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Trains will be arriving at one of Melbourne’s Metro stations early—a whole year early.The new Town Hall station, one of the five new train stations in Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel project, is so far ahead on schedule it will open in 2025 rather than as planned in 2026.It also means a section of Flinders Street that has been closed for four years will now be reopened in October this year.Currently, work is under way on eight soaring columns that will be a signature feature of the concourse level.<div id="RVqSHp3AxbZJdmvlEMa0q"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/4t7uaGWcfAsWprjEya1s4m/a089a81f235ec82fbe6665e82b91e1b8/metro_tunnell_mid_article_image_02.jpg" alt="A render of the inside of Melbourne's new Town Hall train station, courtesy of Hassell." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/4t7uaGWcfAsWprjEya1s4m/a089a81f235ec82fbe6665e82b91e1b8/metro_tunnell_mid_article_image_02.jpg"></picture><div>▲ A render of the inside of Melbourne's new Town Hall train station, courtesy of Hassell. </div></div>The station sits under Federation Square and has its entrance opposite the Flinders Street Station, near SBS’s headquarters.<a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/melbourne-metro-tunnel" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/melbourne-metro-tunnel">Hassell, Weston Williamson and Partners, and RSHP</a> are all involved in the project through the CYP Design and Construction Joint Venture.The station will feature vaulted ceilings in a nod to the nearby St Paul’s Cathedral.More than half-a-million people are expected to travel on the new line each week.<div id="66BtIoi9FZtOqEcE9IuR1W"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/56YxJy3qQuqGlTfll1M081/6caa9fb8cef01bf94d20c7aa3ff93235/metro_tunnell_mid_article_image.jpg" alt="A render of the entrance to the underground Town Hall train station in Melbourne." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/56YxJy3qQuqGlTfll1M081/6caa9fb8cef01bf94d20c7aa3ff93235/metro_tunnell_mid_article_image.jpg"></picture><div>▲ A render of the entrance to the underground Town Hall train station in Melbourne. </div></div>Other projects Hassell has been part of include <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/cross-river-rail-brisbane" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/cross-river-rail-brisbane">Brisbane’s Cross River Rail</a>, Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport, Sydney Metro City, South West- Waterloo Station, Sydenham Station and Linewide, Perth’s METRONET Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal Project and several Melbourne-based level crossing removal projects as part of the Western Program Alliance and the South Eastern Program Alliance.<div id="66BtIoi9FZtOqEcE9IuR1W"></div>Hassell is an international design studio with offices in Asia, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom with focus on designing spaces people love.

One of Melbourne’s five new train stations is now on track for early completion…


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Introducing Urbanity 23—Australia’s premier conference for the property industry, brought to you by&nbsp;The Urban Developer. Returning for its fifth year, we are thrilled to unveil our largest initial release of speakers to date, featuring more than 25 of the most brilliant and influential minds in the industry, with many more to be added in the lead-up to the event. Join more than 700 property professionals over three days at The Star on the Gold Coast as we present unmissable presentations and interactive events to help you get ahead of the game. Early bird tickets are now available—secure your tickets now as these tickets are strictly limited.<div><a data-mce-href="https://cvent.me/kBxrnO?rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ&amp;RefId=General+Admission+%7C+Editorial" href="https://cvent.me/kBxrnO?rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ&amp;RefId=General+Admission+%7C+Editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Save up to 30 per cent with early bird tickets—click here.</a> <hr>&nbsp; PROGRAM OVERVIEW: URBANITY 23<hr></div> <h2>DAY 1 | TUESDAY 29 AUGUST</h2> Site Tours Hop on the Urbanity bus for our guided project site tours to see the transformative developments shaping the Gold Coast. Registration for the site tours will open in July.Opening Night Boat Party As the day turns into night, get ready to set sail and celebrate at our Welcome Boat Party. Cruise scenic waters, mingle with fellow attendees, and embrace the lively atmosphere that will set&nbsp;the tone for an incredible event.<div id="4vEoQ8LiHrrzfcGPva2OWN"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1vRWFABtYzJLDiZFfZhJc7/be4fbff6d77b27c9da15b52b9fe881cf/3.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1vRWFABtYzJLDiZFfZhJc7/be4fbff6d77b27c9da15b52b9fe881cf/3.jpg"></picture><div> </div></div><hr><h2> DAY 2 | WEDNESDAY 30 AUGUST</h2> Conference Day 1 Prepare for a full day of inspiration and knowledge as our esteemed speakers take the stage for captivating keynotes. Engage in thought-provoking panel discussions that delve deep into the most pressing issues and trends in the industry.Networking Drinks Take advantage of dedicated networking sessions designed to expand our attendees’ professional network.The Urban Developer Awards for Industry Excellence Gala In the evening, our main stage will transform to host our sixth annual Awards for Industry Excellence. Tickets will be released for purchase separately to finalists in July 2023.<div id="3hn6PajSBrH5ElPq0WPh54"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/R7zua85Q9sbD5lb8UdW71/f51681148edee1eb9942239dc3ff8c2b/2.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/R7zua85Q9sbD5lb8UdW71/f51681148edee1eb9942239dc3ff8c2b/2.jpg"></picture><div> </div></div><hr><h2> DAY 3 | THURSDAY 31 AUGUST</h2> Conference Day 2 The excitement continues as our lineup of influential speakers again deliver powerful and insightful presentations that will leave a lasting impact.Urbanity After PartyAs the jam-packed conference draws to a close, get ready to celebrate at our unforgettable Urbanity after party.<div id="3ileO8ckChICBKtjCJ244M"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6RUqXS5PK5fvhKHHZc234e/0f8ca3368f338d612cb38fcc5712afcb/4.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6RUqXS5PK5fvhKHHZc234e/0f8ca3368f338d612cb38fcc5712afcb/4.jpg"></picture><div> </div></div><div><hr></div><h2> SPEAKER RELEASE 1</h2> We’re excited to announce our initial release of speakers, the largest such release we’ve made.<hr><a href="https://cvent.me/kBxrnO?rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ&amp;RefId=General+Admission+%7C+Editorial" data-mce-href="https://cvent.me/kBxrnO?rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ&amp;RefId=General+Admission+%7C+Editorial">View the full program</a><hr> Speakers include:Rethinking Real Estate: Navigating Technology’s Impact on the Future of Urban DevelopmentDror Poleg (New York City, US), award-winning author of Future of WorkJoin us for an insightful keynote presentation on day 3 based on Dror Poleg’s book, Rethinking Real Estate. Explore the profound influence of technology on the world's largest asset class and gain a roadmap to navigate the evolving landscape of urban development.The Evolution of the Nightingale ModelDan McKenna, chief executive officer, Nightingale HousingExplore the transformative journey of the Nightingale model in urban development, showcasing its influence on sustainability, affordability, and community-focused housing.Dan is a seasoned professional in the field of urban development with a wealth of experience and a strong passion for sustainable housing.As an integral member of Nightingale Housing since its inception, Dan has witnessed the company’s growth and overcome numerous challenges along the way.<div id="5kOKq1b2FDCfdiHKAMtVmj"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/52HrLEQDs9tRScynI8fAo6/9e56bec0106d9af869074e51f2d2b676/Mid_article_resizes__10_.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/52HrLEQDs9tRScynI8fAo6/9e56bec0106d9af869074e51f2d2b676/Mid_article_resizes__10_.jpg"></picture><div>▲ First speakers include: Nerida Connisbee, Dror Poleg, Kate Meyrick and Dan McKenna. </div></div>Big Demographia: The Next Decade in Residential Real EstateNerida Conisbee, chief economist, Ray WhiteNerida Conisbee explores the demographic drivers shaping a bigger Australia and its likely impact on residential housing demand.Nerida, the chief economist at Ray White and a renowned property expert in Australia, is a distinguished speaker at Urbanity 23.With a wealth of experience after more than 20 years in property research throughout Asia Pacific, Nerida’s insights are highly sought after by major media, including digital, print, television, and radio.She is known for her market commentary and regular contributions to Ray White publications, including Ray White Now.Urban Equity: The Business Case for Fair and Equitable CitiesKate Meyrick, director, UrbisJoin Kate and she explores the business case for fairer cities. As a housing crisis and cost of living pressures run riot globally, Kate will present exclusive Urbanity research that benchmarks the competitiveness of global and APAC cities through the lens of urban equity.<a href="https://cvent.me/kBxrnO?rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ&amp;RefId=General+Admission+%7C+Editorial" data-mce-href="https://cvent.me/kBxrnO?rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ&amp;RefId=General+Admission+%7C+Editorial">View our initial speaker release</a>Other speakers include:Tim Price - Time &amp; Place, Co-Founder &amp; DirectorSarah Slattery - Slattery, Chief ExecutiveDaniel Kernaghan - JLL, Chief Executive, Australia and New ZealandShane Smollen- Central Element, DirectorCarolyn Viney - Super Housing Partnerships, Chief ExecutiveBen Martin-Henry- MSCI, head of Real Assets Research, PacificMonique Woodward - Wowowa Architecture, Co-FounderRichard Seddon - Mirvac, Chief Executive, InvestmentsMaria Lucrezia De Marco (Italy) - Stefano Boeri Architetti, ArchitectAndrew Deveson - Kapitol Group, Co-Founder &amp; DirectorAndrew Welsh - Wel.Co, Founder &amp; Managing DirectorTamika Smith - My Bella Casa, FounderRory Martin - Frasers Property, Vice President, Group SustainabilityTodd Pepper - Alceon Qld, Rino Recycling, Executive DirectorSarah Buckeridge - Hayball, Co-Managing PrincipalVivek Subramanian - SRL, Managing DirectorVictoria Reeves - Kennedy Nolan, Director of ArchitectureToby Lewis - Marquette Properties, Managing DirectorDr Michael Fotheringham - Australian Housing &amp; Urban Research Institute (Ahuri), Managing DirectorRafael Contreras - Contreras Earl Architecture (CEA), DirectorCaitlin Shields - Mitchell Brandtman, Partner &amp; 5D Quantity SurveyorChris Brown - QIC Real Estate, Cross River Rail Precincts DirectorGeorgina Harvey - Riverlee, Development ManagerTim Johnson - The Boundary, Chief Technology OfficerOwen Craven - UAP (Urban Art Projects), Managing Principal<a data-mce-href="https://cvent.me/kBxrnO?rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ&amp;RefId=General+Admission+%7C+Editorial" href="https://cvent.me/kBxrnO?rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ&amp;RefId=General+Admission+%7C+Editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp; Click here and save up to 30 per cent with early bird tickets.</a>

