Documents provided to TWiSK spell out the detail of the Balaclava Place Plan implementation, with a promise of more than $8 million between 2025/26 and 2032/33 to implement actions from the Carlisle Street Streetscape Plan.
Council also provided an initial overview of potential staging, starting with open spaces near the Town Hall and Library, followed by the civic precinct along Carlisle Street between the Nepean Highway and Chapel Street, including Chapel Street works. The Carlisle Street core retail section is projected for 2030/31, with the eastern precinct near Westbury Street scheduled for 2031/32.
Cr Libby Buckingham told the meeting that the Carlisle Street Streetscape Plan was a practical, funded response to long-running community calls for investment. She thanked residents, traders and community groups for shaping the plan, saying it would improve green spaces, lighting, footpaths, crossings, seating, shade and accessibility. While not solving every challenge, she said it would work alongside other initiatives and future development to make Carlisle Street more inviting, vibrant and resilient.
Places and Precincts Funding over 10 years
Council has provided TWiSK with details of the Places and Precincts Funding planned for the next decade until 35/36.
Here’s the headline: Over the next decade Balaclava and Ripponlea receive around 80% of council’s Places and Precincts Funding budget of nearly $17M.
The combined Balaclava and Ripponlea budget is over $13M, with the two areas allocated over $8M and $5M respectively. All other wards get to share $3.5M.
For those who love the design detail
Link to PDF of streetscape plan in full
TWiSK has extracted the detail of the first two parts of the first stage of the Carlisle plan, namely the Town Hall forecourt reserve and the reserve in Duke Street behind the St Kilda Library. Excellent reading for those that love the granular detail – presented in full from the council documents.
Town Hall forecourt reserve
Existing conditions: The St Kilda Town Hall is a grand landmark anchoring the western entrance to Carlisle Street. It is significantly setback from the road, with a wide expanse of lawn area in front and flanked on the north and west by large mature trees, including an enormous feature Fig tree along Brighton Road. A wide path loops around the lawn area which was once a main access to the entrance, but is now bollarded and primarily for pedestrians. Part of this path on the west side has been pulled up and replaced with a vegetated swale.
Challenges: There are limited amenities within the existing Town Hall Reserve open space. There are a few seats which are highly exposed and not associated with paths thus inaccessible for some user groups. There are no direct accessible pedestrian paths from Brighton Road through the reserve to Carlisle Street. Whilst the mature trees are fantastic natural features, the general landscape of manicured lawn bisected by a wide concrete path and exotic garden beds with high plants blocking sight lines is dated and provides little use value. Existing vegetation also conceals part of the view to the Town Hall building which is a key architectural feature and anchors the western end of the Carlisle Street precinct.
Objective: Revitalise the public open space by improving its function, use, environmental impact and accessibility. Create a statement and iconic gateway feature to draw people into the space and through to Carlisle Street.
Design initiatives:
1. Retain and maintain healthy mature trees for biodiversity, amenity and to buffer noise and visual impacts from Brighton Road. Consider uplifting parts of the canopy of the existing Fig Tree to unlock shade and open sight lines.
2. Create a new accessible path from Brighton Road through to Carlisle Street and connecting to the Town Hall entrance stair. Additional paths to circulate through the open space providing access to seating, rest points and landscape features.
3. Celebrate the existing Town Hall building facade as a feature and gateway that draws people into the space and further along Carlisle Street. Support feature facade lighting and remove vegetation that directly blocks views from the Carlisle Street-Brighton Road intersection.
4. Remove garden bed within the lawn area (that currently blocks views of Town Hall and surrounds) and maintain an open accessible lawn area enabling gathering and recreation. Introduce a small chain of ponds landscape at the northwest corner to attract wildlife, boost amenity and improve the areas capacity to cope with storm events by acting as a detention pond system to store water and protect against flooding. 5. Increase amenity value with ample accessible seating and rest areas along paths and centred around natural landscape features including the ponds and open lawn area supporting family-friendly, worker-oriented and interactive community use.
6. Replace existing understorey garden beds with native and indigenous plant species to support biodiversity, education and reference the pre-colonial landscape.
St Kilda Library Reserve (Duke Street)
Existing conditions: The patch of open space behind and north of the St Kilda Library along Duke Street comprises an open expanses of lawn area, a range of native trees within garden beds comprising plants of medium height (below 1m). There are a handful of seats in exposed areas but not connected to any paths. There are existing light poles along the northern edge lighting the space, and some under croft lighting from the library itself. A continuous low concrete ledge runs along the library facing the open space tucked underneath the library canopy. The ledge is wide, slightly slanted and slightly higher than a comfortable seat height which may deter casual use. The ledge, and the area underneath, is prone to rough sleepers. More dense vegetation on the western side blocks sightlines and creates semi-concealed corners. There are also two concrete vehicle accessways that bisect the open space but are required for library access and loading. A narrow asphalt path provides access from Duke Street south into the Library via a ramp.
Challenges: The space has been identified as an underutilised green space. The primary concerns as voiced by the community include limited visibility and access, and dark or semi-secluded corners which warrant unwanted behaviours. The area feels like a back-of-house area with minimal passive surveillance from the associated library and a lack of public amenities to encourage use.
Objective:
To create a more user-friendly public open space with open sight lines, accessible pathways and accessible public amenities. Design initiatives:
1. Strategically locate new seating areas within easy access from the Duke Street footpath and paths within the open space. Ensure seating areas are visible and seats backs are not exposed (i.e. back onto a planted out garden bed).
2. Retain an area of open lawn space to cater for passive recreation and community gathering.
3. Retain the existing light poles and ensure they are in good working condition. Introduce additional light poles along new permeable gravel path from Duke Street across the site through to the path leading into the library.
4. Consider additional lighting of the north-facing library facade and seating ledge.
5. Widen the path from Duke Street to the library and resurface as concrete to maintain ease of access for all abilities.
6. Encourage use of the library seat ledge with gravel paths; and limit access to the seat ledge on the west side of the library with planted out garden beds in front.
7. Provide evergreen tree and low understorey planting along the east and western interfaces screening the abutting fences and walls.
8. Increase the extent of planted garden bed areas with native and indigenous species and additional native tree planting to support an increase in tree canopy cover and biodiversity.
Budget for the works in the early stages is just over $600K.
