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A small part of the Christchurch city centre was re-opened recently following the devastating earthquake that struck the Canterbury region in February this year. 

The re-opened area includes 27 shops and cafes housed in specially converted shipping containers.  The brightly painted containers include glass frontages and balconies and have been carefully arranged to create a vibrant and interesting new retail centre (albeit a temporary one while the rest of the city is being rebuilt).

New Zealand’s Prime Minister, John Key, officially opened the area and described it as “funky, modern and fresh”.  We agree, and hope that it helps to lift the spirits of the people of Canterbury as they continue to recover and rebuild.

Note: The Collie office will be closing for the holidays on Wednesday 21 December 2011 (but don’t call after midday because we will be out celebrating the end of the year) and will reopen on Monday 9 January 2012.

Mirvac received a commendation in the Medium Density Development Category of the UDIA (Victoria) 2011 Awards for Excellence for its Laureate development in Albert Park, which was considered an “outstanding medium density development” by the judges. Collie was pleased to provide planning inputs to Mirvac throughout the project.
Enquiries: Jay Hollerich (jjh@colliepl.com.au)

The Growth Areas Authority (GAA) has released for comment draft Growth Corridor Plans identifying areas for housing, jobs, transport, town centres, open space and key infrastructure. Public consultation closes at 5pm on Tuesday 20 December, 2011. Submissions can be made either via mail to Growth Areas Authority, Level 29, 35 Collins Street Victoria 3000 or e-mailed to
gcpsubmissions@gaa.vic.gov.au

Should you require any planning advice regarding the draft Growth Corridor Plans, please do not hesitate to contact Collie to discuss.

Extract of South East Corridor Plan

The first tram stop redevelopment on Swanston Street outside the State Library has now been completed with others to be constructed at RMIT University, Bourke Street Mall and City Square.

As shown in the image below the tram stop has a raised platform that allows for access to trams for people of all abilities. Additionally, each tram stop will feature bluestone paving and new street furniture. The tram stop area also contains banded paving to signify priority cyclist movements.

As a cyclist who uses Swanston Street to commute to work, I was forced to a stop (despite there being no trams present) as pedestrians were walking in the bike lane. As shown in the image below people have been employed to instruct pedestrians to remain clear of the bike lane until a tram has arrived. Clearly these people won’t be policing pedestrians forever, but at the same time cyclists have to be aware they are entering a shared environment, travel at a reduced speed and be vigilant.

Undoubtedly the redevelopment, which will eventually remove all cars, will contribute to beautifying Swanston Street and reinstating it as a Melbourne premier boulevard. At this stage however, it is difficult to know whether the new tram stops will increase or lessen conflict between cyclists and pedestrians. Perhaps it is too early to tell!

The Melbourne Town Hall was the venue for a public lecture on Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). Dr Seth Grossman a director at the Institute of Business District Management in the School of Public Affairs and Administration from Rutgers University-Newark, New Jersey was the keynote speaker.

Dr Grossman explained that BIDs are partnerships between the public and private sector that achieve comprehensive community revitalization, economic development and quality of life improvements in business and mixed use areas. Such partnerships allow the public sector to adopt a more vigorous entrepreneurial stance, while allowing the private sector to utilize public authority and public processes to achieve economic and community revitalization.

According to Dr Grossman, there are more than 650 BIDs in the U.S.A. and an estimated 1,500 worldwide. There are currently no BIDs in Australia.

In general, BIDs are formed following a proposal by a group of property owners in a geographically defined area to fund services beyond those which local governments can afford. A BID is funded through each business paying a contribution, which is usually collected in the form of taxation. Residents, the Public sector and not-for-profit organisations are not required to make a financial contribution to the BID.

Although the BID is authorised by the municipality, it is managed by private entities that function as publically-oriented public-private partnerships. A BID will comprise of a board of directors who represent the property owners, merchants, residents and public sector representatives who are given authority by the government to undertake projects and programs within the district.

Given the funding constraints of local governments to initiate programs for urban regeneration, BIDs create the opportunity for works that are mutually beneficial for the community and business development.

Times Square, New York BID
Times Square in New York is an example of a BID, which has been highly successful in transforming an area which was associated with squalor and crime into a clean, safe and friendly environment. The Times Square BID, which is run by the Times Square Alliance, was established in 1992. With an annual operating budget of $5.9 million much of the BID’s activities have been directed towards attracting jobs and investment to the district, carrying out market analysis and structuring public/private partnerships for redevelopment projects.

