and issuesBackground Part 4 - moreland.vic.gov.au

Part 4Background and issues

Part 4 provides backgroundinformation and the issues arisingfrom that information which shapethe structure plan. These are exploredunder the following themes:• demographic trends

• retail, commercial, industrialactivities

• housing

• access for all

• open space network• transport and movement• public realm• built form• provision of social services• land configuration and ownership• municipal and service

infrastructure.

Demographic trends

Demographic characteristicsCoburg residents contribute to themulticultural community of the City ofMoreland, with people from all overthe world choosing to live in the area.The diverse nature of the communityhas created an exciting selection ofshops, restaurants, communityorganisations and businesses.

Reflecting the composition of thecommunity, large numbers of Coburgresidents practice a faith and speak alanguage other than English. TheCoburg community is changinghowever. For example, there is someevidence of a trend towardsgentrification, such as the growingnumbers of professionals within thepopulation.

Table 4.1 provides a snapshot of keydemographic characteristics of Coburgderived from the 2001 census.

CENTRAL COBURG 2020 STRUCTURE PLAN 35

36 CENTRAL COBURG 2020 STRUCTURE PLAN

1 Moreland City Council, Coburg Suburb Profile, 20042 ibid3 ibid4 ibid5 ibid6 ibid7 ABS Census of Population and Housing8 Moreland City Council, Coburg Suburb Profile, 20049 Moreland City Council, id consulting population forecasts for Moreland, 2005

Table 4.1: Key characteristics of Coburg

Indigenous population1 0.25% of total Coburg populationBirthplace2 59.5% Australian born

35.6% Overseas born

Top five overseas countries: Italy 10%Greece 4.4%Lebanon 4%UK and Ireland 2%Turkey 1.8%

Language spoken at home3 Italian 17%Arabic and Lebanese 10%Greek 9%Turkish 3%Chinese 2%

Household size4 1 person 24.8%2 persons 31.9%3 persons 17.9%4 persons 14.6%5+ persons 10.9%

Household types5 Couples and children 32.6%Single parent family 11%Couple without children 22.7%Lone person households 24%Group households 5.3%Other family households 2.2%

Dwellings6 Total: 9,212Separate detached dwellings 78.4%Semi-detached (row, terrace, townhouse) 8.2%Flat, apartment 11.8%Other 0.7%

No of bedrooms in dwellings7 0–1 bedrooms 3.1%2 bedrooms 33.3%3 bedrooms 49.5%4+ bedrooms 12.7%Not Stated 1.4%

Tenure8 Owned 46.3%Buying 21.9%Renting 23.8%Other/not stated 8%

Table 4.2: Age structure – Coburg

1996 2001Age group No. % No. %

0–4 1,661 7.0 1,446 6.45–17 3,659 15.4 3,381 15.118–24 2,576 10.9 2,252 10.025–34 4,560 19.2 4,112 18.335–49 4,880 20.6 4,911 21.950–59 2,071 8.7 2,070 9.260–74 2,868 12.1 2,782 12.475+ 1,428 6.0 1,492 6.6Total 23,703 100.0 22,446 100.0

Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing

The total population (not includingoverseas visitors) of Coburg in August2001 was 22,446. This represents adensity of 3,231 persons per squarekilometre. There has been a decline inpopulation over the period 1996 to2001 by 1,257 (or 5%) and a declinein the population density. Theaverage annual decline in this periodwas 1.1 per cent. This decline can bepartly explained by the closure ofPentridge Prison facility.

The projected population growth forMoreland as a whole is 14 per centbetween 2001 and 2021. Projectionsfor Coburg indicate that thepopulation will increase by arelatively high 27.6 per cent, largely

due to medium density development.The number of dwellings is forecastto increase by 39.5 per cent over thesame period.9

Age distributionThe age distribution of Moreland’spopulation is similar to thedistribution of metropolitanMelbourne. The age structure of theCoburg population has altered onlyslightly over the last inter-Censusperiod. Slight proportional declinesare evident in the below 34 year agegroups, along with slight proportionalincreases in the 35 years and aboveage groups. This trend is consistentwith an ageing population.

37CENTRAL COBURG 2020 STRUCTURE PLAN

Between 2001 and 2011, growth isforecast for the 0–19 and 40–64years age groups in particular, butalso the 75+ age group10. Theproportion of households describedas ‘lone person households’ isexpected to increase by 3.7percentage points in that period11.

Cultural diversityThe City of Moreland has a culturallydiverse population, with 27 per cent ofits population born in a non–Englishspeaking country. Moreland’s role as akey destination for new arrivals – many of them refugees – hasadditional impacts on the need forsupport services due to the oftenhigh needs among these groups forservices relating to employment,housing and health. Indigenousresidents account for 0.37 per centof the population in Moreland, asmall group with a high level of needdue to disadvantage in health,education, income and employment.

The ethnic composition of Coburg hasshifted slightly from 1996 to 2001. Thisshift is evident in declining numbers inthe predominant groups of overseas-born residents. However, this declinehas been similar across the top fivegroups of overseas-born people andthe order of size remains unchanged.

Change in the ethnic composition ofthe Coburg area is also evident in thestatistics relating to language spokenat home, with an increase of 4.5

percentage points between 1996 and2001 in the ‘English only’ category.Proportional declines are apparent inthe top four non–English speakinggroups over this period.

Moreland as a whole has a high levelof residents practicing a faith.However, 1991–2001 saw achanging faith profile for the Coburgarea. ‘Anglican’ (–2.4 percentagepoints), ‘Uniting Church’ (–0.4percentage points) and ‘Presbyterianand Reformed’ (–1 percentagepoints) faiths registered smalldeclines. These declines are reflectedin an overall decline of 6.6percentage points for ‘Christian’groups. Only ‘Islamic’ and ‘Buddhism’faiths recorded (small) percentagepoint increases. The largest growthwas registered in the ‘No religion’

and ‘Inadequately described’categories.12

HouseholdsWhile the Coburg populationdeclined in the 1991–2001 period by1,943 (or 10%), the number ofhouseholds increased by 2.2 per cent in the same period in Coburg.This coincided with an increase in the proportion of lone personhouseholds and, in line with broadertrends, a decrease in the averagehousehold size13.

Trends in household types in the1991–2001 period in Coburg reveal aproportional increase in ‘lone personhouseholds’ (from 21% to 24%) anda proportional decline in ‘coupleswith children’ (from 39% to 33%).

Table 4.3: Birthplace – Coburg

1996 2001 ChangeNo. % No. % (%)

Australian born 14,074 59.4 13,348 59.4 –5.1Overseas born 8,831 37.3 7,817 34.8 –11.5Not stated 775 3.3 1,281 5.7 +65.3

Total population 23,680 100.0 22,456 100.0 –5.2

Top five overseas countries:Italy 2,726 2,243 –18Greece 1,186 994 –16Lebanon 1,184 904 –24United Kingdom/ Ireland 555 495 –11Turkey 584 402 –31


10 ibid11 ibid12 Moreland City Council, Coburg Suburb Profile,

2004, p.20–2113 ibid, p.25


EmploymentBetween 1991 and 2001, a markedincrease occurred in the proportionof ‘Professionals’ (from 12.8% to23.8%), and marked declinesoccurred in the proportion of‘Tradespersons’ (14% to 10.7%) and‘Labourers and Related’ (14.7% to7.3%) workers in Coburg. This wouldsuggest a trend towardsgentrification.

