Melbourne's New Developments

Ongoing developments in Melbourne continue to build on the city's international reputation as a leading Business Events destination with comprehensive, modern infrastructure. Melbourne's latest projects include hotel developments, world-class arts and tourism attractions, sporting facilities and new city precincts.

South Wharf

South Wharf is Melbourne's newest business and dining precinct. It offers business travellers easy access from the airport, close proximity to public transport and is only a short stroll to Docklands and the city centre. South Wharf includes the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, the 5-star Hilton Melbourne South Wharf, and Direct Factory Outlet (DFO) shopping. The precinct will also include one of Melbourne's biggest shopping centres, a five-screen cinema and 3,000 car parking spaces when it is completed in late 2010.

Melbourne's iconic tall ship, the Polly Woodside, will be re-opened to the public in late 2010, following a $13  illion restoration of the tall ship's home berth at Duke's Dock, South Wharf. Work is still underway on the area around Duke's Dock to restore the boardwalk and wharf sheds. The final result will be a fantastic new tourist attraction for the South Wharf area and the precinct around the new Melbourne Convention Centre.

Hotel Developments

Melbourne is ranked as one of the world's top convention cities, and offers delegates ample accommodation choices with more than 15,400 rooms in the City of Melbourne alone. The ongoing construction of new hotels ensures Melbourne retains this status.

The Ascott Group is investing $136.2 million in the development of a 380-unit serviced residence in Melbourne's Central Business District. Citadines Melbourne on Bourke will be Ascott's first Citadines in Australia and will open in the second half of 2010.

At an estimated cost of $300 million, Crown Metropol, the third hotel in the Crown Entertainment Complex, opened in April 2010. Australia's largest hotel boasts 658 rooms, bringing the total number of hotel rooms available at Crown to more than 1,600. Located close to Melbourne's Convention and Exhibition Centre, Crown Metropol includes its own conference facilities.

Additionally, the extension of the Crown Conference Centre was officially opened in February 2010. This new facility caters for conferences for up to 840 delegates theatre-style and provides the option of utilising up to 19 concurrent rooms on the same floor. The expanded Conference Centre offers event organisers the choice of two plenary rooms, a pillarless Conference Hall and a 600-seat Promenade Room.

The Grand Hyatt Melbourne commenced a guest room refurbishment program in October 2009. The full refurbishment will include new carpets, furniture and bathroom fixtures, and will be completed by 2011. This follows the hotel's $45 million redevelopment of its public foyers, lobbies and bar and dining spaces, which was finished in 2009.

Inspiring and unique, the Art Series Hotel Group provides guests with a unique visual experience, with each hotel named after and inspired by a famous Australian artist. The first of the Art Series Hotels, The Cullen, opened in November 2009, followed by The Olsen in March 2010 and The Blackman in late 2010.

Sporting Facilities

The construction of a world-class rectangular stadium to host soccer, rugby league and rugby union matches has added to Melbourne's status as the world's best place to hold a sports event. The $267.5 million AAMI Park is a medium-size, purpose-built stadium with a world-class playing surface. Part of the Melbourne and Olympic Parks sporting precinct, the stadium's design features a substantial number of undercover seats and includes a sports campus with an elite training centre and offices. AAMI Park accommodates more than 30,000 fans and hosted its first match in May 2010.

To further develop Melbourne and Olympic Parks, the Victorian State Government is investing $363 million for stage one of a major transformation that includes: a major upgrade to fully enclose Margaret Court Arena, including the installation of a retractable roof and additional seating; a new Eastern Plaza, incorporating eight new indoor courts and 13 outdoor courts as well as change room facilities and a gymnasium; refurbishments to Rod Laver Arena and Hisense Arena; and a footbridge linking Melbourne Park to AAMI Park.

The new $58 million Icehouse opened in Waterfront City, Docklands, in February 2010 and is now the largest ice skating facility in the Southern Hemisphere. Home to the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia, the Icehouse features two Olympic sized ice rinks, function spaces and has an environmental rating equivalent to a '5 Star Green Star' rating.

Cultural Capital

The $128.5 million major overhaul of the Arts Centre's Hamer Hall will begin mid 2010 as the first stage of the Southbank Cultural Precinct redevelopment project.

Southbank is home to many of Melbourne's significant arts venues and organisations, including the Arts Centre, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne's new Recital Centre and Melbourne Theatre Company, The Australian Ballet and Australian Ballet School, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Victorian College of the Arts.

The redevelopment of Hamer Hall will provide a better experience for audiences and performers alike through improved acoustics, better box office facilities, staging systems and technology, and new auditorium seating for patrons to enjoy a greater range of performances from around the world.

Sustainable Attractions

Since 1992 the Koala Conservation Centre on Phillip Island has been protecting this endangered species. Phillip Island Nature Parks opened a new centre in December 2009 that provides further opportunities for more than 170,000 domestic and international visitors per year to view and learn about koalas in their natural environment. The centre was designed by local architect Ashley Beaumont with green principles in mind. Its habitat supports a healthy breeding population with a capacity of 40 koalas, which can be seen in six hectares of natural habitat. Smaller enclosures within the eucalyptus woodland provide closer viewing opportunities from two boardwalks and rangers use these areas to help manage the koala population.

Accessibility

Melbourne Airport unveiled its new passenger concourse in December 2009 as the first stage of its $330 million international terminal expansion. Stage two - scheduled for late 2011 - will add more than 5,000m² of new passenger lounge, café, duty free and specialty shop space to Terminal Two.