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Fishermans Bend

Australia's largest urban renewal project

Fishermans Bend is Australia’s largest urban renewal project covering approximately 480 hectares in the heart of Melbourne. Fishermans Bend consists of five precincts across two municipalities – the City of Melbourne and the City of Port Phillip – and connects Melbourne's CBD to the bay.

By 2055, it will be home to approximately 80,000 residents and provide employment for up to 80,000 people.

The transformation of Fishermans Bend is guided by the Fishermans Bend Framework; a plan for parks, schools, roads, transport and community facilities and services to ensure liveability as the precinct grows over the next 30 years. The Framework is supported by a suite of evidence-based research reports, strategies and plans and its development benefited from more than 12 months of engagement with community and other stakeholders.

Fishermans Bend – a plan for the future
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Fishermans Bend: A Plan for the Future
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Fishermans Bend Framework snapshot
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Achievements and progress by 2025

Fishermans Bend is 485ha, and at over twice the size of the CBD, is Australia’s largest urban renewal precinct.
The nature and scale of transformation is unparalleled. Fishermans Bend is Australia’s largest urban renewal area, and will play a key role in the further evolution of central Melbourne as a world leading place to live, work, visit and invest.
The government endorsed Vision for the precinct is of ‘a thriving place that is a leading example for environmental sustainability, liveability, connectivity, diversity, and innovation’. In line with this Vision, Fishermans Bend is planned to accommodate 80,000 residents and 80,000 jobs by 2055, and to achieve new benchmarks in urban renewal.
The transformation of Fishermans Bend is guided by the Fishermans Bend Framework (the Framework) — a long-term strategic plan to guide for the development of the precinct over the next 30 years to 2055.
In the seven years since the Framework was approved, there has been significant private and government investment in Fishermans Bend. Outcomes are occurring on the ground, and development is comfortably on track to achieve the vision for 80,000 residents and 80,000 jobs by 2055.

DELIVERY PARTNERS

Fishermans Bend has strong partnerships with key delivery partners.

Successful implementation of Fishermans Bend is underpinned by strong partnerships.

  • Key Delivery partners include with City of Melbourne, City of Port Phillip, various government agencies including Melbourne Water and South East Water.
  • Engagement with Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation is a critical element of the commitment to for Country.
  • Over 90% of land is in private ownership. Private sector investment and collaboration with industry, landowners and developers is critical to success.

HOUSING & JOB GROWTH

Visual representation of the text in the table about housing in Fishermans Bend.

Fishermans Bend is comfortably on track to meet growth targets for 80,000 people and 80,000 jobs
by 2055.

  • Current development pipeline of 15,000 dwellings represents 41% of the overall growth target, and the precinct is comfortably on track to meet targets for 80,000 people and 80,000 jobs over the next 30 years to 2055.
  • 4,700 dwellings are built or under construction. Current development activity is on track to achieve growth targets in the Framework for approximately 5,000 dwellings
    by 2025.
  • Development tracking ahead of projections in Montague (3275 built or in delivery with a 2025 projection of 2450) and Wirraway (750 built or in delivery with a 2025 projection of 200).
  • The development pipeline includes almost 600 affordable housing dwellings, and 100 social housing dwellings.
  • All recent developments are achieving the policy target for 6% of dwellings to be affordable.
  • Over 60 development applications in the development pipeline with estimated construction value at approximately $7b.
  • Current development pipeline includes floorspace for 10,000 new jobs, in addition to the estimated 30,000 jobs in the precinct, and will support 14,000 construction jobs.

TRANSPORT

A visual representation of the transport text in the table.

The vision for Transport in Fishermans Bend is for 80% of Transport movement to be made by public transport, walking and cycling, supported by an integrated transport strategy including cycle paths, bus routes, tram lines and underground rail line.

  • 1,500 new weekly bus services have been introduced since 2022 on routes between Fishermans Bend and the City.
  • $15 million was allocated in 2021-22 for public transport planning. A preferred route for a possible rail tunnel and station locations in Docklands, Sandridge and Innovation Precinct was confirmed in 2024.
  • Further surface transport planning is ongoing.
  • $16 million is being invested in road safety upgrades plus $1.5 million Road Safety Plan to support safe access to schools in Fishermans Bend.

SUSTAINABILITY

A visual representation of the Sustainability content in the table.

Fishermans Bend is setting new benchmarks for sustainable and resilient urban transformation – representing world leadership in sustainable precincts.

  • 6 Star Green Star Community rating awarded for Montague Precinct (2025) - Represents World Leadership in sustainable precincts.
  • Water Sensitive City Strategy (2022) - Integrated water management at precinct wide, street and building scale.

EDUCATION

A visual description of the education text in the table.