In the 1996–2001 period, the long-term decline in the proportion ofworkers employed in ‘Manufacturing’in Coburg continued (from 17.3% to13%). Small proportional increaseswere recorded for ‘Publicadministration and defence’,‘Construction’, ‘Property and businessservices’, ‘Health and communityservices’, ‘Culture and recreationalservices’ and ‘Personal and otherservices’ over the same period.

Between 1991and 2001, theunemployment rate declined from17.2 per cent to 8.7 per cent. As atSeptember 2005, the unemploymentrate for the Coburg Small AreaLabour Market (which includesCoburg, Coburg North, Pascoe Valeand Pascoe Vale South) was 6.8 percent14. The labour force participationrate for the North-West of Melbourneat this time was relatively low at 58.3per cent (whereas for metropolitanMelbourne it was 65.1%)15.

In the 1991–2001 period, theproportion of residents in Coburgwith bachelor degrees or higherincreased (from 7.2% to 16.7%)16.This is consistent with Moreland-widetrends away from vocational trainingtowards degrees and diplomas. In thesame timeframe, Moreland saw ashift in schooling patterns fromgovernment to non-governmentschools. Declines in Year 12 retentionhave primarily affected governmentschools, while non-governmentschools have generally experiencedincreased retention rates.

Socio-economic statusIn 2001, 66.4 per cent of Coburghouseholds had incomes of less than$600 per week. This figure alsoapplies Moreland-wide. However, theproportion of low income householdsis higher than the metropolitanMelbourne average of 61.1 percent17. The low incomes of manyMoreland householders are due to

the fact that many residents receiveall or part of their income fromgovernment benefits. About 22 percent of Centrelink payments inMoreland are made to citizens livingin postcode 3058 (Coburg andCoburg North)18.

According to estimates produced byNational Centre for Social andEconomic Modelling (NATSEM), 11 percent of people in Moreland as a wholeare living in poverty. Similarly, 11 percent of people living in postcode 3058(Coburg and Coburg North) are saidto be living in poverty. One third ofthe total number of people estimatedto be living in poverty in Coburg andCoburg North are children. Children inCoburg have one of the highest ratesof poverty in the municipality and asignificantly higher rate compared toAustralia overall19.

According to the Socio-EconomicIndexes for Areas (SEIFA) Index ofRelative Disadvantage (prepared by theAustralian Bureau of Statistics), Coburgis a relatively disadvantaged area, witha score of 988.08. The index score forCoburg is slightly lower than theAustralian average (1,000), markedlylower than the metropolitan average(1,200) and almost the same as theMoreland average (984.5).

Table 4.4: Occupation – Coburg

1991 1996 2001% % %

Managers and administrators 5.8 5 6.1Professionals 12.8 19.6 23.8Associate professionals 6.8 10.5 11.1Tradespersons 14 12.4 10.7Clerical, sales, service 27.4 29.1 30.1Production and transport 10.6 10.8 8.5Labourers 14.7 9.4 7.3Inadequately described/not stated 7.9 3.1 2.4


Table 4.5: Labour Force – Coburg

1991 1996 2001

Employed 9,340 9,058 9,272Unemployed 1,938 1,493 878Participation rate 58.5% 55% 57.6%Unemployment rate 17.2% 14.1% 8.7%


14 DEWSB, Small Area Labour Markets, Sept 200515 ibid, Regional Labour Markets, Sept 200516 Moreland City Council, Coburg Suburb Profile,

200417 ibid, p.3818 Ibid, p.3919 Ibid, p.40


Population projectionsPopulation projections prepared forthe Social and Cultural NeedsAssessment based on the CentralCoburg 2020 development scenariosindicate a number of interestingtrends. Redevelopment is likely toinfluence ageing of the population,however declining family numbersare likely to stabilise and grow overthe next 15 years. The area willcontinue to gentrify with familiesbeing replaced by singles andcouples with lower fertility rates andhigher incomes. There will be somegrowth in the number andproportion of children within thecommunity from 2,010 children to2,310 children by the year 2011. Thenumber of households is predictedto grow from 8,714 in Coburg in2001 to 13,614 in 2021. Agedistribution is projected to remainrelatively stable, indicating thatpopulation growth is unlikely tochange patterns of demand.

Issues• Population is changing with a

trend towards gentrification.

• Population is ageing, howevergrowth is expected in the 0–19and 40–64 year age groups.

• Coburg is a culturally diversepopulation with 27 per cent ofthe population born in anon–English speaking country.

• Many new immigrants make

Coburg their home. Thispopulation group often has highneeds for health, housing andemployment.

• Household sizes are declining,with a trend towards lone personhouseholds, while numbers ofhouseholds are increasing.

• Employment characteristics of thepopulation are changing withmore professionals makingCoburg their home.

• Disparities exist in the socio-economic status of residents –many people in Coburg are livingin poverty.

Retail, commercial andindustrial activities

RetailingRetail activity in the Coburg ActivityCentre is focused on Sydney Roadbetween Bell Street and MunroStreet. The shopping centredeveloped traditionally along thespine of Sydney Road with theCoburg Market forming a focal pointfor community life. Over the past 30years, properties to the rear of SydneyRoad were purchased and developedas on-grade car parks andsupermarkets and larger format shops(such as Dimmeys and previouslyVenture). Some redevelopment hasoccurred on Sydney Road allowing forthe introduction of a number ofarcades on the west side, connecting

from Sydney Road through to thestreets behind.

The location of the supermarkets onthe west side of the centre hasresulted in the focus of foodshopping shifting to the west side ofSydney Road. Anecdotal evidencesuggests that many people undertaketheir supermarket shopping and donot then move to undertake othershopping or tasks on Sydney Road.

To the north and south of the activitycentre core, a range of commercialand showroom-style developmentexist with an occasional restaurantpremises. A number of thesepremises are undergoing renewal,following the exodus over recenttimes of many of the showroombusinesses to the larger big-boxcentres such as Northland. A big-boxcentre is developing to the north ofthe activity centre in Gaffney Street.

Coburg Shopping centre is one of thecity’s major shopping and communitycentres, catering significantly to alocal catchment. A recently conductedcustomer survey indicates thatpatrons in the centre werepredominantly from Coburg, PascoeVale, parts of Brunswick and furtherafield to areas of Glenroy, Fawkner,Reservoir, Preston and Thornbury. Dueto the centre’s size, location,accessibility, community, amenitiesand range of businesses, the centrealso draws from the Melbourne’swest, north and eastern regions.


Coburg is primarily a food-orientatedcentre. Other nearby centres alsospecialising in food include PrestonCentral (including Preston Market)and Victoria Market. Both thesecentres have a stronger fresh foodfocus than Coburg due to the sizeand nature of their markets.However, it is the convenience ofCoburg relative to its catchment andthe combination of other activitiesthat make it attractive.

Coburg is more than a fresh foodcentre – it also offers a wide range oflocal convenience, weekly shoppingand personal and professionalservices. Coburg has a strongtraditional business offering ofnewsagents, chemists, post officeand a full range of banks.

