A long-awaited transformation of a former industrial site in Holroyd has been given the green light, with the NSW Government approving the $1.2 billion Crescent Parklands masterplan that will deliver more than 1,200 new homes just south of Parramatta.

The State Significant Development approval clears the way for a large-scale mixed-use precinct at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/1-crescent-street-holroyd-nsw-2142">1 Crescent Street</a>, replacing an underutilised site with a coordinated residential community anchored by new open space, retail, and commercial uses.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> for WA-based developer Tiberius, the approved scheme comprises seven buildings arranged across two precincts. In total, the development will deliver 1,227 apartments, including 201 allocated as affordable housing, alongside approximately 2,500 sqm of retail and 5,000 sqm of commercial space within a mixed-use podium.

<img alt="Tiberius’ Crescent Parklands to deliver 1,200+ homes in major Holroyd transformation" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1cc82dd2-8184-4b86-8665-90653147820d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Crescent%20buildings.png?VersionId=2ZmVDc_Rfc4AzQ6ShzZJlvdZnACLerVM" />

The project is structured as a masterplanned precinct rather than a standalone tower. Buildings 1 to 4 will rise from a shared podium with shop-top housing, while Buildings 5 to 7 are positioned closer to the northern park interface as residential flat buildings. The built form has been carefully modulated to balance density with amenity, with the design resolving building separation, solar access, and wind impacts at a precinct scale.

A significant focus of the design is the activation of Crescent Street and the integration of public domain. The submission notes that “individual townhouses [were] removed for community based functions to Crescent Street to increase activation and surveillance,” reinforcing a more urban and publicly engaged street edge. Retail, commercial tenancies, and resident amenity spaces are concentrated along this frontage and within the podium to support day-to-day activity.

The landscape strategy underpins the project’s identity, with a network of pedestrian connections, landscaped corridors, and open spaces linking the site internally and to its surroundings. The design prioritises permeability, delivering “increased uninterrupted flow between spaces for pedestrian access” and improved connections through to the adjoining parklands.

<img alt="Tiberius’ Crescent Parklands to deliver 1,200+ homes in major Holroyd transformation" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="19282454-ab2f-4e2c-866f-4b35cf4283d4" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Crescent%20masterplan.png?VersionId=JQdWGYI5B5R1lzmK4omYOp_8KLPkT4Bv" />

Buildings within the western precinct are oriented toward the park, shaping a residential offering defined by proximity to open space. The design describes this approach as creating apartments “immersed in nature with apartments facing the park,” positioning the landscape as a central organising element of the masterplan.

The broader architectural response addresses both infrastructure and context, with taller elements capturing long-range views toward Parramatta while setbacks and separation distances mitigate impacts on surrounding residential areas. Sustainability initiatives, including solar optimisation, cross-ventilation, and integrated landscape systems, are embedded across the scheme.

Located approximately one kilometre south of Parramatta CBD, the 3.6-hectare site is bounded by Crescent Street, Woodville Road, and Holroyd Sportsground. It benefits from strong access to public transport, including nearby bus routes and train stations, and sits within a rapidly evolving corridor earmarked for increased residential density. The design also strengthens connections between surrounding green spaces, including Holroyd Sportsground and Parramatta Parklands.

The approval follows several years of planning, including a rezoning process that enabled significant uplift in height and density across the site. With determination now secured, Crescent Parklands is positioned to play a major role in delivering new housing supply within Greater Parramatta’s growth area.

Joel Robinson

Tiberius’ Crescent Parklands to deliver over 1,200 homes in major Holroyd transformation

A new State Significant Development application has been lodged over land at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/33-43-marion-street-parramatta-nsw-2150">33–43 Marion Street</a>, Parramatta, proposing a high-rise mixed-use tower that leverages planning incentives to deliver a substantial pipeline of new housing, including a dedicated affordable component.

The scheme, currently on exhibition, combines a shop-top housing development with a concurrent rezoning, positioning the site for a significant uplift in density within Parramatta’s evolving southern CBD fringe.

The proposal, designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fuse-architecture-0">Fuse Architects</a> for CN Marion, would replace the existing buildings with a 37-storey mixed-use tower, delivering 296 apartments above a retail podium with six basement levels on the 2,376 sqm site.

The residential mix comprises 58 one-bedroom, 207 two-bedroom, and 31 three-bedroom apartments, with communal facilities located on the second level and the rooftop. Ground-level activation is driven by retail and food and beverage tenancies, alongside a publicly accessible through-site link designed to improve pedestrian permeability.

The project includes 194 car spaces, five motorcycle spaces, and 348 bicycle spaces, reflecting a transit-oriented approach in a location directly adjacent to the rail corridor and within walking distance of Harris Park Station.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for 37-storey mixed-use tower with affordable housing at 33–43 Marion Street, Parramatta" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3db873ea-62f0-437b-8a6a-eeda154d2dee" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Marion%20building.png?VersionId=YwzBv8OVHwyRnMLGX4slU7QyhTyMZeOX" />

The design adopts a podium-and-tower composition, with a three-storey street wall addressing Marion Street and a reduced two-storey interface responding to adjoining heritage cottages.

A key component of the proposal is the integration of affordable housing under the NSW Government’s in-fill affordable housing pathway, with units to be retained for a minimum of 15 years. This is paired with a broader public domain strategy that emphasises permeability, deep soil planting, and a landscaped through-site link.

