Fitzroy Gasworks

Key details

Location
433 Smith Street, Fitzroy

Policy objective
Create an urban village that includes new housing, community facilities, and open space.

Overview

The former Fitzroy Gasworks site is an important part of Fitzroy North’s industrial and social heritage.

We are transforming the former Fitzroy Gasworks site into a vibrant new neighbourhood in the heart of Melbourne.

Development Plan Exhibition

After detailed planning work and community consultation, we published the Development Plan (download on the resource page), outlining the vision for the site that has been carefully created following all of the community and stakeholder feedback.

This is the culmination of many hours of community and stakeholder engagement and would not have been possible without the input of the community.

The formal exhibition period of the Development Plan was from 10 November 2021 to 8 December 2021.

The Development Plan will be submitted to the Minister for Planning for approval, including the results from our community consultations.

The Development Plan submission is a major milestone in the project as it ensures any future development complies with the vision for the site, once approved. This provides certainty about the nature of the proposed use and development to the community, stakeholders and the Minister for Planning, including building heights and open space requirements.

3.9ha project area

20% affordable housing

1,200 new apartments

8% public open space

Site design

buildings to reflect the local character in terms of built form, materiality and uses.
establish a central community heart linking together diverse public spaces with places to play.
maximise urban greening by introducing trees, ground cover, vertical and roof top vegetation.
create ground floor uses that showcase a variety of activities and provide activation.

Sustainability and infrastructure

the plan has achieved a 6-star green star communities rating through the Green Building Council of Australia.
maximise potential for energy generation on site, with solar panels to most rooftops.
maximise thermal performance of buildings for lower living costs over time.
minimise waste produced on site, with consolidated collection points.

Public open space

targeting 8% public open space with an additional 8% private open space.
delivered through laneways and arcades, gateways and urban greening.
include a community garden with 220m2 of agricultural space for the residential community to access.

Affordable housing

delivery of 20% affordable housing.
a mix of one, two and three-bedroom dwellings.
a priority on housing that is affordable to rent; ensuring accessibility.

Land use and built form

encourage a variety in building heights up to 10 storeys.
flexible spaces that may include retail, hospitality, office and coworking spaces, affordable workspaces for creative industries, galleries, grocery stores and gyms.
restoration of the heritage listed valve house.

Movement

create a pedestrian-priority neighbourhood with consolidated parking and minimalreliance on.

Private vehicles

create high-quality pedestrian and tram links that integrated with the surrounding community.
create a high-quality street at the heart of the precinct for bicycles, pedestrians and vehicular pick up and drop off.

Key outcomes

While the final design is yet to be confirmed, the following elements are likely to be included within the broader precinct:

1,200 apartments
A 650-student senior high school set to open in 2022.
A sports centre catering for a range of sports to be delivered by Development Victoria.
A community facility to be developed in consultation with council
All site car parking to be located underground, with bicycle parking above-ground
Eight per cent of the site to be offered as public open space
Adaptive reuse of the Valve House and relocation and restoration of the Porter Iron Store (subject to approval by Heritage Victoria)

Approach

This vision for the redevelopment of Fitzroy Gasworks is supported by seven guiding principles:

A precinct with areas of recreation and open space
A mix of built form, housing and land
An environmentally responsible precinct
Community facilities and amenities
Sustainable transport and permeability
Promotion of cultural diversity, indigenous recognition, and respect for heritage and history
A well-designed planning and engagement process

Between 2016 and 2017, we undertook community and stakeholder engagement to identify local priorities and aspirations for the site. The community identified the need for a school, sports centre, affordable housing and open space. Through this consultation the community also provided feedback about height and density, traffic, parking and the heritage of the site.

In October 2019, the draft concept plans were presented for further community feedback. This feedback was used to help shape the Development Plan for the precinct.

The Development Plan is being exhibited throughout November 2021.

The Minister for Planning approves the Development Plan.

The Department of Treasury and Finance has appointed Enviropacific to manage remediation of the contaminated Fitzroy Gasworks land.