Delivery of three new schools as part of the Victorian governments program for 100 new schools by 2026.

Three schools delivered, or in delivery, including:

  • South Melbourne Primary School, opened in 2018
  • Port Melbourne Secondary School, opened in 2022
  • Fishermans Bend Primary School (interim name), to open in 2026

Planning for two additional schools is in progress

  • Site has been identified in Sandridge for a future Primary School (timing TBC)
  • Investigation area identified in Lorimer for a future Primary School (timing TBC)

FISHERMANS BEND INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING

A visual representation of the Infrastructure content in the table.

The Fishermans Bend Development Contributions Plan (DCP) to support delivery of $2.7 billion of essential infrastructure was released for consideration in 2023.

  • The draft DCP has been reviewed by, and is supported by, the Precincts Standing Advisory Committee.
  • The DCP provides investment certainty about prioritisation, coordination, funding and delivery of $2.7B of essential urban renewal infrastructure to support current and future housing and job growth in Fishermans Bend.
  • The DCP identifies 120 projects: new or upgraded parks, roads and streets, and community infrastructure.
  • The DCP sets out the project priorities and timing for project delivery over 3 ten year periods to 2055.
  • $58 million contributions have been collected to date (as at May 2025) by the State.
  • $10 million spent in 2018 on Kirrip park and streetscape works.

Tranche 1 priority infrastructure in delivery, funded by interim development contributions, includes:

  • $16 million Road Safety upgrades near schools.
  • $7 million new park (Johnson Street).

OPEN SPACE

Visual depiction of the Open Space information in the table.

In Fishermans Bend, all residents and workers will be within 200m walking distance of open space.

Fishermans Bend Framework identifies 25.47 hectares of land for new open space (in addition to 16.8 hectares existing open space).

New open space of 0.3 hectares for Kirrip Park in Montague South (Ferrars Street) was delivered in partnership between State and Local government in 2018.

Additional open Space Projects In delivery include:

  • 0.3 hectares for a new park in Montague North (Johnson Street)
  • 0.12 hectares linear open space in Wirraway (Smith Street)
  • Land acquired: 2.52 hectares for a new park in Sandridge (North Port expansion) – in partnership with local government.

CATALYST PROJECTS

A visual representation of the catalyst projects text in the table.

Significant government investment is supporting delivery of catalyst projects including approximately $197.7M investment in the Fishermans Bend Innovation Precinct.

The Innovation Precincts is set to become a world renowned centre of innovation in advanced manufacturing, engineering and design.

  • Stage 1 will deliver new roads, park and enabling infrastructure by 2026.
  • This is complemented by the University of Melbourne investment in establishing its new School of Engineering and Design to open in 2026.
  • This is also supported by the $4.7M Gateway to GMH project – the first step in the transformation of Turner Street.

In addition:

  • South East Water has purchased land in Sardine Street Port Melbourne, for the construction of the precinct water recycling plant, a key catalyst project for the precinct. SEW anticipate commencing construction in 2027, and that the plant will be in operation in 2030.
  • Ferrars Street Education and Community Precinct in South Melbourne was delivered in 2018, including delivery of the South Melbourne Primary School, Kirrip Park, tram stop upgrades, streetscape upgrades and intersection upgrades.

PLANNING

A significant body of planning and policy work has been undertaken as important precursor work to finalising precinct plans and infrastructure funding.

Planning and policy work undertaken since 2018 has included:

  • Advancing Manufacturing: the Fisherman Bend Opportunity (2020) was released in 2020, supported by updates to planning controls in the Melbourne Planning Scheme. This is supported by government investment to deliver Stage 1 of the Fishermans Bend Innovation Precinct, , and the Gateway to GMH project.
  • Fishermans Bend Water Sensitive City Strategy (2022), which provides an integrated approach to water management in Fishermans Bend with solutions that range from the precinct wide, street, and individual building scale. This is supported by investment in the Water Recycling Plant, DCP funding for Precinct scale drainage and water infrastructure and integrated water management in streets and open spaces, and services for water reuse in buildings.
  • Fishermans Bend Seed Toolkit, released in December 2023, outlines a diverse set of levers to generate activity, seed economic opportunities and guide investment partnerships on the ground. It is supported by a commitment of $2.5 million over two years to deliver the Fishermans Bend Innovation, Diversity, Experimentation and Activation (FB IDEAS) pilot via the Melbourne Revitalisation Fund, which is road testing the Seed Toolkit on the ground with investment partners.
  • Release of the Draft Montague Precinct Implementation Plan (2023) which elaborates on the distinct precinct character, develops place-making approaches to support precinct activation, and identifies priority actions and key projects from the Framework. The Summary of Engagement was published in 2024. State and local government are collaborating to finalise this work as a priority.

Housing & property

Updated

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