“The strategy prioritises a permeable, well-activated public realm and supports a compact tower form to minimise the building’s footprint while enhancing the quality of the ground-level experience,” the design report states.

The proposal includes a central landscaped courtyard, rooftop communal areas, and planting strategies aligned with local environmental conditions and cultural narratives.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for 37-storey mixed-use tower with affordable housing at 33–43 Marion Street, Parramatta" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f0e6c165-9967-4d20-9216-e5b8357c85ba" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Marion%20site.png?VersionId=SRod222LwgDmGZJmJY0wTbK39UrWZLSD" />

The site occupies a prominent corner of Marion and Station streets, roughly 100 metres from Harris Park Station, within a precinct earmarked for significant intensification. While the immediate context is characterised by low- to mid-rise buildings and heritage dwellings, planning controls and recent proposals point to a transition toward high-density development.

<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-2" data-turn="assistant" data-turn-id="request-WEB:c78224e4-1dd1-48ac-afda-97fe23bac47e-0" dir="auto">
Parramatta has been starved of new apartment supply in recent years. Builder-developers Deicorp and Coronation are the only two currently progressing projects in the suburb. Coronation is nearing completion of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/8-phillip-street-2-10-phillip-street-parramatta">8 Phillip Street</a>, which will be the tallest building in Western Sydney once finished, while Deicorp is delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/cosmopolitan-by-deicorp-parramatta-34-hassall-street-parramatta-nsw-2150">Cosmopolitan</a>, a development comprising over 600 apartments.
</section>

First Look: Plans lodged for 37-storey mixed-use tower in Parramatta

A substantial uplift in height and density is being tested in Lane Cove, with a 225-apartment scheme at 300 Burns Bay Road now on public exhibition as a State Significant Development alongside a concurrent rezoning.

The proposal by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/level-33">Level 33</a> would see the demolition of an existing commercial building and associated structures, replaced by a residential development ranging from seven to 15 storeys.&nbsp;

The scheme delivers 225 apartments, including 34 designated as affordable housing, positioning it within the NSW Government’s accelerated Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The development is arranged as three interconnected residential flat buildings, a response to the site’s long, narrow configuration and sloping topography.&nbsp;

<img alt="First look: 225-apartment Lane Cove tower proposal enters exhibition under State Significant pathway" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c325d40c-ead5-45f4-9d77-5a446b23acc0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Lane%20Cove%20pers.png?VersionId=hsCJxT5hj.5kzA6AMInyan1x8mcHeRez" />

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/pbd-architects">PBD Architects</a>, the project’s designer, describe a built form that is “divided into three sections, each connected by intermediate infill slots which are recessed to establish greater setbacks and further articulate the development.”

Across the scheme, apartments are supported by communal amenity at ground and rooftop levels, including landscaped open space and a rooftop pool. Basement and lower ground levels accommodate parking, storage, and building services, while a new public park is proposed along the eastern edge of the site, replacing part of the existing built form.

The architectural response has been shaped by the site’s pronounced fall towards the Lane Cove River, with building heights stepping down from west to east to reduce visual bulk and respond to adjoining bushland.&nbsp;

The design report notes that “the development has been carefully designed to integrate with the existing topography with the placement of massing and floor levels adjusted respecting the site’s inherent characteristics.”

<img alt="First look: 225-apartment Lane Cove tower proposal enters exhibition under State Significant pathway" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="31cc13a5-bc8b-4dc3-b9b1-07c6ec33a82b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Lane%20cove%20site.png?VersionId=NiyH3LimQwiHsE6Q7I5g4Grpr5fRdZaX" />

The project is being advanced through a concurrent rezoning process, seeking to increase the permissible height and floor space ratio beyond current Lane Cove LEP controls of 21 metres. Under the proposal, height would reach up to 54.5 metres, reflecting a shift toward higher-density outcomes in well-located urban areas.

Located on a 7,595 sqm site, the development sits within an established high-density residential pocket characterised by mid-rise apartment buildings set within a bushland setting. The site is within close proximity to Burns Bay Reserve, the Lane Cove River, and an extensive network of open space, reinforcing its strategic positioning for increased housing supply.

Level 33 is doing through the Housing Delivery Authority to try and get its Homebush project of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/level-33-adds-to-2-000-unit-pipeline-with-new-two-tower-homebush-plans">more than 300 apartments approved</a>.

The developer has over 2,000 apartments in the pipeline, predominantly in Wollongong.

First look: Level 33 proposes 225-apartment Lane Cove tower

Following the completion of its debut Palm Beach apartment development EVA on Tenth, local Gold Coast developer Chippendale Group has launched its latest project in the in demand area.

Chippendale Group, led by fifth-generation Palm Beach local Daniel Chippendale, has kicked off sales at&nbsp;<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/elise-palm-beach-3-twenty-fifth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1775884443343000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2GyxnGQKU2XXwTzQ8_VHgi" href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/elise-palm-beach-3-twenty-fifth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221" target="_blank">ELISE</a>, 68 coastal-infused apartments just 40 metres from the sand on Twenty Fifth Avenue.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150992 project_image_fid=366023]

Construction is already well underway, a signal of confidence to buyers, following the demolition of the two-storey walk-up and 1990s built house that sat on two sites that have been amalgamated to create a prime corner block.