Join us on the Gold Coast for unmissable presentations and interactive events to help you get ahead of the game—early-bird tickets available now…

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Sydney’s Hunter Street over-station skyscraper project has entered the next phase as the way is prepared to redevelop the site. &nbsp;Milligan Group has applied to the City of Sydney to demolish buildings on the Hunter Street and Pitt Street sites as part of the redevelopment.These works will make way for a 52-storey skyscraper tower over the top of the new Hunter Street Station, part of the NSW government’s $6.5-billion Sydney Metro West rail line, a 24km rail link between Westmead and the CBD.Proposals for the site received final endorsement from the Central Sydney Planning Committee in February, 2023 after these <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/sydney-metro-west-station-hunter-street-towers" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/sydney-metro-west-station-hunter-street-towers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plans were initially outlined last year.</a>Four buildings from four to 15 storeys,&nbsp; mainly B-grade office space with retail uses on the ground floor, currently occupy the site.Milligan is planning to demolish three buildings on the site, specifically the buildings at 19-21 Hunter Street, 23-25 Hunter Street and 105-107 Pitt Street, as part of the project’s next phase.One of the buildings on the site, a four-storey Victorian Italianate building at 15-17 Hunter Street, formerly known as Pangas House, has been gazetted as a heritage item by the City of Sydney and therefore was not included in the current development application.<div id="2lvZYrrldXHHOQc3LkhpmS"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/39jCGTklFlBvOFYIr4SjIX/a4940618ca7bc024a341c838dfb36d62/In_article_Skyscraper.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/39jCGTklFlBvOFYIr4SjIX/a4940618ca7bc024a341c838dfb36d62/In_article_Skyscraper.jpg"></picture><div>▲ A render of the Bates-Smart-designed tower. </div></div> The detailed design of the future commercial building will be the subject of a separate and subsequent application following a design competition, which began last month.The 52-storey commercial office building planned for the site will comprise about 51,000sq m of gross floor area, as well as retail tenancies within the podium and public domain improvements.The skyscraper has been touted as the world’s tallest hybrid timber building.&nbsp;Milligan Group’s vision for the site and project is “to deliver a legacy building for Central Sydney in the form of a world-class commercial office tower in the commercial core of the CBD”.

Developers Milligan Group are planning demolition works ahead of a design competition for the future 52-storey downtown Sydney development…

