Why is smart design key to Fishermans Bend?
Fishermans Bend is a quality residential and commercial precinct a stone’s throw from Melbourne’s CBD. Its exceptional location means it will offer plenty of opportunity for investors and owner-occupiers alike.
Lifestyles have changed dramatically over the past 15 or 20 years. Most people want to be closer to the city centre but without this sort of development, it’s not possible.
Living closer to the city has enormous benefits such as less travel time, better health owing to people walking or cycling. Areas that have more amenity close buy have healthier residents and there is less reliance on resources.
The Government will ensure the types of homes built in Fishermans Bend allow people of all means to buy there. There is a demographic shift in Australia which means that there are many smaller households. Smaller households don’t require homes on single blocks of land. Therefore apartments and townhouses will appeal to many more people.
Some of the homes will be accessible, either from a rental or purchase point of view, for people on more moderate incomes but there will also be high-end properties.
The key to the success of this project is design. With smart design — and there’s some wonderful architecture planned for Fishermans Bend — people, at last, are thinking how to multi-discipline spaces. You can live in something much smaller providing there’s light and air, good ventilation and those properties are close to where people want to live and work.
Previous Learnings
Governments and developers have learnt from mistakes of previous urban renewal attempts. Building in those areas was carried out on an ad-hoc basis. Because of these lessons Fishermans Bend has been planned from the very beginning to be world-class.
Docklands was criticised at first because it lacked sufficient infrastructure. That redevelopment suffered from isolation to surrounding suburbs. Fishermans Bend is well connected to some of Melbourne’s most desirable and well established suburbs.