There are a mix of two- and three-bedroom apartments on offer, starting from $1.4 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150992 project_image_fid=366024]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bda-architecture">BDA Architecture</a>, Elise responds to its coastal setting through a horizontal architectural form with recessed glazing and layered landscaping. The design aims to balance light, shade and sea breezes while creating a defined presence along the streetscape.&nbsp;

Residences have been planned with an emphasis on outdoor living suited to the Gold Coast climate, including large balconies designed as usable outdoor rooms. Interiors will feature a selection of European appliances and natural materials, including New Zealand wool carpets.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150992 project_image_fid=366033]

Resident amenities are centred around a wellness-focused ground-level precinct. There will be private access to a heated swimming pool, sauna, cold plunge and gym, alongside a residents’ lounge with dining and entertaining space.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/elise-palm-beach-3-twenty-fifth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221">ELISE</a> is located towards the northern end of Palm Beach, which puts it just a short walk to Tallebudgera and Currumbin Creeks. At the end of the street is the newly extended Oceanway, a 36-kilometre pathway that runs up and down the Gold Coast.

Chippendale is targeting a late 2027 completion date for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/elise-palm-beach-3-twenty-fifth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221">ELISE</a>.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150992]

Chippendale Group launches Elise, 40 metres from the Palm Beach sand

Sydney developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/31-41-o-hara-street-marrickville-nsw-2204">Third.i</a>&nbsp;has announced a new transport-oriented development in one of Sydney Inner West’s most sought-after metropolitan locations, delivering much needed housing within steps of world-class public transport and vibrant village life.

Located at&nbsp;31-41 O’Hara St,&nbsp;Marrickville, the proposed mixed-use development will include around 300 apartments, with up to 17 per cent dedicated to affordable housing, reinforcing Third.i’s commitment to creating inclusive, well-connected communities that support a diverse mix of residents who keep Sydney’s neighbourhoods thriving.

Located just 100 metres from the new Metro station, the development places residents within minutes of the CBD while offering seamless access to the Inner West’s cafés, retail, and local services. Anchored within a thriving local centre, the project supports everyday living without reliance on cars, while also delivering new public open space for the local community, including a new park and landscaped green areas, alongside high-quality private resident amenities.

Florian Caillon, Head of Acquisitions for Third.i Group, said the project builds on the company’s ongoing work alongside the NSW Government to deliver housing and amenity alongside major transport infrastructure. Amenity includes an activated pedestrianise retail strip that connects Illawarra Road down to the pocket park, and health and wellness facilities.&nbsp;

“Delivering housing of this scale within an established village is a rare opportunity, and few companies have achieved residential outcomes of this size at a village centre," Caillon said.

"We are excited to set a new standard for urban living in the heart of Marrickville,” he said.&nbsp;

The inclusion of affordable housing has been welcomed by frontline workers.

“We are supportive of developments which will allow essential workers like nurses, midwives and carers, the opportunity to live in the communities they care for," said&nbsp;Michael Whaites, General Secretary of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association..

“Many healthcare workers tell us they would like to live closer to where they work, but are being priced out of the market, forcing them to move further away.&nbsp;

“Dedicated apartments for essential workers will support recruitment and retention in local hospitals and aged care facilities, helping to strengthen our health system.”

The project has been declared State Significant Development (SSD) by the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA).

Third.i to deliver 300 apartments in Marrickville TOD precinct

Victorian Election 2018

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Today's thought piece looks at how the Andrews Government’s policies are likely to affect planning and design outcomes, and the potential design opportunities for Melbourne, from the perspective of an architect:

<h2>Development controls to be relaxed to allow for commercial development to thrive</h2>

With the re-election of the Andrews Government, we anticipate a relaxation in the planning controls in central Melbourne, particularly as they relate to commercial developments. This should be achieved through an increase in incentives for good design that delivers better urban design and public realm outcomes.

During his time as the Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne put a halt to the sort of residential towers that sprang up in the north western corner of the city. Many of these developments had little regard for the public realm. However, with only four planning applications approved since the introduction of the C270 planning controls two years ago, there needs to be a relaxation and a more granular approach to the controls.

For instance, if we assess the potential of a building 200m in height on a 3,000sqm site it could reasonably deliver about 75,000sqm of GFA. The relaxation of the controls such that either the side or rear setbacks were reduced from 6% of height to 5m could lead to a potential increase in area of about 20%. This additional area could be incentivised via the delivery of additional public space or public benefit. Whilst the current controls do contemplate additional area for public benefit, they are silent on the benefits associated with street activation. For example, if a loading bay or services are removed from the ground floor and relocated to a basement, where they are replaced with commercial space or retail or cafes, there should be an uplift in allowable area. This should provide an opportunity for an improvement in dialogue and greater collaboration between designers, developers, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), the City of Melbourne and other key stakeholders.

The Labor government should take the learnings from the past four years and adopt a greater relaxation of planning controls for mixed use developments, such as residential/ commercial, or commercial/ hotel developments. Greater rewards could be gained for those projects that are offering more interesting architectural and urban design outcomes.

Currently, commercial development opportunities are encouraged in the Docklands, Southbank and western half of the CBD by allowing additional area for commercial floorspace. Further investigation should be undertaken into stimulating commercial opportunities in other parts of Melbourne’s CBD particularly the eastern half. This is important in the context of the stagnating CBD residential market.

