Kings Way undercroft park clears another hurdle

The City of Melbourne has formally backed a planning permit application for its long-awaited Kings Way undercroft park, marking another significant step towards the Southbank project being realised.

At their June 2 Future Melbourne Committee meeting, councillors unanimously voted to advise the Department of Transport and Planning that the council supported the application for the City Road Undercroft Park.

The application seeks permission to use the land beneath Kings Way for informal outdoor recreation, along with associated demolition, building and works needed to construct the park.

While the council is the applicant, the Minister for Planning is the responsible authority because of the site’s planning status, meaning the council was asked to provide comment and advice rather than make the final decision.

Acting head of statutory planning Nick McLennan told councillors the matter was a planning referral, with the assessment focused on a narrow set of issues.

He said the site, which covers about 8000 square metres between City Rd and Queensbridge St to the east and Whiteman St to the west, sat within the Transport Zone and was affected by several overlays, including the Heritage Overlay for the Kings Way Bridge and bridge protection controls.

The $7.65 million project will transform the underutilised space beneath the overpass into public open space, delivering on a key action of the City Road Master Plan.

The proposal includes removal of redundant traffic infrastructure, concrete kerbs and asphalt hardstand, with the finished park to include landscaping, lighting, seating, skate facilities, basketball, climbing elements and other recreational infrastructure.

The project has been before councillors several times, with the concept design endorsed in May 2025 and the developed design noted in April this year.

Deputy Lord Mayor Roshena Campbell, who moved the motion, said the permit was “the next step to enable delivery”.

She said councillors had recently heard strong support for more open space near Boyd during a Southbank listening post.

There was, in fact, not a single resident who didn’t mention to us the desperate need for more open space surrounding the Boyd area, Cr Campbell said.

The planning report found the proposal would not alter the heritage-listed Kings Way Bridge and would not affect its safe operation or maintenance.

Instead, officers said activating the currently disused space would improve appreciation of the bridge while delivering a positive community outcome. •