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If you take a trip across the Nullabor, you may hear about the world’s longest golf course or the museum dedicated to Skylab crashing to earth in 1979.And you likely already know of the underground world at Coober Pedy and the sadness and tragedy of Australia’s own nuclear test site at Maralinga.But as you drive across the lands of the Eastern Maar, you probably will not realise you are on the longest war memorial in the world: Victoria’s Great Ocean Road.And for nearly a decade, it has been getting a much needed makeover, including infrastructure to help future private investment and development.<h2>Development and deals</h2> The Great Ocean Road cuts through 170,600ha of Crown land with around 11 different Crown land managers amid a total of 30 different public entities, each accountable for different aspects of the route.That alone can make it a bit harder to work out what is happening where—but a large chunk of the development is happening within the $502-million Geelong City Deal.The federal and Victorian governments have provided $490 million of that funding and the rest from other funding partners.<div id="6xO2WamhTXsz28W9V6ZQfS"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/bgeCEPo0oQeZZpgibASKE/35556799492e2c13a9ef0bc895c837ef/Saddle_Lookout_steelworks.jpg" alt="The first stage of steelworks for the new lookout at The Saddle in the Twelve Apostles Precinct." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/bgeCEPo0oQeZZpgibASKE/35556799492e2c13a9ef0bc895c837ef/Saddle_Lookout_steelworks.jpg"></picture><div>▲ The first stage of steelworks for the new lookout at The Saddle in the Twelve Apostles Precinct. </div></div>While many of the projects in the City Deal focus on the centre of Geelong, there are a number of projects along the Great Ocean Road, stretching into the Shipwreck Coast.These include the $108.15-million Twelve Apostles Precinct Redevelopment project, the Apollo Bay Harbour Redevelopment, infrastructure upgrades to Kennett River and the Point Grey Lorne Redevelopment project.The Apollo Bay to Skenes Creek Coastal Trail was shelved by the federal and state governments as it was determined that such a track would cause too much environmental damage.Instead, the $4 million allocated to that project will be spent on the aforementioned projects.The intent is to create more commercial and recreational opportunities by redeveloping the Apollo Bay Harbour.Meanwhile, the Twelve Apostles Precinct will include a new visitors experience centre designed by Grimshaw Architects, trails, access roads, revegetation, upgrades to lookouts, carparks, shuttle shelters and a temporary event space.Last year the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal rejected the proposed masterplan for the Point Grey Lorne Redevelopment project sending it back to the drawing board for a new masterplan developed with community and stakeholder feedback.But more importantly for developers keen on commercial and tourism ventures, the Twelve Apostles project also includes a $23-million Private Sector Business Enablement Fund (PSBEF) which finances infrastructure for private sector investment.The first funding round has provided finance for infrastructure for a proposed eco-lodge facility,—Princetown Eco Stay, access to Princetown Recreation Reserve, upgrades to Old Coach Road and the construction of a new bridge and trails.Necessary upgrades for the expansion of Kangaroobie Camp have now been completed while trunk infrastructure for the Great Ocean Road Retreat in Peterborough and for the Twelve Apostles Hot Springs Resort have also been funded.But the project scope is greater than just the municipality of Greater Geelong.<div id="79J8AKLZORBk0Vz7HR0qCO"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5jW9Tpb0vSLkSAamF1kOlf/b8b234baa35220f73fea27da6bd35a7f/4.jpg" alt="Grimshaw Architects' render of the Twelve Apostles Precinct's Visitor Experience Centre. " data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5jW9Tpb0vSLkSAamF1kOlf/b8b234baa35220f73fea27da6bd35a7f/4.jpg"></picture><div>▲ A render of the Twelve Apostles Precinct Visitor Experience Centre. </div></div><h2>Shipwrecks to surfing</h2> Another part of the ongoing development is the Shipwreck Coast Masterplan covering 28km through Port Campbell National Park, the Bay of Islands Coastal Park, the Twelve Apostles Marine Park, the Arches Marine Sanctuary and Princetown, Port Campbell and Peterborough.The Great Ocean Road snakes its way through the Shipwreck Coast, named for its more than 200 shipwrecks, with the masterplan covering how the land around it is managed and how business investments are made.It is expected to create more than 3500 jobs for Victorians and generate $254 million more in annual spending.A part of the Victorian government’s 2016 Visitor Economy Strategy, it is meant to attract tourism investment with 72 projects and initiatives.&nbsp;The Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation is working with Parks Victoria on a new $9.2-million lookout at the Saddle in the Twelve Apostles Precinct, another lookout at Loch Ard Gorge, and a new pedestrian bridge over Port Campbell Creek.It is estimated that these projects with a total investment of $16.5 million, will create 120 ongoing jobs, add $12 million per year to the regional economy, and increase visitor spending by $14 million and visitor numbers by 263,000 annually.<div id="gyNgSGrNGDJSwbOjJHb5C"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/2k2qUJCSdMhQ9HCjvYFXW4/1d7f835266949002b2d6e3672d4a97ac/2__2_.jpg" alt="The sign marking the start of the Great Ocean Road in Victoria." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/2k2qUJCSdMhQ9HCjvYFXW4/1d7f835266949002b2d6e3672d4a97ac/2__2_.jpg"></picture><div>▲ The Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch at Eastern View marks the start of the route.</div><div> </div></div><h2>The push for preservation</h2> In 1919, servicemen returning from World War I began to build the Great Ocean Road in an attempt to connect isolated communities, towns and villages, in honour and remembrance of fallen comrades.They used picks, shovels and explosives—mechanised earth-moving was still to come.It was completed in 1932 with a convoy of 40 cars, the first wheels on the road. It currently covers 243km and is on the national heritage list.But change is a constant along a coastline—especially one buffeted by the Southern Ocean.Environmental forces, climate change and increasing numbers of visitors were all taking their toll.In 2017, the Great Ocean Road had more visitors than both the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru combined—8.6 million annually.It was discovered the cliffsides were eroding at 2cm per year while 24,000 residents needed services and infrastructure upgrades.&nbsp;<div id="1fi31ncL9Xe5iIBMjRcK2x"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7c3zEK0lLJyn2OvVMLQ5Lp/cefc678c4eba5dc94f4239d4a9efa3cb/gor_3.jpg" alt="Returned soldiers building the road after the First World War. Image (c) The Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7c3zEK0lLJyn2OvVMLQ5Lp/cefc678c4eba5dc94f4239d4a9efa3cb/gor_3.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Returned soldiers building the road after the Great War. Image: The Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority. </div></div>The Great Ocean Road Taskforce was created in September, 2017. Its 2018 report listed 26 recommendations, stating that the Great Ocean Road needed not just conservation and preservation but also upgrades, services and other infrastructure and development alongside it.It also recommended the creation of the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority to deliver many of the projects along the road funded via the Geelong City Deal.The authority was established in 2019. In the six months from December 2020 to June 2021 it had generated $12.8 million in revenue from 750,000 visitor nights across eight of its caravan parks alone.“This is about giving the Great Ocean Road the proper management and protection it deserves,” the then Victorian energy, environment and climate change minister Lily D’Ambrosio said.“The Great Ocean Road is one of the country’s most iconic destinations, but it is facing challenges including managing the numbers of visitors and climate change impacts,” D’Ambrosio said in 2021 when the authority was made the dedicated parks manager covering parks from Torquay to Warrnambool under a series of reforms.&nbsp;“We are acting to ensure it is managed properly and protected into the future.”Today, sea-changers and growing regional populations and tourism are among the issues planners are keeping in mind as they seek to conserve, upgrade and develop along the Great Ocean Road. &nbsp;In April this year, the community was invited to provide feedback on the plans for the Twelve Apostles Precinct Redevelopment project.<div id="2M2WoIQVEp7OslvaM9bPiu"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/47D5VETtnvX9RwEKQmL563/63b20bb2d61cf647571c1a7e80499931/Mid_article_resizes__7_.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/47D5VETtnvX9RwEKQmL563/63b20bb2d61cf647571c1a7e80499931/Mid_article_resizes__7_.jpg"></picture><div>▲ The popularity of the region rose during the pandemic as sea-changes fled the city, while the return of domestic tourism following that meant visitor numbers went through the roof. </div></div>“The Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge attracts up to 2.8 million visitors per year,” federal infrastructure, transport, regional development and local government minister Catherine King said.“This redevelopment aims to attract more domestic and international visitors and encourage visitors to stay longer.”The City of Greater Geelong and the municipalities surrounding it are expanding. Covid lead to a rush of people to regional areas, eager for more freedom and a simpler life.Then with the cessation of lockdowns across Victoria came the return of domestic tourism with a bang—visitor numbers to the road skyrocketed.Coupled with big ticket events scheduled for Geelong in the next few years, including <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/2026-commonwealth-games-regional-victoria-morwell-bendigo-ballarat-geelong-shepparton" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/2026-commonwealth-games-regional-victoria-morwell-bendigo-ballarat-geelong-shepparton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the 2026 Commonwealth Games,</a> and a new terminal for <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/geelong-port-tasman-ferry-accommodation-opportunities" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/geelong-port-tasman-ferry-accommodation-opportunities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Spirit of Tasmania ferry and larger cruise ships</a>, Australia and the world is poised to turn up on Geelong’s doorstep.And there isn’t enough room <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/no-vacancy-geelong-hotel" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/no-vacancy-geelong-hotel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">for workers, residents and visitors</a>. This has prompted a rush in development activity to provide much needed accommodation.“We are about 1000 beds short in our offering,” City of Greater Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan told The Urban Developer this year, as the city eyes what’s ahead before the 2026 Games.“So we are very welcoming of investment in the development of short-stay accommodation in our region.” <hr> You are currently experiencing The Urban Developer Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans">Click here to learn more.</a><div id="2GhuueZl01Zwo2aFfjNVi2"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg" alt="TUD + Banner" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg"></picture></div>

The rebirth for one of Australia’s most iconic coastal drives is under way and it is poised to deliver significant development upside to the region…

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The latest version of plans for Mirvac’s redevelopment of a former Hills Shire business park have been approved.Updated plans with some minor amendments were filed this year, and have been approved by The Hills Shire Council.Mirvac acquired the 25.9ha site in 2016 for $74 million.&nbsp;The masterplan at 55 Coonara Avenue will deliver 417 homes including 165 houses and 252 apartments. The development is estimated to cost $165 million.Mirvac lodged plans for the former IBM complex at West Pennant Hills in 2021 after the site was rezoned in June, 2020 from Zone B7 Business Park to Zone R3 Medium Density Residential.<div id="2fJxxCo6YFeOWprmdJfmXy"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/4Ykq8LQqRjO4zvx0bbK5gK/743ea4837274ea2c5eb8a66d46f9b0ed/pennant.jpeg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/4Ykq8LQqRjO4zvx0bbK5gK/743ea4837274ea2c5eb8a66d46f9b0ed/pennant.jpeg"></picture><div>▲ A render of part of Mirvac’s masterplanned community on the former IBM site. </div></div>A development application for the demolition of all existing structures was approved by <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/mirvac-lodges-concept-plans-coonara" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/mirvac-lodges-concept-plans-coonara" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hills Shire Council in 2021</a>.However, initial plans for more than 1000 homes on the site were scaled back after Mirvac failed to win support for a bigger community footprint.Later, concerns over traffic and the environmental impact of adjoining neighbourhoods meant the development was not initially well received.As part of the plans, about 10ha of remnant forest will be dedicated to the NSW Government as public open space, being an extension of the adjoining Cumberland State Forest.

