Council Converts Albert Park's Moubray Street Into Permanent Community Park

Port Phillip City Council voted on 7 December 2022 to discontinue the section of Moubray Street between Withers Street and Bridport Street West in Albert Park, clearing the way for a permanent park on the 1,200-square-metre site.

Why the change matters for nearby families

The road had operated as the Moubray Street Pop Up Park since a trial began in July 2013, giving extra outdoor space to Albert Park Primary School pupils and local residents at a time when school grounds were under pressure from rising enrolments. Residents who wrote to the council highlighted the park’s role as a safe play area and noted that slower traffic around the site had improved pedestrian conditions near the school. The decision removes the road from the council’s public roads register, allowing the space to be managed as open space rather than a traffic route.

Funding support for the permanent conversion comes from a $1.3 million transfer arranged by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, redirected from an earlier Cobden Street Pocket Park project. Council records show the move follows a 2016 resolution that kept open the option of creating lasting public open space once money became available.

Next steps after the December vote

Seventeen written submissions were received during the public notice period, with most supporting the change and only two raising objections without stating reasons. Council considered those comments at its 16 November 2022 meeting before proceeding. Officers recommended discontinuance on the grounds that the road is no longer needed for public traffic. The formal process now requires publication of a notice in the Victoria Government Gazette, after which the land will vest in council ownership. The chief executive officer or a delegate will also notify every person who lodged a submission of the outcome and the reasons for it.

Any easements or rights required by public authorities will remain in place despite the road closure. The outcome means the site can be developed as the Moubray Street Community Park without the legal constraints that applied while it was still classified as a road.