The centre has a secondary role as adestination for lower order shopping,competing generally on price andlocal convenience. Some examples ofhigher order shopping exist,particularly jewellery, and this islargely due to the historicaldevelopment of Coburg as ashopping centre. However,Northland, Highpoint andBroadmeadows now fulfil this roledue to their strong product andbusiness offering and higher retailingstandards and amenities.

The Coburg centre has a relativelycontained primary catchment – abouta 2 kilometre radius. The secondarycatchment extends for about 5

kilometres and is centred alongSydney Road. Despite Coburg’slocalised catchment, a highproportion of car trips are still made.The extensive open lot parking is anattractor for the centre, particularlyfor the supermarkets.

People source a large proportion oftheir shopping from the centre, withthe exception of clothes (generallyMelbourne CBD) and homewares(generally Northland). The QueenVictoria Market is a favouredalternative for food, andentertainment is generally pursuedelsewhere20.

The core of the activity centrecomprises 42,205 square metres offloor space. The following tableoutlines the types of establishmentwithin the core and its estimatedfloor space.

A recent customer survey undertakenfor the Coburg Traders Association21

found that people using the centrelike the variety of shops, proximity totheir home, convenience and thecosmopolitan and friendlyatmosphere. People with dislikeswere in the minority but issuesappeared to include crowding and alack of bigger stores. Users arepredominantly female in the 20 to 50year old age group from lower tomiddle income families. A significantproportion of households speak alanguage other than English athome. This ethnic diversity underpins

the success of the non-supermarketfood outlets.

There is a trend for supermarkets totarget the markets of specialty shops,except perhaps for the highlyspecialised ethnic-based marketswhich are of insufficient size towarrant attention from the majorfood retailers with their centralisedstock inventories. Sydney Road shopsare the beneficiaries of this.

Significant ‘retail leakage’ occursfrom the Coburg area22, reflectingthe impact of major shopping centresoutside the municipality and thefailure of retail in Moreland to adaptto new retailing trends and formats.Clothing, footwear, specialised food,and house and garden, are the retailsectors with the greatest loss of retailspend to other areas. The lack of adepartment store has hinderedgrowth in many of these sectors.

Table 4.6: Retail establishment types and estimated floor space

Type of establishment Establishments Estimated Share of retail(ANZSIC classification) (No.) floorspace (m2) floorspace (%)

Food and alcohol 56 9,297 24Cafes and restaurants 26 6,091 16Homewares 36 8,178 21Clothing and footwear 45 4,672 12Health and personal 43 5,582 14Entertainment 14 2,218 6Vacant shops 7 2,916 7Total 227 38,954 100

Source: SGS Existing Land Use Survey 2000, 2001

20 ‘Central Coburg Economic Analysis’, Discussion paper, SGS, 2001.

21 Draft Coburg Shopping Centre Marketing Plan 2005–2008, prepared by Leanne Deans for the Coburg Traders Association, 2005.

22 Draft Moreland Retail and Commercial Land Use Study, 2005.


The main issue affecting the shoppingcentre is the quality of the urbanenvironment provided. The separationof the supermarkets by a ‘sea’ of carparking makes it attractive to car-based shoppers but cleaves the retailstores into two parts.

Coburg’s other key strength is as acommunity centre and this isindicated by its strong presence ofcommunity activities. A number ofcommunity facilities are locatedwithin the precinct with the CoburgLeisure Centre on the east side and anumber of churches and the CoburgLibrary to the west of Sydney Road.Along Bell Street, a focus on businessand medical services is emerging,largely as a result of the peripherylocation and the traffic conditionswhich make it less conducive forsome retail activities.

Recent development such as that atthe former Pentridge Prison creates apotentially new demographic for theCoburg shopping centre with specificlifestyle needs, such as qualityrestaurants and value-added food.This demographic also includes keenfashion shoppers who wouldfrequent a main street that wouldsatisfy their lifestyle needs.

Office activitiesOffices are scattered throughout theactivity centre. These include purpose-built developments, for example inBell Street, to above-shop

conversions. They are typically locatedinterspersed with retail and personalservices. Many are located south ofthe shopping centre and on sidestreets. An estimated 10,000 squaremetres of floorspace is being used foroffices and business services23.

23 ‘Central Coburg Economic Analysis’, Discussion paper, SGS, 2001.


Entertainment activitiesThe entertainment offer is limited inCoburg. A number of hotels andreception centres are scattered alongSydney Road, as are a number ofcafes and restaurants. Researchshows that most people pursue theirentertainment activities elsewhere24.

Little night-time activity occurs asmany restaurants close in theevening. This is likely to be a result ofa combination of underlying socio-economic factors, the centre’s role asa primarily food- and service-basedcentre, and the character of theenvironment.

Victoria Mall fulfils much of theentertainment activities of the centreproviding an opportunity for peopleto meet and chat.

Industrial activitiesA number of light industrial activitiesare located in the north and south ofthe activity centre, including cateringcompanies, steel manufacturers andmechanics. The former CDA site (justto the north of the Bell Street andSydney Road intersection) representsthe largest industrial site within theactivity centre and has been out ofoperation for a number of years.

Industrial trends affecting Coburg include:

• a move towards self containedindustrial/office complexes

• pressure on inner areas from otherland uses such as retail andcommercial, particularly big-boxretailing

• industry being attracted to areaswith accessible land, affordableland and good transport access

• Coburg’s high cost of land – onlyhigh value advanced technologymanufacturing would be able tojustify the cost of land.

These trends would indicate a movein Central Coburg from industrialactivities to office or other businessservices or new forms of retail.

Issues• Current retail offer is limited to

food and service.• Ensuring the retail offer maintains

a point of difference from othercentres to attract shoppers toCoburg.

• Provision of the retail offer tomeet new residents’ shoppingpreferences.

• Centre’s reliance on car parking.• Number of retail gaps and

significant retail leakage from the centre.

• Night-time activity in the centre islimited.

• Potential conflicts betweenentertainment facilities andresidential areas.

• Lack of good quality office space.

• No recognition of Coburg as alocation for office development.

• Need to attract small- to medium-sized businesses to Coburg.

• Industrial activities unlikely toremain due to high cost of land.

• Appropriateness of light industrialactivities in the activity centre.

HousingHousing in the suburb of Coburg ispredominantly detached housingwith 78 per cent of Coburg dwellingsmaking up this form of dwelling (ABS2001 Census of Population andDwellings).

The activity centre currently has asmall housing stock, which is mostlyshop-top dwellings and some largerapartment-style dwellings, along the Sydney Road corridor. Many ofthe dwellings are used as storagespace. Low density residentialhousing surrounds the centre.

The built form of activity centres islikely to include a much higherpercentage of apartments. Thedevelopment of new housing inactivity centres provides anopportunity to introduce new formsof housing and respond to thechanging needs of the community.

A significant number of apartmentdevelopments have recently beengranted planning permission – forexample, a seven-storey apartment

building on Sydney Road. However,the market for residential apartmentsacross Melbourne has recentlyexperienced a downturn and anumber of permits have not beenacted upon. This lull in the propertymarket cycle is the ideal time toestablish desired outcomes for future housing.

The northern region of Melbournehas been nominated by DSE toaccommodate an additional 110,000households by 2030. In addition toMoreland, the northern regioncomprises the municipalities ofBanyule, Darebin, Hume, Nillumbikand Whittlesea.

A key finding of the Northern RegionHousing Working Group is that theregion, and individual municipalities,need to commission market analysisand housing preference research toadequately understand the dynamicsof local housing supply and demand.

