Evelyn Reynolds

A draft precinct plan for the redevelopment of Hobart’s heritage-laden Macquarie Point has been released by the Tasmanian government, following a review of more than 2,000 written submissions regarding the development.
Macquarie Point is located between Hobart’s CBD and the Port of Hobart. It connects the CBD to the Queen’s Domain, the Hobart Cenotaph, the intercity cycleway and Tasman Bridge. The site was home to the muwinina people for thousands of years before becoming an early arrival point for Europeans and later being used as a farm, abattoir, lumber yard, gas works, cold store, goods storage and military drill yard.
The state government has proposed the establishment of a multi-purpose stadium, a First Nations culturally informed zone, Antarctic facilities, an integrated mixed-use zone, residential zone and public foreshore on the site. The draft precinct plan has been produced by the Macquarie Point Development Corporation with Cox Architecture.
As indicated in the plans, the objective for the new mixed-use precinct is to create a place for community and visitors to “gather, celebrate and reflect, through the arts, culture, sport, events and entertainment.”
A multipurpose stadium would create the opportunity to attract and host events at a scale currently not available in the state, with the stadium footprint, excluding external concourse, occupying an approximate area of 43,000 square metres.
An Aboriginal Culturally Informed Zone has been proposed for the northern and western (front) face of the site due to its increased visibility. The design team will seek guidance from First Nations enterprises when naming the space, identifying the purpose of the space and exploring opportunities for integrating narrative, storytelling and educational aspects.
An Antarctic Facilities Zone, of 8,000 square metres to the north-east of the stadium, has been proposed to support growth within the Antarctic industry. The zone would offer administrative office spaces and underground carpark to organizations, with priority given to those with projects in the Antarctic.
The Mixed-Use Zone (south-west) would serve as an interface between Macquarie Point, the Macquarie Wharf Commercial Zone, and Sullivans Cove, offering a range of commercial, retail and food and beverage spaces.
A residential and foreshore zone would provide affordable housing to support healthcare workers, as well as apartments for release to the general market. The proposal states the residential develpment would be “sympathetic to the stepped topography of the foreshore and will be delivered with an activated ground floor of commercial, retail or food and beverage uses.” The zone will have pedestrian walkways connected to the main activity hub, and will provide access to communal open spaces, public transport options and the publicly accessible foreshore.
The Royal Engineers Building, established in 1847, will remain on site. So too, will the Macquarie Wharf and Huon Quays, with both have upgrade works undertaken.
Stage one of the project will involve upgrades to the Macquarie Wharf, northern access road works and commencement of events stadium, while stage two of the project will involve the development of the residential zone, public foreshore, Aboriginal Culturally Informed Zone and Commercial Port Zone. The Mixed-Use Zone, Antarctic Facilities Zone and Huon Quays stage of works will be undertaken in the final stage of the project.
Plans state the precinct has been designed to be complementary rather than competitive with neighbouring sites, as well as improve connections and access to nearby sites and parks, extend Hobart’s urban character, celebrate and preserve heritage, maintain significant views across the cove and explores opportunities to integrate the waterfront through the allocation of public spaces along the water’s edge.
During the consultation phase, more than 2,000 submissions were received, with the multipurpose stadium garnering mixed responses. While there was “predominately strong support,” there were “also strong views that do not support the development of a stadium on site.” Concerns were largely centred around the size of the venue or a preference for an alternative facility on site. Plans indicated that majority of submissions were in favour of the new venue bringing visitors during off-peak travel seasons, however, many outlined a desire for a sensory-informed space that is considerate of all aspects of mobility and accessiblity.
The project will target a Green Star rating through the implementation of sustainability design measures that will maximize energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
The draft precinct plan is now on exhibit for feedback. The design team and stakeholders are currently working on the masterplan, which will provide more details on each of the zones and the specific uses of each zone. More

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Three architecture and two landscape projects have been named finalists in Victoria’s 2023 Premier’s Sustainability Awards, with projects and organizations being honoured for their efforts in driving a greener future through low impact design.
Nightingale Village has been announced a finalist of the Sustainable Places Industry Leader category, while Ferrars and York, and Spring Creek Road Farm have been named finalists in the Sustainable Places Community Champion division.

