Project Description

The Gipps Street Ramp Project was first initiated by Yarra City Council. Council undertook a feasibility study to improve access to the Main Yarra Trail in Abbotsford, where the trail was obstructed by a set of steps at Gipps Street. A number of options were considered over the years and then Parks Victoria took responsibility for delivering the project.

Jeremy Hearst from Project Insite was engaged by Parks Victoria as the Senior Project Manager to progress the project. The design solution required the State of Victoria to purchase land from an adjacent site owned by The Salvation Army. Jeremy was part of the working group with The Salvation Army and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning that facilitated the land sale.

As Senior Project Manager, Jeremy managed the design team to progress the design, in consultation with key stakeholders from Parks Victoria, the City of Yarra, local residents, Bicycle Network Victoria and Melbourne Water. Jeremy managed the complex town planning process and contractor procurement process. The project was completed and opened to the public in 2026.

The $15 million project upgraded the precinct, including removal of the existing steps at Gipps Street and their replacement with a 200m long ramp connecting Gipps Street to the Main Yarra Trail. The project included upgrades to the streetscape in Gipps Street and a substantial landscaping program to rehabilitate the embankment along the Yarra by removing existing contamination and planting more than 2,000 native plants.