What is your vision for Council property located at 2 Wingrove Street, Alphington?

We know there is a lot of interest in the future planning of the subject Site, and we want to hear your ideas. We are asking for your input to help us shape a plan that best meets the community’s needs whilst considering key site conditions, constraints and opportunities.

  • Your Connection: How do you currently use the space at the Site? Do you visit, run a business, socialise, or live nearby?
  • Your Vision: Considering the Site's history and limitations, what do you think would be a good use for this space?
  • Partnership Opportunities: Council would like to explore options for partnerships and/or revenue-generating uses to support the long-term viability of the Site. Do you have any suggestions/ideas for how we could achieve this?

While we welcome all suggestions, any future plans for the Site will depend on the outcomes of a feasibility study. Your ideas, suggestions and aspirations will help us shape the next steps.

Have your say

by sharing your suggestions in the survey below.

Site Location

The Subject Site is approximately 3.5 hectares in size and is located at 2 Wingrove Street, Alphington - opposite the Alphington train station. It is bordered by the Darebin Parklands and the Hurstbridge train line. The property is easily accessible via the main gate on Wingrove Street.

Site background

From the early 1900s to 2023, the Site has been utilised as:

  • Bluestone quarry
  • Alphington tip (landfill)
  • Northcote City Council works depot
  • Darebin Enterprise Centre Ltd - business incubator site (through a lease from Council)

The previous uses of the site have resulted in there being many site-specific considerations which must be taken into account when determining any potential future use of the property. To determine the suitability of the site to deliver potential uses, Council has been actively undertaking various site investigations listed below:

  • Building conditions
  • Soil and groundwater contamination
  • Continual subsidence
  • Planning controls

A Site Masterplan needs to be done to identify viable uses - taking into account of the site-specific considerations, market appetite, financial implications and community needs now and in the future.

Council is currently in the process of undertaking the first stage of the Site Masterplan, which includes:

  • a preliminary feasibility study detailing the site-specific considerations, constraints and opportunities
  • collecting feedback and input from the community through the first round of community consultation
  • establishing a Community Reference Group (CRG) to provide a structured, transparent, diverse and inclusive medium for community representation throughout the masterplanning process
  • preparing an Expression of Interest (EOI) process to identify parties (community and/or commercial organisations) that would like to partner with Council to develop and implement the masterplan.

Site limitations

The ‘preliminary feasibility study’ has been undertaken by Council to determine site conditions, limitations, and constraints. The summary of these findings is listed below:

  • Building conditions
    Half of the buildings on site are at the end of their useful life – this means it would not make sense to bring them back up to usable standard.
    Four buildings are mostly not in good condition and/or only suitable for a few uses. There are constraints about how many different purposes they could be put to.
  • Soil history and constraints
    The site comprises of 3.5 hectares and was used as a bluestone quarry from 1890 to 1976, and a landfill (with an approximate area of 2 hectares) until 1975. The extent of the waste mass across the site, depth of buried waste beneath the site and the cap condition – are generally unknown. The site contains unknown waste types including industrial and liquid waste. This means that sensitive uses are not possible on it – for example it cannot be used for housing. In addition, subsidence has been observed on site – this means that not all the of the site is stable enough to build on.

  • Planning advice
    The site is zoned as Public Use Zone (PUZ). The zoning enables some commercial use – on the basis it is ‘ancillary’ to a public use but usually needs a planning permit to confirm approval. The site is also subject to Environmental Significance Overlay (ES02) which seeks to protect the Darebin Creek and environs by ensuring that any future use considers potential environmental impacts to the creek.

Tell us what you think

Your response to this survey will help us understand the community's vision for the Site.