St Kilda Strategic Plan

The Council Plan 2017-27 – Year 4 (August 2020) approved an 'Economic and Social Recovery package', which committed to 'bring forward South Melbourne and St Kilda structure plans with a focus in year one on an economic and employment land use framework and housing growth strategy'. The St Kilda Strategic Plan is further described in the 2017-27 Council Plan as needing to 'establish the preferred direction to guide future growth and facilitate change within the St Kilda precinct, and to align partnership, employment and sustainability goals outlined in key Council strategies.'

Work commenced on preparation of the Plan in the second half of 2020. The St Kilda Strategic Plan was adopted in December 2021.

St Kilda is an iconic place and by planning for the future of the precinct we can respond to the current challenges and opportunities in St Kilda and ensure it continues to be an iconic and liveable place.

The St Kilda Strategic Plan - Volume 1 (the Plan) highlights key short-term activities Council can pursue to remove barriers to economic activity within the St Kilda study area. It also provides a road map for future strategic planning work by making recommendations on the timing, priority and sequencing of work required to respond to the challenges and opportunities identified.

The Plan makes 12 recommendations for Council. Of these, the three primary recommendations are:

• Facilitating catalyst projects, kick-started by a feasibility investigation of selected catalyst sites.
• Removing barriers to existing, new and temporary businesses through an advocacy strategy and business improvement initiatives within the organisation.
• Preparation of a St Kilda Major Activity Centre (MAC) structure plan (due to commence within the next 5 – 10 years).

This Plan should be read in conjunction with Volume 2 (Background) and supporting technical reports referred to in this document. You can find both volumes at the links below:

The Plan (Volume 1) (PDF 10.2 MB)

The Plan (Volume 1) (DOCX 11.1 MB)

The Background Report (Volume 2) (PDF 3.96 MB)

The Background Report (Volume 2) (DOCX 3.29 MB)

About the study area

St Kilda is an iconic place, with its unique mix of bohemian and inclusive culture, seaside amenities, entertainment offerings and diverse heritage. In 2019, it attracted 2 million visitors to its world-class attractions and events.

The St Kilda study area (the study area) contains two designated Major Activity Centres (MACs):

• the St Kilda MAC
• the Carlisle Street MAC.

The study area was chosen to encapsulate key areas of change such as the MACs and the immediate residential areas. Each MAC provides a suburban focal point for services, employment, housing, public transport and social interaction.

St Kilda MAC precinct

This precinct includes Fitzroy Street, Acland Street, the St Kilda foreshore and surrounding residential areas. Fitzroy Street draws visitors from around the world with its iconic foreshore and entertainment offerings. Acland Street with its two supermarkets and some local retailors has a much greater focus on serving local residents.

Carlisle Street MAC precinct

Carlisle Street MAC precinct has a strong local flavour with goods and service offerings for the local community, and associations with its Eastern European and Jewish heritage.