Council Initiatives

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Council's key projects occurring within the City, includes masterplans and 10 year strategies.

The Junction Urban Master Plan has been prepared by Darebin Council together with the community to improve the attractiveness and liveability of public space in the Preston Junction area.

Rejuvenating High Street’s Preston Junction Precinct

The Junction Urban Master Plan has been prepared by Darebin Council together with the community to improve the attractiveness and liveability of public space in the Junction Precinct.

We have recently completed a major streetscape upgrade to High Street to support slower speed travel and create a safer space for pedestrians and cyclists. These traffic calming devices include a central planted median, kerb outstands, additional pedestrian crossing and new landscaping.  These changes provide new opportunities for outdoor dining, creating a more vibrant street for the community.

New public space at the Oakover Road slip lane site

Delivering a safe, accessible public open space on the corner of Oakover Road and High Street is a key project in the Junction Urban Master Plan (JUMP). This master plan recognises that additional public spaces are needed for this growing community.

A pop-up park was conducted in 2016, which allowed Council and community to test future options for the space. Council voted to keep the slip lane closed following planned removal of the ‘pop-up park’ until further feedback could be sought from the community regarding the future option of this space.

At our Council meeting on 4 September 2017 we unanimously resolved to support the permanent closure of the Oakover Road slip lane and create a new public space for the Preston Junction community.

This decision supports the opinions of the local community. Following a recent community consultation, which discussed the future options for this site, a total of 213 submissions were received regarding the project. Over two-thirds of the community who participated in consultation, supported the permanent closure of the slip lane to create a new public space. You can view the consultation outcomes is the document library.

We are working towards the delivery of  this new space for the community by April 2018.

For further information please visit http://www.yoursaydarebin.com.au/JUMP

Further information : Public.Places@Darebin.vic.gov.au

On 21 September 2015, we voted unanimously to construct the highly anticipated womens multi-sports stadium at John Cain Memorial Park in Thornbury.

The stadium will provide a much needed facility for a range of court-sports including netball, basketball, volleyball and badminton, and will greatly enhance opportunities for women and girls in Darebin to participate in sport and physical activity. 

We hope to work closely with the Victorian State Government on the development of this facility, including accessing State Government funding earmarked for the development of 64 outdoor netball courts across inner Melbourne. 

In the near future, we will be seeking feedback from the Darebin community about our plans for the stadium.

If you would like to provide input into the master plan process or receive future updates about the Darebin multi-sport stadium project please email leisure@darebin.vic.gov.au.

The Traffic and Transport consultation to find out what the community’s priorities are for traffic and transport in Darebin has concluded.

The information gathered from the survey and ideas presented at our community forums will help inform future traffic and transport programs. We are committed to working with the community on these issues and will let you know the next steps through information published in the local press, this website and our social media channels.

In 2013/14 Darebin Council committed to consulting the community on how to utilise the then recently established infrastructure fund, living up to the Council Plan goal of Open and Accountable Democracy.

Accordingly, in 2014 Darebin Council was the first Victorian Council to undertake a dynamic new participatory budgeting process, A Citizen's Jury of 31 randomly selected community members reflecting Darebin's diverse population profile decided: How should we best spend $2 million to improve our community through the use of infrastructure funding?

The wider community was invited to submit their ideas for the Jury to consider. Council unanimously approved the Jury's recommendations in September 2014.

Video: Watch our Citizen's Jury story.

The Reservoir Streetscape Masterplan was identified as a priority project in the adopted Reservoir Structure Plan. In September 2014 the Reservoir Streetscape Masterplan was endorsed by Council. It will guide improvements to the Edwardes Street and Broadway streetscapes over a 10 year period.

Reservoir Streetscape Master Plan
The Reservoir Activity Centre now has an adopted Streetscape Masterplan. This 10 year plan will guide streetscape improvements supporting pedestrian friendly streets, more public spaces, new street trees and garden beds and improved cycling facilities. You can view a summary of the projects here. 
This financial year,  keep an eye out for the High Street shared path upgrade, new infrastructure to slow the flow of traffic, the creation of a ‘Pop up’ park, new public spaces for the community to enjoy, speed limit reduction to 40km in Broadway and more than 1000 new plants and trees in the garden beds.
Reservoir Streetscape Master Plan Implementation 2014/15
A range of projects were identified in the Reservoir Streetscape Master Plan - which Council developed last year in consultation with the community - to make areas in Reservoir more pedestrian-friendly, safe and attractive.

Council is currently implementing plans for streetscape upgrades for Broadway and Edwardes Street and a pop up park on Broadway and Cheddar Road. You can see the documents below for detail and proposed designs, we'd like to know your thoughts on these draft plans.

Reservoir Identity Development Study
The character of Reservoir will be celebrated with a new look brand that will be rolled out by local businesses throughout the Activity Centre.
Council and Hello City consultants, have been speaking to the local businesses and residents about what makes Reservoir special. All these ideas have inspired a new centre logo for Reservoir, along a report full of great ideas to create positive experiences for Reservoir, creating a stronger sense of place.

Broadway Public Spaces Construction

A range of projects were identified in the Reservoir Streetscape Masterplan Implementation 2014-2015 and developed by Council in consultation with the community, to make areas in Reservoir more pedestrian-friendly, safe and attractive. One of the projects is the development of new public spaces (urban nodes) at the corner of Broadway and Marchant Avenue. The new public spaces are one of the ways Council is helping to create lively and prosperous retail centres in Darebin.

The new public spaces will include:

  • Custom designed seats, bike hoops and bollards that are unique to the Reservoir streetscape. The new seating arrangement will encourage communal seating and add points of interest in the street.
  • A combination of concrete and asphalt paving that defines the new public spaces and creates character.
  • New garden bed with ground covers, low shrubs and trees providing shade.

The landscape works to construct the spaces will began in February 2016 and are expected to take about 3 to 4 weeks to complete, with works commencing after 7am. During the works, there may be some slight disruption to the adjacent businesses and all efforts will be taken to keep this to a minimum. Footpaths that are affected by the works may need to be closed for short periods due to safety concerns but pedestrian access to and from the businesses will be maintained at all times.

Further Information
Public Realm
Ph: 8470 8417
Email: public.places@darebin.vic.gov.au

Council partnered with the State Government in 2011 in an integrated public transport and urban renewal project designed to make catching a tram along Route 86 safer, faster, more reliable and easier to access. We also wanted to make High Street Northcote more vibrant, attractive, safer and easier to move around.

The new tram stops have a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists between the passenger waiting area and trams. Cyclists are required to stop behind the tram when it stops to allow passengers to get on and off the tram safely.

Background
The project covered a 6.8 kilometre corridor reaching from Westgarth Street (Northcote) up to Albert Street (Reservoir). It involved upgrading tram stops and making major changes to the road environment to make tram travel along this route quicker and easier.

The project aimed to give pedestrians more priority in key strip shopping and activity centres, improving pedestrian safety and mobility, and visual amenity to make the area more vibrant and attractive.

Next Stages
Implementation of Stage 2 of the project is subject to funding received by State Government.

Further Information
Tram Route 86 Corridor Project Project Summary
Northcote on Track Video