<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/171_collins_street_10.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The award winning 171 Collins Street for Cbus Property"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="382" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/171_collins_street_10.jpg?itok=pFRUyZcQ" title="The award winning 171 Collins Street for Cbus Property" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The award winning 171 Collins Street for Cbus Property</figcaption></figure><h2>Focus on creating polycentric cities that support communities and population growth</h2>

There needs to be stronger government support for the creation of polycentric cities. That is, those cities that have clusters of density located outside the CBD. London, New York and Hong Kong are all examples of successful cities of over 10 million people that have a series of clusters of density located outside of the CBD.

A polycentric approach allows for the more even distribution of resources and takes pressure from the roads and rail networks leading into the CBD. It also has the potential to allow for the wider distribution of capital, with the current lack of capital flowing into the CBD as a result of residential development opportunities slowing and commercial projects being constrained by planning controls.

The Andrews Government’s ring rail plan must be embraced as an opportunity for increased density around those new train stations which includes new public space as well as built form. 
Sydney has leapt ahead of Melbourne as a polycentric city with greater clusters of higher density around Parramatta and North Sydney.

The Docklands has outstripped the CBD in terms of growth on commercial floorspace and population in the last ten years, yet it lacks a focal point for its community. Community space needs to be provided within proximity to Spencer Street, such as public parks and recreational facilities to activate the area.

The redevelopment of Central Pier is a perfect opportunity with its proximity to Southern Cross Station and Marvel Stadium. There should be consideration given to providing new open spaces that have a connection to the water, with aquatic based recreation including new pools, food and beverage outlets and a market to be introduced. Multiple examples of similarly scaled successful water-front urban regeneration projects exist around the world including along New York’s waterfront at Pier 17, in Copenhagen at Paper Island and at San Francisco’s Ferry building marketplace.

<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/seaport1-jumbo.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="New York's Pier 17. Image: New York Times"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/seaport1-jumbo.jpg?itok=A0VTesvX" title="New York's Pier 17. Image: New York Times" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>New York's Pier 17. Image: New York Times</figcaption></figure>Julian Anderson is a Director of architecture and interior design practice, Bates Smart. 

https://www.batessmart.com/bates-smart/studio/people/staff/directors/julian-anderson/
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Julian Anderson

2018 Victorian Election Outcome: An Architect's Perspective

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Yowser.  I think that accurately describes what happened on Saturday 24th at the Victorian state election.

The ALP under the leadership of Daniel Andrews will be returned with, what looks like, a minimum of 55 seats out of the 88 that exist in the Legislative Assembly.

Save for the seat of Bulleen, Matthew Guy's seat, and two northern suburbs peculiarities, all legislative assembly seats lying in the path of the ALP's Suburban Rail Loop switched from Liberal to Labor.

<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/srl_staging_options1_0.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Labor's Suburban Rail Loop"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="503" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/srl_staging_options1_0.png?itok=wVMvPwW7" title="Labor's Suburban Rail Loop" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Labor's Suburban Rail Loop</figcaption></figure>All seat-by-seat results discussed below were present on the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/vic-election-2018/results/list/">ABC's seat breakdown</a> as 12:30am on the 25th of November.

Starting on the eastern side of the bay and working our way anti-clockwise, Mordialloc &amp; Carrum (which share a boundary near Cheltenham - the foreshadowed terminus of the Suburban Rail Loop) have seen swings of 12% and 14% respectively.

The safe Labor seat of Clarinda now has a two-party-preferred of 70:30 (an increase of 4% to Labor), and the seat of Oakleigh which hosts Monash University's Clayton campus has seen an 8% swing to the Labor member.

Heading northwards we reach the seats that have flipped from Liberal to Labor.

The seat of Mount Waverley which will host the station at Glen Waverley has a 6% swing to Labor which the ABC are predicting will be gained by Labor.  Next door in the seat of Burwood - the seat which hosts Deakin University's campus - the ABC has given that seat to ALP with almost a 9% swing.

And then Box Hill - the seat that's already seeing rapid change and will be the northern terminus of the first phase of the Suburban Rail Loop, the ALP have picked up that seat from the Liberals as well with a 7% swing.

North of Box Hill is Bulleen - Matthew Guy's seat - and even though the opposition leader will hold the seat, he wasn't immune from the swings with the ALP candidate clawing 5% away from the Liberal leader.  Bulleen will host Doncaster's station.

Heading Westward, the second seat (after Bulleen) that would see the second phase of the Suburban Rail Loop - Ivanhoe (hosting Heidelberg's interchange station) - has seen an 8% swing to the incumbent. The seat of Bundoora which will host La Trobe University's station saw a 5% swing to the ALP.

In Labor heartland, Preston which will host the interchange station at Reservoir, there's been a 2.5% swing to the Greens against the sitting Labor member.  The two-party-preferred vote according to the ABC is 72:28 however.

Next door in Pascoe Vale where the Fawkner interchange is located (the station is more accurately just inside the seat of Pascoe Vale near the boundary with the seat of Preston), there's been a 10% swing away from Labor to an independent candidate.

Up in the seat of Broadmeadows, the incumbent has seen a 4% swing bringing his two-party-preferred to 82:18.

In the seat of Sunbury - hosting the Airport and the future station on the Suburban Rail Loop/Airport Rail Link - there was a 10% swing and in the seat of St Albans which takes in Sunshine, a 4% swing to Labor is registered.

The seats of Kororoit, Tarneit and Werribee which will see the other end of the Surban Rail Loop as well as the benefits of the ALP's Western Rail Plan all registered swings of 6%, 5% and 1% to Labor respectively.

