I think there needs to be better access from adjacent areas such as Kensington Banks to South Kensington station.

I think Mercantile Parade should be extended south-east to Childers Road, so that there is a straight pedestrian route between the station and the nice and dense Kensington Banks area.

I also think having the JJ Holland park right next to Sth Kensington station is less than ideal, and there should be some more medium-high rise residential with maybe a small retail strip fronting Childers Road facing the station, to encourage a bit of mixed-use activity near the station.

Extending Mercantile Parade would cut across the main oval, less than ideal.

Providing quick and easy access for people in Kensington Banks to South Kensington station should surely take precedence over the ability to kick an egg shaped ball around a large circular patch of grass. The oval can be moved slightly to the south-west by closing off Childers Street west of South Kensington station.

Childers St is a dead end, your proposal would require it to be re-opened to traffic at the other end.

The main oval is very large for a suburban ground, the dimensions would be changed, the pavilion  most likely be rebuilt, the nets rebuilt, the cricket pitches reliad, (the square can accomodate 8 i think) and the new oval would cut into the extreme sports precint. One ios not seriously put out by walking about 100metres furhter up the road to the current path through the park.

JJ Holland park is a park because it is sitting on a former swamp and a very current flood plain, it can never be built on. Not to mention that it is the local oval for surrounding schools, junioir and senior sports clubs and provides a skate park. We local residents would storm Town Hall if such a proposal was ever made.

http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/planningschemes/melbourne/maps/melbourne04zn.pdf shows that J J Holland Park is zoned PPRZ (Public Park and Recreation Zone). There are no UFZ's (Urban Floodway Zones) within the jurisdiction of the Melbourne City Council (including in Kensington). If Council wants to build on it, all they have to do is seek an amendment to the planning scheme and extend the Comprehensive Development Zone over Kensington Banks south-east to take in J J Holland Park.

The swamp was known as Seagul Swamp. http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/kensington.html Has more info. The levee bank protecting the housing opposite the park runs along Hobsons Road but ends at Kensington Rd, forcing any flood waters onto Holland Park. In February this year the Childers St, Kensington Rd intersection was under water, that was considered a minor flood. The VRCs desir to flood-proof Flemington raceoucrse will further affect this area.

EDIT: I think your getting UFZs mixed up with your LSIOs (Land subject to inundation). A floodway I think is like a retarding basin. See this link to see that Holland Park will get rather soggy in a flood. Also It doesn't show Riverside Park on Speakman St, it should I've seen it 3 times in two years completely under water. http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/planningschemes/melbourne/maps/melbourne04lsio.pdf

Kensington has had a net loss of high-rise housing over the past decade, why rebuild it.

I would call the 8 storey apartment block at Speakmen Street a net gain, and if theres any high-rise as part of the proposed Becton redevelopment in the area bounded by Kensington Road, Derby, Ormond and Altona Streets that will also be a net gain. How much high-rise has Kensington lost over the last 10 years?

.

IIRC there were 8 high rise Commission Flats in the block you mention. Now there are two original, 2 new not so high rise and some private housing along Kensington Rd. So there is a net loss in this area.

Speakman St is far removed from the area and caters to a totally different market, ( I lived there for a year and hated it). Therefore yes Kensington has had a net gain over the past ten years of private dweliings but a net loss of high-rise public housing near South Kensington Station.

The next area of Kensington to be developed will be the Simplot site on Tennyson St, I know re-zoning was before council a while ago, not sure of the result.

EDIT: I think your getting UFZs mixed up with your LSIOs (Land subject to inundation). A floodway I think is like a retarding basin. See this link to see that Holland Park will get rather soggy in a flood. Also It doesn't show Riverside Park on Speakman St, it should I've seen it 3 times in two years completely under water. http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/planningschemes/melbourne/maps/melbourne04lsio.pdf

Yep, I forgot to check the Land Subject to Inundation Overlay   Looks like there's no possibility for development there.

So it seems the only two options remaining are either South Kensington stays where it is, and attempts are made to improve the station itself and access to it, or its moved to near Kensington Road bridge to provide better access for Kensington Banks residents.

and its either you build a station on either the road bridge, or the actual river bridge, because theres no way you would ever beable to build a station and assorted infrastucture over a wet land area.

