Big ideas from Melbourne’s bold visionaries to put Victoria back on top
A giant Warnie, fast trains, an even bigger MCG and investment in medical science are among the weird and wonderful big ideas to reboot our state.
Future Victoria
Don't miss out on the headlines from Future Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Victoria is coming back. But to be Australia’s No.1 again requires a bold vision and cutting-edge entrepreneurship.
So the Herald Sun asked 25 high-profile Victorians and business and community leaders one simple question: “What’s your game-changing idea to get Victoria back on top?”
Professor DOUG HILTON, WEHI director
Establishment of The Victoria Institute
The institute would bring researchers from different disciplines and institutions together with people from the community, industry, and the public service, with a diverse range of backgrounds, genders and skill sets, to solve our most difficult challenges. If Covid has taught us anything, it’s that by acting on the science, listening to the community and working with resolve, together we can overcome incredibly challenging problems.
STEVE BRACKS, Former Victorian premier
Melbourne-Sydney very fast train
The dramatic population shift from Melbourne to the regions in response to Covid demonstrates the urgent need for investment in a very fast train between Melbourne and Sydney. Imagine being able to travel from Melbourne to Shepparton in under 50 minutes on a train travelling at 220km. Satellite cities would grow along the track. Fewer flights and fewer cars on the road would mean less carbon emissions. It’s long overdue.
EDDIE MCGUIRE, former Collingwood Football Club president
A new, expanded Southern Stand at the MCG
The stand can be integrated with Richmond station, rail yards, the sports and entertainment precinct, the botanic gardens and all the way to Federation Square. The deal between the state government and the AFL sees the grand final here until 2059. That cash flows into the new development. Air rights for buildings, business and entertainment precincts, housing, hotels and open parklands can fund a whole new city. And the MCG capacity can grow to 120,000.
WHAT’S YOUR BIG IDEA FOR MELBOURNE? TELL US IN THE COMMENTS
VECCI chief executive PAUL GUERRA
A Collaboration and Innovation Super Hub
Think Boston meets Silicon Valley – only better and statewide. An ecosystem where industries, venture capitalists and start-ups partner with our university and TAFE sector to solve problems and develop innovative technology and tools. We can collaborate to build upon the strengths that we already have to propel our credentials in the smart industries that will create the jobs of the future and underpin a post-Covid-19 economy.
Professor SHARON LEWIN, Director of the Doherty Institute
Create the Australian Institute for Infectious Disease
Learning from COVID-19, we can strengthen our capability to respond and protect the community by unifying our efforts, ensuring access to the right research infrastructure and knowledge networks, and increasing engagement with industry. The new Australian Institute for Infectious Disease will do just that. The institute is a Victorian initiative being developed and delivered by the University of Melbourne, the Doherty Institute and Burnet Institute, with investment from the state government.
ROSIE BATTY, domestic violence campaigner
Child abuse community awareness campaign
Victorians need to learn how best to respond to child abuse through a community awareness campaign. One in three people do not believe children who report child abuse, despite cases on the increase. Attitudes and awareness towards child abuse has remained unchanged for the past 20 years, leaving children across Victoria vulnerable. Victorians need to know how to recognise abuse and report any suspicions to authorities.
SIR ROD EDDINGTON, former Victorian major events company chair
Let’s celebrate what made Melbourne great
Victoria doesn’t have the luxury of relying on the nation’s major export earners – iron ore and coal. Our equivalents include education and tourism and that means filling our world class universities, schools, restaurants and venues like the MCG and the NGV. Let’s not forget the things that made Melbourne the world’s most liveable city and the events capital.
RUSSEL HOWCROFT, 3AW Breakfast Radio co-host
A global festival of ideas to rival SXSW
Since the mid-90s, Melbourne’s economy has thrived via its calendar of tentpole events. We need to include in our city’s event calendar a globally recognised annual festival bringing together 21st-century ideas, money, creativity, design, and capability. An energising, economy-transforming happening for the Southern Hemisphere which rivals South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. We need to call it The Grid, and we need to do it now.