<h2>Comment</h2>

There's already a tonne of commentary about the how, the why and the what on the bloodbath that has been thrust upon the opposition - much of it has tended to focus on Federal implications, how Victoria is now the unparalleled progressive leader in the country and how ineffective the law and order angle the Liberals pursued has been.  That might be true (or not) but the Premier said it himself in his victory speech.

Shit's getting done (I'm quoting Jon Faine from The Drum on Friday here) and despite the Suburban Rail Loop coming out of nowhere, voters have responded accordingly.  Mount Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill are now red with blue on two sides - as outlined above, they are the seats which the Suburban Rail Loop maps released to date pass through.

Regardless if it was a factor or not, an enormous responsibility to get it right now falls on the returned government.

We now know the Treasurer is on board with financing other projects through state debt - Airport Rail Link, North East Link and more level crossings removals were cited as the beneficiaries of the cheap finance - but what of the Suburban Rail Loop?

Interesting times ahead.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/suburban-rail-loop">bigbuild.vic.gov.au</a>.
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Alastair Taylor

Did the Suburban Rail Loop win the Victorian election for Labor?

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Regardless of which party is able to form government after this Saturday's Victorian election, Sunshine and Melbourne's west stand to win when it comes to the Melbourne Airport Rail Link.

Various media reports cite the Federal Government having informed the State Government that Canberra supports the Sunshine, also known as Albion, route for the rail link to Tullamarine.  Likewise the Federal Opposition has also expressed support for the Sunshine corridor option.

To have both major parties at both the state and federal level more or less in agreement on an alignment is an achievement in and of itself.  The question now, however, is what form will the rail link take?

The state ALP see the Melbourne Airport Rail Link as the start of the western side of its Suburban Rail Loop - an election policy that would see a 90km long rail line orbit metropolitan Melbourne through the middle ring of suburbs.

State Liberal and opposition leader Matthew Guy has also thrown support behind the Sunshine-Albion route and it's likely the link - the extra track between the city and Sunshine - would play a major role in the development of the Liberal party's election policy of higher-speed rail to the regions.

Sunshine is one of the Victorian Planning Authority's <a href="https://vpa.vic.gov.au/project/sunshine-employment-cluster/#">National Employment and Innovation clusters</a>.  Draft framework plans were published in March 2017 and the VPA's website states finalisation of the plans are still ongoing.  

It is likely the rail services on the Melbourne Airport Rail Link will only have one intermediate stop between the city and the airport at Sunshine and coupled with the planning work from the VPA, Brimbank council, we're likely to see intensive development in and around Sunshine station.

<iframe frameborder="0" height="420px" src="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/sunshine-vic?embeddable=map" width="100%"></iframe>

The ALP have been referring to Sunshine as a future 'super-hub' with published renders depicting an airport-like experience for passengers who will be changing services in the region.

Already Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo line V/Line services pass through the station as well as metro services to Watergardens-Sunbury and if re-elected, the ALP as part of its Western Rail Plan, would study, as presumably build, extra track from Sunshine to Melton while electrifying one pair to enable metro services to run from Melton to the City.

Metro services from Sunbury - and if it proceeds, Melton - would stop all stations and the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, whether it turns out to be something similar to the unsolicited AirRail Melbourne proposal or not, will provide an express service to the city from Sunshine, and naturally to the airport.

In short, Sunshine will become one of the best-connected suburbs of Melbourne.

A business case is underway for the rail link to Tullamarine however given the rare political alignment across tiers of government and across the major parties on the transport side of the equation, focus should now shift back to the VPA and Brimbank council and what's in store for Sunshine in a wider planning-sense.
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Sunshine in the hot seat as federal and state political parties settle on Melbourne Airport Rail Link route

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With most of the major policy announcements by the major parties having already come and gone - as the thinking goes, to grab as many early votes as possible - we're unlikely to see any major announcements at this late stage in the state election campaign.

Besides the ALP's <a href="/news/victorian-government-unveils-suburban-rail-loop-election-proposal">Suburban Rail Loop</a> election announcement, that party also stated that it would expand its 2014 election policy of removing 50 level crossings to a list of 75.

At the time the policy was unveiled, 14 new sites were identified with the party explaining they would make further announcements in the proceeding weeks. At this stage, the ALP still have three more level crossings to identify before the state election.

The initial announcement included adding more Frankston line crossings to the list, specifically, one of the level crossings that includes a tram square - where trains generally have to slow right down to cross the road - in Glen Huntly.

The Glen Huntly Road level crossing will also knock out the adjacent Neerim Road, and further down the line in Chelsea, another three level crossings were added to the list.

The Pakenham/Cranbourne lines will see an extra eight level crossings removed with both the ALP and Liberal parties gunning for votes in the area due to retiring members and once-safe seats now marginal, littering the outer south-east edge of Melbourne.

Upfield and Mernda lines were also the beneficiaries of new level crossings added to the list, where Preston and Coburg will see multiple crossings removed at once that will likely kick off long-held plans to increase development in both suburbs.

Now that Union Road in Surrey Hills and Mont Albert Road in Mont Albert have been added to the list, once complete, all level crossings between the city and Ringwood will have been removed. Springvale Road and Mitcham/Rooks Road were started under the previous coalition government and since then Blackburn Road and Heatherdale Road have been removed during the term of the current government.

