Melbourne City Council will consider extension of plan to build High Line-style elevated park in CBD

LORD Mayor Sally Capp has a bold idea for an elevated park in the CBD. Now there’s a push to take the concept even further.

A BOLD city council plan for an elevated park through the CBD has grown even more ambitious.

A “sky trail” based on New York’s popular High Line linear park was a key election policy of new Lord Mayor Sally Capp.

The $300 million-plus concept would involve linking Federation Square and Southern Cross Station via decking built over rail lines.

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High Line in New York City.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp’s original concept for an elevated CBD park.

But last week, City of Melbourne councillors voted to extend scoping of the project to include key Docklands sites.

Cr Jackie Watts moved a motion to also incorporate links to the future Seafarers Park on the north bank of the Yarra, proposed initiatives in Victoria Harbour and extending to Ron Barassi Senior Park near the Bolte Bridge.

“Any scoping of a project which would link the Docklands more comprehensively is a good idea,” she said.

Cr Beverley Pinder said all options needed to be explored for the High Line concept to become a reality.

“As much as I think this is a very ambitious project, I am supportive of … the concept preparation,” she said.

The council has already approved $200,000 for the scoping work in 2018-19.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp has big plans for the CBD.

Ms Capp said the project was still at the concept stage, but she was keen to get it to the next level and appreciated the need to include Docklands.

“I acknowledge … that Docklands is a very important part of our city, that a main part of the idea of a High Line project was about creating links between the city and Docklands to find new forms of transport, pedestrian and bicycles around our city,” she said.

“And to really activate that north bank, and if it can provide a fantastic way of being a major link into Docklands, then that will be fantastic.”

The councillors also agreed to approach Docklands authority Development Victoria and other agencies to gauge interest in creating a Maritime Commercial Heritage Museum at Docklands.

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