City Rd plan acknowledged

The Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) has acknowledged the City of Melbourne for planning excellence on the City Road Master Plan.

The annual awards from the peak institution for national planning acknowledge planning bodies including local councils, universities and businesses for planning excellence.

The City of Melbourne received the Best Planning Idea Small Project award as well as the award for Public Engagement and Community Planning for its work in creating the master plan.

Former City of Melbourne urban planning officer Leanne Hodyl and her team largely spearheaded the master plan, which was formally adopted by council in July.

It followed a long and detailed consultation process, which saw public consultants employed to locations all around Southbank to survey the community on what it wanted for the suburb’s central spine. 

The master plan will be implemented over seven years and is expected to be completed by 2023. 

Speaking at the time of the master plan’s release in 2015, Southbank Residents’ Association (SRA) president Tony Penna labeled the master plan “a brilliant document”.

“I was impressed with the detail and thought that had gone into this plan,” he said.

“I am quite excited about this project and what it will mean for the residents who live in the immediate environs of City Rd.”