Council backs Little India vision for Docklands with $1.2 million budget commitment

The City of Melbourne has taken its clearest step yet towards establishing a Little India precinct in Docklands, with more than $1.2 million allocated in the draft 2026-27 budget to progress the proposal through infrastructure, public realm upgrades, creative projects and events.

The funding, announced as part of the council’s broader budget push to “bring our streets to life”, signals that Lord Mayor Nick Reece’s $10 million 2024 election pledge for a Little India precinct is now moving beyond aspiration and into early delivery planning.

For Docklands, the announcement is significant. The suburb has long been floated as the most likely home for the precinct, given its large Indian community, growing event profile and available waterfront spaces.

Docklands News understands that while several options are still being explored, one area under consideration is around NewQuay Central Park between Docklands Drive, Banksia Tower and the waterfront edge near the Melbourne City Marina Lounge.

That location would make some strategic sense. It sits close to Ron Barassi Snr Park, which has already hosted major Indian cultural celebrations including Holi, as well as The District Docklands and the Docklands Drive tram stop, which Docklands News gathers could potentially be renamed as part of the broader proposal.

The site also already has one modest but relevant commercial anchor in The Docklands Spice Lab, an Indian grocer adjoining the park. While considerably more work would be needed to attract additional Indian businesses and build a genuine precinct identity, the area offers the kind of physical and cultural links the council appears to be looking for.

In announcing the funding, the council said the goal was to put Little India “on the map alongside Chinatown and Koreatown as a leading cultural precinct”.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece said the city was backing “the businesses, events and culture that create jobs and power our economy”, while Creative and Arts portfolio head Cr Philip Le Liu said: “As Australia’s most multicultural city, we’re taking big steps to make Little India a reality – investing in our creative and cultural future, because it’s at the heart of who we are.”

The announcement builds on strong local support expressed over the past year, particularly from within Docklands, where around 15 per cent of residents were born in India, according to the most recent Census.

But while the council’s budget allocation has been welcomed, some in the community are urging caution until more detail is released.

Little India Traders’ Association representative Gautam Gupta said the group was “cautiously optimistic” but still waiting to understand exactly how the money would be spent.

“We don’t have the details about what the funding is being used for at the moment to really review it completely,” he said.

“The council did consult with us. Clearly the [Indian] community wants it, otherwise they will not make the announcement.”

“But the problem is when the delivery is done, we haven’t been told what they’re going to do with the money. We hope it’s a good solution for the community and society and can bring people together. So, we hope it’s more like a community solution rather than a political fix.”

That tension is likely to shape the next phase of the project. The broad concept of Little India has been well received, and many see it as a natural fit for Docklands, particularly after the success of recent Indian cultural events in the precinct. But translating that support into a real place with lasting identity, economic activity and community buy-in will depend on careful delivery.

Questions remain about how much of the $1.2 million will go to physical upgrades, how much to programming and events, and what role traders, residents and Indian community groups will play in shaping the final outcome.

Still, with budget money now attached, Little India in Docklands appears closer than ever.

After years of searching for the right kind of activation and placemaking, Docklands may now be on the verge of gaining a cultural precinct that feels both locally grounded and internationally resonant. Whether it becomes a genuine destination or simply a symbolic gesture will depend on what the council does next. •