.

Some of these have now been wisely cast aside:

<ol>
<li>The tram line would take much too long. The tram trip from the airport to the city would be almost certainly be in excess of an hour, resulting in a longer trip than a flight from Melbourne to Adelaide or Sydney!</li>
	<li>An underground line would be much too expensive. Underground heavy rail costs about 10 times the cost of heavy rail at grade. And given the much needed 9km Melbourne Metro tunnel has been estimated to cost $9 Billion, the cost of an underground airport link could approach double that.</li>
	<li>A stopping all stations trip via the Craigieburn/Upfield lines would take much too long, and there are too many capacity/signalling problems as it is to run extra express services.</li>
</ol>
That leaves the Albion-Jacana branch line as the only viable option. In some ways it makes sense – The Southern Cross – Sunshine section is currently being upgraded as part of the RRL, so the only new rail line needed is dual track alongside the standard gauge lines in the Albion corridor and a relatively short deviation from Airport West to the airport terminal. When PTV released their multi-decade plan recently choosing this as their preferred option, all seemed right in the world. Except...

<figure class="align-left"><img alt="" height="217" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/pictures/article-images/0801rail_links-300x0.jpg" title="Source: The Age" width="300"><figcaption>Source: The Age</figcaption></figure>Until last year I just accepted my fate and drove to the airport. However I finally got sick of Melbourne Airport's exorbitant parking prices (the most expensive in the world – more than London Heathrow or JFK New York!) and decided to do something I promised myself I would do for years – catch Skybus!

It was a great experience – it ran direct from Southern Cross to the terminal door, ran every 10 minutes so no need to book a seat, and best of all, only took 20 minutes!

Given the airport train is tipped to take 20 minutes (via Southern Cross option) and up to 30 minutes (via Melbourne Metro Tunnel option), is it really worth spending billions of dollars on an option which wont get us there faster than the current option?

Consider this:

<ol>
<li>Skybus runs direct from Southern Cross Station to the airport, the same as a train would.</li>
	<li>Skybus runs every 10 minutes 24 hours a day. Metro trains do not currently run overnight – running extra trains would be more expensive than running extra buses.</li>
	<li>Skybus is scalable. If extra services need to be added at a later date, buying extra buses is much cheaper than buying extra trains! I also assume that special airport trains would have to be purchased, as current metro trains do not have any luggage storage capacity.</li>
	<li>Skybus costs $17 one way and $28 return, comparable with Sydney's airport train. <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/skybus-lane-faces-fight-20130103-2c7ib" target="_blank">There has recently been talk of the government subsidising the fare and installing Myki readers on the buses</a>, thus reducing the cost of a trip to the equivalent of a zone 1 / 2 fare.</li>
	<li>There is no guarantee a train would actually increase mode share over the bus. Both Sydney's Airport Link and Brisbane's Airtrain were initial disasters, with low patronage levels forcing Sydney's train into administration and Brisbane very nearly following suit. They both survived, however even today their mode shares are only 8% and 11% respectively. Skybus' mode share is a tick under 9%. Not bad all things considering.</li>
	<li>Skybus only takes 20 minutes off peak, but up to 40-50 minutes during peak hour. The last point is obviously the most contentious. However its one solved by creating bus express lanes on the Tullamarine Freeway. There is a risk people and organisations such as the RACV will cry foul about the effect this will have on car traffic, however road projects currently underway and planned by the Tullamarine airport authority such as extending &amp; upgrading Airport Drive enabling another high capacity road from the Western Ring Road into the airport would go a long way to alleviating the current crunch at the end of the Tullamarine Freeway.</li>
</ol>
<figure><img alt="" height="271" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/pictures/article-images/292854-airport-road%20%282%29.jpg" title="Source: Herald Sun" width="482"><figcaption>Source: Herald Sun</figcaption></figure>CityLink and more vigorously Melbourne Airport, <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/skybus-lane-faces-fight-20130103-2c7ib" target="_blank">are of course against this proposal</a>. They make a fortune from the borderline criminal parking rates they charge, and aren't keen on this stopping any time soon. It is ridiculous when you think about it – what other organisation in the world would actively campaign against having yet another high quality access method lead directly to their facility?

It is time governments of all persuasions toughened up and stopped pandering to these bully boys, and put an end to this decades old impasse. Reconfiguring the freeway lanes, subsiding the fare, and most of all, promoting the hell out of Skybus, will be orders of magnitude cheaper than building heavy rail. And we can do it now, and not have to bicker about budgets and the best route for the next 10 years. With a fast, fast efficient airport link we can continue to deserve the title of 'the most liveable city in the world', not 'the laughing stock of the developed world' which our current non-existent solution is.

And my non-Melbourne friends will finally stop laughing at me!
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TheHeadOnTheDoor

Melbourne, a city of two tales - Skybus vs The Airport Train

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Australian Pacific Airports Corporation - owner of Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport  - has released its latest Master Plan draft for public viewing. The full document suite is available <a href="http://melbourneairport.com.au/About-Melbourne-Airport/Planning/Master-Plan" target="_blank">here</a>.