However, analysis of demographictrends and information from localhousing agencies indicates the needto anticipate shifts to smallerhouseholds, ageing households andlone person households, includingthose with part time care of children.

24 ibid.


A recent survey25 of residents in thesouthern areas of Moreland andDarebin currently living inmedium–high density housing,revealed that these residents have asignificantly different demographicprofile to the municipal population).They are generally younger, moreaffluent and more highly educatedthan the underlying population. Theywant to be part of the communityand view themselves as part of thelocal neighbourhood. They are moreactive and are high users of passiveopen space, walking paths and gyms.These new residents also seethemselves as remaining in Morelandin the future even if their housingrequirements change. This study hasidentified a new group of residentswho are more favourably inclinedtowards apartment-style living. Thoseunder 35 in this group are also morelikely to be satisfied with rentingrather than owning their housing, anew demographic shift.

Overall, new housing and refurbishedhousing in activity centres providesthe opportunity to introduceinnovative dwellings which respondto changing community needs.

Affordable housingAffordable and appropriate housingis in short supply for low incomeearners and those on statutorybenefits, households with disabledmembers, students and youth up to25 years.

While there is little research toconfirm this, evidence from localhousing agencies suggests a need toprovide appropriate housing forthose in the community who areageing, young people and peoplewith a disability.

‘Housing stress’ is a measurement byhousing researchers which suggeststhat households who spend morethan 30 per cent of their income onhousing costs (i.e. rent or mortgage),are deemed to be living in housingstress. In this circumstance, housing isdeemed not to be affordable. Thismeasure is particularly applied tolower income households in thelowest 40 per cent income quintiles,who have little discretionary use ofincome. In Moreland, the followingfigures highlight that affordablehousing is a key issue facing the area:

• of those in the lowest 40 per centof income groups in Moreland (i.e.below $600 household incomeper week)– 48 per cent of tenants (2,668

households) pay more than 30per cent of their income onhousing costs

– 69 per cent of purchasers (887households) pay more than 30per cent of their income onhousing costs

25 Survey of residents of medium and higher density development, Moreland and Darebin CityCouncils, Metropolis Research, 2005.


• in December 2002, Morelandreceived the third highest level ofFederal Government rentassistance in Victoria – 8,084households – and many of thesehouseholds still spent more than30 per cent of their income onhousing costs.

With a heavy reliance on governmentassistance and low incomescompared to the rest of Melbourne,the housing choices of the residentsof Moreland are affected. Coburghas little public housing.

The State Government has recentlychanged the funding model foraffordable housing projects, movingto a model of housing associations.This will result in five or sixorganisations designing anddeveloping new affordablecommunity housing across Victoria.This delegates a major part of theState Government’s housingresponsibility. Consequently, housingassociations have been asked toidentify new projects throughfeasibility studies. The StateGovernment will only maintainexisting public housing propertiesrather than construct new properties.Consequently, a range of initiativeswith the private sector and the new housing association program willbe required to affect the supply ofaffordable housing.

Issues• Currently little housing stock

within the activity centre.

• Need to accommodate additionalhousing within Moreland to meetdemand.

• Little understanding of thedynamics of local housing supplyand demand in the region.

• Demographic analysis indicates ashift to smaller households,ageing households, and loneperson households.

• Affordable and appropriatehousing is in short supply.

• Many of Moreland’s residents aresuffering from housing stress,reducing their housingopportunities.

• The market is responding to theneeds of some groups such aselderly and young people.

• Some sectors of the communitywill be excluded from the activitycentre if public and socialhousing opportunities are notincreased.

• Council will need to work withhousing associations to bringsocial housing to the centre.

Access for allA strong sense of place can beformed and community harmony canbe enhanced when locations such asservices, parks, community facilitiesand other public spaces areaccessible and welcoming to all.

‘Access’ has a broad definition; it canmean physical accessibility and canalso refer to whether a location,facility or public place ispsychologically welcoming andinviting to people or, conversely,alienating and not encouraging tovisitors. The manner in which users ofa site share the space and interactcan affect the sense ofunderstanding, equity and harmony.Sharing and contact with otherspromotes not only understandingand tolerance, but positivelypromotes health, mental health,safety, wellbeing and pride.

People will use Coburg’s parks, openspaces, commercial areas andcommunity facilities if they feelwelcomed, safe and comfortable inthese places. Furthermore, spacescommonly become safer as morepeople use them, which alsoincreases perceptions of safety.Provision for both active and passiverecreation within parks encourages arange of uses and users.

Design features can contribute to awelcoming feeling, and these caninclude architectural and design style,

method and materials used inconstruction, colour, public art andother visible cues.

The Central Coburg 2020 StructurePlan needs to consciously address theneeds of population groups whosesense of physical and psychologicalinclusion is commonly less than thatof the population generally. Suchgroups would include, but should notbe limited to, children, youth, olderpeople, Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslanders, culturally and linguisticallydiverse groups, people on lowincomes and those with physical ormental disability.

As the Australian population ages, agrowing percentage of Australianswill have a disability which will impacton their ability to physically accesshousing, public buildings, publictransport, community spaces and thelike, and thus on their ability tocontribute to community life.Disability takes a variety of formswithin the community; the two majordisability groups are people withphysical and sensory disabilities andpeople with an intellectual orpsychiatric disability. Elderly peoplemake up a high percentage of thosewith a physical or sensory disabilityand this is likely to grow as the ‘babyboomers’ age. The same issues thatapply to people with physical orsensory disability also apply to peoplewith a pram and young children, orpeople with temporary injuries, so


access issues are wider than justdisability access. A widerunderstanding, beyond the needs ofpeople in wheelchairs, is leading tobroader thinking on the issue and tothe concept of universal access for all.Universal access will require designersof the built environment to providefor the physical needs of all people;ranging from appropriate housing, tothe ability to negotiate the street kerbin a wheelchair or buggy.

Responding to the DisabilityDiscrimination Act 1992 will require consideration of all newworks in the public environment

including the placement of furnitureon the footpath.

Issues• Need to ensure that all spaces are

well designed otherwise peoplewill not feel welcome, safe andcomfortable.

• The built environment needs torespond to the growing numberof people with physical andsensory disabilities.

• New housing needs to respond tothe growing number of peoplewith accessibility issues.

Open space network

Provision of open spaceOpen space is an increasinglyvaluable asset in built-up areas and isrecognised for its contribution toeconomic, social and environmentalsustainability. Physical activity isrecognised for its importantcontribution to physical and mentalhealth. Contact with nature is alsopositive for health and parks andopen spaces provide the mainopportunities for viewing andexperiencing nature in an urbanenvironment. Parks also play asignificant role in fostering socialconnectedness which is important forthe wellbeing of the individual andthe community.

The activity centre is well-providedwith open space, having a number ofopen spaces within its core, such asBridges Reserve and Coburg CityOval, MacDonald Reserve, and somesmall ‘pocket’ parks. In addition, thecentre is within walking distance ofthe Merri Creek parkland, CoburgLake Reserve and De Chene Reserve,which together form a district parksystem around the north-east cornerof Central Coburg. There is however,a need to ensure these open spacesare adapted and developed toprovide an increase in the diversity ofopen space type, improvements tothe quality of open space andimprovements to access.

