COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2006
YARRA PRECINCT PEDESTRIAN LINK
Report of a Planning Advisory Committee
Pursuant to the Commonwealth Games Arrangements Act 2001
Planning Advisory Committee:
Ms Kathryn Mitchell, Chair
Mr Gordon Anderson Mr Robert McGauran
10 October 2003
Commonwealth Games 2006: Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link Report of the Planning Advisory Committee: 10 October 2003
COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2006
YARRA PRECINCT PEDESTRIAN LINK
Report of a Planning Advisory Committee
Pursuant to the Commonwealth Games Arrangements Act 2001
Ms Kathryn Mitchell, Chair
Mr Gordon Anderson, Member
Mr Robert McGauran, Member
10 October 2003
Page 2
Commonwealth Games 2006: Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link Report of the Planning Advisory Committee: 10 October 2003
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE NO.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................................................................5 1. INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................11
1.1 THE PLANNING ADVISORY COMMITTEE ...................................................................11 1.2 TERMS OF REFERENCE ................................................................................................12 1.3 BACKGROUND INFORMATION....................................................................................13 1.4 SITE VISITS ..................................................................................................................16
2. CONSULTATION PROCESS.....................................................................................17
3. THE YARRA PRECINCT PEDESTRIAN LINK PROPOSAL ..............................21
3.1 EXISTING CONTEXT ....................................................................................................21 3.2 NEED FOR THE PEDESTRIAN LINK .............................................................................24 3.3 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT.........................................................................................25 3.4 DESIGN CONCEPT.......................................................................................................30
4. PLANNING AND HERITAGE CONTEXT .............................................................33
4.1 PLANNING FRAMEWORK ...........................................................................................33 4.2 RELATED STRATEGIES ................................................................................................40 4.3 CULTURAL HERITAGE ................................................................................................42 4.4 COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................................43
5. OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES OF THE GAMES..................................................44
5.1 THE PEDESTRIAN TASK ..............................................................................................44 5.2 PEDESTRIAN CAPACITY OF YPPL..............................................................................45
6. DESIGN AND INTEGRATION ISSUES.................................................................47
6.1 PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES IN MELBOURNE ......................................................................47 6.2 BIRRARUNG MARR .....................................................................................................48 6.3 NORTHERN SIDE OF PLAZA AND TRAM STOP ...........................................................51 6.4 NORTHERN PEDESTRIAN LINK ..................................................................................52 6.5 PEDESTRIAN SPACES, ROAD CROSSINGS AND PRIORITIES ........................................53 6.6 PODIUM HEIGHT AND DESIGN ..................................................................................55 6.7 THE BRIDGE LINK.......................................................................................................59 6.8 YARRA PARK LANDING .............................................................................................60 6.9 COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................................62
Page 3
Commonwealth Games 2006: Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link Report of the Planning Advisory Committee: 10 October 2003
7. ACCESSIBILITY............................................................................................................65
7.1 ACCESS TO THE YARRA PRECINCT PEDESTRIAN LINK ..............................................65 7.2 PEDESTRIAN ACCESS OPTIONS ..................................................................................67 7.3 USERS OF VARIED MOBILITY......................................................................................69 7.4 SIGNAGE AND GENERAL WAY-FINDING ...................................................................70 7.5 COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................................70
8. AMENITY AND IMPACTS ........................................................................................71
8.1 VISUAL AMENITY .......................................................................................................71 8.2 NOISE IMPACTS ..........................................................................................................72 8.3 MANAGEMENT OF GENERAL CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS...........................................73 8.4 MANAGEMENT OF OTHER LOCAL AMENITY IMPACTS .............................................76 8.5 MANAGEMENT OF SECURITY AND SAFETY................................................................77 8.6 COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................................78
9. ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.................................79
9.1 ESD PRINCIPLES.........................................................................................................79 9.2 COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................................82
10. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS................................................83
10.1 CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................83 10.2 RECOMMENDATIONS..................................................................................................87
APPENDIX 1: TERMS OF REFERENCE .........................................................................90
APPENDIX 2: ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS...............................96
APPENDIX 3: WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS RECEIVED ...............................................99 APPENDIX 4: TIMETABLE FOR PUBLIC HEARING...............................................101 APPENDIX 5: SUMMARY OF SUBMITTER ISSUES................................................103
Page 4
Commonwealth Games 2006: Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link Report of the Planning Advisory Committee: 10 October 2003
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This Executive Summary is drawn from the key issues raised in the context of this report. It has been prepared to provide a brief overview of the main issues, and it needs to be read in the context of the Terms of Reference for this project and the Planning Advisory Committee’s response to it.
