Guiding Principles and Strategic Directions - City of Port Phillip

Adopted 11 September 2012
City of Port Phillip
Fishermans Bend Guiding Principles and Strategic Directions
The City of Port Phillip’s Fishermans Bend Guiding Principles and Strategic Directions below
compliment the Montague Precinct Structure Plan and relate to the balance of Fishermans
Bend.
These guiding principles and strategic directions are Councils interim policy position and are
subject to ongoing work and refinement.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
1. A child and family friendly place – safe, accessible and human scale
2. A highly connected place that prioritises sustainable travel and the movement
of people
3. An exemplary environmentally sustainable precinct
4. A strong and vibrant economy, providing jobs and local access to goods and
services
5. A variety of neighbourhoods, each with a distinct and unique identity
6. A high quality built environment, supporting a vibrant and diverse mix of land
uses
7. A well-serviced, diverse and connected local community that welcomes
everyone
8. A community and place that is integrated, resilient and self-sufficient
9. A place that embraces and fosters cultural and creative communities – in its
businesses, residents and visitors
10. A funding plan for the timely provision of open space, community facilities and
physical infrastructure
11. A well planned and staged precinct approach to facilitate the orderly transition
of the precinct

STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS
1 LAND USE
1.1 Create a series of diverse neighbourhoods across Fishermans Bend, each with its own
individual identity and character.
1.2 Plan for a balance of business and residential land uses across Fishermans Bend, whilst
achieving diversity in the land use mix for different precincts which responds to their
context; i.e. a predominantly commercial and industrial precinct adjacent the Port of
Melbourne and West Gate freeway and a residential edge to major open space sites.
1.3 Promote a vertical mix of uses with active uses at street level such as cafes and small
business, with residential and/or office space above.
1.4 Ensure a diverse mix of housing types including townhouses and apartments which
encourage families, independent living for seniors, accessible housing, and affordable
and social housing opportunities.
1.5 Ensure at least 20% of housing is affordable, and that no less than 30% of these
dwellings are provided as community housing managed by registered Housing
Associations or Providers.
1.6 Plan for a range of vibrant local activity centres to service and provide a focal point for the
communities of Fishermans Bend.
1.7 Retain and grow business and employment clusters, and facilitate opportunities focused
on small business, creative and knowledge based industries, research and development,
green businesses and service industries.
1.8 Adopt a preventative approach to land use conflicts through identifying the need to
integrate buffers, such as open space, to protect sensitive uses and ‘designing in’
amenity protection measures such as noise attenuation.
2 COMMUNITY FACILITIES
2.1 Create and foster a strong sense of community, providing places for people to work, live
and meet locally.
2.2 Provide community facilities for a changing and growing community, and ensure they are
delivered early in the development of Fishermans Bend.
2.3 Create a series of accessible and well resourced community hubs, which facilitate the
clustering of services, co-located where possible with local activity centres.
2.4 Provide flexible, multi-purpose community spaces capable of expansion and adaptation
into the future.
2.5 Establish new public schools and education facilities, catering from early childhood
through to tertiary education.
2.6 Maximise opportunities for the shared use of open space, community and education
facilities.
2.7 Plan for the provision of new health services including a hospital, aged care and
community health facilities.

2.8 Plan for the provision of essential services such as police, ambulance and fire services.
2.9 Ensure all community services and facilities are planned, appropriate sites secured, and
funding models determined, to enable their timely delivery to service the new
communities of Fishermans Bend.
2.10 Ensure the demand created for community facilities and services does not place
additional pressure on existing services in surrounding areas.
2.11 Introduce a Development Contribution Plan to fund community infrastructure.
3 CULTURAL SPACES AND ACTIVITIES
3.1 Acknowledge and celebrate the indigenous, European and industrial history of
Fishermans Bend, and incorporate this into the design of public spaces and buildings.
3.2 Create and foster cultural hubs and creative communities.
3.3 Require contextual urban and integrated art as part of all developments.
4 BUILT FORM
4.1 Achieve distinct and diverse built form characters across the different precincts of
Fishermans Bend.
4.2 Encourage a diversity of building forms with higher densities to the north and lower
densities to the south of the area, respecting the lower rise, fine grain of adjoining
residential suburbs.
4.3 Ensure a fine urban grain and a highly permeable urban environment.
4.4 Encourage a predominance of perimeter block built form to provide high density but lower
rise development (4-6 stories).
4.5 Draw from best practice examples and European style development by encouraging
medium rise development, internal courtyards and city squares.
4.6 Ensure the scale of buildings contributes to a positive street environment.
4.7 Ensure high amenity to the area by requiring good solar access to buildings, streets and
public spaces.
4.8 Create active frontages which contribute to a vibrant street life.
4.9 Ensure buildings are designed to consider views not just looking out to the city and the
bay but also looking in to Fishermans Bend.
4.10 Ensure buildings are designed to create flexible and adaptable spaces, such as minimum
floor to ceiling heights.
4.11 Ensure all new dwellings are accessible via entry design, wider doorways/corridors and
accessible toilet/shower/bathrooms.
4.12 Require quality architecture and urban design excellence throughout Fishermans Bend -
Development should achieve the ‘Primary Design Principles’ and ‘Design Elements’
defined in the Montague Precinct Structure Plan (as below)