Sunbury and Werribee will see a new crossing from each of their suburbs added to the list but there are still three that have not been announced by the ALP.

In October the Level Crossing Removal Authority (LXRA) published its <a href="https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/334914/Extra-Crossings_Prioritisation-Framework.pdf">site </a><a href="https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/334914/Extra-Crossings_Prioritisation-Framework.pdf">prioritisation</a><a href="https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/334914/Extra-Crossings_Prioritisation-Framework.pdf"> framework</a> which is guiding the selection of new sites.

Kooyong Station on the Glen Waverley line has another of the dreaded tram squares at its level crossing, likewise, Riversdale on the Alamein line has one. Gardiner Station was the first to be removed and Glen Huntly on the Frankston line brings it up to 50% of all tram squares to be removed or already completed.  

There are many aspects to look at for each site, as per the site prioritisation framework, and train operations (speed/efficiency) is one of them. This ensures that the tram square level crossings will likely be high priority given removing them will improve heavy rail and tram services.

Yet the Craigieburn line, as I've previously written, still stands out as one of the lines that's only had two level crossings on the original list of 50 and no announcements since the ALP decided to expand it to 75.  

<a href="/new-apartments/moonee-ponds-vic-3039">Moonee Ponds</a> will have thousands of new residents in the next few years and its on the line that will be seeing increased services once the Melbourne Metro tunnel opens up. 

<iframe frameborder="0" height="420px" src="https://www.urban.com.au/off-the-plan/moonee-ponds-vic?embeddable=map" width="100%"></iframe>

Over to you - can you name other high priority areas for level crossing removals?

Lead image credit: <a href="https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/media/news/buckley-street-community-update">LXRA</a>
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Stocktake: ALP level crossing removal election promises

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With the Victorian Election just over a week away, the Victorian Chapter of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) has taken the opportunity to call for increased investment in green infrastructure, in an effort to improve life expectancy and liveability for Melburnians. 

The AILA’s Victorian Chapter has released a state election campaign statement with its president, Adrian Gray calling on all parties to prioritise green infrastructure as part of their policy platforms. 
Gray cites a study from Thomas Longden at University of Technology Sydney which showed Melbourne had the highest rate of heat-related deaths out of all Australian capital cities. Gray argues that the issue is not currently being addressed at the urban design and planning stages and this needs to change.

In the statement the AILA states that over half of the surfaces in Melbourne are heat absorbing materials including darker coloured roofs, car parks, roadways and footpaths despite research showing that cooler places enable people to live longer through improved air quality, reduced c02 emissions and the resistance to heat related deaths.

Other key areas of the election campaign statement are increasing active transport systems to promote a healthy city such as more walking and bike paths to promote active travel and healthy cities as well as the improvement of access to nature.

<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/skeleton_creek_bridges-lisbethgrosmann.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Skeleton Creek Bridges. Image: Lisbeth Grosmann"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/skeleton_creek_bridges-lisbethgrosmann.jpg?itok=6SgPr7Dp" title="Skeleton Creek Bridges. Image: Lisbeth Grosmann" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Skeleton Creek Bridges. Image: Lisbeth Grosmann</figcaption></figure><blockquote>
There is the need to prioritise landscapes and green infrastructure in the planning scheme to build a healthy, liveable city as Melbourne’s population grows steadily.

With Victorians dying from heatwaves due the high temperatures we experience, the topic of cooling the city is a must for the political agenda to save lives and improve liveability. Steps can be taken at planning, policy and urban design phases to lowering temperatures in Melbourne which include increasing the tree canopy cover across all of Melbourne, revising tree clearance guidelines and implementing planning scheme protection for all trees across Melbourne. 
The impact of heat ultimately needs to be managed where planning schemes must address community health. Victoria needs to become resilient to climate change and remain liveable by improving our urban landscape, where green infrastructure is needed for the long term.

Even those suburbs that are renowned as ‘leafy’ face the threat of losing that status with increased housing density, reduced backyard size with subdivisions and the rising number of cars driving down streets.Politicians from all sides of politics need to make a clearer commitment to developing best practice for green infrastructure projects and increasing the investment in water sensitive urban designed streets and tree planting. 
Melbourne needs to become less car-oriented with walking trails, bike paths and pedestrian access requiring improvement. Cities need to support human health and wellbeing and one way this can be achieved is by increasing investment via green infrastructure, urban design and improving mandatory requirements for green infrastructure in the planning scheme.

- Adrian Gray, Victorian Chapter president
</blockquote>

The full State Election Campaign Statement from AILA Victoria can be downloaded <a href="http://www.aila.org.au/imis_prod/documents/AILA/VIC/AILA%20VICTORIA%20-%20State%20Election%20Campaign%20Statement%20-%20SEP%202018%20_FINAL_%20(003).pdf">here</a>.
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Laurence Dragomir

Victorian Election 2018: AILA Victoria calls for increased investment in green infrastructure 

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Last week it was Pakenham, this week it's Cranbourne. In the long list of upgrades to the Pakenham/Cranbourne lines that have occurred, are underway or promised - including major level crossing removals, a new fleet of trains, a new signalling system and the metro tunnel - the Cranbourne line is set to become level crossing free and fully duplicated.

Both major political parties have been active in the outer south-east with both promising to either extend the Cranbourne line or duplicate the line and then extend metro services to Clyde.