In the year 2000, the Times Square Annual Report estimated the total retail potential in the Times Square district to be $1.646 billion, that being an 88 per cent increase from the 1992 valuation at the time of the BID’s inception.

The Times Square Alliance involves itself in issues of economic development, marketing, public relations, public safety, sanitation, public works improvement and tourism. It employs over forty public safety officers who patrol Times Square between 9:30am and midnight, which has contributed to halving the crime rate from 2000 levels.

In 2009 the Department of Transportation converted five blocks within the Square from a traffic thoroughfare into a series of pedestrian plazas. The Times Square Alliance has funded the works for these new pedestrian plazas which have, since their completion hosted public art exhibitions. These works in the public realm have contributed by increasing pedestrian traffic by 19 per cent from 2008 to 2010.

It is these sorts of improvements to the public realm that bring people to Times Square and contribute to a 98 per cent retail occupancy rate.

Enquires James Million at Collie (jjm@colliepl.com.au)

As observed recently, Kobenhavn (Copenhagen) is one of a growing number of world cities where urban designers have embraced enthusiastically the bicycle as a seriously sustainable alternative to the car for short and medium distance movement. I was confronted with this reality recently on arrival in the central area of Copenhagen where the taxi driver warned that before opening the taxi door on the ‘kerb side’ I must look for cyclists and if clear immediately cross the bicycle lane (cyclist domain) without hesitation and wait on the footpath (pedestrian domain). Just like that, I was immersed in an intriguing urban landscape which is quite different from what is experienced in Melbourne.

In particular I noted:

• the absence of lycra and the predominance of normal everyday wear worn by the cyclists;
• the absence of the bicycle helmet (except on some child passengers);
• the lack of major government-run bicycle hire infrastructure like Melbourne Bike Share, and the existence of a low-key very localized cheap hire option called Bycyklen (presumably targeted at the tourist market);
• that on the major movement corridors throughout Copenhagen, there are structured bicycle lanes (using pavement height differentiation and marking) with separate traffic signaling geared to the cyclist;

• the pervasiveness of bicycle parking areas (with signs of irritation from some);
• a greater frequency of specially modified bicycles for carrying small cargo or children (often all weather);
• specific easy access carriages on most trains for bicycles, prams / pushers and wheel chairs;
• evidence of respect for behavioral rules associated with the particular movement domain, for instance cyclists walking with their bicycles in a pedestrian only area.

Enquries Jennifer Collie at Collie (jlc@colliepl.com.au).

As rugby experiences go the recent world cup in New Zealand is hard to top. Fanatical international support, jubilant host cities and at times some great bone-crunching rugby! New Zealand and its people did themselves proud. Amidst the anguish of watching my beloved Ireland fail to turn up against our Celtic Welsh cousins (which was gutting considering how we destroyed the Wallabies only a few weeks before!) I managed to attend three games in two separate cities, namely Wellington and Auckland.

Both cities have their separate charm and it was a pleasure to sample their wonderful RWC nightlife however, it was the pre-game atmosphere and surroundings which for me added much more to the world cup experience. Take Wellington, its harbor side opened up to facilitate a slow procession of colour and passion winding its way along the quayside from city to the Westpac Stadium (affectionately known as the ‘cake tin’ by locals!). What struck me most about this quayside was not so much the plethora of tastefully designed bars / cafes / restaurants but more the workings of the quayside itself. A truly mixed use area containing working cranes, boatsheds, maintenance yards and so on; all things you rarely see these days in waterfront areas! It quite simply just works.

The jing to the cities jang has to be the beautiful New Zealand countryside. On a sleepy journey north east from Wellington to Hawkes Bay I thought I was dreaming of homeland pastures so similar is this area to the green terrain of Ireland. Set in the shadow of Te Mata Peak, Havlock North provided us with an idyllic respite from both rugby and beer for a few days! A stunning setting with all the the fresh air and hill walks you could wish. As with all my travels, I am unashamedly eager to look at development potential and in this location one would expect fairly strict regulations. Not so it would appear as many contemporary large dwellings straddle the hills surrounding Havelock North. In fairness, most dwellings that occupy the surrounding hillsides are well designed and heavily screened however, with the likelihood of ever increasing development pressure in the very near future, a delicate balance will have to be struck between the built and natural environments in order to protect the beauty of these surroundings.

