In June 2019, Melbourne City Council approved the sale and development of the land parcel to the rear of Boyd Community Hub, at 132 Kavanagh Street, Southbank. This site has now been developed resulting in Boyd Village, a 44-storey residential tower. The tower includes a cold shell space of approximately 900m² as part of a Developer Contribution. Handover of the cold shell to City of Melbourne is expected in July 2025.

A two-staged approach to this project is proposed. Stage one involves the fit-out of a new Southbank library into the cold shell space in Boyd Village upon handover in July 2025. Stage two involves refurbishing and enhancing the existing Boyd Community Hub to provide expanded family and children’s services, as well as introducing new spaces and programming for the community. Stage two work is proposed for the following financial year 2026–27.

Community feedback will inform service usage, program mix and accessibility for the new Southbank Library. Feedback is also will also be used to guide the layout of the refurbished Boyd Community Hub, including bookable and communal areas, and help determine the programming the community wishes to see in the hub and how they prefer to access the services and spaces.

Through earlier engagement activities with the Southbank community, we heard there is strong desire for more study and work spaces. This feedback has directly informed the layout of the new library.

Community engagement will focus instead on how the community want to use the new expanded library, including the types of programs that are offered, how they’d prefer to use the various spaces and connect with each other, and what books and material they want included in the new library’s collection (which will increase by 30 per cent).

Yes, community feedback has directly informed the layout of the new library. For example, through the 2024 Neighbourhood Survey, the Southbank community expressed a desire for:

• More indoor community-oriented, flexible and bookable spaces that can be accessed at all times of day.
• Spaces and activities for children, families and youth.
• Spaces for study, events and sports.

Feedback also highlighted the need for extended hours at the Southbank Library and Boyd Community Hub, more welcoming community spaces for workers and international students, and the importance of flexible use of community spaces.

Funding for this project is included the budget for FY2025–26 and FY 2026–27.

• Stage one (FY2025–26): $5.3 million fit-out of the new Southbank Library in Boyd Village.
• Stage two (FY2026–27): $2.8 million refurbishment of Boyd Community Hub.

The library relocation to Boyd Village will expand library services available to the community and allow for the refurbishment and expansion of programs and services at Boyd Community Hub. This includes enhancing the Family and Children’s Services, creating specific areas and programs for youth and older adults, and providing more adaptable, multi-use community spaces.

An internal Community Infrastructure Needs Assessment identified clear gaps and future demand for additional library services, maternal and child health services, family services and spaces for young people as well as older residents in Southbank. Therefore we know that these along with Creative Studios should be retained at Boyd Community Hub.

We also know that affordable creative development space is scarce in the arts precinct, and current spaces are in high demand. The hub’s creative spaces are well used by the creative sector and the planned refurbishment provides us with the opportunity to refresh and improve these important facilities.

Other services that will remain include Family Services (playgroup, maternal and child health), a Café, bookable spaces and the Community Garden.

The refurbished Boyd Community Hub will be a key piece of civic infrastructure that supports the needs of Southbank’s growing population, so we want to hear from community groups, stakeholders and local residents to better understand how existing services and enhanced spaces at the hub can best serve the community – now and into the future.

We know that affordable creative development space is scarce in the arts precinct, and current spaces are in high demand. Boyd Community Hub’s creative spaces are well used by the creative sector and the planned refurbishment at the hub provides us with the opportunity to refresh and improve these important facilities.

Studios will likely need to relocate during the refurbishment period, which we anticipate will be approximately eight months (from August 2026 to April 2027). We’ll explore options for interim studio accommodation during this time, but cannot guarantee it at this stage. We’ll support existing studio tenants as much as possible during this time of disruption.

Once the refurbished studios at Boyd are ready, existing Creative Spaces tenants will be given first priority for consideration to return.

Artist residencies through the Annual Arts Grants program will not be offered during the refurbishment period, however, will recommence in 2027 once the refurbishment is complete.

We anticipate the new library will open in mid-2026.

As the library is relocating, we anticipate it will still be called Southbank Library.

We are working through plans and will provide an update later. Continuity of library services to the Southbank community is a priority – even if it is a reduced offering while we transition the library service into Boyd Village.

We are working through plans and will provide an update when we have more information. We will work closely with all existing tenants to minimise the disruption wherever possible.

We anticipate the works in Boyd Community Hub will take place from August 2026 to April 2027.

A separate project adjacent to the site is the City Road Northern Undercroft which is set to deliver new active recreational and social spaces for the community by late 2026. Together, these projects alongside other ongoing investments in the Southbank area will contribute to creating a vibrant new heart for the Southbank community.