Before the City of Yarra, there were the cities of Richmond, Collingwood, and Fitzroy. The City of Yarra was formed in 1994, and a decade before that, in 1984, the City of Richmond prepared a Strategy Plan. Sadly, many of the issues highlighted in the report appear to be the same today, 41 years later.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages and disadvantages of living in Richmond summarised as: proximity to the central city, but suffering from traffic congestion and through traffic.
Rapid changes
The need for a Strategy Plan was summarised as the ‘rapid changes taking place’, as well as shortage of affordable housing, declining shopping streets, and traffic and parking problems.
Need for action
The Strategy Plan highlighted the need for action, as opposed to reports gathering dust:
Ten sections
The Strategy Plan contains ten sections; in this review we’ve focussed on two: housing and transport.
Housing
In 1984, Richmond had a population of approximately 25,000 people and approximately 10,000 dwellings, with the population expected to fall slightly, and gentrification underway, thereby reducing the availability of affordable housing:
State government policy was to reverse the decline in population, to make best use of existing infrastructure, and noting the lack of medium density housing:
The Strategy Plan highlighted that the financial limitations of the Council which prevented it from being a housing provider (or landlord):
Finally, the Strategy Plan used strong language for its housing goal, seeking to provide accomodation to meet the needs of all people who need or wish to live in Richmond.
Transport – cycling
The Strategy Plan strongly supporting cycling as transport:
Recommended actions included bicycle paths, bicycle lanes, intersection redesigns, road closures, speed limits, replacing angled parking with kerbside parking, and providing adequate bicycle parking.
Transport – road system
The Strategy Plan identified through traffic and rat runs as ongoing issues that needed to be managed, with a volume of 2,000 vehicles per day being considered an appropriate maximum for a residential street.
Traffic – parking
The Strategy Plan highlighted that parking is a major and emotive issue, and that parking space should be seen as an economic resource.
The report used a basic economic analysis to suggest that residential parking permits should be priced at $600 per year:
Objectives and actions included increasing utilisation, reconciling competing claims, using parking policy as a tool, ensuring that the costs reflect the true value, and increasing the price of permits.
Traffic – public transport
The Strategy Plan highlighted that Richmond is well served by public transport, and recommended that employment and housing be increased in areas proximate to rail stations.
Traffic – walking
The Strategy Plan pointed out that many trips within Richmond can be made by walking, and that pedestrian safety was a concern for residents:
Our view
Everything old is new again! Housing is even less affordable, and congestion (both traffic and parking) has worsened. Cycling is still not safe for people of all ages and abilities, and people walking are still putting up with narrow or obstructed footpaths.
Overall, the 1984 Richmond Strategy Plan is an impressive piece of work, correctly identifying the most important issues and proposing effective solutions. Sadly, many of the issues are still with us today, and Streets Alive Yarra are still recommending many of the same actions, such as adding modal filters to discourage through traffic, and properly pricing on-street parking.
We encourage residents, Officers and Councillors to review the 1984 document, compare it with present-day strategies, and re-commit to (a) reforming policy as required, and (b) allocating budget to deliver necessary infrastructure.
Published 20 June 2025