A makeover for Melbourne’s laneways

The Victorian Government is backing revitalisation works in Melbourne’s iconic laneways, creating scores of new jobs and ensuring the city will be at its best when crowds return to the heart of the capital.

More than 150 people will be employed through the Working for Victoria initiative as part of the largest makeover of lanes seen in the central business district (CBD), North Melbourne and Carlton. Some 40 laneways will benefit from the program.

The six-month project will provide a boost for workers in the creative industries, which have been among the hardest hit in the pandemic, with a call to go out for designers, music producers, light specialists, production designers and technicians, as well as maintenance workers.

Tattersalls Lane, Heffernan Lane, Flinders Court, Healeys Lane and McKillop Street are among CBD locations that will receive a major spruce-up, improving public safety and supporting local businesses.

The first stretch to undergo revitalisation will be Westwood Lane alongside the Salvation Army’s Bourke Street headquarters, with the installation of creative lighting and art designed to improve amenity and increase foot traffic in the area. Raglan Street, Little Errol Street and Bakery Lane are among candidates for a makeover in North Melbourne, and Kelvin Place, Beard Place and Canada Lane in Carlton.

The City of Melbourne will also contribute resources towards the project which will create a network of laneways with their own stories, visuals and acoustic designs, shedding new light on some of the city’s lesser-known laneways.

/Public Release. View in full here.