Fitzroy Gasworks

As part of the Fitzroy Gasworks project, Development Victoria is managing the delivery of important upgrades to the Queens Parade service lane between Smith Street and George Street on behalf of the Department of Transport and Planning. These works will improve safety and greater connectivity for pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users and road users.  

These works form part of the broader Fitzroy Gasworks precinct works and are an important step in the process to deliver the new iconic urban village.

Please note, these works have been delayed.

The works will be managed by Development Victoria and delivered by Built Environs, who are currently delivering the construction of Bundha Sports Centre (formerly known as Fitzroy Sports Centre).

Development Victoria is managing the delivery of upgrading underground assets on behalf of Greater Western Water and Citipower.  

The Greater Western Water assets are being upgraded as they have reached the end of their lifecycle and the Citipower assets are being relocated prior to any development on the Fitzroy Gasworks site to ensure the works can be delivered without major impacts to the local community and businesses.  

The works will be managed by Development Victoria and delivered by Built Environs, Enviropacific and a sub-contractor, Ansina. These works will commence in September 2023 and are expected to be complete by early 2024, subject to change. 

Excavation works will need to take place. Some contaminated soil may be disturbed during excavation and this may cause the release of odour which might be smelt by the local community and businesses. 

Control measurements will be implemented to minimise the odour and monitoring will take place to ensure no harm to public health. These will include covering of stockpiles and the use of suppressants to minimise any odour. 

Control measures will include covering of stockpiles and the use of suppressants to minimise any odour occurring from the works.  

The former Fitzroy Gasworks Sports centre was gifted its official name - Bundha Sports Centre - by Wurundjeri Elders, Aunty Dianne Kerr, Aunty Gail Smith and Aunty Julieanne Axford, supported by the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation (WWCHAC).

The name ‘Bundha’ means: ‘unity’ and was chosen to reflect how this innovative multi-purpose venue will unite the community by supporting local sports clubs and encourage more of the community to get active.

Funding for the Bundha Sports Centre was announced in the 2021 Victorian State Budget. The Victoria Government has committed $49.5 million to the project and there is a $5 million contribution from Yarra City Council.

Development Victoria is delivering the project working in partnership with Sport and Recreation Victoria and Yarra City Council.

Construction works commenced in late 2022 and is being constructed by Built Environs, with major construction expected to generate approximately 150 jobs.  

The Victorian Government is seeking to appoint a venue operator. While that process is continuing, Collingwood Basketball Association (CBA) and the City of Yarra Futsal Network will have limited access to the sports centre courts.

This will allow this these local associations, who have been struggling to cater for growing numbers, access to the extra courts they desperately need.

It will also help build on CBA’s existing agreement with the adjacent Wurun Senior Campus.

Once a long-term operator is appointed, a separate Expression of Interest (EOI) process will be conducted to enable other local sports to also secure access to the facility.

The selection process for an operator of the venue is expected to be complete in 2025.

The new sports centre forms part of the Victorian Government’s vision for the Fitzroy Gasworks Precinct to create a new neighbourhood in the inner north that will eventually be home to around 1,000 families. 

The site is located at 433 Smith Street, North Fitzroy and is bordered by Alexandra Parade to the south, Smith Street to the east, Queens Parade to the north and George Street to the west. 

The site is made up of four precincts, The Sports Centre and School precinct, affordable housing (Parcel A) and Parcels B and C comprising of approximately 800 apartments, retail, flexible commercial tenancies, and a hotel. A Registration of Interest (ROI) process in March/April 2022 assessed developer interest for Parcels B and C only.

The Development Plan for Fitzroy Gasworks was approved in September 2022. The approved Development Plan outlines the planning controls, policy objectives and outcomes that will guide the design and construction of the site. This includes approximately 1,200 apartments, 20% of which will be Affordable Housing, approximately 8.7% of the site to be offered as public open space, two bicycle spaces per dwelling, the Valve House retention and enhancement and much more. Read the Development Plan here.

• Fitzroy Gasworks will deliver 20% affordable housing. 
• To achieve the delivery of affordable housing, the Development Plan includes an emphasis on building one and two-bedroom apartments, a priority on housing that is affordable to rent in the long-term, wider housing affordability measures that reduce the costs of living and apartments designed for increased adaptability and accessibility.  

The Development Plan Overlay sets out a series of height controls. This includes a maximum of 10 storeys across the site, with peripheral interface set-backs ranging from 4 to 6 storeys along Smith Street and Queens Parade. 

The Development Plan Overlay required a minimum of 8% public open space and the aim is to deliver approximately 8.7% public open space, with additional private open space to be delivered within private developments, which will be publicly accessible. 

The Valve House will be retained and enhanced as a significant heritage element for the site. 

Fitzroy Gasworks will be a pedestrian-priority neighbourhood. The new internal road will be a shared street, with slow traffic speeds and will be safe for pedestrians.  Fitzroy Gasworks will promote cycling as a preferred transport method for the community, with bicycle parking throughout the site. The planned shared streets – for pedestrians and cyclists – will encourage slower speeds to ensure it is a shared space. 

We anticipate almost 170 direct jobs over the next 10 years, with a further 566 jobs created via the supply chain (i.e., sub-contractors and suppliers). 

Construction for the broader precinct (Parcel B and C) is expected to commence in 2024, subject to change.   

Submit your email details via the registration tab here.

Development Victoria is constructing a new car park within the Alexandra Parade median strip between Smith Street and George Street to meet the future parking needs of the Bundha Sports Centre.

The car park will help alleviate parking congestion on local streets and improve the safety of pedestrians and cyclists accessing the sports centre.

Approximately 79 new car parking spaces will be provided.

Parking restrictions and/or ticketing will be at the discretion of Council as the car park operator.

Accessible parking spaces for the Bundha Sports Centre will be available on Gore Street and Queens Parade.

Due to the recent remediation of the Bundha Sports Centre site, the delivery of underground car parking was not a practical option.

Yes, but we want to minimise traffic impacts and ensure pedestrians and cyclists remain safe. The new car park on the Alexandra Parade median strip is designed to reduce parking in surrounding streets.

Vehicles will be able to enter and exit the car park from both the Eastbound and Westbound carriageways of Alexandra Pde. New turning lanes will be constructed to minimise impacts to traffic on Alexandra Parade from vehicles entering the car park.

The proposed pedestrian access would be via existing safe footpaths and signalised pedestrian crossings at Smith Street and George Street.

Yes. Several trees require removal due to poor health and risks to public safety, and several trees require removal to facilitate the car park construction works. A total of nine trees are required to be removed.

The trees required to be removed are not categorised as significant. A tree is deemed significant if it is individually listed or included in a group of trees within Council's Significant Tree Register.

The carparking bays will be constructed using a permeable pavement which will allow surface water to infiltrate into the ground. This not only maximises the amount of water reaching the roots of nearby trees, but also helps reduce stormwater runoff from the car park.

Some works to construct the car park will impact traffic on Alexandra Parade. Any impacts will be communicated once final approvals are obtained from the Department of Transport and Planning.

Development Victoria is currently preparing the necessary documentation to satisfy the conditions of the approved planning permit.

In parallel, Development Victoria is finalising approvals with Department of Transport and Planning and Melbourne Water.

Construction works will commence once all authority approvals are obtained, likely to be mid 2025.