Victoria
Place: Melbourne’s Historic Suburbs
Threat: Inappropriate development in heritage precincts

Significance of Place
The historic suburbs of Melbourne include some of the most intact and significant Victoria era urban precincts remaining in the world. Established from the 1840s as Melbourne developed, they are integral to the character of Melbourne and have state, national and international significance.

Description of Threat
The State government’s Melbourne 2030 planning strategy attempts to address where and how the anticipated one million increase in Melbourne ’s population over the next 30 years will live and work. Melbourne 2030 identifies 100 “metropolitan activity centres or hubs” where new suburban development would be focused.

This policy threatens many heritage precincts as higher-density housing and other development will be encouraged in large tracts of Melbourne ’s historic suburbs, many of which are areas of high heritage value.

Melbourne 2030 proposals particularly threaten Melbourne ’s beloved historic shopping strips in inner and middle suburban areas such as Carlton and Collingwood, Camberwell Junction, Box Hill, Northcote, Elwood, Chapel Street in South Yarra, Brunswick Street and Smith Street in Fitzroy.

The selection of these ill-conceived and poorly defined locations for intensified development threatens the very characteristics that make these desirable places to live. The Trust believes that these areas of high architectural, historical, and social significance threatened by 2030 proposals should be protected through state and local government action immediately.

Further Actions
In the face of increased community concern Melbourne-wide, the National Trust (Victoria) has decided to re-nominate Melbourne’s Historic Suburbs to the Endangered Places List for 2004.

The National Trust calls on the government to immediately put in place controls to halt inappropriate and insensitive development in areas of recognised cultural heritage significance.

The Trust is in agreement with the principal aims of 2030, and welcomes the creation of a long-term strategy to plan for the development of metropolitan Melbourne . However, protection must be provided for areas of high architectural, historical, and social significance which are directly threatened by 2030 proposals.

In particular, the Trust believes that government at state and local level must take the steps outlined in their policy statement – National Trust of Australia ( Victoria ) Melbourne 2030 Strategy – to protect Melbourne ’s unique heritage resources, and to ensure that the Victorian planning scheme continues to provide orderly and democratic planning outcomes.