Yeah I was thinking it would be elevated with the currrent rail lines, there's buildings along Hobsons Rd but yes the area is flood prone, but AFAIK not reclaimed swampland.

lol i think i was thinking the wrong area. lol im not sure of the streets around there but i kinda had an idea of what you were talking bout. but still not sure = were you talking bout the land of the melbourne side of the river or the land on the footscray side of it.

- Two paltry extremely narrow platforms, constructed of wooden boards on steel stilts with a thin layer of Bitchumen on top

I am pretty sure that the down platform is a proper one, not a platform on stilts.

I would assume the down platform is older, dating back to before the quadruplication. (same goes for the signal box) It is pretty much the standard width as well, except for the very end (which is on stilts, a later addition I assume)

The up platform is very narrow as you say though. It was built with the quadruplication and the yellow brick station office, the original was proberly demolished at that time.

Yellow brick station office? I am presuming  you mean the 1970s-era red brick building downstairs underneth the up platform with the big roller door?

Anyway, both of them need improvement. If the down one is a proper concrete platform it should be easy to make it wider by doing it towards the freight yards. The down platform is still not a proper width by Melbourne standards.

I know the reason the Sydenham trains in off-peak don't stop  at SKN while Werribee trains do stop there

Sydenham trains never stop there, peak or off peak.

I think there needs to be better access from adjacent areas such as Kensington Banks to South Kensington station.

I think Mercantile Parade should be extended south-east to Childers Road, so that there is a straight pedestrian route between the station and the nice and dense Kensington Banks area.

I also think having the JJ Holland park right next to Sth Kensington station is less than ideal, and there should be some more medium-high rise residential with maybe a small retail strip fronting Childers Road facing the station, to encourage a bit of mixed-use activity near the station.

You think sports ovals and parks should have high rises built on them?

This is the mistake they made in London.

I think there needs to be better access from adjacent areas such as Kensington Banks to South Kensington station.

I think Mercantile Parade should be extended south-east to Childers Road, so that there is a straight pedestrian route between the station and the nice and dense Kensington Banks area.

I also think having the JJ Holland park right next to Sth Kensington station is less than ideal, and there should be some more medium-high rise residential with maybe a small retail strip fronting Childers Road facing the station, to encourage a bit of mixed-use activity near the station.

You think sports ovals and parks should have high rises built on them?

This is the mistake they made in London.

I didn't say sports ovals and parks should have high rises built on them, but that South Kensington station could benefit from a bit of extra patronage generated by using some of J J Holland park along Childers St for a small retail strip and some medium or high rise.

It's not possible anyway as Via City Loop pointed out because the area is subject to an Inundation overlay.

I know the reason the Sydenham trains in off-peak don't stop  at SKN while Werribee trains do stop there

Sydenham trains never stop there, peak or off peak.

Mr Lane, I do know that. You have only quoted part of what I said. The main reason, in off-peak, that the Sydenham's don't stop there while the Werribee's do (even though the Werribee is a much longer line) is because the station is located on the southern, or Werribee/Williamstown, tracks. The other reason is of course because the patronage doesn't warrant any better a service.

There is small amount of vacant land (fenced off currently) on the same side of the street as the station to the right of the big roller door. Although it is quiet small, it could possibly be used for 2 or 3 shops or some small high-rise development.

I know the reason the Sydenham trains in off-peak don't stop  at SKN while Werribee trains do stop there

Sydenham trains never stop there, peak or off peak.

Mr Lane, I do know that. You have only quoted part of what I said. The main reason, in off-peak, that the Sydenham's don't stop there while the Werribee's do (even though the Werribee is a much longer line) is because the station is located on the southern, or Werribee/Williamstown, tracks. The other reason is of course because the patronage doesn't warrant any better a service.

never say never..
lol i just remember a few weeks ago, was on a train home (sydenham) we've left north melbourne, and it was sometime after the flyover we were thrown left (we were going reasonably fast) next thing i know, the train has pulled in and stopped and released the doors at South ken. after a normal wait time we leave and get thrown back onto the Sydenham line.

weird and stupid cause the pid was saying that the next station is footscray.

ye, I have seen Sydenham's stop at SKN twice. The first time was once when I was waiting at FSS for a Broady to take me to North Melb to change for the Upfield bus. This was when the Upfield & Werribee weren't running from the city after around 9pm (I think that time is right). Of course, if the Werribee wasn't running, SOMETHING had to stop at SKN, and that something was of course the Sydenham line.......

