Option A or B – calls for Docklanders’ opinions

Apartment living seems finally on the radar of governments, planners and researchers alike.

Evidenced by the steady stream of consultations, discussion papers and surveys – asking what life in apartments is really like – Docklanders are finding themselves in demand as contributors.

This is reflected in two current survey invitations.

At the big-picture end of the scale, the Victorian Government’s Department of Transport and Planning is seeking feedback on the proposed Inner Melbourne Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres – a plan that could significantly reshape parts of inner Melbourne over coming decades.

This initiative looks at how already well-connected neighbourhoods in inner-city Melbourne could accommodate more housing, jobs, shops and services, while improving walkability and liveability. Working with the City of Melbourne and City of Yarra, the department is developing new planning controls to support population growth in areas already close to employment and education.

For inner-city residents, the themes are familiar: more housing, more demand on infrastructure, and the ongoing challenge of balancing growth with liveability, open space, transport access and neighbourhood character.

For Docklanders in particular, this is not abstract policy. It reflects the daily reality of high-density living in one of Melbourne’s largest apartment communities.

Community consultation is open until June 14, with residents able to complete a survey here.

Another survey for Docklanders – and one closer to our everyday experience of apartment life – is focused on noise.

Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) are running a national study into apartment noise, looking at how sound travels in modern buildings and how it affects residents. From traffic and neighbours to lifts and late-night activity, the project aims to better understand the acoustic reality of apartment living.

The survey is open to adults living in apartments across Australia until September 30. And as a sweetener, participants can enter a draw to win a $300 supermarket gift card.

While these surveys are at opposite ends of the spectrum – one focused on how governments can grow the apartment sector and the other on improving apartment liveability – both topics matter.
And these conversations are best strengthened when apartment residents take part. •