Commitment 06Read more
Port Culture and Identity
Local port identity as a key asset for building a lasting relationship
Integrating spaces and functions open to residents and visitors alike into port facilities, enhancing the visibility of the port and its activities.
How can port authorities capitalise on buffer zones between residential and industrial zones?
By prioritising physical separation and incorporating public amenities, port authorities can effectively balance industrial operations with the well-being of surrounding communities and the natural landscape. The Port of Melbourne’s redevelopment of the Webb Dock area, including the creation of buffer zones between industry and residential areas, demonstrates a commitment to community and environmental considerations.
This good practice also includes objective 8.3 (Developing public spaces and recreational or cultural amenities in City Port interface zones to create an appealing new area) of the AIVP’s 2030 Agenda.
In 2013, the Port of Melbourne ordered the start of work to reconfigure the Webb Dock area, in the south-west of the city, which includes the construction of a container terminal with a minimum capacity of up to 1 million TEUs per year. By redeveloping the area, the port authority included buffer zones between the high-intensity industry and the residential areas to create a physical separation between the two. Independent experts have assessed its visual impact from twelve different viewpoints and created a visitable buffer zone at Webb Dock East, noted as the Webb trail, that stops on Webb Point, the southeastern point of the dock. At Webb Point, pedestrians and cyclists can access an observation platform, Sandridge Lookout, with commanding views of the bay and the city, as well as the container ships at sea and in the terminal. The “waterline” project was submitted for consultation and public feedback in 2013, and work began at the end of that year. The observation platform designed by Fleetwood Urban and Cox Architecture was completed in 2017.
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