Great city centres have beautiful, functional streetscapes which prioritise people. A Big Move in this Structure Plan is to systematically upgrade and enhance the grid of streets within the Werribee Activity Centre Boundary as beautiful, functional spaces that people love spending time in. A Werribee City Centre Streetscape Framework has been prepared to guide this work (in addition to the Structure Plan). The Framework establishes streetscape principles, objectives and signatures for streetscape upgrades in the City Centre. It also categorises each street as one of nine different streetscape types, to provide further guidance for streetscape upgrades.

The movement network will be upgraded as part of the streetscape upgrades, with a focus on people and active modes of transport.

The Riverbend Precinct is located on Comben Drive, next to the train station, overlooking the Werribee River and Wyndham Park. The Riverbend Precinct has a laneway network with the opportunity to become a vibrant destination. A new plaza is proposed along the riverbend connecting to Watton St, providing a gateway to the precinct.

Council owns the Riverbend Large and Riverbend Small Catalyst Sites, which make up a large portion of this precinct. These sites have the potential for redevelopment to transform and activate the precinct.

The East End Precinct includes the eastern end of Watton St, Troup Park, Kelly Park and the surrounding buildings. The wide road reserves in this precinct provide the opportunity for transformative streetscape upgrades focused on people (with the recent Cherry St level crossing removal having significantly reduced the amount of through traffic). There is the potential for protected cycle/shared paths connecting to surrounding networks, additional pedestrian crossings and increased tree canopy.

The West End Precinct is a lively destination with many popular restaurants and bars/pubs, plus important public spaces like the Wedge Street Piazza. The Wyndham Cultural Centre (with theatre, art gallery and library) is a focal point of the precinct, and is planned to be further enhanced as a regional attraction.

Streetscape upgrades are planned in the West End Precinct to support increased alfresco dining and street life, and improved integration with the Wyndham Cultural Centre, Wedge St Piazza and River & Park Precinct (including Wyndham Park, Chirnside Park and planned Riverbank Promenade). The proposed creation of the Werribee St Plaza is a key part of this.

The Station Place Precinct is a major unrealised opportunity. As a public space its potential to become a vibrant City Square is unrealised through its current use as a car park. The Former Picture Palais building has the potential to become a boutique cinema which draws people to the precinct and anchors a dining and entertainment precinct. The surrounding buildings have the potential to accommodate restaurants and cafés. Transformation of Station Place is proposed to make it the active destination it has the potential to become.

The recent purchase by Council of the Former Picture Palais is a new Catalyst Site targeted for redevelopment as a boutique cinema. The redevelopment of this building, coupled with the creation of a City Square, will create the setting for the envisioned dining and entertainment precinct.

Council owns large sites in the Riverbend, East End, West End and Station Place Precincts. These sites are known as ‘Catalyst Sites’ for their potential to accommodate major redevelopments with transformational impact, delivering activity and economic benefit, and catalyse further development. The Catalyst Sites are major strategic assets. Through the Catalyst Sites, Council can significantly influence the development of these key precincts.

The Catalyst Sites are proposed to be taken to the market for development. The timing of this will be determined by the opportunity to optimise development outcomes. This may see the majority of the Catalyst Sites not taken to the market until 2030- 2040.

Wyndham City will upgrade Chirnside Park in line with the Chirnside Park Masterplan adopted by Council in 2020. The masterplan sets-out the vision for this important sporting and open space precinct through to 2030.

Under the masterplan, Council will widen and realign the Werribee River Trail through the park, and improve landscaping and activation at Bungies Hole and along the Werribee River. Council will also deliver further improvements to the oval, upgrade the tennis courts, construct an undercover synthetic bowling green, and relocate and redevelop the bowling pavilion to improve not only this facility but also access and visibility to the river and Bungies Hole. The improved facilities and connection to the park and river will benefit the community through enhanced recreational experiences and improved experiences for sports players and spectators.

In the 10 years since the current Structure Plan and planning scheme controls were adopted in 2013, numerous planning permit applications have been assessed. Through this experience, opportunities to improve the controls have been identified. The planning scheme controls for new development, land use and parking will be refined, to improve both the planning process and development outcomes. The refinement will be deigned to achieve:

• Development outcomes aligned with the vision for the City Centre
• Clearer design requirements and assessment criteria for an improved planning process
• Improved development feasibility
• Appropriate protection of public open space
• Improved transition to surrounding residential areas
• Improved built form massing, setbacks, overshadowing, overlooking and wind management
• Modernised parking provision requirements.