The Moreland Open Space Strategysets a target for a principal activitycentre like Coburg to ensure thatlocal open space is located within200 metres of all dwellings. A rangeof open space types are identifiedwithin the strategy, includinginformal, sporting, conservationparkland, habitat, heritage, civicplace, streetscape, and undeveloped.Examples of each of these types ofopen space exist in the suburb ofCoburg, as do a range ofopportunities to increase theprovision of a number of typesthrough the outcomes of the Central Coburg 2020 Structure Plan.These include opportunities for new civic places and streetscapeopen spaces.

Increases in population in the centre will place increased pressureon open spaces. A recent survey,undertaken of residents in medium-and high-density housing, revealedthat they were more active and werehigh users of passive open space andwalking paths. An increase in userswill bring with it a number ofbenefits, such as improvedsurveillance and sense of safety, andthere may be the opportunity toimprove the quality of public open space throughdeveloper contributions.


Issues• Increasing pressure for additional

open space will potentially occurwith increases in the centre’spopulation.

• The activity centre is well providedfor open space, however, thediversity of style of open spaceneeds to be increased.

• The quality of open space requiresimprovement. Basic facilities suchas shade, shelter, seating, toilets,drinking fountains andinformation signs are often seenas lacking. Maintenance is also acommonly perceived problem.

• Many areas of open space arepoorly accessed due to lack ofconnecting streets and paths.Links to open space need to beinviting and safe to encouragepublic use.

Transport and movementThe vision for Central Coburgregarding movement is to see mostpeople arrive at the centre on foot,by bike or by public transport. Forthose reliant on the use of cars andfor delivery vehicles, an integratedtransport plan will assist in managingvehicle congestion. Streets will beenhanced as accessible high-qualitypublic spaces.

Management of traffic and parkingand designing for sustainable modes

of transport are critical matters forthe structure plan for Coburg activitycentre. The range of transport issuesoverlayed with the management ofBell Street and Sydney Road byVicRoads as major roads (whichpromotes freight and regional trafficcarrying functions), highlights thecomplexity of transport andmovement issues in Coburg.

Melbourne’s public transport systemexists principally as a north–southsystem radiating from the MelbourneCentral Business District. East–westconnections are critical to improvingthe system. Bell Street is identified asan important east–west link for thefuture ‘Smart Bus’ program. SydneyRoad is the north–south transportcorridor for trams. The North Coburg(No.19) tram is one of the busiestroutes in Melbourne andmanagement of traffic in SydneyRoad needs to reflect the importantrole played by the tram, and maketram travel more attractive.

The centre is also considered ‘publictransport rich’ with the existence oftrain, tram, and bus and taxi services.This supports development of theCoburg Transport Interchange nearthe Coburg railway station, a conceptidentified in the Central Coburg 2020Vision and supported by theDepartment of Infrastructure.

Bell Street and Munro–Harding Streetprovide east–west access into the


Coburg Activity Centre. Sydney Roadprovides north–south access. BellStreet and Sydney Road carry thehighest amount of traffic, providingconnections to the freeway system tothe north and west. Bell Street andSydney Road are near saturation atpeak times. Intersections can be oneof the main causes of delay in trafficand therefore continued frequentreview and refinement of signalphasing and lanes aims to ensurethat the intersections are operatingat optimum performance given theconstraints of the location.

The Upfield railway level crossing isalso a barrier to traffic along BellStreet. Potential exists to lower therail line crossing. Although this wouldmean considerable cost for the StateGovernment, this would improvetraffic flow along Bell Street andimprove safety and connectivity forpedestrians and vehicles.

Sydney Road is more important forlocal shopping and public transportthan for through traffic. Even at peaktimes, only 20 per cent of the cars goall the way from Brunswick Road toBell Street. Clearways operate onSydney Road in the morning (eastside) and in the afternoon (west side).There are also counter peak clearwaysin the afternoon, on both sides of theSydney Road north of Bell Street andone on the east side of Sydney Roadbetween Bell Street and HardingStreet. Clearways operate to assist

traffic flow (vehicles and trams) atpeak times. However, clearways alsoreduce the amenity for pedestrianswalking along the street as parkedcars provide a barrier betweenshoppers and the moving traffic.

The Pentridge Prison redevelopmentincludes the construction of a newroad through the development(Pentridge Boulevard). This willprovide a connection to ChampStreet to the north and Bell Street tothe south. The Pentridgeredevelopment will have an impacton the transport network andtherefore it is critical that this newroad is integrated into the Coburgtransport network.

Parking within Central Coburg hasbeen identified as a key economicdriver of the centre, which currentlyserves as a local centre cateringprimarily for food and relateddemands of the area. The open lotcar parks assist the centre,particularly the supermarkets, andhence a high proportion of local tripsto the centre are in a car. The carparks rarely reach capacity, even atpeak times. An opportunity existstherefore to provide an adequatesupply of parking for a range ofusers, while supporting sustainabletransport objectives.

The Moreland Bicycle Plan 2000 setsout a framework for improvingconditions for cyclists in the city. The

vision highlights ‘every street is acycling street’, and this is aimed atrecognising that cyclists are legitimateusers of the road network. Morelandcyclists make more trips and travelfurther than the average cyclist inMelbourne, however Moreland alsohas slightly lower bicycle ownershiprates than the rest of Melbourne.Opportunity exists to improve bicyclefacilities and ensure this transportmode is integrated into the centre onappropriate roads and that there is acontinuous local network.

Pedestrian access and amenity inCentral Coburg is varied. Moreland’sIntegrated Transport Strategy (MITS)aims to improve the walking networkin Moreland by encouraging ‘agreater proportion of short trips tobe done on foot’. This aim will beimplemented by Moreland’sPedestrian Strategy (currently underdevelopment). Overall, the pedestrianenvironment for Coburg requiresenhancement through continuouslinks to key destinations andimproved amenity. Bell Street isrecognised as a major barrier forpedestrians and cyclists moving in anorth–south direction. Safe crossingpoints are a key consideration in thedevelopment of the structure plan.

The Public Acquisition Overlay(PAO1), also referred to as the‘Urquhart Street Bypass’ and locatednorth of Bell Street, is no longerrequired for the purposes of

construction of a bypass to the BellStreet–Sydney Road intersection. Ithas also restricted improvements tothe area as evidenced by the CDAsite. VicRoads has indicated thatthere is no objection to the removalof the PAO1, provided that the issuesassociated with turns into SydneyRoad from Bell Street are resolvedand the capacity of Bell Streetbetween Sydney Road and HudsonStreet is retained. Meeting thisrequirement for VicRoads involvesplacement of a Public AcquisitionOverlay on parts of Bell Streetbetween the railway line and the eastside of the Bell Street and SydneyRoad intersection.

Issues

Alternative transport options• Designing and encouraging use of

sustainable modes of transport asan alternative to the use of a caris a key issue for the success ofthe centre.

• Need to ensure implementation oftransport interchange adjoiningCoburg railway station.

Pedestrian amenity and safety• Pedestrian access, amenity

and safety are varied and in many instances requireimprovement.

• Lack of identification of majorwalking destinations and pooraccessibility and connections.


Cycling• Need to ensure all streets are

designed with cyclists recognisedas legitimate users, promoting the vision of ‘every street is acycling street’.

• Need for a continuous localnetwork (both on- and off-road)which is safe visible, accessibleand well signed.

