Central Pier and Waterfront Revitalisation

In early 2020, Central Pier in Docklands was permanently closed due to safety issues. Heritage Victoria approved a permit application to remove the unsafe pier structure from the water in 2022.

Development Victoria is committed to acknowledging Central Pier’s historical significance to Docklands and the City of Melbourne through the Place Principles and Vision Strategy. This strategy will guide development of future concepts to revitalise the area. Capire worked closely with Development Victoria to guide design of the engagement approach and deliver the first phase of engagement to inform this strategy.

Engagement approach
During the first engagement phase, the community was invited to share their visions for Central Pier and the adjacent waterfront via an online survey or by attending a workshop.

To kick-start the conversation, we presented a series of vision statements for community feedback. Providing statements that participants can interrogate as a starting point can inspire meaningful conversations and bigger-picture thinking. This was achieved, with many participants delving into how the vision statements could be brought to life and many creative ideas received.

What we learned
Overall, participants were positive about the draft vision statements, but shared concerns about the area becoming over-commercialised, and the need to balance the visitor experience with the impacts on the local community. Participants shared aspirations for making the site ‘uniquely Docklands’ and enhancing the natural environment.

This feedback will inform development of the Place Principles and Vision Strategy, which will seek to reflect the community’s aspirations and vision for the area.