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Community map
Explore the map
Check out what others have already shared below about Docklands assets and strengths.
We asked:
- Where are the places and services that help to improve community life in our neighbourhood?
- Where do you spend the most time?
- Who are the people, networks and organisations who make this neighbourhood special?
- Are there events, walks or open spaces that you love?
- Is there a special place that you regularly go to relax and enjoy?
- You can also highlight where you see there’s an opportunity for the community and/or Council to help address.
What we know
Docklands is a high density residential, commercial and entertainment focused waterfront neighbourhood located to the west of the city centre around the historic Victoria Harbour and Yarra River Birrarung.
Approximately 16,000 people live in Docklands making up 9% of the total population of the City of Melbourne LGA.
Approximately 28% or residents were born in Australia and 35% speak English as their only language. Other than English, Hindi, Mandarin and Cantonese are the most common languages spoken at home.
People aged between 25-34 make up the largest age demographic.
Over 54% of residents in Docklands are privately renting their home.
*based on pre-covid data
Quick facts
Data is sourced from 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census of Population and Housing, ABS Estimated Resident Population 2021, and 2020 Census of Land and Employment (CLUE).
To access more data on Docklands, visit: Docklands community profile on profile .id.
To learn more about the ABS Census of Population and Housing, including definitions, visit: Guide to Census data.
What we heard
City of the Future consultation
We invited community members to reflect and share with us how COVID-19 changed your perspective and priorities for the future of the city. Research and knowledge gathering activities with the community took place from 15 June through to 19 July 2020.
- There is an opportunity to make lasting and impactful change, but we should act now. The city needs to adjust to major impacts and economic recovery is crucial to our city’s success.
- The creative sector’s contribution is vital to the city’s economy along with its role in creating vibrancy, social cohesion and unique experiences. It must be a focus in recovery. Opportunities were also identified to accelerate growth through innovation and emerging businesses.
- Building resilience in our community is essential given ongoing uncertainty. Accelerating action on climate change and collective global action are fundamental to economic recovery. There is a strong desire to integrate our city’s ancient and continuous Aboriginal culture and knowledge in responding to contemporary challenges.
- There is great concern about the mental health, equity and wellbeing of our community, particularly vulnerable communities. Community and experts want to see inequality, affordability and inclusion addressed. The desire for more green spaces in our city was consistently linked with health and wellbeing outcomes.
- The digital divide is an issue and we need to consider integrated digital infrastructure that would enable participation in an adaptable, digitally-inclusive and connected city.
See the ideas forum.
Seven initiatives represent our city’s plan for reactivation and recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, they connect our immediate response to the crisis with our city’s longer-term regeneration. By linking the actions that we take in the short-term with the outcomes we want to see in the future, we can ensure that we target our resources to those initiatives that best meet our long term strategic objectives and ultimately deliver maximum benefit for our city and its citizens.
Initiatives integral to immediate recovery
- Prioritise public health and wellbeing
- Reactivate the city
Initiatives integral to our city’s successful regeneration and ongoing resilience
- Build economic resilience
- Expand equitable opportunity and access
- Transform our spaces and buildings
- Strengthen community participation and align to others
- Evaluate and progress
Read the full consultation recap.
The COVID-19 Reactivation and Recovery Plan integrates with the Council planning framework and City of Melbourne’s strategic plans and is designed to help guide and shape our work now and into the future.
Read the COVID-19 Reactivation and Recovery Plan.
Community Vision consultation
To help form our 10-year Community Vision and four-year Council Plan 2021–25, we completed a period of deliberative engagement with a broad cross-section of the community throughout March 2021.
We spoke with more than 750 people who live, work, study, visit or own a business in the municipality to understand what our community values most about the city.
Overall, the community’s top aspirations were for Melbourne to be a city that:
- is healthy and safe
- considers climate change in everything that we do
- is inclusive, accessible and affordable.
Read the full consultation recap.
The community’s feedback was gathered and synthesised into a series of insights and aspirations that helped to create the 10-year Community Vision and four-year Council Plan.
Read the Consultation Report (PDF 1.06MB).
Six strategic directions from the Council Plan include:
- Economy of the future
- Melbourne's unique identity and place
- Safety and wellbeing
- Access and affordability
- Climate and biodiversity emergency
- Aboriginal Melbourne
Other consultations
Planning for economic recovery and reactivation in the City of Melbourne in a post-COVID world.
Read the full Economic Development Strategy 2031.
In 2018 we asked the community how they would use or would like to use Ron Barassi Snr Park.
Feedback was collected at a number of pop-up sessions at Docklands and an Open Day at the park.
294 responses were collected and collated in a Community Consultation Summary. The summary describes what we heard and what actions we're taking in response to the feedback.
Read the Summary.
In 2010 more than 3700 people shared their views for the future of Docklands. The resulting feedback informed the Docklands Community and Place Plan, which was launched by the City of Melbourne and Places Victoria (now Development Victoria) in July 2012.
Read the Docklands Community and Place Plan.
What we're doing
Capital works
New infrastructure investments in Docklands this year include:
- $864,200 Australian Wharf Fitout
- $300,000 Waterways Operation precinct in the Bolte Precinct West, to support effective growth of marine activity
- $165,000 Waterways provision of kayak storage and fishing infrastructure
- $40,000 Seafearers Rest Park
We will invest $3,174,900 on renewal works in Docklands on the Melbourne City Marina Renewal, the Waterways Renewal Program as well as renewal of roadways, drains, parks, landscape, library collection and property.
We will invest $285,692 on maintenance works in Docklands including Wharf and Marina maintenance on community facilities and other property, safe city cameras and urban forest health.
