We worked with a consultant to undertake a feasibility study and business case to better understand demand and interest in a maritime heritage area in and around Docklands and the Birrarung Yarra River. This included a review of the Mission to Seafarer building and its possible contribution to the area as well as an assessment of locations and opportunities for a possible Melbourne maritime heritage precinct.

Funding was provided jointly by City of Melbourne with the Victorian Government.

The project included an a range of community engagement activities to ensure we understood community and stakeholder ideas and thoughts, and that all options for a martime area and viable seafarers welfare service were considered.

We wanted to seek feedback on:

• Whether the community sees value in the creation of a maritime heritage area for Melbourne.
• How residents, workers and visitors imagine that the Mission to Seafarers building can be a part of this.
• Keeping the core seafarer services and finding other uses for the iconic building.

We collected feedback through:

• targeted stakeholder engagement questionnaire and interviews
• face-to-face engagement activities
• an online survey
• stakeholder meetings
• an online ideas forum for gathering short descriptions about enhancing the area or to inform the Project.

Seventy-two stakeholders with a connection to the maritime heritage sector were provided with a briefing paper to respond to - we received 28 responses. These informed later individual and group discussions. The overall feedback supported the development of a ‘precinct as a trail’ concept and retention and improvements to the Mission to Seafarers building.

The Project Steering Committee prioritised Aboriginal connection and involvement in the project. Three Traditional Owner groups were approached to take part in the consultation process; not all groups were able to be involved. Consultation with the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation was convened on 24 March 2021.

Community consultation ran from 15 February to 15 March 2021 through Participate Melbourne. Overall we received 259 responses via:

There was 91 per cent support for Melbourne's maritime heritage being celebrated and recognised; 13 per cent were somewhat supportive, 4 per cent were not supportive, 4 per cent were not sure, and 1 per cent were 'other'.

The top future priorities for the building were:

• Maritime heritage space or museum: 75 per cent
• Community space and service: 64 per cent
• Art and cultural space: 61 per cent
• Visitor centre: 50 per cent
• Environmental sustainability: 24 per cent
• Business/start up space: 9 per cent
• Other: 16 per cent.

Key to the success of the project was ensuring all options for a commercial maritime heritage precinct and a viable Melbourne seafarers welfare service were considered. Your views also identified prioritising Aboriginal connection and involvement as vital to any future developments.

There was significant community support for the development of the ‘precinct as a trail’ concept which would connect maritime assets while also recognising Aboriginal maritime heritage. The ‘trail’ concept will now be integrated into the City of Melbourne’s Draft Greenline Implementation Plan.

We will continue working with the Victorian Government to determine the use, quality and type of function of the Mission to Seafarers building including the continued delivery of seafarer welfare services and options for further community use.