The highlight of which, and mentioned in mainstream media toward the end of last year, is the announcement Melbourne's 3rd runway will be a shorter arrivals-focused runway to the south of the terminal precinct running parallel to the existing 9/27 (East-West) runway.

For years Melburnians have seen in their Melway street directories the proposed 3rd and 4th runways locations, and now we have less fluid and slightly more concrete dates on when the 3rd runway will be operational - 2022 at the latest. And it was somewhat amusing to watch a report on ABC News24 2 nights ago where locals living in Gladstone Park were overall quite supportive of the project and were happy to list the benefits of the expansion.

I've always believed that Tullamarine was one of those rare examples of good planning foresight from different levels of government at the time. Thereafter successive governments have maintained strict suburban development controls to the west and north of Tullamarine, minimising complaints and maximising the airport's usefulness through its 24 hour operation - a demonstrably genuine example of a good balance between the needs for housing and and the needs for connectivity expansion over time.

Contrast that with the decades-old biff which the powers that be in Sydney have had to contend with, it's not hard to sit back and just have a smug look on your face when you read about the latest cacophony taking up valuable air time on national TV when the country knows Sydney has an infrastructure paralysis problem and time would be better spent sorting the issue out in the domestic media rather than the NSW government smearing egg all over its own face infront of us all.  

I'm not alone by the looks of things, Chris Woodruff, head honcho at Tullamarine, has even publicly gloated about <a href="http://www.afr.com/Page/Uuid/bda9d0cc-c0d3-11e2-a4e8-dad4012b432c" target="_blank">"taking the fight to Sydney and outgrowing them"</a>. <a href="http://urbanmelbourne.info/policy-culture/2013/05/07/the-melbourne-versus-sydney-debate-isnt-boring-its-useful#content" target="_blank">As I've argued previously</a> - Sydney and NSW need Melbourne's growth plans and demonstrated success so they can dig themselves out of their own complacency.  

The three runway configuration as outlined in Tullamarine's masterplan is expected to increase the maximum aircraft movements per year (currently hovering around the 240,000 mark).  Terminal 2 - International has yet more scope for expansion over the next 10-20 years as seen in this image taken directly from the master plan itself.

<img alt="" class="image-article_full_width_702px" height="608" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/mel_T2_expansion.png?itok=bV-NRe93" title="Image courtesy Melbourne Airport Master Plan" width="702">

We've already seen the plans for the new dedicated <a href="http://urbanmelbourne.info/forum/tullamarine-news-projects-construction#comment-501" target="_blank">Low-Coast Terminal - T4</a> thanks to forumer Fedsquared who provided renders via graphic artist Gareth Servant. Combining T3/T4 and T2 expansion together, the southward additions to the Terminal precinct and the new 3rd runway further illustrate Tullamarine's management mean business and the future is bright for attracting new international airlines as well as a domestic expansion to support a growing Melbourne.

Yet the biggest grey area in the masterplan and further confused by the recent Airport Rail Study is ground transportation access. Airport management claim via <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/six-million-people-would-use-train-to-melbourne-airport/story-fni0fiyv-1226647198690" target="_blank">this Herald Sun article</a>, they hope for 25% of all trips to/from the airport to occur via public transport and that 6 million passengers (15%) would use an airport rail service in 2022, should that link be built. Only attracting 15% of an eventual 40 million passengers to a rail service appears to be very conservative given Melbourne current receives approximately <a href="http://www.ret.gov.au/tourism/Documents/tra/National%20Visitor%20Survey/2013/Travel_by_Australians_December_Quarter_2012.pdf" target="_blank">15 million domestic visitors</a> per annum (yet not all use the airport to get here) plus another <a href="http://www.ret.gov.au/tourism/Documents/tra/International%20Visitor%20Survey/2013/IVS_%20December_Qtr_2012.pdf" target="_blank">1.7 million international visitors</a>.  Those figures will grow over the coming decade and so will residents using the airport to travel elsewhere.  I'd very much like to see the detail behind that prediction.

Even on the airport's own target of having 25% of all trips to/from the airport on a public transport mode, the gap (10%) between the goal (25%) and the rail-use prediction (15%) suggests it will be filled with a large bus network, presumably there to primarily serve airport employees who live direct easy, south and west of the airport.

I can't help feel my suspicions about the do-nothing Airport Rail Study was just that: a study to say do nothing - or at least make the case for a rail line dependent on a litany of other projects.  Here we have a private organisation happy to plan and put money where its mouth is and expand infrastructure to support more growth but the public sector refuses to see the wood for the trees and get rail access to the airport sooner by piggy-backing off the <a href="http://urbanmelbourne.info/transport/2013/03/27/half-of-the-melbourne-airport-rail-link-is-currently-under-construction#content" target="_blank">Regional Rail project</a>.

The smug look on my face, as you can imagine, has by now disappeared - maybe we do have a NSW-like problem after all.
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