A suggested renewal of the public spaces outside the station

Richmond Railway Station is an important railway hub and one of the most used on the network. It is also the gateway to Melbourne’s Sports and Entertainment district attracting thousands of people from many parts of the city, country, and the world. Every day, commuters pour in and out of the station across and along Swan Street to the burgeoning business precinct of Cremorne. Sports and entertainment fans flood the street heading to the nearby cafes and restaurants before massing to the multiple nearby venues and stadia. 

Unfortunately, the environs around Richmond Station on Swan St are tight, nasty and dominated by traffic. Most of this land around the station is owned by VicRoads or VicTrack. Yet rather than making appropriate public use of this land, these rather ugly expanses of concrete are serving as cheap car yards or meagre parking spots. Meanwhile, people spill out from the station on their way to Cremorne’s workplaces, Swan St attractions or major venues clinging to the narrow footpaths, congregating at the Cremorne St traffic lights, while these spaces are fenced off.

It seems obvious that these areas, in front of the railway embankment on Swan St and on the Cremorne St corner, should be thoughtfully landscaped to absorb these frequent large influxes of travellers.

In the long term, there is certainly a case for a major redevelopment of the entire Richmond station site, which would require a great deal of planning and financing. In the meantime, we are asking why can’t we have public land used for public purposes to create a pleasant and safe gateway to one of Melbourne’s great and well used precincts? It currently is shabby and dangerous and reflects poorly on Victoria as a destination, not to mention the contempt it projects to locals who regularly use the station and streets.