Right on track in boom town

This urban renewal project is impressing at the halfway mark, writes Susannah McGregor.

THIS year marks the halfway point to completing Australia’s largest urban renewal project down by the docks and things appear to be coming along swimmingly.

The 200-hectare footprint of disused government land is gradually being shaped by VicUrban (partnered with the private sector) and is emerging as an impressive postmodern boom town by the water.

Seven kilometres of waterfront, wide promenades, contemporary high-rise residential towers, strong architecture, urban art, private and public berths, patches of green and splashes of colour throughout make the postcode aesthetically pleasing and an important representation of 21st-century Melbourne.

Add top-brand shops, dining and entertainment and the suburb doubles as a key tourist destination. Build a state-of-the-art film and television complex and the area is recognised on an international scale and shaping into a suburb unlike any other in or around Melbourne.

Docklands is divided into precincts that blend commercial, residential, entertainment and retail to create a diverse range of “neighbourhoods”, each with a different focus within the 3008 postcode, such as Victoria Harbour (business and retail), Waterfront City (retail and entertainment) and Yarra’s Edge (residential).

The first residents moved into the suburb in 2002 and residential towers will continue to be unleashed throughout Docklands, with VicUrban predicting the population (now about 6500) to reach 17,000 by the project’s end in 2012. When complete, Docklands will almost double the size of the Melbourne central business district and VicUrban estimates visitors will reach 20 million a year. And if the trend of “build and they will come” continues, they may just be spot on.

TOP TEN SPOTS

1 Webb Bridge. This sinuous pathway links pedestrians and cyclists between Docklands Park and Yarra’s Edge and steals the show at night as an incandescent entanglement weaving over the Yarra.

2 Harbour Town Shopping Centre. Window-shopping is an enjoyable experience at Harbour Town, thanks to the quaint, open-air laneways with two levels of outlet shopping.

3 Woolshed Pub, Harbour Esplanade. Graze the bistro menu downstairs or fine-dine upstairs at this former wool storage facility by the water. The wool has been cleared but the gorgeous loft ceilings, beams and shed doors remain.

4 Watermark Bar, T9, 800 Bourke Street, The Promenade. Short of drinks on a yacht, the chic glass enclosure with retractable doors and deck provides one of the hottest spots to drink by the water’s edge at Vic Harbour.

5 Fox Classic Car Collection, 749-755 Collins Street. Lindsay Fox’s impressive $15 million collection of luxurious vehicles includes rides made famous by James Dean and Ringo Starr.

6 Limonetto, NewQuay Promenade. The only thing cooler than this giant waffle cone-shaped shop that springs from water is the delicious fresh gelati sold within.

7 Action Zone, Docklands Drive. A super-swing, base jump and bungy trampoline are only a few of the inflatable amusements to experience at this aptly named pavilion that makes jumping castles look so last year.

8 Costco Warehouse, 381 Footscray Road. Everything is super-sized at this US chain, from the bulk packaging (think two-kilogram yoghurt containers) to the warehouse itself. An annual membership fee gives shoppers access to substantial savings on groceries, electrical goods and clothing.

9 Icehouse, 105 Pearl River Road. All things skating are on the menu at this fab rink, from 1980s night skating to lessons. Tuesday nights are half-price.

10 Mecca Bah, 55a New Quay Promenade. Sky-high windows fronting the water make this Middle Eastern veteran a tourist (and date-night) favourite. The kataifi pastries filled with Middle Eastern cheeses are a wicked delight.

3008 HOME TRUTHS

TRANSPORT

IT’S a pleasant stroll between the Dockland precincts but a number of trams loop through the area, including the number 30 to St Vincents, number 48 to Balwyn North, the 70 via Richmond to Surrey Hills and the 86 to RMIT’s Bundoora campus via La Trobe University. The free city circle tram includes Docklands as a stop in its tour of the city’s key tourist attractions, as does the free Melbourne City Shuttle Bus that boards at the Harbour Town Tourism Lounge. Southern Cross Station is the nearest train station and footy fans can reach Etihad games via the Bourke Street Pedestrian Bridge that connects from Southern Cross Station and continues to Harbour Esplanade.

PARKS

DOCKLANDS has parks of the green, blue and fun variety. Victoria Harbour is home to Collins Landing, Victoria Green and Docklands Park. Point Park provides a decent patch of green at Yarra’s Edge and Etihad Stadium is one of Melbourne’s premier sports complexes. The postcode’s seven kilometres of waterfront is known as Blue Park and holds high-profile water events and facilities. On weekends, public and school holidays, Wonderland Fun Park opens.

SCHOOLS

THERE are no schools in Docklands. Primary and secondary schools are in neighbouring suburbs such as Port Melbourne, South Melbourne, Kensington and North Melbourne. Most major universities have a city campus.

ART

ART Journey is a fun, self-guided tour that covers more than 30 of the public artworks dotted through the precincts, including the mesmerising 15-metre Blowhole sculpture by Duncan Stemler. For maps, visit docklands.com.au.