• Lack of ‘end of trip facilities’including prominent sheltered bicycle parking, lockers, etcetera.

Public transport• Coordination of the modes of

transport (bus, tram, train) into anetwork that is accessible, visibleand well connected.

• Frequency, speed of travel timeand ease of connections arepotential barriers to the use ofpublic transport.

• Poor amenity and safety of facilities.

Road network• Both Bell Street and Sydney Road

are identified as major roads inthe Melbourne Transport Plan, butalso have an important localtransport role.

• Improvements to public transport,particularly on Bell Street (buses)and Sydney Road (trams).

• Removal of clearways.• Integration of Pentridge Boulevard

and associated works into the

local road network.• Road safety and amenity for

pedestrian and cyclists as well as vehicles.

• Existing rail line crossing Bell Streetand Munro Street is animpediment to traffic flow andconnectivity to and within theactivity centre.

Car parking

• Car parks are an importanteconomic driver for the centre,however they use large parcels ofland within the centre.

• The car parks rarely reach capacity,even on peak days.

• On-street parking is not well utilised.

• Location, design and managementof car parks are important issuesin relation to the amenity of thearea for all users.

Land reservations and acquisition

• Removal of the PAO1 (UrquhartStreet Bypass) will require a PublicAcquisition Overlay on parts ofBell Street between the railwayline and the east side of Bell andSydney Road intersection in orderto meet VicRoads requirements.


Public realm‘Public realm’ consists of all thoseparts of the built and naturalenvironment where the public hasfree and unrestricted access. Itencompasses all the streets, squaresand other civic spaces, the openspaces and parks and the‘public/private’ spaces where publicaccess is unrestricted. The publicrealm is important in contributing toa city’s sense of place.

A high quality and pedestrian-friendlypublic realm is a key ingredient ofsuccessful places. Effective publicrealm spaces have also been shownto be good for business.

Successful public spaces have fourkey qualities:

1. Accessible and well-linked –well connected to thesurroundings, both visual andphysical; easy to get to and getthrough; visible both from adistance and up close; a highturnover of parking andconvenient to public transport.

2. Comfortable and with a goodimage – the space is comfortableand presents itself well or has agood image; comfort includesperceptions about safety,cleanliness, impact on theenvironment and the availability ofplaces to sit.

3. Uses and activities – people areengaged in activities in the publicspace; activities are the basicbuilding blocks of a place. Havingsomething to do gives people areason to come to a place – andto return. Empty spaces canprovide a sense of somethingbeing ‘wrong’.

4. Sociable – a place where peoplemeet each other and take visitors;when people see friends, meettheir neighbours, and feelcomfortable interacting withstrangers, they tend to feel astronger sense of place orattachment to their community inan effective public space.

The important contribution of thestreetscape and public spaces to thepublic realm and the creation ofplaces are examined in this section.Open spaces, parks and public/privateinterfaces are examined in othersections of this document.

StreetscapesStreets play a vital role in determiningthe character and amenity of a city.With intensification of activity andincreased densities expected withinthe centre, and smaller private openspaces common in new developmentssurrounding the activity centre, moreimportance is being placed on streetsas public open space and on theircontribution to urban amenity.

Currently, streetscapes in Coburg aregenerally poor and lacking indefinition about the role of the streetand poor quality environment.Consultation undertaken indeveloping the vision identified astrong desire from the community toincrease the quality of streetlandscapes, particularly throughincreased tree planting throughoutthe area.

Issues• Streetscapes are increasingly

important as public open spaceand public amenity.

• The community values good streetlandscapes.

• Streetscapes in Coburg aregenerally poor.

• Street design provides a strongmessage about the role of thestreet for users.

• Streetscape type is influenced byuse, activity, traffic conditions, anddegree of enclosure by buildings.

Public placesCentral Coburg has a number ofpublic places, including the VictoriaMall and the northern forecourt ofthe Moreland Civic Centre. Newpublic places are also proposed aspart of the redevelopment of theformer Pentridge Prison complex.

The development of Central Coburgwill provide the opportunity to

develop a range of new public placesthroughout the area to support theactivities of the centre. This willinclude some major public places,smaller malls and circulation spacesthat provide improved amenity andconnectivity.

Public artPublic art has a significant place inthe urban environment in terms of itscontribution to the cultural vitality ofthe city through ideas, interpretationand creative activity. Public art in thecentre is currently limited.

Issues• Limited connectivity between

existing public spaces in Coburg.• A good quality public realm

contributes to the city’s sense ofplace.

• Pedestrian access and linkage inCoburg are poor.

• The comfort and image of publicspaces must be improved.

• Use and activities within a publicspace are critical to its success.

• Sociable places where people canmeet and feel comfortable leadsto successful places.

• There is currently limited public artwithin the centre.


Built formThe existing built form of Coburgresults from the interaction of social,economic and architecturaldevelopment with the topographyand landscape over the past 150 years.

A two-storey scale was establishedon Sydney Road from BrunswickRoad in Brunswick to Bell Street inthe second half of the nineteenthcentury. This scale is maintained morestrongly in Brunswick, but has beenretained in Coburg by a number ofremnant boom period buildings, suchas the Bates Building at 400 SydneyRoad, and the groups of shops at148–62 and 436–42 Sydney Road.Between these, the infill developmentis of a varied scale, and in some casesof low quality – making a poorcontribution to the streetscape.

Behind Sydney Road, theenvironment and streetscapes arepoorly defined and uncoordinateddue to the ad hoc disposition of carparks and single storey retailpremises. This circumstance resultsfrom the removal of the single-storeydetached dwellings, andconsolidation of land by Council andprivate owners and presents a clearopportunity to ensure that futuredevelopment achieves a high quality,sustainable built form.

Existing character

Sydney Road NorthSydney Road north of Bell Streetfeatures a strong contrast betweenthe solid two-storey development onthe west, and the free-standingchurch buildings with spires in anopen landscape on the east.

Sydney Road SouthSydney Road between Bell Street andHarding/Munro Streets has an overallcharacter and scale set by therelationship between the two-storeyscale of older buildings and the widthof the street, although the quality ofthe street as a public space iscompromised by the jumble ofoverhead infrastructure, a number ofpoor quality single-storey buildings,and traffic.

Bell Street EastThe built form character of Bell Streeteast of Sydney Road is of a numberof free-standing buildings andcomplexes within an open landscape.

Bell Street WestThe section of Bell Street betweenSydney Road and the railway linefeatures an overall framework oftwo-storey development to the streetfrontage, with a number of breakswhere the scale changes, and thebuildings are set back from thestreet. The five-storey mixed-usedevelopment at 136 Bell Streetstands as a prototype for

development throughout Precinct 2.West of the railway line, the builtform transitions between the morecommercial urban form to the eastand the low density suburban formto the west.

The former Pentridge PrisoncomplexThe former Pentridge Prison is anextremely important complex ofstructures which demonstrate thedevelopment of the penal system inVictoria, and form a significanthistorical landmark in Melbourne’snorth. The location of the substantialbluestone buildings on the edge ofthe Merri Creek escarpment makethem highly visible within Coburg.The completion of the redevelopmentof the site will consolidate Pentridge as a major architecturaland historical landmark.

Council assetsCouncil buildings within the activitycentre are generally of a low scale.

