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.
Over the coming years, Fitzroy Gasworks will become a vibrant new neighbourhood in the heart of Melbourne.
The vision for the site is to create an urban village offering a range of residences including affordable housing, community amenity, retail offerings, a sports centre and open space. The Department of Education (DET) and Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) are also facilitating the development of a senior high school adjacent to our residential and mixed-use development.
3.9ha project area
20% affordable housing
1,100 new apartments
over 8% public open space
Key outcomes
While the final design is yet to be confirmed, the following elements are likely to be included within the broader precinct:
- 1,100 apartments
- A 650-student senior high school to be delivered by the VSBA on behalf of DET.
- 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
- Over 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
Two rounds of community feedback have been completed, and there will be further opportunities for community feedback as the project progresses.
In mid-2020 the development plan will be exhibited for community feedback.
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
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Project timeline
- Mid-2018 to mid 2019: Remeditation 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
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.
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.
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.