Project background

Between 5 May and 26 May 2026, Council engaged with the community about the future of the Carlisle Street Activity Centre.

The engagement sought feedback on the draft vision, principles and priority site-specific outcomes. The feedback will help shape Council’s advocacy position for the future redevelopment of the Coles and Woolworths sites and inform the preparation of a new Structure Plan for the area.

Approximately 189 participants contributed via survey, pop-up, stakeholder meetings and written submissions. Engagement was strongly local, with most participants living in Balaclava and nearby suburbs.

What did we ask?

This phase of engagement focused on testing:

• Elements of a draft shared vision for the activity centre
• Community prioritisation of the objectives for the activity centre
• Priorities for redevelopment outcomes for the Coles and Woolworths sites

What did we hear?

Across all engagement activities, participants highlighted the following priorities:

• They would like to see local businesses supported
• A desire for high-quality design and built form
• Strong push for more public space and greening
• Improved safety and amenity
• They would like to see local character and identity preserved

Most participants agreed on the above priorities, however, there were mixed views on:

• Access vs active transport: Support for both more car access (particularly parking) and improved walking, cycling and public transport.
• Housing vs scale and character: Mixed views on density, with concerns about impacts on character and amenity.

What happens next?

We will soon be moving to Phase 2 of our community engagement program. In this phase, we'll be facilitating workshops with interested community members. Join us to discuss the outcomes we want to see on the two strategic supermarkets in more depth in workshop settings. We'll use this feedback to advocate for quality outcomes at the State Government level.