After several rounds of amended plans, Mirvac’s development of the former IBM complex in the Hills Shire has been given the green light…

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The Murray River ambles slowly between the twin cities of Albury and Wodonga, demarcating the battle lines between New South Wales and Victoria.And while the two states may enjoy a friendly rivalry, the twin cities are getting along swimmingly, chalking up solid migration and a slew of investment in the region as a lifestyle destination.&nbsp;Albury was recently capped Wotif’s top town to visit in 2023, for its slower pace at the doorstep to wine country, the Murray River and ski fields.&nbsp;And the regional hub is shaking off its pit-stop identity on the road between Sydney and Melbourne to become a bonafide destination, capturing the attention of foodies for its high-end restaurants, whisky and wine bars, and cultural experiences.&nbsp;Albury’s first watering hole opened its doors in 1840–and hotelier Peter Griffiths is carrying on the city’s love affair with a cold beer and community.&nbsp;Griffiths spearheaded the reinvigoration of the run-down Astor Hotel Motel (featured in the main image) in Albury’s Young Street.Griffiths says he had bought another Astor at Goulburn and knew that there would be good bones to the rundown sister asset.&nbsp;“We came down in 2019 when we purchased The Astor in Albury. There was a guy who built 17 hotel-motels, all called The Astor, in the 1960s, and then he went broke,” Griffiths says.<div id="1CDgDf3EJy47GqzZLYSqjw"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/2Hzjnr0Jv79zWfv6nQLmSK/7e08e5c5fb0329043ef3ad98fdfdded6/Astor_Hotel.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/2Hzjnr0Jv79zWfv6nQLmSK/7e08e5c5fb0329043ef3ad98fdfdded6/Astor_Hotel.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Peter Griffiths acquired the rundown Astor Hotel Motel at Albury and turned it into a destination. </div></div><a href="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/2Hzjnr0Jv79zWfv6nQLmSK/7e08e5c5fb0329043ef3ad98fdfdded6/Astor_Hotel.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-href="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/2Hzjnr0Jv79zWfv6nQLmSK/7e08e5c5fb0329043ef3ad98fdfdded6/Astor_Hotel.jpg"> </a>“There are three left, at Goulburn, Wagga and Albury.“We engaged Melbourne-based architects Techne (who have now opened a studio in Albury) to give the hotel an uplift. They did an amazing job and the hotel has never looked back.”Griffiths says they were able to remove layers of detritus to reveal the modernist design of the 60s and restore it to create an iconic destination for travellers and locals. It can also be hired out as the perfect backdrop for a photoshoot.&nbsp;“We’ve refurbished 1000sq m of space. The next stage of that is we’re looking to build on our 45 rooms here on the motel side. The rooms don’t reflect the finish or the quality that people are accustomed to now in the pub.“We have acquired land behind the hotel and we are looking at doing 40 boutique rooms. It’s quite a sophisticated market and we were surprised at the volume of our occupancy after the renovation works.&nbsp;“When we first took it on we were doing $150,000 in room revenue. We’re forecast to do $2 million this financial year. It’s a stopover point for people travelling from Melbourne, but it’s also a strong regional city for education, transport and tourism.”Griffiths says his next venture is Kinross Hotel at Thurgoona, a residential growth area on Albury’s outskirts, which he acquired in November last year and plans to invest “many millions” in. &nbsp;“What we try and do is pick up regional hotels that are struggling, and develop the upside,” he says.The Kinross Hotel includes the 1890s woolsheds from the former Kinross Station, which were moved to the site in 1988. Many of the music industry’s biggest stars have performed at the Kinross including international 1980s stars Belinda Carlisle and Rick Astley as well as Australian acts including Jimmy Barnes, Vanessa Amorosi, Diesel, The Whitlams and Lisa Mitchell.<div id="1jRVS8JVZC8sufvmRC40RR"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/452qPWeR1sPZ00yORtTIjq/5b6630b3fb62750b57e2f2649065582d/Billsons_Albury_Wodonga_Plus_MID3.jpg" alt="Nick Travers founder of Techne with Billsons Brewery." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/452qPWeR1sPZ00yORtTIjq/5b6630b3fb62750b57e2f2649065582d/Billsons_Albury_Wodonga_Plus_MID3.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Techne director Nick Travers says the new branch studio in Albury will tap the booming regional market, including the Billsons Brewery project at Beechworth. </div></div> Specialist hospitality architects Techne are tackling the project with a view to creating another destination pub with capacity to accommodate festivals and community events on the expansive site.&nbsp;Techne director Nick Travers said the architecture firm recently set up a satellite studio in Albury to capitalise on the opportunity in the regional hub.&nbsp;“It was a destination pub, but now it’s surrounded by about 10,000 houses,” Travers says.“I think the reinvigoration of regional places is a real positive out of Covid lockdowns and the bump in domestic tourism.“When Peter bought the Astor in Albury he recognised it as an undervalued asset, and realised that there’s a lot of pubs that no one historically has put a creative lens on, and that he could reimagine these pubs.”Techne recently opened its Albury studio with Dana Hutchins as the lead. Travers says they had taken on a few projects in the area, including Beechworth, and they had been “pin-wheeling around Albury”.“We had ambitions to open a branch studio, I didn’t exactly think it would be Albury. I’m really pleased with it, it’s turning out to be a really great market for us,” he says.&nbsp;Techne is applying its placemaking hospitality architecture and interiors expertise, showcased in the likes of The Espy at St Kilda and Garden State in Melbourne’s CBD, to other regional offerings including Billson's Brewery in Beechworth and All Saints Estate winery in Rutherglen.&nbsp;Travers says it’s about creating design-and-experience-led projects that cater to both the local community, while also driving inbound tourism and local visitation.&nbsp;<div id="4tTr17gLCZaOhkLwxgtXJg"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/enZOqDDYgwvWu01iAjxH0/e016a37d9511cb27a6106c76387910a2/Albury_Wodonga_MID1.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/enZOqDDYgwvWu01iAjxH0/e016a37d9511cb27a6106c76387910a2/Albury_Wodonga_MID1.jpg"></picture><div>▲ While the Murray River divides the twin cities, their collective fortunes are rising with a flood of investment flowing to the region. </div></div> The region, originally home to a migration centre after World War II, is now on the charm offensive, luring would-be residents with a below-average median house price, a knowledge economy, a university campus, a train line connecting the region to Melbourne, and a proposed $558-million redevelopment of Albury's base hospital.Albury Wodonga is now home to about 100,000 people and is listed as Australia’s 20th largest city. It was the focus of intense investment in the early 1970s when the Whitlam federal government identified it as a growth area to decentralise Australia’s capital cities. This was later abandoned.&nbsp;But the reopening of borders and beefed up net overseas migration figures are sure to flow through to major regional cities, which remain robust housing and investment markets.The median house price in Albury is $610,000, well below the New South Wales average of $725,000. Its rental vacancy is also relatively low at 1.4 per cent as of April this year with a forecast annual population growth of 1.3 per cent to 2036.&nbsp;A feasibility study is under way on the former Albury Council depot site, which is slated for redevelopment as an in-fill greenfield site and could be home to “hundreds” of residents on the 1.8ha site.&nbsp;The Albury Entertainment Centre is in line for a $30-million expansion, 305km of existing rail corridor between metropolitan Melbourne and the Victoria-NSW border at Albury Wodonga is being upgraded,&nbsp;On the Wodonga side of the Murray, Aspen is expanding its retirement living portfolio with a $60-million, 173-unit development, and a $45-million, 104-bed private hospital has been proposed.While it may be a tale of two cities, it’s clear that collectively the region is developing some pulling power.&nbsp; <hr> You are currently experiencing The Urban Developer Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans">Click here to learn more.</a><div id="2GhuueZl01Zwo2aFfjNVi2"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg" alt="TUD + Banner" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg"></picture></div>

The twin cities of Albury and Wodonga may sit on opposite sides of the NSW-Victoria border, but together they are chalking up solid migration and a slew of investment in the region as a lifestyle destination...

