Ground has been broken on Melbourne’s Greenline, five years after the idea was mooted.
The Birrarung Marr stage is the first to be constructed, with $30 million allocated to create 450m of boardwalks, native habitats and promenades between Batman Avenue and the eastern edge of Federation Square.
The Federal Government has added $20 million to the city-shaping project in a grant funding deal through the Priority Community Infrastructure Program.
Greenline will encompass 4km of promenades, parks, open spaces, cultural spaces and environmental renewal along the northern bank of the Yarra River from Birrarung Marr to the Bolte Bridge.
There will be five precincts within the project: Birrarung Marr, The Falls, River Park, Maritime and Saltwater Wharf.
Concerns had been raised about the cost of the project with the City of Melbourne standing firm on funding the project.
There is $22.5 million earmarked for it in the 2024-25 draft Budget and another $30 million allocated for the next four years.
The council has also committed to finding more partnerships and funding opportunities to get the project completed.
Ernst and Young prepared the Greenline Project’s business case and has estimated that it will deliver $3.29 in benefits for every $1 spent and also attract $1.9 billion of investment from the private sector. The cost of the entire project has previously been estimated at $300 million.
It is expected to create more than 3400 jobs during construction, more than 6400 ongoing jobs by 2042 and to attract more than 1.1 million visitors.
The Greenline Project will be guided by a cultural strategy developed in partnership with the Traditional Owners, the Federal Government said.
Along with improved green spaces for Melbourne’s growing population, the enhanced infrastructure will provide a better place for events like the Moomba Festival, the Australian Open, and New Year’s Eve, it said in a statement.
“The Greenline Project has been backed by seven unanimous council decisions and is reinforced by a business case that unequivocally shows the project stacks up, delivering $1.2 billion worth of economic and community benefits for Melbourne and Victoria,” Melbourne Lord Mayor Capp said.
Capp, who leaves office this month, has been a vocal supporter of the plan.
The Birrarung Marr precinct transformation is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
