Space and water are our top priorities

Space and water are our top priorities

The community wants Harbour Esplanade to provide more open space and interaction with the water, according to feedback received during the recent community consultation.

Conducted in May and June, the consultation resulted in 460 formal surveys, 300 direct conversations and 4000 visitors to the consultation website.

“Harbour Esplanade will be a major waterfront destination of regional importance so we’re very happy with the level of interest in its future development and the number of people who participated in the conversation,” Places Victoria general manager Simon Wilson said.

“The feedback we received will help us to further develop the master plan for Harbour Esplanade, which will serve as a blueprint for the development of the waterfront over the next 10 to 15 years.”

According to Places Victoria the consultation process revealed that the community and key stakeholders want open spaces, which can be used for multiple purposes.

Key design elements people want to see along Harbour Esplanade include lawn areas, seating and play opportunities.

The surveys also indicated people want water level access and water play along the esplanade, while water transport services were also important.

The consultation process found most people weren’t averse to the reinstatement of the heritage sheds, with two thirds supporting the sheds, either through complete reinstatement or a contemporary interpretation.

According to Places Victoria, 13 per cent of people surveyed said they weren’t supportive of the sheds.

Work on the wharf rectification along Harbour Esplanade, in preparation for the future development is nearing completion and is expected to finish in late July.

Places Victoria is expected to submit a planning permit application for Harbour Esplanade to the City of Melbourne later
this year.

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