A further journey from Hawkes Bay to Auckland via Lake Taupo confirmed my initial survey of the countryside and landscape…it is Ireland in disguise! Rolling green hills, steep treed mountainsides and more sheep and cows than you can imagine all generated memories of home. Lake Taupo provided entertainment for a day via water rapids, bungee jumps and a quick foot wash in the volcanic sands underneath its calm waters. Then it was onwards to Auckland.

Auckland, the largest and most populous urban area in the country with 1.3 million residents, 31 per cent of the New Zealand population, was as good a host city as you could wish. A full contingent of French, Australian and Welsh fans joined their New Zealand hosts in preparation for the semi-finals. Not to be out done however, a significantly large number of the Irish contingent remained preferring to continue the party for as long as possible in preference to returning home to the post-GFC depression.

One of my best memories of Auckland was the walk from the City to Eden Park before the semi final kick off between Wales and France. A selection of fans from many different nations all wandered through the early night and accepted the generous hospitality of the residents surrounding Eden Park. This for me summed up the hospitality of the New Zealand people during the world cup and produced what has been described by many as the best RWC tournament yet.

Enquiries Neil Badger at Collie (njb@colliepl.com.au)

Following 15 months of renovation works Southgate located along the Melbourne Southbank promenade was re-launched in November 2011.

Redevelopment of the Southbank area was first announced in 2008 with works proposed to extend and reinforce connections to the Yarra River, the CBD, Federation Square, Birrarung Marr and the sports and recreation precincts, all embracing the extensive gardens south of the city. Works proposed were to “enhance public connectivity and accessibility, linking Victoria’s major arts venues and companies via a new urban space, and provide exceptional public amenity for the community and burgeoning residential population of Southbank and the CBD”, (taken from the Major Project Victoria section of the State Government Victoria website).
Dexus Property Group, the owner and manager of Southgate has spent $26 million on the upgrade of Southgate which has been the first big revamp since the centre opened 19 years ago.

Works completed include:

• new escalators installed to encourage and make it easier for people to visit the higher levels;
• the outside ground floor promenade given a more rustic treatment; a series of beautiful ironbark pillars supporting an awning along the length of the waterfront;
• overhead heaters provided beneath these awnings;
• 28 new fitouts completed in the centre – 11 for new retailers that have joined the mix – and 17 renewals;
• new original art work pieces within the re-development and the Ophelia sculpture by Deborah Halpern, has been restored and shifted to a new home on the promenade.

In the early 1990′s Southbank was the subject of urban renewal aimed at stimulating development in a period when Melbourne was experiencing an economic downturn but particularly at opening the city to the Yarra River.
Southgate was opened in 1992 and was a reflection of Australia’s arts, food and wine scene with a distinct Melbourne flavour, as can be traced through the history of the Southbank location itself.

Hamer Hall, next to Southgate is still undergoing major redevelopment which will make the facility even more accessible, providing a better experience for audiences, and ensuring that it can continue to attract and present a wide range of top international and local performers. New pedestrian connections to the city, St Kilda Road and the River, with new stairs, improved disability access, escalators and lifts, have not yet been completed.

For further information on the Southgate please visit the Celebrate Southgate website.

Images by Laura O’Higgins at Collie (lao@colliepl.com.au)

The Victorian Government Minister for Environment and Climate Change (Ryan Smith) spoke at the UDIA function of 4 November 2011.

The Minister was brief but to the point in terms of relevance to his audience.  He spoke of principles concerning establishing the longer term provisions for identifying and protecting native vegetation – and then having the Department of Sustainability and Environment keeping out of the structure planning process.

The details are not yet settled but subject to fairness in these (such as ensuring factual correctness in time date stamping of what is considered existing native vegetation to be protected; the pre-determined offset costs and such ), the principles (once over any transition) offer the real possibility of more certainty, less delays on studies / arguments and speedier action with developments.

We await the detail keenly but would almost be prepared to say that anything is better than the present system.

Enquires Mike Collie on 8698 9300 (mjsc@colliepl.com.au)