Council embarks on place-naming process for Fishermans Bend

The City of Melbourne is inviting locals to share their stories and connections to Fishermans Bend as part of the development of a new place-naming framework for the area.

The subject of Australia’s largest ever urban renewal project, Fishermans Bend is locally governed by both the City of Melbourne to the north of the Westgate Freeway, and the City of Port Phillip to the south.

The area is expected to house 80,000 new residents and accommodate 80,000 new workers by 2050 according to the Victorian Government’s blueprint for the area, which is made up of five precincts.

Of those five precincts, the City of Melbourne is the responsible authority for the mixed-use precinct of Lorimer, part of which is in Docklands, and the new Employment Precinct, which will soon be home to the University of Melbourne’s new engineering campus in 2025.

Given the scale of future development within both precincts, which will see the creation of numerous new streets and open spaces that will require naming, the council said there was a need to developer “a more strategic and holistic approach to place-naming”.

Together with the Department of Transport and Planning and Development Victoria, Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the council was developing the Fishermans Bend Place Naming Framework, which would establish a set of themes and principles “to ensure future place naming of newly created streets and open spaces celebrate the area’s unique history, current context and future aspirations”.

“Fishermans Bend is Australia’s largest urban renewal project – expected to be home to around 80,000 residents and 80,000 workers by 2050 with a network of new parks, schools, transport options and community facilities,” Cr Capp said.

“We’re inviting the community to share their local stories and connections to Fishermans Bend, which we’ll use to shape our Framework.”

The community is encouraged to share local stories and connections through a range of engagement activities, including:

• An online survey, which will be available on Participate Melbourne;
• An online community workshop taking on place Tuesday, September 19, 5.30pm to 7pm (registration via Participate Melbourne); and
• A pop-up on Wednesday, September 20, 11am to 1pm, at 1 Phillip Court, Port Melbourne.

Consultation is now open and runs until October 9.    

In late 2024, a final Fishermans Bend Place Naming Framework will be presented to the Future Melbourne Committee. 

To have your say: participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/fishermans-bend-place-naming •