Missing tramline, bike lanes, schools: Delays plague Fishermans Bend development
The audit has revealed that the state agencies managing development at Australia's largest urban renewal project are not on track more than a decade after the former industrial area was controversially rezoned by then-Liberal planning minister Matthew Guy.
'Agencies are not on track to deliver all projects and outcomes,' the audit found. 'Delivery of the framework has been extended by at least five years to 2055.'
The audit found many key planning documents are still in draft or yet to be completed six years after a 2018 masterplan for the area that aims to see 80,000 people living on the 480-hectare peninsula by 2050, and host 80,000 jobs.
This includes a mooted tramline and a bridge that would connect the CBD to Fishermans Bend by this year, which still does not have a full approved business case. It was meant to be delivered some time between 2020 and 2025, and the 2021-22 state budget allocated $15 million to progress planning work for the tram.
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'The tramline to Fishermans Bend has taken a considerable amount of time to plan, and its level
of priority as a key transport project for Fishermans Bend remains unclear,' the audit found.
A bike lane connecting the suburb to the CBD, which was supposed to be completed between 2020 and 2025, has been delayed by nine years, taking the expected completion date from 2034 to 2045.
Five short-term projects, including building the South Melbourne Primary School and upgrading the route 96 and 109 tram stops, have been delivered. But 14 out of 18 medium-term projects and all 23 long-term projects are outstanding.
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