PART C PUBLIC LAND IN METROPOLITAN MELBOURNE This part describes the public land within the investigation area and its uses, resources, values and management. This is the fi rst time that ownership and use of public land has been identifi ed for the inner and middle municipalities of metropolitan Melbourne. 63 4 PUBLIC LAND The Victorian Environmental Assessment Council Act 2001 4.1 defi nes public land broadly as Crown land and freehold Public land distribution land owned by public authorities (i.e. State government across Melbourne departments, agencies and bodies). It does not include local government owned freehold or Commonwealth land. Metropolitan Melbourne extends disproportionately to Public land offers a range of community uses and values. the east of the central business district or the original Nature conservation and appreciation is provided for settlement. West of Melbourne, the relatively fl at, treeless in national, state and other parks, nature conservation volcanic plains tended to discourage early residential reserves and some natural features reserves. Recreation development in favour of industry and transport occurs across most public land but is specifi cally provided infrastructure, such as ports, airports, river side and for in regional and metropolitan parks, and smaller maritime industrial use, public infrastructure and defence recreation reserves of various kinds such as sports fi elds. industries, sewerage systems, and pastoral uses. To the Public land also provides for government services or east, development followed the fertile catchments of the administration in public buildings including court houses, Yarra River and Dandenong Creek and throughout these schools, government offi ces, hospitals, cemeteries, settlements — now suburbs — public land supported a fi re stations and police stations; and for community range of community uses. use in public halls, libraries, and public memorials. In addition, government infrastructure and utilities are Inner suburbs tend to refl ect the boom years of suburban located on public land including roads and railways, gas growth, with many substantial public buildings, including and electricity, piers, jetties, water supply and storage schools, public infrastructure such as railways, court reservoirs, as well as sewage treatment plants. Detailed houses and town halls as well as notable public parks and descriptions of current public land use are provided below recreational areas. in section 4.4 and shown on map A. Early and systematic protection of Crown land coastal The public land estate across the investigation area is foreshore and river banks occurred in 1881 with survey around 163,000 hectares (1,630 square kilometres) of and permanent reservation of unalienated areas. a total 562,740 hectares (5,627.4 square kilometres). Metropolitan Melbourne’s river and stream sides and Approximately 131,000 hectares is Crown land and beaches, along with other important public places, 32,000 hectares is public authority freehold land. The refl ect a strong community focus on both passive and Crown land consists of 58,000 hectares identifi ed by active outdoor activities and recreation, particularly on VEAC from detailed GIS mapping and a further 73,000 public land. hectares of ‘unparcellised’ Crown road reserves. The Successive governments have supported educational, area for unparcellised Crown road reserves is a broad cultural, sporting and scientifi c institutions. Some estimate only. Subdivision roads owned by local councils important sites on public land in the Metropolitan are not included in this estimate. All public authority land Melbourne Investigation area are the Royal Exhibition was identifi ed by VEAC using property details provided by Building, Melbourne Museum, National Gallery of Victoria, public authorities and detailed GIS mapping. State Library, Parliament House, Royal Botanic Gardens, For the fi rst time, VEAC has brought together details of Immigration Museum (Old Customs House), and the all land held by the Crown and more than 22 government Shrine of Remembrance. departments and public authorities to provide a In much of the outer suburban areas, the pastoral and detailed picture of its use and its ownership across agricultural land use is evident, including early settlements metropolitan Melbourne. and farm complexes, along with bridges, quarries and other industrial sites. Public land is mostly related to water management and infrastructure in these regions. The exception is in townships where public land was generally set aside for recreation reserves, local community halls or mechanics’ institutes, schools and parkland. 64 4.2 Public land ownership In the Metropolitan Melbourne Investigation area the majority (approximately 65 per cent) of public land is Crown land. There are, however, large areas of public authority freehold land, particularly services and utilities areas, compared to other areas of Victoria. The public land estate is highly fragmented in this investigation area with more than 75 percent of all land blocks or parcels less than one hectare. At a detailed level, the public land estate is also relatively dynamic. Map B depicts public land ownership across the investigation area. However, there may be ongoing changes that are accounted for by the dynamic nature of land ownership particularly around large infrastructure projects in growth corridors and the inner city. After the Crown, the largest public landholder in the investigation area is Melbourne Water with around 17,721 hectares or 20 per cent of the total public land estate. Its landholdings include sewage treatment plants (Western and Eastern), bulk water storage reservoirs and catchments, water supply, drainage and fl ood mitigation areas, and semi- natural wetlands such as Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands and Truganina Swamp, and streams. Other major public landholdings in the investigation area are: G VicRoads’ extensive road infrastructure network G VicTrack’s extensive infrastructure network for delivery of rail services G the Department of Education and Early Childhood Around Port Phillip Bay, public land refl ects an emphasis Development’s hundreds of schools and educational on maritime activities and coastal recreation, particularly facilities across Melbourne. to the east of the city. There are numerous piers, jetties, Other public authorities own land to provide a range of marinas and coastal buildings associated with use of community services. Many operate from both freehold land the bay and sandy foreshore for boating, fi shing, and and Crown land reserved or allocated for a specifi c purpose. relaxing by the sea. Sea baths and coastal promenades, now including bike paths, are key features that have long G The Department of Human Services administers hospitals attracted visitors to the seaside. Coastal Crown land along and related health care facilities on both Crown and Western Port is less developed for recreation and provides freehold public land. a different experience. Shallow, often mangrove-lined, G The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board, foreshores are less inviting for seaside leisure, but are Country Fire Authority and Ambulance Victoria deliver important for nature conservation and provide habitat for emergency response, community education and safety many species of plants and animals. awareness, as well as providing advice to State and local National and state parks occur largely in the outer fringing government on emergency response and management ranges in the north and east of the investigation area. on both Crown and freehold public land. These places were not closely settled or cleared during G The Victorian Government owns three retail water early colonisation due to distance and the steep terrain. businesses in metropolitan Melbourne: South East Water, Yarra Valley Water and City West Water. These agencies provide water and sewerage services to residents of Melbourne. In addition Western Water and Southern Rural Water provide domestic water, irrigation and stock services, and some bulk water supply services. 65 G Other government departments own small areas of public land (including land held in title by the relevant minister) to deliver specifi c services. A summary of public land holdings is provided below in table 4.1 and shown on map B. Table 4.1 Public land ownership in the Metropolitan Melbourne Investigation area PUBLIC LAND OWNER AREA (HA) Crown 58,137 Crown road reserve (estimated) 73,000 Melbourne Water 17,721 VicRoads 5,462 Department of Education and Early Childhood Development 2,363 VicTrack 2,322 Western Water 997 Port of Melbourne Corporation 494 South East Water 470 Southern Rural Water 250 Department of Health 195 Skills Victoria and other adult education services 153 Yarra Valley Water 151 Department of Planning and Community Development 142 Department Industry, Innovation and Regional Development 134 Trust for Nature 112 Department of Human Services 60 City West Water 30 Department of Transport 26 Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board 25 Department of Treasury and Finance 21 Country Fire Authority 16 Ambulance Victoria 6 Department of Justice 6 Total extent of public land in the investigation area excluding estimated Crown road reserves 89,293 Total extent of public land in the investigation area including estimated Crown road reserves 162,293 Notes: 1. Public land owner includes land owned by the Minister for the relevant portfolio and other bodies that are directly administered by the relevant department or Minister