City of Yarra suburbs including Richmond, Victoria are set to benefit from the recent approval of a revised development plan that could see the establishment of a new mini suburb.
The development will comprise 2,500 homes and accommodate up to 5,000 residents on a 16-hectare site currently home to Alphington’s historic Amcor paper mill.
The original plans for the site were amended following consultation with the community, according to Mayor of Yarra Roberto Colanzi.
The resolution passed by council in December now includes a 1700sqm area to accommodate a sports facility and community buildings. The development will also be subject to a 30-metre buffer zone between it and the Yarra River.
Councillor Steven Jolly who described the original proposal as “sardine central” was pleased to learn improvements had been made to density, heights, and road widths in the latest proposal.
A far better design and additional open space has also been negotiated, according to Cr. Colanzi.
An old boiler house built in 1954, which the National Trust’s Felicity Watson said had been the first curtain-wall construction in the state, has been earmarked for demolition.
The old mill, which began operations in 1868 on the banks of the Yarra River, ceased recycling operations in 2012. It has been the focus of booklet printing about local heritage sites due to its historic significance to the suburb.