Background and Consultation (Sections 1 and 2 of Report):
1. A Planning Advisory Committee (the Committee) was established by the Minister for
Commonwealth Games, The Hon. Justin Madden MLC to review the Government’s preferred option for development of a pedestrian link from Birrarung Marr to the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The key objective of the pedestrian link, known as the Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link (YPPL), is to provide ease of pedestrian movement between major venues during the Commonwealth Games, to be held in Melbourne in March 2006. The Proponent for the project is Major Projects Victoria.
2. In undertaking this work, the Planning Advisory Committee has been guided by
Terms of Reference for the project, a tight timeline and an understanding that any recommendations it makes should not result in additional cost pressures on the project, which has a set budget of $27.8 million. The Committee has undertaken numerous site visits to the subject land, and its immediate and wider locality during the course of its work.
3. The Planning Advisory Committee has met with a wide range of stakeholders and interested groups, a number of Government authorities and departments, it has called for public submissions and has held a public hearing. It has reviewed a range of background material and information provided to it, and has sought out other material as required. All of the stakeholders indicated varying levels of support for the Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link as a matter of principle, although there were some differing views on design details, and matters relating to its possible impact on Birrarung Marr.
Development Overview (Section 3 of Report):
4. The Yarra Precinct comprises a number of facilities and sites used for a wide range of cultural and sporting events – all of which are inextricably linked by the Yarra River. Development of this area has been active since the 1980s and it is now recognised as a major tourist and sporting destination in the world. However major infrastructure barriers separate many of these places and connectivity is not optimal. Mobility is
Page 5
Commonwealth Games 2006: Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link Report of the Planning Advisory Committee: 10 October 2003
affected at times of major events and the lack of a reasonably direct route reduces the efficiency and ease with which people can move around and enjoy the wider Yarra Precinct.
5. The proposed Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link will provide a pedestrian pathway that directly connects the Federation Square and Birrarung Marr area with Melbourne and Olympic Parks, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and Yarra Park. It is a key infrastructure project for the Commonwealth Games and it will improve access and exit opportunities for users of the MCG and the Melbourne and Olympic Parks facilities. The link will essentially comprise a pedestrian bridge which will rise out of the middle terrace of Birrarung Marr, cross Batman Avenue, have a two level plaza/pedestrian distribution node near the Tennis Centre Entrance A, and follow across the Jolimont rail corridor and Brunton Avenue, with a landing in Yarra Park west of the MCG.
6. The Government selected a preferred option for the pedestrian link after consultation with key stakeholders. It is proposed to commence the construction of the Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link in early 2004 and complete construction for use by Australian Football League Grand Final day in September 2005.
Planning and Heritage Context (Section 4 of Report):
7. The Planning Advisory Committee has considered this proposal in accordance with the Commonwealth Games Arrangements Act 2001 which streamlines the planning and approvals process for Commonwealth Games projects. It has undertaken an analysis of the proposal with the relevant provisions of the Melbourne Planning Scheme and has concluded that the State policy objectives found in the Scheme generally support the Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link. There are some aspects of the local policy provisions the Committee considers the proposal might not fully meet, however some of the recommendations of the Committee go some way in meeting these objectives. The proposal supports the Metropolitan Strategy – Melbourne 2030, and the overall intent of the draft Yarra Plan.
8. The Committee has reviewed the cultural aspects of the proposal and has concluded that subject to compliance with its recommendations, the Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link will not diminish the cultural significance of Yarra Park or Birrarung Marr. However the final design outcome should acknowledge the pre and post settlement cultural heritage of the environment in which the link will be constructed.
Page 6
Commonwealth Games 2006: Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link Report of the Planning Advisory Committee: 10 October 2003
Operational Objectives of the Games (Section 5 of Report):
9. The Yarra Precinct potentially needs to cope with around 350,000 pedestrians per day during the Commonwealth Games, and the Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link is integral to enable people to move safely in and around the precinct. Pedestrian activity will be regulated in order to ensure varying dispersal rates, however the pedestrian link will be critically important in providing pedestrian access opportunities that have minimal impacts on road traffic movement. Separation of pedestrians and vehicular traffic is a key operational objective of the Commonwealth Games.
Design and Integration Issues (Section 6 of Report):
10. Melbourne City is characterised by high quality pedestrian bridges and the proposed
Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link should continue this tradition. A competitive design and review process should ensure this.