Professor DUNCAN MASKELL, University of Melbourne vice-chancellor
Free ticket program for Melbourne’s small live arts venues
Melbourne is in the top tier of cities worldwide that has flourishing small live performance venues. The pandemic has torn the soul out of this scene. Let’s find a way to offer thousands of free tickets, specifically to Melbourne’s small live arts venues, to help kickstart a revival. Jazz clubs, cabaret clubs, theatres and comedy lounges where emerging and established actors, musicians, singers and dancers inspire audiences from everywhere.
EMMA GERMANO, Victorian Farmers’ Federation president
A state food security plan
Victoria must invest in a food security plan which contributes to a national plan. It must address the food supply chain from access to farm inputs, sustainable farming and future-proofing key food supply infrastructure. The pandemic has highlighted food security challenges, such as the lack of domestic manufacturing capacity for farm inputs; bottlenecks at key distribution infrastructure; and how to attract skills and investment to regional communities.
Dr ANDREW NASH, CSL chief scientific officer
Transform the Haymarket roundabout
The density and quality of medical research in the Parkville Biotech Precinct is as good as anywhere in the world. And CSL, too, has chosen to place its new global research and development flagship building in the precinct. I would like to see the nearby Haymarket Roundabout – at the top of Elizabeth St – transformed into an iconic gateway into Melbourne – a pedestrian-friendly, accessible and open public space.
ELIZABETH PROUST, Bank of Melbourne chair and former City of Melbourne chief
Create For Victoria
As we rebuild after Covid let’s get the community, business university, arts and not-for-profit sectors together under a new organisation called For Victoria. It would be a group of people with foresight, ideas and energy to work on projects to bring our city and state back. The onus would be on local and state government to say why its ideas were not accepted. Any takers?
AUNTY GERALDINE ATKINSON, co-chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria
Teach Aboriginal languages in primary schools
Language is key to understanding each other, so I’d love to see our schools teaching the language of the Traditional Owners in their area. This would give every kid growing up in Victoria an opportunity to connect with the oldest living culture in the world. It could bring us all closer together and build respect.
CHRISTINE CHRISTIAN, State Library Victoria president
Establish a Centre for Creativity and the New Economy
Melbourne is well-placed for a world-leading facility to support and nurture emerging industries at the nexus of the arts, education and technology. A Centre for Creativity and the New Economy would make Victoria a centre of gravity for culture, innovation and science in the Asia-Pacific. It would house technologists, students and researchers, and connect universities, cultural institutions, investors and entrepreneurs to encourage collaboration and innovation, driving economic growth in Victoria.
SALLY CAPP, Melbourne Lord Mayor
Complete the Greenline project
The Greenline project will be a continuous 4km green link for pedestrians and recreational cyclists from Birrarung Marr to the Bolte Bridge. You meander along pedestrian boardwalks and over bridges, linger in new parks, admire native plantings and celebrate our Aboriginal heritage and culture. Greenline will deliver one of the biggest transformations of the city since the completion of Southbank Promenade in 1990 and the opening of Fed Square in 2002.
BAO HOANG, Roll’d founder
Pioneer drone delivery
Melbourne should aim to become a world leader in drone delivery technology. Victoria should work to elevate itself to the most modern delivery state for food and parcels, expanding choice and reach for local businesses, consumers and our community. All Victorian businesses will have the opportunity to enhance delivery efficiency and grow sales, with a greater vision to attract other global tech businesses to base here.
JEFF KENNETT, former Victorian premier
Invest $3bn over the next 5 years to fast-track small business growth
Before Covid, more than nine in 10 Australian businesses were small businesses, employing more than 40 per cent of the workforce. To rebuild Victoria as quickly as possible we need to kickstart the small business sector. The government should be an active partner in that rebuilding with a targeted plan for retail, hospitality, tourism, arts and events sectors. Let’s invest $3bn over five years to assist small business to grow.
