Making the most of abandoned office buildings and keeping shops open into the night could be a key to revitalising Melbourne’s CBD in a post Covid world.
Two years after Covid lockdowns shut down the CBD, some of Melbourne’s most influential voices have revealed to the Sunday Herald Sun how they think the city can unlock it’s full potential over the next few years.
Renowned restaurateur Chris Lucas, who owns multiple venues in the CBD including Chin Chin and Grill Americano, said small businesses still required support to rebuild following the pandemic.
He added the city must “evolve” its hospitality scene and night time economy to ensure Melbourne is not outshone by Sydney.
Brendan Nottle, Cath Evans and Caroline Ralphsmith want to rejuvenate Melbourne’s CBD. Picture: Jake Nowakowski
Mr Lucas suggested retailers stay open past 5pm to increase night time activity and called on city leaders to help build Melbourne’s reputation as “the best food city in the world”.
Property Council Australia Victorian executive director Cath Evans said transforming old CBD office spaces into new residential dwellings was key to unlocking more living space in the city.
“Greater Melbourne’s population will continue to boom with an additional 3.4m people needing housing over the next 30 years – equivalent to 43,000 additional homes per year. These new homes can’t exclusively be built on our fringe,” Ms Evans said.
“This situation actually provides the Melbourne CBD with a once in a century opportunity to reinvent itself as a place where people live, not just visit.”
While housing affordability remains an issue for Melburnians, one of the city’s leading spokesmen for the homelessness sector says government projects were vital to reducing the number of rough sleepers in the CBD.
Salvation Army Major Brendan Nottle said the council’s Make Room project, which will transform a building on Little Bourke St into temporary accommodation, will help take people sleeping rough off the streets.
But Major Nottle said more services were needed to resolve the issue long-term.
“Rough sleeping in the CBD is not a unique issue to Melbourne. It happens in cities all around the world,” he said.
Melbourne’s CBD has lost some of its vibrancy in recent years.
“This group is incredibly difficult to reach so we must go to them with a multidisciplinary team with the expertise, resources, time and patience to understand their issues in their space.”
Following two years of cancelled shows and gallery closures, Melbourne Fashion Festival CEO Caroline Ralphsmith said she would like to see the council divert more resources into the city’s creative industries.
The City of Melbourne this week announced plans to spend big on CBD projects and revitalisation as part of it’s draft budget and annual plan.
Over the next four years, the council will focus on “driving economic recovery”.
It hopes to increase the proportion of dwellings near public open spaces and will work to attract new businesses to the CBD.
It also hopes to increase the number of local residents employed in the city.
The council will splash $247.5m on infrastructure projects, including the Queen Victoria Market precinct renewal, and has pledged $60m to clean up the city and improve safety.
It will invest $28.2 in events to attract more visitors, including $3.5m for its brand new Now or Never Festival, and has promised another $7m to the city’s arts sector.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the council was “building momentum by delivering today and shaping tomorrow”.
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CHRIS LUCAS
Founder and CEO Lucas Restaurants
We have all heard the news that our city will soon be home to Australia’s largest population.
While this growth presents challenges, its also offers us an exciting opportunity to establish and build a dynamic vision for our great city that will be the foundation for decades to come.
Chin Chin owner Chris Lucas wants retailers to stay open past 5pm. Picture: Jason Edwards
Following the pandemic, almost every city is struggling with the same issues as Melbourne, but what stands out is a determination to rebuild and compete globally like never before.
We cannot afford to be left behind.
When I return to Melbourne, I quickly realise how truly blessed we are to live in this city.
At the heart of its cultural ethos lies, arguably, one the worlds most exciting and vibrant restaurant and cafe cultures.
My concern is that decision making is being driven by political ideology and a myriad of vocal minority groups which is undermining our city and threatening our prosperity.
There’s no doubt competition from other cities, including Sydney, is only going to increase.
Melbourne’s culture and vibrant hospitality scene have always been a hot bed of creation and innovation but that success is far from guaranteed.
As we look into the future, our city’s leaders and politicians must ensure we not only protect what we have created, but continue to evolve our hospitality scene.
The future of our city and hospitality industry increasingly lies in harnessing the energy and entrepreneurship of our leaders while also creating a restaurant and night time economy that is truly global.
Let’s make Melbourne a truly 24/7 city that is open and enticing.
From music, theatre, shops, restaurants and clubs, lets stay open until late and make us the only truly round the clock city in Australia.
Let’s build on our reputation as the best food city in the world by removing barriers and red tape that strangle innovation and, more importantly, respect and support the culture of small business.