Issues• The existing low scale

development and the extent ofopen lot car parking within theactivity centre don’t support themixture and intensity of useswhich could support a morevibrant local economy.

• The significance of Sydney Roadas a retail strip based onnineteenth century development

practices must be maintained and enhanced.

• The built form behind SydneyRoad is poorly defined.

• The amenity of low-densityresidential areas must beprotected and enhanced.

• New forms and configurations ofbuilding are required to supportthe intensity and mixture of usesdesired for the activity centre.

• Interfaces between existing andnew development must bemanaged.

• The existing structure of theactivity centre doesn’t define goodlinkages and attractive streets.

• The extent of open lot carparking within the activity centrecore presents a significantopportunity to ensureenvironmentally sustainabledevelopment through thecreation of appropriate buildingforms and exploitation ofnorthern orientation.


Provision of social services

Role of Central Coburg in theprovision of social servicesCentral Coburg currently offers awide range of social and communityservices to Coburg, the widerMoreland and the northern region ofMelbourne. These services are amajor attractor for people to CentralCoburg and provide the opportunityfor people to multi-trip in the centre.

Services are currently clustered in arange of locations across the centre.Health services are clustered withinwalking distance of the Coburg trainstation and the Sydney Road tramwhile community facilities are locatedaround the civic centre and the BellStreet and Sydney Road intersection.

The range of services in CentralCoburg includes:

• Moreland Community HealthService

• Coburg Leisure Centre• East Coburg Tennis Club• Coburg Bowls Club• Bob Hawke Centre• Coburg Community Legal Service• a range of child care centres• senior citizens’ centre• neighbourhood houses• Medicare office.

Council’s role in these services andfacilities varies from ownership of

land and facilities, to provision offunding. In the case of some sectors,other government and non-government providers play asignificant role.

Recent work undertaken for theSocial, Cultural and Leisure NeedsAssessment revealed that several ofthe social services in Coburg arelooking to expand to cope withgrowing needs and several facilitiesare inappropriate to the specificneeds of the provider. With aprojected growth in population,further pressure will be placed onthese services. This situation providesCouncil with the opportunity to workwith a range of potential partners totry to meet these requirements forthe community.

Issues• A wide range of community

organisations and facilities arelocated in and around the activitycentre.

• Council owns and maintains anumber of social facilities – manyof which are not fit for purpose.

• Social services need to respond topopulation change and growthneeds.

• A number of synergies are gainedby the collocation of socialservices within the activity centre.

• Lack of services for young people.• Attracting and keeping services in

the area.


Land configuration andownershipLand ownership in Central Coburg ischaracterised by numerous landowners, most of small land holdings.Many of these have been owned formany years with little reinvestment orrenovation.

Larger plots of land within the centreare owned by a number of owners.These include the State Government(Victrack land), Crown land (reservesand community facilities), largedevelopers such as the developers ofPentridge, and Council land such ascar parks, the civic precinct,community facilities and parks. Map4.1 outlines the extent of landownership and current configurationin the centre.

53

Map 4.1 Land ownership in Coburg Activity Centre

Batman

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State and Crown land

Major land holdings

Other properties

0 100 200 300 400 500 m


Issues• Development of small land

ownership parcels and multipleland owners will makeredevelopment of those siteschallenging.

• Some large land parcels havecompromised the effectiveness ofthe street and linkage networks.

• Council owns significant landwithin the centre.

Municipal and serviceinfrastructureThe orderly design, construction andmaintenance of infrastructure iscritical to the creation andmaintenance of a high quality, highamenity urban environment. Poorlycoordinated infrastructure can resultin visual clutter, disruption to thecoherence of building and landscapedesign and, at worst, impedimentsto movement, amenity andeconomic activity.

The responsibility of managinginfrastructure such as power supplyand telecommunications is dispersed between a range ofauthorities and providers, often in amarket context.

As the vision for Coburg is realised,the increase in population and thephysical changes to the centre willplace increased demand on theexisting infrastructure, as well asplacing an increased onus on all

those responsible for theinfrastructure to plan for, andmanage it in a coordinated,integrated and environmentallyresponsible way.

Power infrastructureElectricity is generally reticulated toCoburg via medium- and low-voltageoverhead powerlines. These lines areat their most visually intrusive inSydney Road, where the combinationof overhead tram and powerlinescreates a visual jumble whichseriously compromises the characterof the streetscape.

A number of minor electricitysubstations currently exist throughoutcentral Coburg, located on privateand public land, including in someinstances on Council land and inCouncil buildings. The trend to theprovision of such sub-stations is tolocate them in the basement orground floor of new development, oras freestanding ‘kiosks.’

Drainage infrastructureThe extent of the Coburg ActivityCentre approximates the catchmentof the Harding Street main drain,which carries Coburg’s stormwateralong Harding and Salisbury Streetsand Alva Grove and across theCoburg Senior High School site toMerri Creek. The main drainrepresents the conversion of a formercreek-course into a concrete culvert.

This situation provides theopportunity to manage thestormwater via a ‘whole ofcatchment’ approach. Opportunitiesexist to redesign the drainage systemto achieve the following:

• collect water for use in wateringCoburg City Oval, McDonaldReserve and the Coburg SeniorHigh School grounds

• intercept rubbish and pollutants

• retrieve the lost landscape andhabitat qualities of the local creeknetwork.

Transport infrastructureIn the urban environment,infrastructure provided for transportmanagement includes traffic signalcontrol boxes, traffic lights, busshelters and signage. An example ofvery poorly located infrastructure isthe VicRoads signal control box inVictoria Mall.

TelecommunicationsinfrastructureSydney Road serves as a corridor for majortelecommunications infrastructure,such as underground fibre-opticcables. The location of thisinfrastructure has significantimplications for the management ofthe streetscape, particularly in regardto the location of trees and theselection of paving materials.


Poorly located infrastructure in Victoria MallMunicipal infrastructureInfrastructure which is managed byCouncil includes roads, footpaths, kerband channel and local stormwaterdrainage. The coordination of thesefeatures with the design anddevelopment of streets and otherpublic places is critically important tothe success of the activity centre.

The major service infrastructurecurrently existing in Coburg, andassociated issues, are shown in Table 4.7.

Table 4.7 Existing major service infrastructure in Coburg

Infrastructure Status Responsibility

Stormwater Over capacity, causing flooding and discharge of Melbourne WaterHarding Street main drain poor quality water to Merri Creek.

Rail substation Located adjacent to train line crossing of VicTrack/ Department Munro Street – impediment to construction of Infrastructureof new road.

Rail works depot Depot of 1,700m2 located on VicTrack land to VicTrack/DoIwest of train line on alignment of Victoria Street; acts as major impediment to access train station and underpass, and creates unsafe environment.

Coburg electricity substation Substation distributes power to the wider Coburg AGLHudson Street area. Location of building compromises the residential

character of Hudson Street, and reduces passive surveillance of Victoria Street and the rail underpass,and doesn’t generate the desired level of activity.


Appendix 1Current land usezones and overlays

Zone Purpose of the zone General land uses

Business 1 To encourage the intensive development of business The Coburg shopping centre on Sydney Road, including thecentres for retailing and other complementary supermarkets between Sydney Road and the station. Alsocommercial, entertainment and community uses. covers the strip of shops fronting the north and south sides of

Bell Street, west of Sydney Road.Covers the few local shops scattered to the east end of Harding Street and on the north east corner of Harding and Nicholson Streets.

