Bringing Victoria Street back to life
The voice
Is there a plan to bring Victoria Street back to life?
Arthur’s question gets to something bigger than one shopfront or one business.
The background
FactVictoria Street has enormous potential. Residents and traders want a street that feels active, welcoming and safe — a place where people want to eat, shop, meet friends, run a business and spend time with their families.
When shops sit empty, traders struggle, streets feel neglected or people stop visiting, the whole neighbourhood feels the impact.
Where it stands today
FactLast updated: 25 September 2026
Yarra Council adopted the Victoria Street Revitalisation Plan in August 2026. The plan is now moving into implementation, with Year One projects focused on safety, amenity, identity and business activity.
What remains unresolved?
What would it take to properly revitalise Victoria Street? Not with another announcement, and not with one short-term project — but with a coordinated plan involving the people who actually live, work and trade there.
A serious Victoria Street revitalisation plan should examine the street as a whole:
- Vacant shops and struggling businesses — what is stopping new businesses from opening and existing ones from surviving?
- Safety and street amenity — lighting, cleanliness, vandalism, antisocial behaviour and the way public spaces are managed.
- Transport and access — trams, parking, loading zones, cycling, pedestrian access and disability access all have to work together.
- The Vietnamese cultural identity of Victoria Street — preserving and strengthening what makes the precinct distinctive rather than allowing that identity to disappear.
- Events and night-time activity — bringing more people onto the street through food, culture, markets and community events.
- Planning and development — making sure future development contributes to the precinct instead of simply adding density without supporting infrastructure.
- Coordination between government, council, traders, police, residents and community organisations — because no single organisation can fix Victoria Street on its own.
Proposed response
Proposed responseBefore deciding what Victoria Street needs, the people of Victoria Street should be part of designing it. That means bringing residents, traders, property owners, the Vietnamese community, Yarra Council, Victoria Police, transport authorities and the relevant Victorian Government departments around the same table. Then identify:
- What are the immediate problems?
- What can be fixed quickly?
- What requires state funding?
- What requires council action?
- What should Victoria Street look like in five or ten years?
From that, a transparent Victoria Street Revitalisation Plan can be developed with clear projects, responsibilities, funding requirements and timelines.
Who can fix it?
State Government, Yarra Council, Victoria Police, traders and community
The outcome we are seeking
A Victoria Street where businesses want to open, existing traders can survive, residents feel comfortable using the street, visitors want to return, and its cultural character is protected and celebrated.
Progress tracker
Progress- Raised
- Investigating
- Action sought
- Action underway
- Resolved
- Done: Concern raised by a local resident
- Not yet: Traders, residents and authorities brought together
- Done: Victoria Street Revitalisation Plan published
Current status: Raised · Last updated: 25 September 2026
Sources and documents
- Yarra City Council — Victoria Street Revitalisation Plan
- Yarra City Council — Victoria Street Revitalisation Project
- Yarra City Council — Community Engagement / Consultation
- Victoria Street Revitalisation Plan — Background Reports
Have your say
- What would you change about Victoria Street?
- What is working?
- What is not?
- What is the first thing you think should be fixed?
Local problems are best understood by the people who experience them every day.