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Nightingale Village by Hayball and Breathe and Architecture Architecture and Austin Maynard Architects and Clare Cousins Architects and Kennedy Nolan. Image:

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Nightingale Village, designed by Architecture architecture, Austin Maynard Architects, Breathe, Clare Cousins Architects, Hayball, and Kennedy Nolan, has been applauded for setting a new standard in sustainable and community-centred social housing. Designed to support sustainable practices for the lifetime of the precinct, Nightingale Village does not have private carparks, individual laundries or second bathrooms, which increases living space and lowers construction and maintenance costs. Communal facilities encourage bulk-buying of sustainable products. The village is 100 percent electric has a certified average NatHERS rating between 7.8 to 9.0 stars. Repurposed and locally supplied materials are used wherever possible, along with energy-efficient fixtures and fittings for power and water, plus carbon-neutral tapware and bricks.

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Ferrars and York by Six Degrees and Hip V Hype. Image:

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Hip V. Hype and Six Degrees Architects have earned high praise for Ferrars and York, a complex of 22 carbon neutral apartments in South Melbourne. The jury commended the Community Champion finalist for representing best practice in climate-resilient design and construction, with an average energy rating of 8.6 stars. Located on a narrow piece of land adjacent to the South Melbourne light rail, Ferrars and York has been designed to foster an active vertical community across its six levels, through open walkways and communal roof yard with barbeque, fireplace and landscaped arbour.

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Spring Creek Road Farm House by Architect Brew Koch has received acclaim from the jury for reflecting a sustainable approach to design and life. Image:

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Fellow Community Champion finalist, Spring Creek Road Farm by Architect Brew Koch, has received acclaim from the jury for reflecting a sustainable approach to design and life. A deviation from housing developments, Spring Creek Road Farm is a rural residence on a Trust for Nature Property near Bannockburn, in western Victoria. The design team worked closely with local Landcare networks to develop an understanding of the Indigenous landscape of the property, with the goal of strengthening and expanding the existing native species.

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Tree Coach by Natural Growth Partners. Image: Supplied

Landscape projects, Tree Coach and Thriving Ecosystems Under Eumemmerring Creek Bridge, have also earned the title of finalist.
Tree Coach, the brainchild of Natural Growth Partners (NGP), is a Community Champion finalist in the Circular Economy Innovation category. Borne out of a frustration with traditional tree-planting methods that retain the need to cut down trees to stake trees, restrict tree trunk movement, therefore, resulting in under-developed trees, NGP created Tree Coach, an all-in-one tree planting, staking, watering and light protection solution for mature tree planting made of recycled plastic. Each unit consists of three stakes and one base frame that includes a watering bowl giving the tree supported lateral movement, improving trunk strength, the establishment of an ideal root plate system, and ease of maintenance over the establishment period. Since its launch in February 2021, the initiative has led to the repurposing of more than 83,000 recycling bins (over 400 tonnes of plastic) and has assisted 250,000 trees grow to their full potential.
Western Program Alliance is an Industry Leader finalist in the Sustainable Places category for Thriving Ecosystems Under Eumemmerring Creek Bridge, a project constructed as part of the Cranbourne Line Upgrade. Located in Dandenong South, Eumemmerring Creek is home to two endangered native freshwater fish species. The project goal was to create a thriving surrounding environment without jeopardizing the creek’s ecosystem. To achieve this, the team designed an innovative 63-metre, 340-tonne steel “floating” bridge without any foundations or pillars being dug into the waterway by utilizing innovative digital engineering techniques to anticipate environmental disruptions and design challenges. Flora and fauna were left undisturbed as steel walkways and fibreglass grating were used for site access and the bridge was constructed outside of the creek’s environment. The team reused steel structures fabricated for sheet pile walls and bridge assembly on another project, as well as established a Tree Protection Plan.
Matt Genever, Sustainability Victoria’s Interim CEO said he was inspired by the work being done to create innovative sustainable solutions.
“These organisations are showing tremendous leadership and are making significant contributions to a circular economy and a net zero-emission future for Victoria,” said Genever.
“These organisations are leading the way in sustainability and I look forward to recognizing their achievements at the awards ceremony in November.”
Award winners will be revealed at an award ceremony in Melbourne on Thursday, 23 November. More