Melbourne is undergoing a period of unprecedented growth. With a population of approximately five million people, we must explore new and creative ways in which to support a growing workforce in an emerging period of rapid technological disruption. Located south of the Yarra River, Fishermans Bend provides the ‘growing space’ that Melbourne’s central business district needs for the next three decades. Not only does it represent one of Australia’s biggest urban renewal opportunities, it provides Melbourne with the ability to ensure that it is economically competitive and technologically relevant in this new era of change, dubbed the ‘4th Industrial Revolution’.
In the report, Transforming Fishermans Bend: Unlocking innovation and jobs for Melbourne, AECOM has established a vision for Fishermans Bend as a functioning Employment and Innovation Cluster (EIC), and has set out recommendations for the critical next steps to realise this transformative employment precinct. This follows our earlier publication, Transforming Melbourne and Victoria with Employment and Innovation Clusters (EICs).
As a physical space that brings together startups, established high-value businesses, researchers and related service providers, how we embrace and deliver upon the Fishermans Bend EIC will not only influence Melbourne’s standing in the global innovation race, it will also provide job creation opportunities for all levels of society who have a part to play in this emerging economy.
This report also sets out development scenarios for the Fishermans Bend employment precinct through to 2050 and the interim targets required by 2030 to ensure that we are on track to meet these longer-term targets. In addition, it outlines an assessment tool to help us better understand, compare and contrast the environmental, social and economic benefits, the likely investment return and the trade-offs required for each development scenario.
We hope that this report supports a broader conversation on how we can collaborate to further improve Melbourne for all Melburnians, and ensure we can compete with the most successful global economies.
Download the report here.
Author: Tim O’Loan, Director, Cities — Australia and New Zealand