The other time was really, really bizarre. I was down on FSS platform 5 waiting for the 16.01 DOWN Upfield, and it was about 15.50. I look over at the train in platform 4, and it was the 15.34 Sydenham, which was kind of wierd because the 15.54 was sitting in platform 5. Anyhow, I looked at the PID screens, and the stopping pattern was, skipping the loop altogether: (and I'm really not joking here!) express through Spencer Street to North Melb, then stopping at Sth Kensington, express through Footscray (!) to Middle Footscray, then all stations to Sydenham. Whether the train end up actually doing that, I don't know, as I didn't catch it. But still, it was strange.....

There is no such train on the Sydenwaterhamgardens line, PSR or Non-PSR. Those monitors stuff up a lot.

If they do spend any money on SKN station, I would like to see the hedge on the Down platform removed or cut shorter so I can see into the freight yard a bit better.  I have seen some interesting shunters working in there and some Vline Ns with carriages parked awaiting jobs.  

There is small amount of vacant land (fenced off currently) on the same side of the street as the station to the right of the big roller door. Although it is quiet small, it could possibly be used for 2 or 3 shops or some small high-rise development.

IIRC there are large powerlines over that little strip.

They can be relocated if the $$ is there.

I have never seen those types of powerlines relocated, I would think it would take alot of $$$ of motivation to do this.

If they do spend any money on SKN station, I would like to see the hedge on the Down platform removed or cut shorter so I can see into the freight yard a bit better.  I have seen some interesting shunters working in there and some Vline Ns with carriages parked awaiting jobs.  

And the orange and black CLP's as well   (IIRC belonging to ARG)

8 years since this thread was started. A lot has changed since. Thought I'll revive this for those who might be interested.

What has changed?

1. Paved pedestrian path and car park spaces along Childers St
2. Bike lanes carved out from road along Childers St, only to be reconfigured recently to be placed on pedestrian path (I guess this was the safer option afterall since cars backing out could hit cyclists)
3. Lots of redevelopment projects in JJ Holland park, including a new sports centre (still work in progress after delayed construction last year)
4. Myki has come, and metcard has gone
5. Population explosion: the latest census has this suburb at close to 10,000. Those of you who use the station knows just how crowded it can get during rush hours

What has not?
1. South Kensington station remains one of the worse metro stations in melbourne (voted one of the worse in 2010: http://pt4me2.blogspot.com.au/2010/03/and-worst-station-in-melbourne-is.html)
2. None of the proposed spaces around the station has been redeveloped. No commercial use. Station remains unstaffed, dark, and unsafe at night
3. Ramp to platforms remain too steep for wheelchair access
4. Old and narrow platforms still unsafe for users

Metro Melbourne and its implications for SKN and surroundings:
1. With the MM project gradually becoming a reality (or not, if Napthine government has it), the original proposal of having the tunnel east of SKN has now been shafted, and the new tunnel will now start west of SKN and cut through some of JJ Holland. This means that (i) Some parts of JJ Holland will be gone and users of the oval will not be happy, and (ii) MM will bypass SKN completely which means we get to suffer from less park space and lots of construction (air and noise) for a few years but don't get to use MM.

It is time for some collective action.

Melbourne Metro wouldn't serve South Kensington under either option as the Sunbury line (which does not service SKN) is planned to run via the new tunnel.

South Kensington now seems to be a popular station for those people that count the number of passengers on a train (or whatever that job title is).

With the MM project gradually becoming a reality (or not, if Napthine government has it), the original proposal of having the tunnel east of SKN has now been shafted...

*crickets chirping in otherwise dead silence*

Digging up an 8 year old thread is not only not necessery, but damn right annoying.