Lord Mayor Sally Capp hints at another election tilt to see Greenline waterfront project through to completion

Lord Mayor Sally Capp has long championed the Greenline Yarra riverside project — and has dropped the strongest hint she’ll be there to see it through.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp has hinted she may run for re-election to see the Greenline project through.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp has given her biggest hint she is lining up a re-election tilt so she can see through her signature $316m Greenline project.

Cr Capp’s current term at Town Hall ends late next year but has alluded to a possible third period in the city’s top job.

The riverside rejuvenation scheme will take up to eight years to complete – and Cr Capp said she wanted to see the project through.

“It’ll be up to the voters but I hope so.

“I definitely plan on being there to cut the ribbon at each stage and something that I know a lot of people will take pride in as each of those stages unfolds.’’

Montage Maritime.

Greenline vision for the Seafarers section.

The tree canopy walk.

Cr Capp said she was now focused on seeing Stage One at Birrarung Marr finished.

Preliminary work is already under way at the site but an early 2025 completion date comes months after the scheduled October 2024 poll.

“I focus very much on stage one as the first component that will be completed.’’

The Greenline project was a key element of Cr Capp’s campaigns in 2018 and 2020.

Cr Capp’s come as the council released the masterplan for the scheme to revitalise and improve the north bank of the Yarra.

The Collins St river front.

The scheme will be divided into five waterfront precincts which will include boardwalks, wetlands, elevated walkways, native habitats and cultural activities.

Greenline was a working title only, Cr Capp said, and would likely carry an appropriate Indigenous name to help bring an ancient culture to life.

“We’re working with traditional owners. It’s going to have a very strong Aboriginal theme right along the Greenline. There’s also more recent history and particularly maritime history.’’

A pool near Enterprize Park was not part of the plans because it doesn’t work in that location, Cr Capp said.

Bateman Park

Collins Wharf

Amphitheater

“We have looked at that (a pool) a number of times. We think there are some better places for it, for example, Victoria Harbour itself perhaps along the Esplanade there so there are longer term projects.’’

The Melbourne vision has been inspired by New York’s Brooklyn Park Bridge, Paris’s Park de

Docks and the waterfronts in Seattle and Auckland.

Cr Capp said funding deals would get the project over the line.

“It’s a project that we can certainly deliver. It’s going to be jointly funded in lots of different ways.

“We’ve shown that we can deliver projects of this scale.’’

Cr Capp said the current $380m revamp of Queen Victoria Market showed the council could deliver on large-scale ventures.

“We feel really confident about delivering what is a magnificent project for Melbourne.’’

The council estimates more than 3400 jobs will be created during construction, plus more than 6400 ongoing positions by 2042.

Visitor numbers are forecast to be more than 1.1 million a year.