Primary Design Principles (Montague Precinct Structure Plan)-
• New building heights and density must create a positive street level environment through ensuring
access to daylight, sunlight and minimising of wind effects.
• A vibrant street life must be achieved through active ground floor frontages and upper floors which
overlook the street.
• New buildings must provide a clear definition between the public and private realm, to assist in
delineating the street space and creating a sense of street enclosure.
• A high standard of internal and external amenity must be achieved for dwellings within the precinct
and at the interface with existing residential areas.
• New development across the Precinct must achieve urban design and architectural excellence,
including best practice environmental design.
• Cultural heritage will be protected, including significant buildings and laneways.
• New development will contribute to a unique urban character for each of Montague’s
Neighbourhoods and support the specific land use objectives for these areas.
Design Elements (Montague Precinct Structure Plan)-
The following design elements will contribute to achieving these ‘principles’:
- A consistent street-wall height to act as a unifying element across the Precinct.
- The characteristic hard edge alignment of built form to the street (zero setback of street-wall).
- A complementary height limit applied on both sides of the street.
- A visual distinction between the podium and upper levels of a building, through setbacks / recessed
upper levels, well articulated design and the use of materials and colour.
- Ensuring development on larger sites expresses the finer grain of the wider streetscape.
- Ensuring all visible sides of a building are fully designed.
- A sensitive transition down in height to lower scale established neighbouring residential areas.
- Development which contributes to reinforcing and extending the fine grain ‘grid’ pattern of streets and
laneways.
- Awnings or verandahs providing weather protection constructed at a consistent height above the
street.
- Balconies are designed as an integral part of the street-wall.
- Buildings on corner sites address both frontages.
(Montague Precinct Structure Plan)
5 OPEN SPACES, STREETS AND LANES
5.1 Mandate a 10% open space contribution from developers and ensure public open space
is provided for in accordance with the Open Space Principles set out in the Montague
Precinct Structure Plan (as below)
High Quality
• Acknowledge the importance of ‘high quality’ open space in a high density urban environment.
• Ensure innovative and flexible design makes best use of limited space.
• Promote the use of quality, robust materials to withstand higher rates of use.
Accessibility
• Maximise the accessibility of open spaces through ensuring they are connected by well-defined bike
links and primary walking routes.
• Ensure an equitable distribution of accessible open space across the Precinct.
• Create ‘conducive walkways’ between other destinations and open space to promote physical activity.
Diversity