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Brisbane’s Rivergate Marina and Shipyard is on the block with shovel-ready expansion plans to capture the upside of the 2032 Olympic Games.&nbsp;The superyacht refit facility at Murrarie carries out 500 haul-outs a year, which makes it one of the busiest shipyards in the southern hemisphere, according to Rivergate director Tom Hill.&nbsp;Hill said the award-winning facility had been listed in the top three superyacht refit destinations in the world and its expansion could generate more superyacht visitation to the South Pacific region.&nbsp;“This has been a difficult decision for our family-owned business but we believe the time is right for a new owner to continue our work and oversee the next exciting phase of the Rivergate story,” Hill said.&nbsp;Rivergate’s facilities include 300-tonne and 75-tonne travel lifts, a 55m refit shed, hardstand, berthing for vessels up to 90m long, a 24-hour fuel wharf and more than 20 marine trades onsite.&nbsp;It also comprises a 105-berth marina close to the Moreton Bay region, an international airport, and is midway between Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef.&nbsp;The site also has <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/brisbane-council-approves-aud200m-marina-expansion" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/brisbane-council-approves-aud200m-marina-expansion">development application approval for a 3000-tonne ship lift</a>, additional hardstand space and in-water service berths for superyachts, commercial boats and defence vessels.&nbsp;“Australia is ideally placed to take more advantage of the buoyant global superyacht market, which has seen substantial pent-up demand to visit our region if there was more capability to service vessels over 50m,” Hill said.&nbsp;“Any future expansion of Rivergate would also be excellent timing for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games to be held in Brisbane, with industry expectations that the event will attract around 200 superyachts.”JLL’s Jacob Swan has launched an international expressions of interest campaign for the superyacht marina.&nbsp;The listing follows a slew of superyacht marinas proposed for south-east Queensland.&nbsp;Australia’s <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/superyacht-marina-the-spit-gold-coast-approved-gordon-corp" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/superyacht-marina-the-spit-gold-coast-approved-gordon-corp">first dedicated superyacht marina and waterfront residences project</a>, on the Spit at the Gold Coast, won approval this year.&nbsp;Private developer Gordon Corp won the tender from the Queensland government to acquire and develop the 9858sq m vacant site at 503 Sea World Drive under a 120-year lease agreement.&nbsp;The Mantaray Marina and Residences mixed-use project comprises a 67-berth marina, retail precinct, club lounge and 24 waterfront apartments.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Mulpha Group has <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/sanctuary-cove-gold-coast-pier-plan" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/sanctuary-cove-gold-coast-pier-plan">expanded its offering at Sanctuary Cove</a> with an additional 31 superyacht berths.&nbsp;The real estate investor has spent about $3.5 million on the Pier C development, which takes its superyacht berthing capabilities to 39, addressing the growing demand for permanent and transient berths in the Sunshine State.&nbsp;

Brisbane’s Rivergate Marina and Shipyard is on the block with shovel-ready expansion plans to capture the upside of the 2032 Olympic Games..