REBECCA CASSON, Master Builders Victoria CEO
Regional fast train
Geelong, Bendigo, and Ballarat are becoming more attractive as places for people to live and work. As Victoria’s population grows, the surge into these three areas will be immense, putting extra stress on already overloaded roads. The push for a fast train between these three cities and Melbourne is essential and will provide each area with a greater opportunity to flourish.
SUSAN ALBERTI, businesswoman and philanthropist
Invest in local mRNA manufacturing
The Covid pandemic has demonstrated how important medical research can be. We were fortunate government and private sector investment supercharged the research, development and manufacture of vaccines. In the same way, we need to play to Victoria’s strengths in medical research, and fight other important health crises like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Investing in local mRNA manufacturing capability is one idea we could strongly consider.
MARTINE LETTS, Committee for Melbourne chief executive
Establish a Greater Melbourne Commission
Reformed metropolitan governance is a priority to secure Melbourne’s future success as a liveable, investable city. A Greater Melbourne Commission with the power to create an integrated plan for Melbourne to implement a vision and strategy for city planning and investment would be a game changer. The commission could overcome Melbourne’s spaghetti bowl of regulation and bureaucracy which creates investment and innovation inertia.
JASON MARRINER, Marriner Group chief executive
Arts program for all children
A compulsory, low-cost program that offers all Victorian schoolchildren the opportunity to experience the best of Melbourne’s theatre, music, arts and culture during their formative years would be a game-changer. For some, it would be life defining, and most would appreciate and learn from the opportunity. For children growing up in a world where digital media is omnipresent, the chance to interact with live performance and arts would be invaluable.
CHRISTIAN O’CONNELL, broadcaster
Build something BIG
This country loves giant fibreglass attractions, so we need to build Australia’s biggest big thing. At least 10,000m high, the envy of our friends in other states and visible from space. From a giant Bunnings snag, higher than Mt Buller to a mega-sized Shane Warne. Or what about a bridge over the Yarra to our sporting meccas, but the bridge is an enormous cricket bat, adorned either side by pillars that are tennis racquets, and a walk-through Sherrin.
TONY ELLWOOD, NGV director:
Bring NGV Contemporary to life
I have the privilege of working on a project that is not only a game-changer for Melbourne, but will transform the skyline of our city: NGV Contemporary as part of the $1.4bn reinvigoration of the Melbourne Arts Precinct. Once completed, NGV Contemporary will be Australia’s largest gallery dedicated to contemporary art, design, fashion and architecture.
MATT PRESTON, broadcaster and food critic
Eliminate food waste
As a food lover and a director of food rescue agency SecondBite, I’d love to see a program to incentivise growers to harvest and process edible produce that would otherwise be thrown away or not picked. Of the 7.3m tonnes of food waste each year, 2.25m tonnes is produced by the primary production sector. This fruit and veg can be turned into meals for those who need it most. I’d also love to see some of this saved produce used for a program of free fruit and veg boxes for those in need.
NICK PEARCE, HoMie founder
Harness business to tackle homelessness
We want to inspire and establish a powerhouse of existing businesses to harness their potential to tackle social issues, such as homelessness. There is a genuine opportunity to make a significant change in the homelessness cycle by providing supported employment for young people and adopting an empathetic employer mindset. Sound logic, collaborative spirit and compassion could lead to not only a “game-changer”, but a “life-changer”.
More Coverage
Brighter days ahead: Albo’s vision for Victoria
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will address the Herald Sun’s Future Victoria event and outline his government’s plans for the state.
Renters v landlords: How new service could settle rental spats
Victorian renters will be given free access to a dispute resolution service to manage conflicts with their landlords in the Allan government’s latest bid to grapple with the state’s housing crisis.