As we highlighted last week, the last remaining level crossings on the Cranbourne branch are Webster Street in Dandenong, Greens Road in Dandenong South, Evans Road in Lyndhurst and Camms Road in Cranbourne. Today's ALP announcement will see all of them added to the expanded list of 75 level crossings.

According to a party media release, Evans Road and Camms Road will be removed using road bridges, Webster Street in Dandenong will likely see a road underpass built and at Greens Road, a rail bridge will be built in a similar fashion to Abbotts Road which is one of the two level crossings currently being removed on the Cranbourne line.

In August the ALP promised to spend $750 million on duplicating the track from Dandenong to Cranbourne and spend a further $7 million on a business case for the extension of the Cranbourne Line to Clyde.

The Liberal opposition promised to first extend the Cranbourne line to Clyde and then commence duplication of the single-track railway after the extension.

<h2>ALP promise: 6,500 new hectares of parkland</h2>

Costing $150 million, the ALP have unveiled a new policy to increase the amount of green space within metropolitan Melbourne to the tune of 6,500 hectares of new parkland.

Many of the mooted parks are around the fringe of Melbourne's suburbs however the ALP policy announcement includes $35 million to be spent on creating 25 new pocket parks in inner areas.

Some of the bigger parks on the fringe to be created include Upper Merri Park near Craigieburn (2,778 hectares), Jackson Creek Park near Sunbury (1,008 hectares) and the Frankston greenbelt which will link together multiple reserves between the Seaford Wetlands and Mornington (1,881 hectares).

$10 million will be spent on upgrading existing suburban parks.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://railgallery.wongm.com/thompsons-road-level-crossing-removal/F123_2921.jpg">Marcus Wong</a>.
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ALP promises more Cranbourne line level crossing removals and over 6,500 hectares of new parks

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Opposition leader Matthew Guy has announced that if the Liberal party are able to form government at this month's state election then his government would introduce mandatory height limits across multiple bayside suburbs.

Nominating the height limit of 8 metres - the equivalent of two levels, the opposition leader and previous state government Planning Minister said he'd work with local governments to introduce neighbourhood residential zones with mandatory height limits of 8 metres.

The Liberal leader said the new neighbourhood residential zoning will apply to the area from Mentone to the Kananook Creek in Frankston in residential areas between the foreshore and the railway line.  Local councils will be involved with the process according to a Liberal party statement.

Likewise, the opposition leader announced within the proposed changes to the neighbourhood residential zone, a two dwelling cap will also apply to the land along the foreshore.

The Liberal party claim the ALP's level crossing removal programme for Carrum which will see an elevated rail track built along with a new station has "raised expectations of developers to get inappropriate high rise projects approved along the beautiful foreshore areas."

<h2>Election wonks think the election will be won or lost in Melbourne's sandbelt</h2>

It's a widely held belief this month's election will be won or lost in Melbourne's Sandbelt - specifically the four seats along the Frankston railway line, the very same area which this opposition policy applies to.

A quick look at the Apartments.com.au <a href="/developments">project database map</a> shows a smattering of higher-density projects along the Mentone to Frankston foreshore.

There are zero projects located between the foreshore and railway line however we are monitoring a handful of projects located east of the railway line in Seaford, Chelsea, Edithvale, Aspendale and Mordialloc.

The bulk of the projects that are currently listed are broadly located in General Residential Zone areas.  See <a href="http://mapshare.maps.vic.gov.au/vicplan/">VicPlan</a> for an overview of the current zoning along the Menton to Frankston foreshore.
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Liberal party promises two-storey height limits for Bayside suburbs

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The ALP announced that Pakenham will see a lot of level crossing removal love if the Andrews Government are re-elected with 4 level crossings set to be removed through a combination of elevated railway and a new road bridge.

Cardinia Road to the east of Pakenham's main centre will 'likely' see a road bridge constructed over the railway corridor according to an ALP media release and a new almost 3km long elevated section of track will be constructed to remove the three level crossings around Pakenham station.

Pakenham station itself will be rebuilt and the ALP are dubbing it a "super-station [that] will mean a dedicated V/Line track and third platform to separate the regional and metropolitan trains at the new station."

"This will deliver a seamless interchange for passengers wanting to connect to the high-frequency services which will be serviced by the new, bigger High Capacity Metro Trains," according to an ALP media release.

From West to East, McGregor Road, Main Street and Racecourse Road are the three level crossings that will be removed through the construction of the new elevated track and station.

Clyde Road in Berwick, Hallam South Road in Hallam and the South Gippsland Highway have been on the initial list of 50 level crossing removal projects from day one and according to the ALP, those level crossings will be removed by 2022.

<h2>Wider context</h2>

It is not clear if the 3 initial Pakenham branch level crossings and the newly announced 4 level crossings will be completed at the same time.

Beyond the 7 identified level crossing removal sites on the Pakenham branch, there are still 6 which have not been identified for removal.  They are located at Station Street in Officer, Brunt Road in Officer, Station Street in Beaconsfield, Webb Street in Narre Warren, Progress Street in Dandenong South and Webster Street east of Dandenong Station.

The Cranbourne branch of the Pakenham/Cranbourne line has two active level crossing removal projects (Abbots Road in Dandenong South and Thompsons Road in Cranbourne) and 3 level crossings remain without plans to remove them - potentially 4.