MAJOR BRENDAN NOTTLE
Commanding Officer, The Salvation Army
When Covid struck in February 2020, there were around 240 people sleeping rough on the streets of Melbourne.
Many took up offers of accommodation and have thrived as a result, but some who entered long-term housing arrangements have since returned to the streets.
Brendan Nottle said the CBD needs to be a safe place for everyone. Picture: Jake Nowakowski
Around forty people refused accommodation offers altogether, citing complex mental health issues as the reason for not wanting to go indoors.
Some of this group have tragically since died. The rest still remain on the streets today. If we are serious about working with this group we must take a multidisciplinary team to them.
Melbourne’s Homelessness Operational Protocol team sees council staff addressing amenity issues, Victoria Police addressing law and order issues and Salvos and other services addressing housing and other welfare issues.
This must continue and be expanded to include more services and more resources.
During 2017 – 2019, The Salvation Army Melbourne opened the doors of its cafe overnight, seven nights per week. Up to 180 people consistently accessed the service. Was it a solution to their homelessness? No, but it was a first step in the right direction.
The City of Melbourne’s Make Room Project and the state government’s Big Build Project are absolutely critical responses, but they will never resolve the issue of homelessness on their own.
History has proven that “one off” responses to this complex issue often fail to provide long-term positive outcomes.
Rough sleeping in the CBD is not a unique issue to Melbourne – it happens in cities all around the world.
At its heart, a CBD needs to be a safe place for all. We need to further develop and strengthen the joint approach that currently exists.
CATH EVANS
Victorian Executive Director, Property Council of Australia
Looking back 100 years to 1923, the population of greater Melbourne was just over 1.1m people. The inner city area was home to more than double the 45,000 Victorians who live in postcode 3000 now.
Cath Evans says Melbourne has a once in a century opportunity to reinvent itself. Picture: Jake Nowakowski
The pandemic brought into stark focus our collective failure to create a permanent population in the city’s beating heart.
When Covid hit, the lack of local CBD residents and absence of regular commuters meant there was no critical mass of locals to help struggling businesses survive.
Like much of the country, Melbourne is in the grip of a housing affordability crisis that is reducing the ability of Victorians to find an affordable home in reasonable proximity to their work and suitable local amenity.
Increasingly, a lot of office workers are being forced to find housing further and further away from their CBD workplaces, putting greater pressure on public transport – a familiar problem for anyone who has tried to find a seat on a tram, train or bus recently.
Greater Melbourne’s population will continue to boom with an additional 3.4m people needing housing over the next 30 years.
This situation provides the Melbourne CBD with a once in a century opportunity to reinvent itself as a place where people live, not just visit.
There are many under-utilised commercial buildings crying out for a new lease on life – converting older offices into new apartments in the CBD, close to the amenity people want and the work they need, supports not only better urban planning outcomes, but provides an important solution to our housing crisis.
While the Aussie dream has always been the quarter acre block in the suburbs, I’m pretty sure there are many of us who couldn’t think of a better backyard than Melbourne’s CBD.
CAROLINE RALPHSMITH
PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival CEO
With Melbourne’s expected growth over the next few years, we will see greater cultural diversity in our population and greater diversity in our thinking, our creativity, and our skills.
If we embrace this, the outcome could be the realisation of a true creative superpower.
Caroline Ralphsmith wants more council support for the city’s creative industries. Picture: Jake Nowakowski
Our authentic acceptance and celebration of individuality provides us with a unique opportunity to differentiate ourselves from other cities around the world in fashion and creativity.
We embrace whimsy, quirkiness, fabulousness, queerness, refinement and the unexpected, and this provides a safe space for more inventiveness.
However, to ensure we remain a global fashion capital and creative hub we need to support and nurture all elements of the industry.
We need to urgently reduce the impact the fashion industry is having on the environment.
We need to relocate to Melbourne and surrounding areas critical stages of the industry that have been outsourced overseas.
And we need government support to incentivise industry participants to help facilitate these changes.
Melburnians always turn up – for events, for those in need, for local businesses, for art and culture, for food, for fun.
And while Melbourne has always supported and celebrated local heroes and businesses, we could provide even more support for local fashion brands, local manufacturing and an extension to our local footprint to further cement our position as the fashion capital.
Over the last few years, the City of Melbourne has provided a lot of support for fashion and creative endeavours in our city.
As is so often the case, the ability to have greater impact relies on investment and I would love to see the council divert more resources into our creative industries.