11. One of the key points of difference in some submissions related to the impact the
Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link might have on the overall integrity of Birrarung Marr. This new park was designed with particular criteria in mind, which did not include a bridge emerging from the middle terrace area. While the City of Melbourne and the Urban Design Group of Department of Sustainability and Environment support the bridge in principle, they urged the Committee to consider an option that saw the bridge rising from the eastern side of Batman Avenue. This consideration is outside of the Committee’s Terms of Reference, however it does have some merit and while there are no specific recommendations in this regard, it may be worthy of further consideration. However it does not achieve the primary objective of providing a fully grade separated option and therefore it does not meet the Government’s operational objectives for the Commonwealth Games in this regard for the Yarra Precinct. The Committee has made a number of recommendations that assist to reduce the impact of the bridge on Birrarung Marr.
12. The Planning Advisory Committee considers that the adjacent VicTrack land is a key strategic site where development opportunities should be maximised. It has potential to provide for a wide range of uses that are complementary to the Sports and Entertainment Precinct and to provide an additional gateway from the City to the precinct. For these reasons, the Committee considers the site should be properly integrated through appropriate planning and design measures – possibly through the application of an appropriate overlay or though urban design guidelines. At the same time the Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link should not impede the development opportunities for either the VicTrack land or for other adjacent uses.
Page 7
Commonwealth Games 2006: Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link Report of the Planning Advisory Committee: 10 October 2003
13. The Committee considers the design of the podium and plaza is critically important to ensure it is a viable and usable public space which is open and transparent at all times, particularly for safety and amenity reasons. To achieve these objectives it considers the arrangement of the design elements of their expression require review. The staircase component rising to the podium of the plaza requires re-design so that it does not result in such a high climb/descent. At the moment it would be a major deterrent to many able bodied users. The Committee is concerned about the formidable nature of the staircase and its impact on the likely safety of pedestrian flows during major crowd events.
14. While the proposed Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link will provide an opportunity for a grade separated crossing at Batman Avenue, the “path of least resistance” will mean that pedestrians will still be able to cross Batman Avenue at road level. The existing pedestrian crossing should be re-aligned and widened so that it provides a more direct route from Birrarung Marr to the Tennis Centre. A wider pedestrian path is also more desirable. The Committee considers the efficiency and safety of pedestrian movements at the ground level plaza can be further improved by reducing and reconfiguring the traffic lanes alongside the plaza.
15. The Committee believes insufficient regard was given in the initial proposal to the emerging importance of the northern entrance as a key gateway to the Melbourne and Olympic Parks precinct. The Committee was encouraged by the progress made by the Proponent in the development of Option 3 for an enhanced ground floor plaza and aligned links to Birrarung Marr and the proposed northern entrance to the Tennis Centre. Subject to continued development, the Committee believes this option represents a substantial enhancement in flexibility and pedestrian amenity.
Accessibility (Section 7 of Report):
16. The principal beneficiaries of the proposed Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link will be pedestrians seeking to enjoy the formal and informal activities and events within the precinct. The Committee is confident the link will achieve its key objectives on big event occasions such as the Commonwealth Games and on other event days. Although the link is strongly aligned with the east-west pedestrian desire line in the Yarra Precinct, it will enhance general accessibility and mobility in the north-south and other orientations.
17. The link will provide additional opportunities for private and public transport users.
The Committee considers the Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link will assist in shortening some of the long walking journeys through the Yarra Precinct. However, the height of the podium at over nine metres, the banks of access stairs and the limited number of ramps may discourage some users. These issues need to be addressed in the final
Page 8
Commonwealth Games 2006: Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link Report of the Planning Advisory Committee: 10 October 2003
design.
18. There are other desirable pedestrian improvements to improve operational safety and efficiency, particularly during major events. These include extending a dedicated pathway along the southern edge of the rail corridor easterly from Rod Laver Arena to Vodafone Arena, and ultimately to Punt Road and Richmond Rail Station.
Amenity and Impacts (Section 8 of Report):
19. While the Committee accepts that there may be some impacts with regard to visual amenity, these mainly relate to the intrusion of new infrastructure in an area previously unencumbered. There will be some noise impacts, particularly during the construction phase, but these will be closely monitored through a proposed Construction Environmental Management Plan. The Committee acknowledges that there will be some night-time construction activities which may impact on nearby residential uses at some stages of the construction process.
20. The Committee supports the implementation of a Construction Environmental
Management Plan and a Traffic Management Plan, and supports the continued involvement of the Reference Group until the project is completed. Membership of this group should continue to include The East Melbourne Group Inc., and should include some representation of the Birrarung Marr design team through the City of Melbourne.
21. Management of security and safety and the prevention of vandalism is critical to the successful operation of the Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link. The design and management arrangements should ensure that security measures are in place at all times.