Docklands needs a budget that plans for the community we are becoming

Docklands is no longer a future suburb. It is a living, growing and maturing community.

Every year, more residents, families, workers, visitors and small businesses make Docklands their home. The suburb continues to carry enormous potential for the City of Melbourne, not just as a residential neighbourhood, but as one of the city’s most distinctive waterfront precincts.

That is why the City of Melbourne’s 2026-27 budget matters. For Community 3008, the question is simple: will this budget help Docklands grow with purpose, or will it allow the suburb to keep developing through disconnected, ad hoc decisions?

Our submission to the draft budget focuses on four priorities that have consistently emerged through community engagement: enhancing family liveability, taking a strategic approach to our waterways and Harbour Esplanade, creating a pet-friendly community, and greening Docklands.

At the heart of this is Harbour Esplanade and Victoria Harbour. Harbour Esplanade is the natural meeting point between the CBD and the water. It should be one of Melbourne’s great civic places. With the right planning, it could support tourism, hospitality, retail, culture, recreation and community life.

Community 3008 has called for the immediate commencement of a Harbour Esplanade Master Plan, alongside a broader Victoria Harbour Master Plan. These plans must be developed with the City of Melbourne, Development Victoria and the Docklands community, and consider the full waterfront experience, including Victoria Harbour Promenade and NewQuay Promenade.

This is especially important given current conversations about the future of Central Pier and other harbour infrastructure. Docklands’ water is not empty space waiting to be filled. It is the defining feature that makes Docklands different.

Docklands also needs a more deliberate approach to parks, recreation and open space. Our population is growing, and with it comes a greater need for places where children can play, families can gather, residents can exercise and dog owners can responsibly enjoy public space.

Areas that are currently underused or unavailable for practical public use, such as parts of North Wharf and land near Moonee Ponds Creek, should be planned with imagination and care. They could become nature trails, Indigenous history pathways, informal recreation spaces or community activity areas.

We also need to look honestly at whether Docklands has enough accessible play areas for younger children. Ron Barassi Senior Reserve is important, but it does not solve every need. Smaller interventions, such as flexible play spaces, moveable cricket nets or better use of low-traffic areas near existing parks, could make a meaningful difference.

Greening Docklands is another essential priority. In a suburb dominated by high-rise apartments, commercial buildings, hard surfaces and exposed waterfront spaces, greening is not decorative. It is infrastructure for liveability.

More trees, canopy cover, native gardens, understory planting, pocket parks, green promenades, rooftop and balcony greening, and improved seating can all help reduce heat, improve biodiversity and create a stronger sense of place.

The current floating wetlands trial in the Yarra River and Victoria Harbour is a good example of the kind of practical, nature-based intervention that should be made permanent and expanded if successful.

There are also basic maintenance issues that cannot be ignored. Many Docklands streets and footpaths are affected by subsidence, creating uneven surfaces, tripping hazards and poor visual amenity. The city needs to fund a proper audit and commit to repairs.

Following our written and verbal submission, the Lord Mayor amended the final budget to include a commitment to the completion and delivery of the Docklands Public Realm Improvement Plan in the 2026-27 financial year. This is a good start.

It’s time we started treating Docklands as a community worth planning for.

Our next public meeting is on the evening of July 8. Register via our website to confirm the location. •