Location

The site is bordered by Smith Street, Alexandra Parade and Queens Parade, and has an area of 3.9ha.

It's surrounded by the suburbs of Fitzroy, Clifton Hill, and Collingwood.

Who to contact about this project

For more information about the remediation process visit:
Enviropacific

Or call the dedicated project number:
1800 560 822

Development Victoria

Customer service
Ph: 131 852
fitzroy.gasworks@development.vic.gov.au

Media
Ph: 03 8317 3700
media@development.vic.gov.au

City of Yarra

Ph: 03 9658 9658
After hours: 03 96589774

Fitzroy Gasworks

Artist's impression only

Artist impression - Fitzroy Gasworks at dusk

construction precinct Docklands

construction precinct Ballarat West Employment Zone

Was this page helpful?

Project timeline

Mid-2018 to mid 2019: Remediation planning
Early-2019 to mid 2020: Development plan review
Early-2021: Remediation complete, and construction begins

Overview of remediation

Remediation deals with the removal of pollution or contaminants from environmental sources such as soil, groundwater, sediment or surface water.

The site is contaminated due to its former use as a gasworks, and is subject to an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Up Order.

The removal of contaminated soil is required to deliver a cleaner, safer environment for the people of Fitzroy North and future users of the proposed site.

The Department of Treasury and Finance has appointed Enviropacific to manage remediation of the contaminated Fitzroy Gasworks land.

If you have a question about the remediation process, you can email the Enviropacific team.

FAQ

How long will remediation take?

Phase 1 remediation work began in 2018, including further investigation of the soil and the preparation of the site’s remediation action plan.

Phase 2 works began in April 2019. This involves the excavation of contaminated material down to a depth of 10 metres. The materials will then be removed off-site to an approved processing facility.

Why is tree removal necessary?

Due to the extent of contamination on site, trees will be removed as part of the remediation works to satisfy the requirements of the EPA clean-up notice.

To mitigate the loss of the existing vegetation, Development Victoria is committed to replacing trees on a minimum one-to-one basis.

What noise will be created during this process?

Remediation activities have been carefully planned to minimise noise and other disruptions.

The main sources of noise are likely to be truck movements to and from site, demolition, pilling and concrete breaking.

Noise and acoustic controls will be established in accordance with the approved Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP). All activities will be completed in accordance with Council and EPA regulations. Noise baffles and other protection for equipment will be used during the remediation.

Building a community in the heart of Fitzroy

Development Victoria has worked with Fitzroy community members to identify local priorities and aspirations, and plans to address these as part of the development.

Between 2016 and 2017, the community provided input on: school and sports facilities, social housing, open space, community art, height and density, traffic, parking, and the heritage of the site.

In October 2019, community feedback was provided for the draft Development Plan via an online survey, pop-up information sessions, and two drop-in sessions.

The project team are now incorporating this feedback ahead of the formal submission of the development plan in 2020.

A Community Reference Group (CRG) was established with 18 members representing the broader community. The CRG will continue to meet on an ongoing basis during the next phase of the project.

Ongoing engagement will be important to help shape the development plan. A further round of engagement will take place prior to the final Development Plan submission, expected to take place in early 2020.

Supporting documents used during the October 2019 engagement sessions include the project fact sheet and design boards.

Fitzroy Gasworks Community Engagement

October 2019

History

Fitzroy Gasworks is located on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri people.

From 1859 to 1927 the site was used to supply gas to Melbourne. Gas continued to be stored on the site until the 1970s.

There is a Heritage Overlay on the former Fitzroy Gasworks Valve House, located in the south-west corner of the site.

The Valve House will be retained as a significant heritage element. Options for its re-use were considered as part of the community engagement in October 2019.

The J. H. Porter Iron Store formerly located on the Council depot site is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register as being of State significance.

The Heritage Overlay is only applicable for the asset, and not the land it sits on. A heritage permit has been issued by Heritage Victoria for Development Victoria to carefully restore and relocate the J. H. Porter Iron Store at a new location in Fairfield Park.