Business 3 To encourage the integrated development of offices Business area fronting Sydney Road south of Munro and and manufacturing industries and associated commercial Harding Streets, consisting of a mix of shops and other and light industrial uses. commercial uses.

Public Use 2 To recognise public land use for public utility and Moreland City College to the east, adjoining the Merri Creek.(Education) community services and facilities; in this case, use for Coburg Primary School on Bell Street, split between the north

education purposes. and south.

Public Use 6 To recognise public land use for public utility and Coburg Town Hall and Moreland Council Offices on Bell Street.(Local government) community services and facilities; in this case, use for

local government purposes.

Public Use 4 To recognise public land use for public utility and community Coburg Station and the Upfield rail line.(Transport) services and facilities; in this case, use for transport purposes.

Special Use 2 To provide for educational and religious institutions and The church precinct on the north east corner of the Sydney (Places of worship and associated facilities in a landscaped setting. Road–Bell Street intersection.private education centres) To integrate the use and development of the land with

redevelopment of the Pentridge Prison site and civic precinct and to retain the public nature of the precinct.

Table A.1. Purpose and general land use descriptions

Table A1 and Map A1 illustratecurrent land use zones that apply tothe Coburg Activity Centre. Thepurpose of the zone and the generalland uses they apply are outlined.

CENTRAL COBURG 2020 STRUCTURE PLAN 57


Zone Purpose of the zone General land uses

Industrial 3 To provide for industries and associated uses in specific Transitional area of old industrial buildings like the CDA Velouraareas where special consideration of the nature and factory, fronting the west side of Sydney Road, north of impacts of industrial uses is required or to avoid Bell Street.inter-industry conflict.To provide a buffer between the IN1Z or IN2Z and local communities, which allows for industries and associated uses compatible with the nearby community.To ensure that uses do not affect the safety or amenity of adjacent, more sensitive land uses.

Comprenhensive To provide for the integrated subdivision and development Generally covers the heritage area within the Pentridge site.Development 1 of the land in accordance with the Grandview Square (Grandview Square Comprehensive Development Plan, April 1999, prepared Comprenhensive by Tract Consultants P/L.Development Plan) To provide for a mix of residential, tourist and commercial

uses that can integrate the site with the surrounding uses whilst complementing the heritage significance of the site.

Residential 1 To provide for residential development at a range of Generally standard suburban post war residential development,densities with a variety of dwellings to meet the housing consisting largely of single detached housing and some flatsneeds of all households. and units.To encourage residential development that respects neighbourhood character.In appropriate locations, to allow educational, recreational, religious, community and a limited range of other non-residential uses to serve local community needs.

Public park and recreation To recognise areas for public recreation and open space. Covers the Merri Creek and associated reserves – Coburg LakeTo protect and conserve areas of significance where Reserve, De Chene Reserve; McDonald Reserve east of theappropriate. Council Offices; Bridges Reserve fronting Bell Street andTo provide for commercial uses where appropriate. including the Coburg Leisure Centre, Coburg City Oval and the

Coburg Bowling Club; and a number of smaller neighbourhood parks within the residential areas.

Table A.1. Purpose and general land use descriptions continued


OverlaysThere are two main overlays ofsignificance to the development ofthe plan. These are the HeritageOverlay and the Public AcquisitionOverlay.

Heritage OverlayA number of buildings and placeswithin the Coburg Activity Centre arecovered by the Heritage Overlay. Thepurpose of the Overlay is to:

• conserve and enhance heritageplaces of natural or culturalsignificance

• conserve and enhance thoseelements which contribute to thesignificance of heritage places

• ensure that development does notadversely affect the significance ofheritage places

• conserve specifically identifiedheritage places by allowing a usethat would otherwise beprohibited if this will demonstrablyassist with the conservation of thesignificance of the heritage place.

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LegendPlanning Overlay

Map A.2 Extent of heritage overlay

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LegendPlanning Zones

Public Use Zone

Comprehensive Development Zone

Special Use Zone

Public Use Zone Transport

Industrial 3 Zone

Industrial 1 Zone

Business 1 Zone

Business 2 Zone

Business 3 Zone

Public Park and Recreation Zone

Residential 1 Zone

Road Zone Category 1

Map A.1 Current land use zonesin Coburg Activity Centre


SY

DN

EY

RO

AD

BELL STREET

THE GROVE

RO

SS

ST

RE

ET

BLAIR STREET

MURRAY ROAD

THE AVENUE

MOORE STREET

BA

RR

OW

ST

RE

ET

RENNIE STREET

WALSH STREET

RELAND ROAD

HARDING STREET

LOC

H S

TR

EE

T

OHEA STREET

SHEFFIELD STREET

CO

BU

RG

ST

RE

ET

DE

CA

RL

E S

TR

EE

T

GO

LF

RO

AD

MA

IN S

TR

EE

T

MUNRO STREET

NE

WL

AN

DS

RO

AD

CO

PE

ST

RE

ET

STA

TIO

N S

TR

EE

T

BU

DD

S S

TR

EE

T

CAMPBELL STREET

CA

ME

RO

N S

TR

EE

TR

AIL

WA

Y P

LAC

E

CH

AM

P S

TR

EE

T

HARDWICK STREET

HU

DS

ON

ST

RE

ET

RU

SS

EL

L S

TR

EE

T

UN

NA

ME

D

SE

RV

ICE

ST

RE

ET

URQUHART STREET

GIL

MO

UR

ST

RE

ET

EYNARD STREET

RIC

HA

RD

S S

TR

EE

T

ST

OC

K S

TR

EE

T

AFFNEY STREET

FAR

M R

OA

D

PA

TT

ER

SO

N S

TR

EE

TS

ALI

SB

UR

YS

TR

EE

T

RO

DD

A S

TR

EE

T

WILSON STREET

EDWARD STREET

HATTON GROVE

DA

RE

ST

RE

ET

CA

SH

ST

RE

ET

VICTORIA STREET

WO

LSE

LEY

ST

RE

ET

LAK

E G

RO

VE

AU

DLE

Y S

TR

EE

T

W Y

BR

OW

N S

TR

EE

T

WA

RD

EN

S W

AL

K

CARRON STREET

RENOWN STREET

NORMAN STREET

FR

AN

KL

IN S

TR

EE

T

WAT

CH

TO

WE

R R

OA

D

MC

CR

OR

Y S

TR

EE

T

THE AVENUE

BA

RR

OW

ST

RE

ET

Public Acquisition Overlay (PAO)

LegendPlanning Overlay

Map A.3 Extent of current publicacquisition overlay

Public Acquisition Overlay

A Public Acquisition Overlay 1 (PAO1)runs parallel with Bell Street,switching between the north andsouth sides. This road reservationdates back to the 1950s and wasoriginally put in place to facilitate theduplication of Bell Street.

For further information contact:

Moreland City Council90 Bell Street Coburg 3058 www.moreland.vic.gov.au

Tel: 03 9240 1111Fax: 03 9240 1212TTY: 9240 2256Email: [email protected]

Or visit our web site at www.cc2020.com.au

Printed on recycled paper using vegetable-based inks.

2006-03/14

Documents

and issuesBackground Part 4 - moreland.vic.gov.au