Andrew MacLeod was appointed Chief Executive Officer in late 2009 of the Committee for Melbourne and is also a resident of Docklands.

The Committee for Melbourne (CFM) is an organisation that is 100% private sector- funded whose broad aim is to promote Melbourne across all facets and to work for the ‘social good of Melbourne to ensure Melbourne’s liveability and economic prosperity’. The CFM was behind the Docklands redevelopment initiative.

Andrew has had an extensive and diverse career to date in leadership roles in the business and public sectors, including the Australian Army, a brief stint as Political and Policy Advisor for the Victorian Government and posts with the International Committee of the Red Cross in former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, as well as with the U.N. co-ordinating massive earthquake relief in Kashmir and in the Philippines assisting with typhoon relief and recovery.

Andrew possesses the ability to think outside the square and brings many interesting observations to the discussion about Docklands from both perspectives as a resident and as CEO for the CFM.

According to Andrew, the success of the Docklands is important for the future of Melbourne; the Docklands redevelopment will serve as an important experiment into residential options and planning for a new style of urban living for Melbourne into the future. Andrew adds that a brutally honest approach to Docklands is necessary to explore what so far has worked and what
hasn’t, and why.

Docklands is an easy place to live for Andrew, with access to his CBD workplace only minutes away, saving hours of travel time over the working week. It’s also a short walk to many major attractions and it is one of the few places you can live in Melbourne without owning car.

Andrew notes the absence of children in Docklands adding that families don’t traditionally choose to reside in apartments. “Given that prices generally start at $500,000 for a small two bedroom apartment, those who can afford to live in Docklands would also have the option of living in the suburbs albeit with a garden.

Visitors, students, empty nesters and committed DINKS (dual-income-no-kids) are more suited to Docklands living generally.“The demographics make it unreasonable to expect Docklands to be a ‘community’ or village like other areas of Melbourne. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As our city grows and global workforces become more mobile, and jobs more temporary, having an urban area designed for this fluid market is not bad, just different,” says Andrew.

Attracting people to Docklands is imperative for growth and deciding how best to do this has different aspects. Primarily, defining the comparative advantage to visit Docklands over another area of Melbourne is key. Is it lifestyle, shopping, dining and attractions or to visit a part of Melbourne that is unique?

In Andrew’s opinion the successful redevelopment of Harbour Esplanade will have a critical effect on Docklands in its ability to draw visitors to Melbourne’s
own waterfront area. It needs to have grass and trees and be vibrant, no other major city in the world has grass on the waterfront.

Docklands has to also overcome the barrier of perception that accessing Docklands is difficult – many Melbournians will happily leave the car at home for a trip into the CBD but feel they have to drive here. Identifying what will challenge visitors to overcome their preconceived perceptions about Docklands is important, perhaps it will be football, major Melbourne festivals and events, a shopping and entertainment precinct, perhaps to enjoy Melbourne’s own waterfront oasis.

Andrew would also like to see the creation of a waterborne public transport system, utilising the Yarra and incorporating water, bus, tram and train networks into the MYKI system, including a Docklands to Fishermans Bend to Spotswood and back to Docklands route as well.

As Andrew said, there is no silver bullet answer for Docklands but there are many positives and great things ahead, Docklands is different to other parts of Melbourne and that doesn’t make it bad or Melbourne’s black sheep, but rather should be welcomed as ‘a newcomer to our culture, offering new opportunities, in a sense , an architectural new Australian’ as Andrew puts it.
Andrew urges Docklands based business
to become involved with the Committee
for Melbourne.
9650 8800
www.melbourne.org.au