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In 2014, then Victorian planning minister Matthew Guy approved several Growth Area Plans for the Boroondara, Stonnington and Bayside councils.&nbsp; While the move seemed innocent enough, the plans prevented developers from building anything higher than two storeys in several key suburbs across these council areas.&nbsp; Places such as Kew, Hawthorn, Brighton, Sandringham and others were now a no-go zone after a long campaign by residents.&nbsp; But event at the time, this was creating a problem.&nbsp; Planners recognised the issue: the richest suburbs were being protected and new development could not happen where there was already existing infrastructure and services that new residents could access.&nbsp; It also prevented a middle ring of suburbs being developed so more people could live closer to work and the CBD as demand for housing increased.&nbsp; Fast forward nearly a decade and that remains a bit problem.“It’s the missing middle,” Charter Keck Cramer’s director Richard Temlett says. And the housing crisis has only deepened.“Melbourne needs 1.3 million new homes in the next 30 years,” Ratio’s executive director Colleen Peterson told The Urban Developer’s Melbourne Residential Summit.&nbsp; Peterson says the Victorian Planning Authority’s proposed split of building 70 per cent of the new housing in established suburbs and 30 per cent in greenfields is only going to yield 932,000 homes.&nbsp; But the delivery of this housing is slow and <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/melbourne-housing-market-update" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/melbourne-housing-market-update" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the need for housing continues to increase</a>.Even in the few weeks since Peterson’s estimation of 1.3 million,<a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/richard-temlett-future-melbourne-densification-migration-residential-summit" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/richard-temlett-future-melbourne-densification-migration-residential-summit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> the news of increased migration</a> has changed the outlook on how much will be needed.&nbsp; <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/migration-key-melbourne-housing-market-residential-summit" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/migration-key-melbourne-housing-market-residential-summit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Around 1.5 million people are expected to arrive in Australia within the next five years</a> with 70 per cent of them bound for Sydney and Melbourne.&nbsp; Temlett conservatively estimates that Melbourne will need to build 175,000 build-to-sell and build-to-rent apartments over the next decade to meet the demand.&nbsp; “Part of this is about catching up,” Peterson says.<div id="5M2p5qtY83wFMjD8ngCa79"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1d5R4wOFbndoNcs8P3QZOn/64b9b494f26565504c21aa8dc93133f8/colleen_peterson_speaking_at_melb_resi_summit_mid_article.jpg" alt="Ratio director Colleen Peterson speaking about the Victorian planning system at The Urban Developer's Melbourne Residential Summit." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1d5R4wOFbndoNcs8P3QZOn/64b9b494f26565504c21aa8dc93133f8/colleen_peterson_speaking_at_melb_resi_summit_mid_article.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Ratio director Colleen Peterson presenting at The Urban Developer's Melbourne Residential Summit. </div></div><h2>Planning system obstacles</h2> But not only are construction costs and material shortages forcing&nbsp; developers to pause projects, <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/victoria-planning-dilemma-solutions" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/victoria-planning-dilemma-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Victoria’s planning system is delaying&nbsp; projects </a>being approved, built and ready for residents who desperately need them.&nbsp; Peterson points to NIMBYism as the biggest factor affecting planning decisions but also thinks it could provide the biggest opportunity for reform if the political courage was there.&nbsp; In Boroondara in 2014, 76 per cent of the council area, covering Kew, Hawthorn and Camberwell, was not open to any development higher than two stories while in Bayside 83 per cent of the area was protected from high-rise development.&nbsp; The City of Stonnington has had more development over the years with only 38 per cent of its council area restricted.&nbsp; But Peterson also points to other factors, including that the Urban Growth Boundary set up in 2002 needs to be expanded to allow for more space for not just housing but also <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/melbourne-industrial-land-undersupply-warning-pca" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/melbourne-industrial-land-undersupply-warning-pca" target="_blank" rel="noopener">industrial and commercial uses particularly within key growth and transport corridors</a>.&nbsp; Precinct Structure Plans, the planning processes for greenfield development, should take three years—instead, they are taking five. The Victorian Planning Authority is currently reviewing the process.&nbsp; Peterson says permits are being extended as developers try to navigate the market, and projects being revised, usually around a change of use, as all the while infrastructure playing catch up.&nbsp; <div id="5gbhYPsCLN2wUxZSsbqMcF"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/4WOqV1NsReVpmN8KvM4oyZ/9b22406cf39fa3eba188d085b27f9051/189___203_Arden_Street__North_Melbourne_-_Arden_Central_West__1_.JPG" alt="The plans for the new Metro station at the Arden Precinct in North Melbourne." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/4WOqV1NsReVpmN8KvM4oyZ/9b22406cf39fa3eba188d085b27f9051/189___203_Arden_Street__North_Melbourne_-_Arden_Central_West__1_.JPG"></picture><div>▲ A render of the new Metro station at the Arden Precinct in North Melbourne. </div></div>She also says that large precincts such as <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/BRC-capital-developments-arden-central-sale-victoria" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/BRC-capital-developments-arden-central-sale-victoria" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Arden precinct </a>are far from having residents move in and that the Suburban Rail Loop precincts will only contribute 12 per cent of the housing necessary.&nbsp; “It’s a drop in the bucket,” she says.&nbsp; “The biggest planning challenge ahead is the need not for policy change but reform of the planning system.”&nbsp;<h2>New Melbourne, new planning system</h2> But what would that look like?&nbsp; Infrastructure Victoria’s latest report says that many people cannot afford to live where they want to but would consider apartment living in order to be closer to work, services and transport.&nbsp; Meanwhile the <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/monash-commission-intermediary-cities-post-pandemic-planning-australia" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/monash-commission-intermediary-cities-post-pandemic-planning-australia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Monash Commission has called for decentralising the notion of a CBD—</a>if there are factors preventing people living near the CBD, perhaps there should be intermediary cities or nodes of central services and work, with infrastructure connecting them and housing around them, to provide everyone with access to what they need.&nbsp;<div id="2eQIpLYyP3vGCtrcO7Jfmy"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3M2A6mzTsN4LmKtUMljCgj/6bdfda54d4f87c2e162cf5bff149e3c2/social_housing_sotry_mid_article_image.jpg" alt="The proposed plans for social housing at Bangs Street in Prahran. Source: Homes Victoria" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3M2A6mzTsN4LmKtUMljCgj/6bdfda54d4f87c2e162cf5bff149e3c2/social_housing_sotry_mid_article_image.jpg"></picture><div>▲ A render of proposed social housing at Bangs Street in Prahran. Source: Homes Victoria </div></div>In Sydney, planning has revolved around the notion of three different CBDs for a some time.&nbsp;Both ideas would mean changes to the planning system and Plan Melbourne’s strategy which is being reviewed and updated.&nbsp; Peterson says there are options for reform already.&nbsp; She says city councils could offer extra height if affordable housing was added on to projects, allowing housing needs to be incentivised in development.&nbsp; <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/australian-cities-urbanist-greg-clark-uli-density" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/australian-cities-urbanist-greg-clark-uli-density" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ULI Australia also agrees that councils need to be incentivised</a> to help create a proper mix of densities and services.&nbsp;A need to stop offering housing incentives that raise prices was also important including first homebuyer grants as well as setting housing targets for local government authorities.&nbsp; She also proposed creating a new code similar to NSW’ Low Rise Housing Diversity Code to help streamline approvals for medium density housing.&nbsp; The NSW code has created housing that is 25 per cent cheaper with permits approved in 20 days with most housing semi-detached.&nbsp; Such a code and additional reforms would mean that smaller developers would find it more feasible to build much needed low-rise housing in what many have long called the “missing middle ring”.&nbsp; But it requires government at state and local levels to step up, according to Peterson.&nbsp; “There are plenty of challenges ahead and significant opportunities,” she says.&nbsp; “We have a very popular Labour government in Victoria who are ahead in the polls.” “I think it is the time for them to risk some of that collateral.”&nbsp; <hr> You are currently experiencing The Urban Developer Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans">Click here to learn more.</a><a href="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-href="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg"></a><div id="2GhuueZl01Zwo2aFfjNVi2"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg" alt="TUD + Banner" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg"></picture></div>

The Victorian system may need a major overhaul, but Nimbys are a bigger problem for planning, a high-profile planner says…


