Inner Metro Sustainability Hub (IMSH) brief City Partnerships Challenge Global Compact Cities Programme 12 November, 2018

1. Partnership Initiative
Inner Metro Sustainability Hub (IMSH)
Opportunity Statement
Over the next 50 years, Fishermans Bend will transform the way Melbournians live, travel and work. For
Melbourne to endure as a liveable city, Fishermans Bend must set the benchmark for sustainable development.
The Inner Metro Sustainability Hub concept is unique in that it is an innovative infrastructure approach in an inner
urban setting. It potentially co-locates council depot and waste transfer facilities, advanced waste treatment
infrastructure, sewer mining, and business and community facilities.
Key Challenges
• Deciding the scope of the Hub, including what functions and facilities the hub will provide
• Governance of complex design and construction arrangements
• Acquisition of suitable land and whole of project funding and finance
Key Solutions
The sustainability hub concept offers the opportunity to:
• Fulfil state and local government level policy directions on low carbon, low waste, water sensitive and liveable
communities
• Share input and output streams across energy, water and waste, thus exemplifying the circular economy
• Pool land, capital and operational resources to save money
• Provide an innovative and accessible demonstration project for industry, researchers and the community, and
• Provide community facilities in a high-density location.
Existing Partners
• City of Port Phillip and City of Melbourne, who are considering their short and medium-term options for
waste collection and treatment infrastructure as part of their strategic sustainable waste management
objectives.
• South East Water, who is committed to delivering the Fishermans Bend recycled water facility to as a catalytic
project.
• State government Victoria, which is seeking effective ways of achieving ambitious sustainability goals at
Fishermans Bend, including Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group, Sustainability Victoria, the
Fishermans Bend Taskforce
Potential Partners
• Current and future workers and residents, who would benefit from the facilities at the Hub.
• Developers, who could achieve sustainability standards in a cost-effective way with the shared infrastructure
provided through the Hub.
• Community groups including Friends of Westgate Park.

2. • Federal government agencies, including the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Department of Environment
and Energy.
• State government agencies including the Environment Protection Authority, Department of Environment Land
Water and Planning, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources
• University of Melbourne – Engineering Faculty (potentially also RMIT)
• City of Yarra
• Others depending on the scale, mix of functions and design of the hub – including any uses that could be
accommodated within the buffer zone