• Create a range of open space / recreational opportunities both within individual spaces and across the
network.
Safety
• Incorporate high quality design and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)
principles to provide amenity, engender feelings of safety and facilitate higher usage of public spaces.
Strategic opportunities
• ‘Design in’ and secure open space sites early in the development process.
• Contribute towards an ‘urban forest’ through greening opportunities associated with open spaces
combined with street tree canopy cover.
(Montague Precinct Structure Plan)
5.2 Deliver a high quality public realm throughout Fishermans Bend which is designed to
create a strong sense of place and local identity
5.3 Create diverse public spaces which act as community focal points, including a city square
5.4 Create safe, green and pedestrian-friendly streets, lanes and open space links
5.5 Create a integrated open space network of new parks and green spaces that capitalise
on the opportunities to establish linkages to existing open spaces, adjoining residential
areas, the foreshore and the river
5.6 Ensure open space is available within 400m walking distance to everyone within
Fishermans Bend
5.7 Ensure the open space network caters to a diverse population of residents and workers
5.8 Ensure open space is meaningful, multi-purpose and provides for flexible use, including
recreational and sporting facilities, active sports fields and passive spaces, playgrounds
and dog walking
5.9 Protect Murphy Reserve (including maximising solar access) and enhance its role as a
community and sports precinct and wetlands space
5.10 Maximise opportunities for significant tree planting and landscaping to contribute to the
amenity of the area and reduce the heat island effect.
5.11 Plan for innovative uses of the freeway undercroft
6 ACCESS AND MOVEMENT
6.1 Create highly walkable precincts by ensuring an integrated transport network for the area
that supports 80 percent of all short trips and 11 percent of commuter trips to be taken by
walking only
6.2 Develop safe, legible, comfortable, continuous and convenient local and commuter bike
routes that connect to key destinations and neighbouring areas
6.3 Provide and prioritise a well integrated, connected and serviced public transport network
supported by high quality walking routes to stops and stations
6.4 Create safe linear (open space, green, walking, bike riding) links to establish connections
between precincts and to the CBD and foreshore including along public transport route.
6.5 Walking, cycling and open space links should maximise safe and seamless integration
with the surrounding established residential areas in South Melbourne and Port
Melbourne.

6.6 Manage traffic access and parking to deter car use and reduce impacts of through traffic
at Fishermans Bend and on neighbouring areas
6.7 Adopt a Travel Demand Management approach to the management of on-street parking
and the provision of off-street car parking including specifying maximum parking rates
6.8 Plan for car free developments and neighbourhoods
6.9 Provide new north-south sustainable transport links through Fishermans Bend across the
river to Docklands and the City, Bay Street and Port Melbourne, St Kilda Road precinct
and the Domain Interchange and West Melbourne suburbs
6.10 Plan for Port related and truck traffic to utilise arterial and highway hierarchy roads
6.11 Restrict/prevent freight vehicles not originating or destined for Fishermans Bend or
neighbouring areas from using the local road network
6.12 Plan for an additional crossing of the Yarra River which prioritises public transport access
into the CBD
7 ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
7.1 Create an exemplary green precinct
7.2 Create a low carbon, water sensitive, zero waste and climate adept precinct
7.3 Develop sustainable infrastructure, including third pipe, distributed and renewable energy
generation technologies at the precinct scale
7.4 Implement ‘best practice’ stormwater management solutions in buildings, roads and open
space
7.5 Implement innovative waste management infrastructure and resource recovery programs
7.6 Promote ‘best practice’ environmental sustainable building design (i.e. 6 Green Star
buildings standards) including; green roofs, passive design principles such as natural
ventilation, a range of energy efficient features and local food gardens
7.7 Promote climate resilient development and adaptive building design in order to address
the impacts of climate change
7.8 Mandate ‘best practice’ water and energy efficiency, and potable water substitution
7.9 Factor in sea level rise of at least 0.8 to 1.2 metres by 2100 combined with increase
catchment based flooding
7.10 Promote multi functional liveable and sustainable public open space that incorporates
innovative adaptation measures such as water sensitive urban design and urban heat
island amelioration
8 MANAGING AND STAGING THE TRANSITION
8.1 Ensure ‘best practice’ principles supported by detailed planning to guide the future
development of Fishermans Bend
8.2 Prepare and implement a staging plan to guide the development of each precinct,
including timely infrastructure provision

8.3 Maximise the long-term potential for business operations, and assist with the transition
of exiting businesses
8.4 Advocate to State Government to plan for the retention of inner city industrial land
8.5 Detail a Development Contribution Plan as a priority
8.6 Advocate for Government funding of (regional) open space, transport and community
facilities
8.7 Prepare a traffic and parking management plan to cater for the transition of the area,
through sequencing the implementation of changes to parking management and
provision, traffic management, and access in and through the precinct
8.8 Resolve/address key development constraints early in the planning process, in
particular contaminated land and flood risk.
8.9 Ensure there is a process to guide statutory planning decision making prior to any
detailed planning being put in to place
8.10 Advocate to the State Government to return Responsible Authority status to Council
following the detailed planning of each precinct.