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Could this be the golden opportunity Brisbane’s sporting fans have been waiting for to reclaim their sacred patch of green on the sidelines?Imagine the triumphant and no doubt raucous return of the Gabba Hill as the best athletes on the planet gather for the 2032 Olympic Games at a newly rebuilt stadium.On the western side of the century-old sporting cauldron, the famed Hill was replaced by concrete and plastic seats with its redevelopment in the late 1990s.Lost to progress, so too—many have argued—was much of the soul of the Woolloongabba grounds.So, what’s the chance of an Olympic resurrection of the Hill?Well, it seems at least from a design perspective nothing is off the table at the moment but the clock is ticking.And with Brisbane committed to delivering the greenest and first “climate positive” Olympics, there is a mountain of uncharted territory to climb to achieve what will be a benchmark not only for future Games but development across the globe.Climate positive—also referred to as carbon positive—is the concept of going beyond achieving net zero carbon emissions to removing more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than you create.<div id="3PJaJ6e5UEXOHnIt5P75Wd"><div id="1CTU0nY2PbHN26Gj0lWW37"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5jjHjnDQ0Hxgu6O1t1eNkr/22bc3aad04aa767f4e6855ef64f24175/4.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5jjHjnDQ0Hxgu6O1t1eNkr/22bc3aad04aa767f4e6855ef64f24175/4.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Inside the Ariake Gymnastics Centre: created for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics it has, at 90m, one of the world’s largest timber roofs. Main image: The centre’s exterior. </div></div></div>In 2020, a year before Brisbane won the right to host the 2032 Games, the International Olympic Committee decided the summer and winter Olympics would be climate positive from 2030 onwards.“Climate change is a challenge of unprecedented proportions, and it requires an unprecedented response,” IOC president Thomas Bach said at the time.“Looking ahead, we want to do more than reducing and compensating our own impact. We want to ensure that, in sport, we are at the forefront of the global efforts to address climate change and leave a tangible, positive legacy for the planet.”To put the challenge for Brisbane—the first Olympic climate positive out of the blocks—in context, the overall carbon footprint of the 2012 London Olympics was 3.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.And for the 2024 Olympics, this figure will be slashed by half with Paris setting itself a target to not exceed 1.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions. To do this, it is limiting its construction footprint by using existing or temporary venues for 95 per cent of the infrastructure required and renewable power sources as well as controversially not installing air conditioning in the Olympic athletes’ village.Meanwhile, Los Angeles is planning to stage 100 per cent of the 2028 Games in reused or adapted buildings.“We've got to do something extraordinary to get it to be a [carbon] positive figure,” says Brisbane-based architect and Buchan principal Phil Schoutrop. “But if we can get there, how brilliant will it be for Brisbane to say we did and we’re the benchmark.”Collaboration, timber—lots of it—and “creating a vibe” will be key to the success of delivering the ambitious goal of a climate positive Olympics and leaving a lasting legacy for future generations, he says.<div id="57afKSvz6aYVeTKTym0tz7"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6SP6KVhstMh62qbmDlLZyp/bc2428f735d492dd0a02accbba7ad797/1.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6SP6KVhstMh62qbmDlLZyp/bc2428f735d492dd0a02accbba7ad797/1.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Nikken Sekkei’s Hiroshi Miyakawa, Buchan principal Phil Schoutrop and HKS Australia and New Zealand director Andrew Colling. </div></div>Along with US-based architecture firm HKS—best known for designing the Dallas Cowboys' AT&amp;T Stadium, one of the world's biggest sporting venues—and Tokyo-based studio Nikken Sekkei, Buchan this week hosted an industry talkfest, Creating a Legacy: Brisbane Olympics 2032.“I know some people would say that one architect in the room is enough and two or three is probably like torture,” Schoutrop quips. “But in this situation … there’s no one practice in the world that can deal with all the issues.“We need partnerships across the industry to realise all of this.“And to understand what the legacy is that we want to create we need to be thinking 10 years beyond the Olympics … and about how we design these spaces that we’re about to create to be relevant to a whole new group of Queenslanders and visitors to Queensland.”&nbsp;HKS Australia and New Zealand director Andrew Colling agrees.“We need to be thinking about where we want our city to be in 2042. And if we start there, we can then work backwards.“Being climate positive is a big transition where our business model, our operating model, our behaviour, how we build, how we use facilities, and how we as businesses work with each other shifts.“We're a lot more conscious about our impact on the environment. It’s no longer just a matter of not putting any carbon in the atmosphere .. it’s taking carbon out of the atmosphere and that involves a new series of technology that's going to evolve over the next 10 to 20 years. It's a big step.”Colling says timber—with the lowest embodied carbon of all mainstream&nbsp; building materials—was likely to play a big part in the climate positive strategy for the Brisbane Olympics.“I think that’s going to be the big shift—timber venues for arenas and stadiums. We’ve got the right climate for it, it's probably the right direction.”A timber Gabba?<div id="3RINP955M0U4R96wojTr1A"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6eQcdl0rbAUPPbHXH2He3/a5b19751ad311359118a8bf368763c64/3.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6eQcdl0rbAUPPbHXH2He3/a5b19751ad311359118a8bf368763c64/3.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Details from the exterior of the Ariake Gymnastics Centre. </div></div>“If it goes down that path, it will be among the most unique stadiums in the world,” he says “And it would distinguish Brisbane and Queensland not only from the rest of Australia, but on a global stage.”Schoutrop says the city’s beloved Queenslander homes with their wide timber verandas make it a natural fit.“Well, we love our Queenslanders and that’s all about timber. Growing up in and around timber homes, we have a natural affinty with it and so having a timber stadium would probably work for Queensland.”According to Nikken Sekkei's Hiroshi Miyakawa, hosting the Olympics is a chance for Queensand to “present its difference” through design to the world.&nbsp;“Because all the world is watching, and also many visitors are coming, so it is a good opportunity to present your own culture,” he says.Miyakawa was the principal architect behind the Ariake Gymnastics Centre for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.The centre boasts one of the world’s largest timber roofs, spanning 90m, and was designed as a temporary Olympics venue with removable stands to allow its transformation into a permanent exhibition hall.Miyakawa describes it as a “simple translation of the past” inspired by traditional Japanese architecture, in particular its large-roofed timber temples, some of which have stood for hundreds of years.<div id="5NwTH9vVyUcXAO7rIePwnx"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/2OTQ0pSXLKirWewM7zDvPC/ec7528ec5e76550d4b2b29aac287387b/5.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/2OTQ0pSXLKirWewM7zDvPC/ec7528ec5e76550d4b2b29aac287387b/5.jpg"></picture><div>▲ The Japan National Stadium, the main stadium for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, is hybrid structure that combines steel and wood. </div></div>He says perhaps Brisbane’s greatest challenge in achieving a climate positive Olympics will be the IOC’s own regulations as well as the&nbsp; broadcasting requirements that demand controlled environments within the Olympic venues.“Basically the stadium is a closed box because we have to provide perfect, equal conditions. So, no sunshine, no natural ventilation … just artificial light and air-conditioning.”But he says times are changing and because of Brisbane’s “really nice weather”&nbsp; maybe there was opportunity for more of the events at the 2032 Games to be staged in open-air venues.Indoors or outdoors, Miyakawa believes “the architecture itself should be a backdrop and the athletes and people the main actors”.Schoutrop and Colling say the design of the Olympic venues is important but agree that will not be the mark of success for the Brisbane Games.“It’s actually the places that we create that sit in-between the venues that will create the experiences for people … and the success of the&nbsp; Olympics will be tested by how well-connected those places and precincts are,” Schoutrop says.“I want to see it take Brisbane past Sydney and Melbourne to be the most liveable city in Oceania. We've got a bit to do but the Games should get us there.“And I think creating that vibe that we have as people from southeast Queensland can be really captured when we think outside the box.”Colling adds: “You know, as architects, we want to create beautiful, functional buildings. But to me, if we can create buildings that work with the environment, and actually encourage nature back into the environment, that to me is the exciting part.“That might mean our stadiums are a series of open verandas that have rainforests in them, or it might mean that their roofs are actually gardens that we can walk around.”Or if we really want to add some Queensland vibe and a patch of carbon positive greenery, bring back the Gabba Hill. <hr> You are currently experiencing The Urban Developer Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans">Click here to learn more.</a><div id="2GhuueZl01Zwo2aFfjNVi2"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg" alt="TUD + Banner" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg"></picture></div>

Nothing is off the table as planning to create the greenest Games in history throws up new ideas—and plenty of challenges…

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The City of Melbourne will potentially go into a deficit for consecutive financial years with its 2023-2024 Budget. With a total expenditure of $850.7 million, the council has focused on key areas: infrastructure, events and festivals, and cleaning, safety and fairness for its draft Budget.&nbsp;But this will also put it in a deficit of $17.1 million with a return to surplus expected in the 2025-26 financial year. A total of $247.5 million is earmarked for infrastructure spending with an estimate that up to 1000 jobs will be supported by the this. This includes a boost of $60 million for upgrading infrastructure at the <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/queen-victoria-market-precinct-renewal-update-march-2023" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/queen-victoria-market-precinct-renewal-update-march-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Queen Victoria Market Precinct</a>. It is hoped that this will help speed up work on the Trader Shed and its new trader and customer facilities, and the Franklin Street streetscape. The council plans to put $17 million aside for the first stage of the Greenline Project with an expanded riverside promenade at Birrarung Marr park. A <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/city-of-melbourne-greenline-project-designs" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/city-of-melbourne-greenline-project-designs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">masterplan for the Greenline Project</a> is also due in the 2023-24 financial year. The council has allocated $28 million to the new Kensington Community Aquatic and Recreation Centre, which will have a newly refurbished pool area, multi-purpose courts, health and wellness areas and a wrap-around cafe. It is scheduled to open in early 2025. The Munro library and hub will get $3 million to create the 3100sq m library, family services and community spaces.&nbsp;<div id="3zz5alIOaDttQwpB9BdzCM"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/50y4IuiDPSxx6ZocKA44Eu/0c43cce727bb2412c83c5c85b97cad48/c22bd94136f551702d3ef5bdf5dadb9d.jpeg" alt="A render of part of the City of Melbourne's Greenline project along the Yarra River." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/50y4IuiDPSxx6ZocKA44Eu/0c43cce727bb2412c83c5c85b97cad48/c22bd94136f551702d3ef5bdf5dadb9d.jpeg"></picture><div>▲ A render of part of the City of Melbourne's Greenline project along the Yarra River. </div></div>The council will also put more than $12 million into renewing and maintaining roads and footpaths in almost 80 locations across the city.This will include $4.2 million to fix and improve road surfaces and $6 million for the Transport Amenity Program to start on the Hawke Street Linear Park.&nbsp;The community will be invited to consult on bike lane projects in the coming financial year on Arden Street, Macaulay Road, Royal Parade and Flinders Street.&nbsp;“This draft Budget is big on delivery—and we’re looking forward to completing a number of major infrastructure projects during the next 12 months, including an improved Southbank Promenade, a new Brens Pavilion in Royal Park and footpath works on Hardware Lane,” Cr Davydd Griffiths said.Events scheduled for the coming year include Moomba 70th anniversary and the new Now or Never Festival with $28.2 million allocated.&nbsp;More than $50 million has been set aside to maintain parks and green spaces, cut emissions and underpin the Power Melbourne project.&nbsp;Melbourne is the fastest-growing capital city in the country.&nbsp;The council said the Budget was designed to create growth in Melbourne’s economy to $150 billion gross local product by 2031.&nbsp;“This draft Budget is about getting the basics right and doing what matters most to our community—whether it’s fixing our roads, improving safety for all road users or building better facilities,” City of Melbourne’s lord mayor, Sally Capp, said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“We’re investing in what matters most to our traders, residents, workers and visitors—making our city cleaner and safer, building better facilities and providing vital services, and boosting business with events and support.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Deputy lord mayor Nicholas Reece said spending on services and infrastructure now put the city in a good position to attract and support necessary development as the city kept growing.“We’re capitalising on our city’s growth—investing in the infrastructure, facilities and services we need to attract even more investment and development into the future, with forecasts showing we’ll assess close to $1 billion of new developments in 2023,” Reece said.&nbsp;“As Melbourne continues to grow, these projects will meet the future higher demands for services from locals, while boosting visitor activity for the benefit of our traders.”&nbsp;&nbsp;External stakeholders can provide feedback on the draft Budget 2023-24 via the Participate Melbourne website. The deadline for feedback is midnight on June 8, 2023. Once the Future Melbourne Committee has met to consider community feedback on June 20, the council is due to discuss and adopt the final Budget on June 27, 2023.

