YARRA’S VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF CREMORNE

By Yarra City Council

Yarra City Council and the Victorian Government are working to revitalise the inner-city suburb of Cremorne through collaboration with local start-ups and tech giants – and by preserving the suburb’s unique heritage buildings –to create new, sustainable and resilient open spaces.

Yarra City Council’s new draft Urban Design Framework (UDF) aims to guide the growth, development, and character of Cremorne.

Yarra City Council Mayor, Claudia Nguyen, said the plan will transform the densely populated and bustling area of Yarra with its mix of high-tech offices, showrooms, service industry and established residential pockets.

“At Yarra, we want Cremorne to be a thriving, global hub for innovation that is well set up for future growth while protecting its unique heritage,” Mayor Nguyen said.

“This framework aims to build on the things that workers, residents and visitors love about the area, like the mix of heritage buildings and Victorian worker’s cottages, offices and small industries, and strives to make them even better.”

The plan also recognises that the area stands on the traditional lands and waters of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people. Opportunities to embed Aboriginal language, design and names in streets, parks and public buildings – in consultation with Traditional Custodians – will be pursued.

The plan also focuses on making the suburb a leading sustainable and climate-resilient precinct by supporting net zero carbon development.

Net zero carbon buildings are less expensive to operate, healthier and more resilient than typical buildings – delivering considerable environmental, social and economic benefits to the community.

Five Themes Of The Draft Urban Design Framework

The draft UDF is structured around five themes, and under each theme there is a set of objectives and actions which will help deliver its vision for Cremorne.

THEME 1: A PLACE TO CREATE, INNOVATE AND LIVE

∞ Retain and promote global innovation

∞ Support affordable workspaces

∞ Develop digital infrastructure

∞ Recognise the commercial, employment, retail and residential roles of different precincts

THEME 2: A LEADING SUSTAINABLE AND CLIMATERESILIENT PRECINCT

∞ Support net zero carbon development

∞ Create an urban forest and green buildings to mitigate the urban heat island effect

∞ Water management to support a resilient and liveable precinct

THEME 3: CONNECTED AND ACCESSIBLE CREMORNE

∞ Encouraging a highly accessible and well-connected movement network that prioritises sustainable and active transport and discourages through traffic

∞ Improved public transport services and access

∞ Safe and attractive local cycling and pedestrian networks which connect strategic corridors, major trails and key destinations

∞ Reduce off-street car parking requirements to promote more sustainable modes of transport

THEME 4: SPACES FOR PEOPLE

∞ Create a network of high-quality public spaces and streets

∞ Reconnect Cremorne with Yarra River (Birrarung)

∞ Making Cremorne Street and Church Street key activity corridors

∞ Reimagine Richmond and East Richmond Station transport hubs

∞ Support local placemaking initiatives

∞ Protect and interpret Indigenous Australian cultural values and heritage in the design of Cremorne

THEME 5: QUALITY DESIGN THAT BUILDS ON CREMORNE’S PRECINCT IDENTITY

∞ Create a comfortable and engaging public realm

∞ Deliver high-quality sustainable buildings

∞ Ensure the scale and form of buildings respond to their context

∞ Showcase Cremorne’s diverse heritage buildings

∞ Create blueprints for the redevelopment of strategic sites

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Yarra City Council sought feedback from the community on the draft UDF in 2022 by:

∞ Holding feedback sessions with community groups

∞ Meeting the community in person at pop-up information sessions throughout Cremorne

∞ Hosting online question and answer sessions for residents and businesses

∞ Organising one-on-one meetings with residents, businesses and community members

∞ Digital engagement hosted on Council’s Your Say Yarra website

Council officers are currently reviewing the public submissions. Council officers will then present the findings from the consultation at a Council Meeting to:

∞ Present the consultation feedback and discuss responses

∞ Present an updated version of Urban Design Framework for Council endorsement

∞ Seek Ministerial approval to begin the process to introduce new planning controls to implement parts of the plan.

The Draft Urban Design Framework builds on the Cremorne Place Implementation Plan (CPIP) developed by the Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) in collaboration with Yarra, that was launched in December 2020.

Did you know?

For more information go to yoursayyarra.com.au