Shared with the Pakenham Branch, Webster Street east of Dandenong Station, Greens Road in Dandenong South, Camms Road just north of Cranbourne Station and Evans Road - should it be re-opened to traffic without a level crossings like the ALP have announced - are the last remaining level crossings on the Cranbourne branch.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/CrossingWatchin/status/1055995304342773760/photo/1">@crossingwatch</a> on twitter.
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ALP announces four level crossing removals in Pakenham

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The Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) has provided a response to Planning Minister Richard Wynne’s <a href="/news/alp-unveil-planning-related-policies-including-banning-embedded-networks-in-new-apartment-developments">announcement late last week</a> that a re-elected Andrews Labor Government would introduce new reforms to the Apartment Design Guidelines for Victoria.

<blockquote>
The UDIA Victoria welcomes Minister Wynne’s announcement this morning that the Apartment Design Guidelines for Victoria will be reviewed if an Andrews Government is re-elected.

Victoria continues to experience unprecedented population growth, and apartments are a preferred form of housing for a broadening range of households. We simply must be able to increase the housing stock across our city. Prescriptive design requirements minimise product diversity and stifle innovation.

It is essential that any review has a clearer focus on good design outcomes, allowing space for innovative product, rather than prescriptive structural outcomes that create an unnecessary burden on permit applicants in what is an already tight market.

UDIA will consult with our members, and put forward a detailed submission to the Victorian Government on behalf of the industry.

-  Danni Addison, UDIA CEO for Victoria
</blockquote>

According to the UDIA's residential index report:

<ul>
<li>The residential development sector is a significant driver of the Victorian economy. In FY16/17 the construction of new dwellings made a contribution to the Victorian economy of more than $20 billion. This contribution is expected to increase to over $22.9 billion in FY17/18.</li>
	<li>The residential development sector sustained over 162,000 jobs in Victoria in FY16/17. This figure includes jobs sustained directly in the sector as well as in support industries such as property and business services, financial services, transport and distribution, manufacturing and other sectors. This is expected to increase to almost 185,000 full time, part time and casual jobs across the Victorian economy in FY17/18.</li>
</ul>
The Andrews Government has outlined the following reforms, should it be re-elected next month:

<ul>
<li>Increased apartment setbacks from neighbouring properties to improve privacy, natural light, airflow and to stop streets being turned into cold, dark wind tunnels</li>
	<li>Introduce minimum green space standards</li>
	<li>Ensure apartment exteriors are made from natural, durable and safe materials, such as brick, timber, concrete, metal, stone or non-combustible cladding</li>
	<li>Put in place mandatory construction management plans to put an end to residents being disturbed by noise from construction workers or rubbish removalists outside reasonable hours</li>
</ul>
The Andrews Government had previously introduced blanket bans on certain materials in Victoria, in addition to forming a taskforce to oversee the removal of dangerous cladding from buildings. $4 million will also be invested towards enabling Victoria’s architects to collaborate with the Office of the Victorian Government Architect (OVGA) to produce better apartment layouts and developments which demonstrate global leadership in design, sustainability and liveability. 

The Victorian State Election will be held on Saturday 24th November. The electoral roll closes on November 6th at 8pm.  If you are in Victoria and need to update your enrolment, see <a href="https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/elections/2018StateElection">vec.vic.gov.au</a>

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Lead image: Escala Apartments NewQuay Docklands
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UDIA responds to Andrews Government's proposed reforms to the Apartment Design Guidelines for Victoria

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The first in a fleet of 65 new High Capacity Metro Trains (HCMTs) will begin testing on the mainlines before their progressive roll out on the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines in 2019.

The seven-car, 160 metre long trains undergo final assembly at the Newport workshops with the main body of each carriage manufactured by CRRC and shipped to Australia from China.  Bogies, traction systems, pantographs, gearboxes and braking systems are all manufactured in various regions of Victoria.

Similarly, X'Trapolis trains which predominantly operate on the Belgrave, Lilydale, Glen Waverley, Alamein, Mernda and Hurstbridge lines, have their carriage shells manufactured in France and final fit-out is carried out at Alstom's workshops in Ballarat. A small order of X'Trapolis trains is currently being fulfilled as well.

HCMTs will be the longest passenger trains on the metropolitan network when they begin rolling down the Pakenham/Cranbourne lines. The seventh carriage, as well as an updated interior fit-out, will allow a single train to carry 1,380 passengers - a marked increase from existing rolling stock that operates in Melbourne.

The new fleet of trains will be limited to the Pakenham/Cranbourne line to begin with, however once the Metro Tunnel opens the new fleet will be the workhorse of the Sunbury line as well.

<h2>Government will enter caretaker mode tonight</h2>

As election writs are issued today, the government will enter caretaker mode at 6pm and the campaigns, although officially launched on Sunday, are now in full swing.

The ALP, aside from their North-East Link commitment, have focused almost entirely on major public transport projects as part of their election pitch. The Suburban Rail Loop, Melbourne Airport Rail Link and faster rail services to Geelong &amp; Ballarat, as well as full electrification to Melton and extra track and metro services to Wyndham Vale round out their top list.

The opposition Liberal party is focused on regional rail service upgrades and suburban extensions to Clyde as well as a road intersection grade separation program.  

The electoral roll closes on November 6th at 8pm.  If you are in Victoria and need to update your enrolment, see <a href="https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/elections/2018StateElection">vec.vic.gov.au</a>
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Victorian Election 2018

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