With a total of $850.7 million to allocate, the City of Melbourne has opted to go into a deficit in the 2023-4 financial year…


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Lendlease’s plans for a 10-storey A-grade office building, laneways and retail at a landmark intersection in Melbourne have been endorsed by the Victorian government.&nbsp;It’s the missing piece of the puzzle on arguably Melbourne’s most recognisable intersection where Flinders Street and Swanston Street meet, overlooking St Paul’s Cathedral, Flinders Street Station and Federation Square.&nbsp;The Hassell-designed <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/5-25-swanston-street-melbourne-lendlease-cbd-south-metro-office-tower" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/5-25-swanston-street-melbourne-lendlease-cbd-south-metro-office-tower" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Town Hall Place at 25 Swanston Street</a> will be nestled next to the city’s landmark Young and Jackson Hotel and above the Metro Tunnel Town Hall Station.&nbsp;The office building will comprise 16,000sq m of net leasable area and provide connections between Flinders Street and Flinders Lane with a new arcade.Lendlease will act as builder and developer for the project with construction slated for 2024.&nbsp;Lendlease managing director of development Tom Mackellar said they would be targeting a 6-Star Green Star Rating and a WELL Gold Core rating for the building.&nbsp;“Town Hall Place is a rare opportunity to reinvigorate this iconic part of Melbourne’s CBD with new laneways and arcades, retail and dining and a next generation workplace that will contribute to the vibrant culture of this renowned area,” McKellar said.&nbsp;“The transformation of this site will showcase how smart over-station development can unlock the potential of our cities by linking key transport interchanges with exceptional retail, workplace, and lifestyle experiences.”<div id="76a11sIcBY9dZKXxSCJ5HU"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3eZ7zvgYVYTjZBqtuSHfeG/d64f92e5407a23578386fe0b74a75fad/Lendlease_Town_Hall_MID.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3eZ7zvgYVYTjZBqtuSHfeG/d64f92e5407a23578386fe0b74a75fad/Lendlease_Town_Hall_MID.jpg"></picture><div>▲ An artist’s render of the Town Hall Station concourse, which is due to open in 2025. </div></div> The office tower will accommodate about 1600 workers with views across Federation Square, St Paul’s Cathedral, Flinders Street Station, the Arts Centre and the MCG.&nbsp;It also features outdoor terraces and will be fully electric, with renewable energy for base building operations. McKellar said there was a pathway for tenants to become carbon neutral workplaces.&nbsp;Meanwhile, work on the Town Hall metro station’s underground concourse is well under way. Directly underneath Melbourne’s City Square, the station is due to open in 2025.&nbsp;Construction crews are installing eight 14m columns that will define the expansive 18m-wide station concourse.&nbsp;

It’s the missing piece of the puzzle on arguably Melbourne’s most iconic intersection, and now Lendlease will move ahead with plans for Town Hall Place...

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As work ramps up for the coming Commonwealth Games in regional Victoria, a link to the state’s Olympic past has been getting attention.Melbourne’s last remaining purpose-built building from the 1956 Olympic Games, the heritage-listed AIA Centre, has recently undergone critical maintenance works to preserve its original design.Built to host the swimming, diving, and water polo competitions, and listed on the National Heritage Register and the Engineering Heritage register, it was the first building of its kind in Australia, and today remains the only post-tensioned steel building in the state.The AIA Centre is now home to the Collingwood Football Club and Netball Club and is managed by the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust.<div id="2jjrbMwsHzfZjMLlLaC8S3"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6AppWDYxMDbeMQVYRqQbcZ/8cbc4e163a4e1ad64b33c9c9b9879cd9/1.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6AppWDYxMDbeMQVYRqQbcZ/8cbc4e163a4e1ad64b33c9c9b9879cd9/1.jpg"></picture><div>▲ The Olympic Swimming Stadium in 1956. Image: Wolfgang Sievers </div></div>Works were completed over three weeks to maintain the building’s stability, tightening the 26 vertical tie-down rods that pretension the steel superstructure and provide lateral stability.“The AIA Centre is a significant building in our city’s history – not only as an architectural achievement but in having made an important contribution to Melbourne’s cultural and sporting landscape,” Melbourne and Olympics Parks Trust chief executive John Harnden said.“From the 1956 Olympics to its life as the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, and now as the home of Collingwood, this building is unique, and we are proud to have it within the Melbourne and Olympic Parks precinct.”The protocols for the retuning works were completed by engineering firm WSP, which incorporates the practice founded by engineer Bill Irwin who, along with local architects Peter McIntyre, Kevin Borland, and John and Phyllis Murphy, won the 1953 design competition.<div id="35zSkh7uM5sqlR4LvnwKMf"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/71IfVDfGhRbM24bK17Z5oX/4334832166fd75263f377505d7cabc11/3.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/71IfVDfGhRbM24bK17Z5oX/4334832166fd75263f377505d7cabc11/3.jpg"></picture><div>▲ The pool in action for the games, and architects Peter McIntyre and Kevin Borland with engineer Bill Irwin present a model of the Melbourne Olympic Swimming Stadium. Architects John and Phyllis Murphy were also on the project team. Source: Archive of Peter McIntyre, courtesy of Open House Melbourne </div></div>During the 1956 Games, the Olympic Swimming Pool was the scene of the infamous “blood in the water” water polo match between Hungary and the Soviet Union following the Soviet Union’s violent suppression of the Hungarian Revolution.“An award-winning design at the time, the AIA Centre was designed to be material-light, reflecting the challenging post-war times where materials were limited, but labour was abundant,” Principal Director WSP Phil Gardiner said.In addition to the tensioning works, the AIA Centre is in the process of a $15-million redevelopment to set up a multidisciplinary medical and sports performance hub thanks to a partnership between Collingwood Football Club and Monash University.The four-phased project is due for completion in this year.<div id="5poHOpkjpZci2PrS0zljPZ"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/lPiieQwC2Brz9XoAsdiCm/9087e3d2912400fca0c772afa0827432/2.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/lPiieQwC2Brz9XoAsdiCm/9087e3d2912400fca0c772afa0827432/2.jpg"></picture><div>▲ The centre during construction. </div></div><span class="mce-preview-object mce-object-iframe" contenteditable="false" data-mce-object="iframe" data-mce-p-data-mce-fragment="1" data-mce-p-allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-p-frameborder="0" data-mce-p-src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/54123413?h=e6ec667aa5"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/54123413?h=e6ec667aa5" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/54123413?h=e6ec667aa5"></iframe>

As work ramps up for the coming Commonwealth Games in regional Victoria, a link to that state’s Olympic past has been getting attention…

INFRASTRUCTURE