Melton Town Centre Revitalisation Project

As we’ve reported previously, Melton Town Centre is about to undergo a revitalisation with a redesign of civic spaces, a program of events and a campaign to engage with local businesses, supported by a $1.855 million boost from the State Government’s Suburban Revitalisation program.

Just released is a current list of projects to be funded under the program, to be completed between now and September 2022 and overseen by the Melton Revitalisation Board chaired by member for Melton Steve McGhie.

Here’s the current list of projects, and stay tuned for more to come:

Melton Town Centre Shopfront Improvement Program
This project provides grant funding for local businesses to facelift their shop fronts.
A retail specialist will work with traders to provide practical advice and support to facilitate improvements to the visual appearance of shopfronts.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $85,000 in funding for grants to be delivered in early 2022.

Courthouse Cafe Upgrade
Upgrades are being made to the Victorian Government owned café building, which is a local landmark of heritage value.
Works include additional dining space, an outdoor dining area and upgrades to the kitchen.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $200,000 in funding for the project and it's anticipated to be completed in late 2021.

Pop-up Park
A pop-up park will be created, providing a casual meeting and social space for the general public.
The park will include a garden, furniture, pathway and shading.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $50,000 in funding for the project and it's anticipated to be completed in mid 2022.

Retail and Start-Up Incubator
A bookable retail space will be created through the installation of purpose-built street side infrastructure .  
This will enable Melton City Council's Hot House Project to support new enterprises from start-up stage to the set-up of retail businesses.  
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $95,000 in funding for the project and it's anticipated to be completed in mid 2022.

Town Centre Brand & Marketing Project
A marketing and branding specialist will be engaged to develop a place-based marketing campaign with an identity and brand proposition for the Melton Town Centre (MTC), supported by a marketing campaign.
This project will see updated branding that can be applied in shop front installations and other physical treatments throughout the precinct to create a consistent sense of place, along with a dedicated digital marketing campaign to increase visitation and instil a strong, recognisable and inviting brand.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $40,000 in funding for the project and it's anticipated to be completed in mid 2022.

Trader Group Establishment
An active trader group will be established for the Melton Town Centre.
The Trader group will support Melton Town Centre marketing and ongoing collaboration in order to increase visitation to the precinct.  
To support this work, a video production company will be engaged to capture and share trader's stories.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $30,000 in funding for the project and it's anticipated to be completed in mid 2022.

Melton Town Centre Outdoor Dining Precinct
Outdoor dining facilities will be installed to encourage visitation and time spent in the precinct.  
The project will include the installation of seating, furniture and festoon lighting.  
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $200,000 in funding for the project and it's anticipated to be completed in late 2022.

Melton Town Centre Event and Activation Calendar
A program of events and activations for the Melton Town Centre will be developed to increase visitation and the amount of time people spend in the centre.
Activations and events include annual events, summer performances, roving kids entertainment on weekends, seasonal markets; and educational talks.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $100,000 in funding for the project and it's anticipated to be completed in late 2022.

Melton Town Centre Buy Local Campaign
Building on the Melton Town Centre branding project, this project will develop a new 'Buy Local' Campaign.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $100,000 in funding for the project and it's anticipated to be completed in late 2022.

Melton Town Centre Active Transport and Capital Upgrades
This project will involve infrastructure upgrades to address pedestrian and cycling gaps, a behavioural change campaign to encourage sustainable transport options.
The works will also include assessment of traffic calming and pedestrian/cycling design options.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $300,000 in funding for the project and it's anticipated to be completed in late 2022.

Melton Town Centre Kid Zone in Civic Heart
A small-scale kids' play space will be installed in the precinct to attract families, increase dwell time, encourage positive social interactions and increase visitation to local businesses.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $300,000 in funding for the project and it's anticipated to be completed in late 2022.

Melton Town Centre Revitalisation Plan
A long term Revitalisation Plan for the Melton Town Centre (MTC) will be developed, identifying the short, medium and long-term interventions that will transform the MTC into a vibrant, active space that enjoys strong visitation, sustainable economic uplift and welcoming spaces.
The plan will explore factors including transport, connectivity, public realms, the mix of retail, businesses and hospitality offerings, and planning mechanisms to facilitate development that will draw more people to the precinct.
This will include encouraging residential development within, and adjacent to, the centre.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $200,000 in funding for the project and it's anticipated to be completed in late 2022.

Melton Town Centre Identity Framework and Action Plan for Sub-precincts
The project will identify sub-precincts that could be formed within the Town Centre.
This would involve identifying business clusters, target audiences for the sub-precincts and potential space activations, events, art installations, a palette of materials for future works and an overall precinct action plan.
The creation of sub-precincts is intended to create varied identities within the Town Centre - increasing interest, visitation and dwell time.
Short-term actions to progress the establishment of sub-precincts will be identified as part of this work.
The project outcomes will inform Council's capital works program and private sector property improvements.
The Suburban Revitalisation program is providing $35,000 in funding for the project and it's anticipated to be completed in late 2021.

The Melton Revitalisation Board

The projects are overseen by the Melton Revitalisation Board chaired by Member for Melton, Steve McGhie, and including representatives from the Melton City Council, local community and local business. This brings the total investment in the Suburban Revitalisation program to almost $24.8 million over the past 12 months, partnering with local governments across 115 projects to deliver $73.8 million of co-investment to Melbourne’s suburbs.

The Suburban Revitalisation program works with regional and local stakeholders to help plan and deliver infrastructure, community development and place-making initiatives that focus on driving social and economic outcomes in key activity centres identified across Melbourne. 

More information

• Find out more about Revitalising Melton at the State Government's Suburban Development website.

• For further information on these projects, and the Melton Town Centre, contact:
Susan Beniston, Project Officer Melton Town Centre,
9747 7200 or susanb@melton.vic.gov.au