Local Planning Policy Framework - Moreland City Council

Central Coburg 2020 Background Report [ PHASE 1: Research and Analysis ]
The retail floorspace analysis indicates that there is a potential future demand for
additional floorspace, largely as a result of the Pentridge development, general growth
in retail spending and an expected trend towards gentrification.
Type of Establishment Establishments
(ANZSIC classification) (Count)
Estimated
Floorspace (m 2 Share of Total
) Floorspace (%)
Share of Retail
Floorspace (%)
Food and Alcohol 56 9,297 9 24
Cafes and Restaurants 26 6,091 6 16
Homewares 36 8,178 8 21
Clothing and Footwear 45 4,672 5 12
Health and Personal 43 5,582 6 14
Entertainment 14 2,218 2 6
Vacant Shops 7 2,916 3 7
Total 227 38,954 39 100
Source: SGS Existing Land Use Survey 2000, 2001
The main issue affecting the centre is the quality of the urban environment provided.
The separation of the supermarkets by a ‘sea’ of car parking makes it attractive to car
based shoppers but cleaves the retail stores into two parts. It is important to ensure
that any proposals do not compromise the traffic and access given the key role the
supermarkets play in central Coburg.
The Economic Role of Central Coburg
Note: The Coburg core industrial area is located just outside of the study area. It has
been included in this analysis for the purposes of its contribution to employment and
land supply.
The economic base of Coburg has traditionally been in manufacturing and related
industrial activity. The decline in these industries is reflected in the high
unemployment rates in the area. The decline in manufacturing employment, the
increasing requirements for skills both formal and informal and increased educational
attainment is consistent across Australia. The impact is however great in a
community like Coburg due to the high intensity of manufacturing in the area in the
past. This impact has been further increased as manufacturing moves to lower cost,
more accessible land at the fringes of the metropolitan area.
Employment opportunities are shifting to other skills and sectors. This has been
reflected by a shift in the skills of the population with more of the population now
having formal qualifications, but the population characteristics lag the change in
employment opportunities. In the short term, this means that workers from outside
the area will fill these new positions. In the longer term however, changes to the
population (gentrification) may bring the population with skills that match the new
opportunities.
Central Coburg’s workforce provides for a large amount of employment for people
outside the study area. While there were 5,581 jobs hosted in central Coburg, there
were 3,834 employed residents in central Coburg.
If new manufacturing is to locate in central Coburg it will likely need to be based on
high value, advanced technology manufacturing to justify the cost of land.
Alternatively it may be offices or other white-collar activities, or new forms of retail.
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