Greater Shepparton City Council has commenced the Returning Our City to the River project.

The project will explore opportunities to better connect the Shepparton CBD, Goulburn River corridor and Victoria Park Lake, strengthening their role as the connected civic, economic and recreational heart of the city. It will identify ways to improve activation, accessibility, connectivity, tourism, recreation, place identity and economic development outcomes across these important city assets.

Council has engaged Tract Consultants, supported by Urban Enterprise, POMO, Emerge Associates and Local Logic Place, to undertake the project.

Background

The Shepparton CBD, Goulburn River corridor and Victoria Park Lake are some of Greater Shepparton's most important assets.

Together, they support community life, recreation, tourism, business activity and the unique identity of our city. While each plays an important role individually, there is a significant opportunity to strengthen the connections between them and create a more integrated, vibrant and experience-rich city centre.

This project will help establish a shared vision for how these places can work together into the future.

Project deliverables

The project will deliver three interconnected strategic outputs:

1. CBD Strategy Refresh: An activation-led refresh of the Shepparton CBD Strategy focused on use, place experience, identity and the future role of the city centre.
2. River and Lake Activation Strategy: A new strategy for the Goulburn River corridor and Victoria Park Lake, identifying opportunities to enhance activation, access and community use.
3. CBD–River–Lake Integration Framework: A framework that brings these elements together, helping the CBD, river and lake function as one connected city system.

What we will explore

The project will investigate opportunities to:

• Strengthen the role and identity of the Shepparton CBD
• Improve connections between the CBD, river and lake
• Enhance access and movement
• Support recreation, events and community experiences
• Create opportunities for tourism and economic development
• Strengthen place identity and visitor experiences
• Identify priority projects and future investment opportunities

For project updates and engagement opportunities, check this page regularly or contact Council's Economic Development Team at council@shepparton.vic.gov.au.