Planning
Series
City life
Federation Square at 21
The Age explores Melbourne’s controversial quest for a monument of its own, the future of the square and the century-old dream to build a deck over the Jolimont rail yards.
Latest
State shelves dream to fix eyesore dubbed the ‘black hole of Melbourne’
The government has quietly abandoned the idea of decking the Jolimont rail yards next to Federation Square, after successive state leaders have struggled with costly plans for a century.
- by Jewel Topsfield and Royce Millar
Loved, hated, soon to be updated: The next chapter for Federation Square
Jeff Kennett was no fan of Fed Square, but like many Melburnians, has grown to love it. But challenges with Melbourne’s civic space remain.
- by Jewel Topsfield and Royce Millar
‘We were seeking an opera house’: Melbourne’s quest for a monument of its own
Two decades before Melbourne finally got Federation Square, a major competition gripped the imagination of the city - and the world - for the space. This is what they came up with.
- by Jewel Topsfield and Royce Millar
Opinion
Big Perth
Spread too thin: What we’re losing as Perth sprawls
The house-and-land package is still at the heart of the Australian dream, but what are we missing out on in this mind-boggling suburban expansion?
- by Mark Naglazas
Brisbane hailed a ‘dazzling’ destination for 2024
Top travel guide Frommer’s says the transformation of the Brisbane River into a “world-class asset” has made the city a must-see destination.
- by Tony Moore
Job cuts send ‘alarm bells ringing’ in Brisbane council
Hundreds of council workers, including casual bus drivers and library staff, are concerned their jobs are at risk after BCC last week announced a 10 per cent spending cut.
- by Tony Moore
The 220-kilometre city: Why Western Australia is giving up on infill
Mining billionaires might have made the state wealthy, but it’s developers’ decades of wheeling and dealing that continue to have the most impact on daily life.
- by Sarah Brookes, Hamish Hastie and Jesinta Burton
‘Lizard Rock’ housing development renamed, still fails to win over locals
An Aboriginal land council’s “unpopular” plans to build 450 homes on Sydney’s northern beaches may have influenced the area’s Voice result, the local member alleged.
- by Mary Ward
The Sydney council that takes 288 days to scrutinise development applications
Waiting times for local councils to determine development applications has blown out by four weeks in the past year
- by Andrew Taylor
‘Mao’s Last Dancer’, Howard Smith Wharves honoured for transforming Brisbane
Queensland Ballet’s artistic director Li Cunxin and the Howard Smith Wharves were recognised for their role in an evolving Brisbane at the 2023 Lord Mayor’s Business Awards.
- by Tony Moore