It’s the news Fishermans Bend developers have been waiting years for and could prove to be a catalyst for Australia’s biggest urban-renewal project.
A station next to Marvel Stadium at Docklands and another two at Fishermans Bend have been revealed as part of the Victorian Government’s preferred route for the major piece of transport infrastructure, Metro 2.
According to BCI Central there are about $3.4-billion worth of projects proposed for the Fishermans Bend area that are either in planning or under way, with many more hanging in the balance.
The Government revealed its preferred route for the cross-city rail line, which has been dubbed Metro 2, at the weekend, a proposed underground tunnel from Clifton Hill to Newport with stations at Fitzroy or Carlton, Parkville, Flagstaff, Southern Cross and Fishermans Bend.
From the Marvel station at Docklands the rail line would go underneath the Yarra to Fishermans Bend with proposed stations at Sandridge commercial and residential precinct and the employment hub at the site of the former GM Holden factory.
Fishermans Bend covers 480ha of land and is predicted to have 80,000 residents by 2050, a further 80,000 workers and about 20,000 students. A new school for the area has been announced.
But the lack of public transport connectivity has hamstrung development on the peninsula, and changes to allowable heights in the precinct have caused a crisis of confidence.
Dexus offloaded a 2.2ha site this year for $30 million, half of what it was expecting the site to go for just two years ago.
The property at 277-281 Ingles Street had been slated for a four-tower residential, office and hotel project.
Fishermans Bend Business Forum vice-president Murray Nicol said businesses were delaying development and investment on the peninsula due to its lack of connectivity with the rest of Melbourne.
“There are businesses we know that are waiting for the surety and certainty that public transport brings for their employees, for them to make investment decisions to invest, employ, develop and make Fishermans Bend their home,” he said.
The Fishermans Bend Business Forum as well as the City of Melbourne and City of Port Phillip Councils have been advocating for crucial public transport connections to the area.
An underground rail line was mooted in the 2018 Fishermans Bend Framework as a long-term objective for the region.
City of Port Phillip councillor Marcus Pearl said he welcomed the announcement of a preferred rail line into Fishermans Bend “after no action for more than six years”.
“This essential infrastructure is vital for Melbourne’s social and economic fabric,” Pearl said.
“However, I remain deeply frustrated by the agonisingly slow pace and apparent lack of vision for adequately funding this critical initiative.
“It is particularly disappointing that the plans have excluded the Port Melbourne train station from the Plummer Street alignment. This location would have ensured that thousands of residents in the precinct had access to efficient public transport, significantly enhancing connectivity and reducing traffic congestion.”
Pearl has called on the State Government to commit to fully funding Metro 2 to ensure that planning and overlay covenants are in place to protect proposed train station locations.
“It is imperative that we see not just plans and promises, but concrete actions and financial commitments to ensure this project doesn’t remain a mere aspiration but becomes a reality for Melbourne’s future.”
