Reclaiming Docklands: a six-part series

Part one – Docklands at a crossroads: rediscovering our community purpose.
Once imagined as Melbourne’s waterfront frontier where liveability, design, and vibrancy would meet, Docklands today stands at a difficult crossroads.

It is a place of immense potential, with thousands of residents, families, workers, and small business owners. But it is also a place where many feel increasingly unheard, under-represented, and uncertain about what their neighbourhood is becoming.

When Docklands was first developed, the promise was clear: this would be more than a collection of high-rise apartments. It would be a community. A destination. A home. That promise, however, feels increasingly hollow.

Over the past year, many residents have expressed frustration about developments being pushed through with little to no consultation – most notably, the proposed Marvel Stadium expansion. The expansion may benefit big sporting events and the AFL, but what about the needs of the local community? Where are the spaces for families to gather, children to play, and community to connect? The feeling among residents is simple: we are being built around, not built with.

This frustration is rooted in something deeper: the erosion of a shared purpose.

What makes a neighbourhood more than infrastructure? A sense of belonging. A cause that unites people. A vision that’s co-created, not imposed. Docklands has all the ingredients for a great urban community: diverse cultures, a rich maritime and First Nations history, and stunning public spaces, but without a central purpose, it risks becoming a hollow, disconnected precinct.

The City of Melbourne has spoken of “neighbourhood planning” and “community-led revitalisation”. But recent actions tell a different story.

The dissolution of the Docklands Stakeholder Group, without a replacement or proper support for Community3008, has left residents without a formal platform for input. It’s not just a governance gap – it’s a values gap.

During a recent council meeting, Docklands was once again referred to as a “24/7 neighbourhood” in the municipal plan, without real consideration for how the community has evolved, the growing number of families who live here, the types of businesses that are succeeding, and the shifts needed to create a truly thriving environment.

The community, however, is not giving up. Grassroots leaders, parents, artists, entrepreneurs, and long-time locals continue to show up for each other. Docklands doesn’t lack people who care, it lacks the platforms and partnerships to channel that care into lasting change.

What Docklands needs now is a renewed sense of purpose. A way to reconnect with its original vision and reimagine it for the future.

This article is the first in a six-part series exploring how we can reclaim Docklands through the lens of community power. Over the coming weeks, we’ll explore the ingredients that make community thrive – from the stores we tell, to the systems we build, to the shared responsibilities we take on.

Because this isn’t just about Docklands – it’s about democracy. It’s about how we reclaim our place in a city that too often forgets where community begins. It’s about people having a say in the places they call home. •

Jamal Hakim is a Docklands resident and former City of Melbourne councillor