Tract Consultants

As part of Deakin University’s Women in Design & Construction Program, we recently teamed up with Built. to engage three female high school students to design artificial habitat structures to be featured at the Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre future Garden for Wildlife temporary display garden, which aims to support unique and special plant and animal species native to Victoria through its promotion of ‘Wildlife Gardening’ practices. The students were tasked with designing habitat & nesting structures for either the Gang Gang Cockatoo or the Spotted Pardalote and paid careful consideration to disassembly in their design and construction processes.   The Women in Design & Construction Program is designed for Year 9 and 10 students, to inspire young women to explore careers in design (architecture) and construction.   We look forward to seeing the nesting boxes throughout the Gardens for Wildlife display garden providing habitat opportunities for these threatened and endangered species. 

As 2024 draws to a close, we reflect on a year marked by innovation and inquiry. We take pride in our collective efforts as planners and designers to challenge the brief and celebrate our advocacy - alongside our clients, peers and collaborators - to strive for sustainable, equitable and meaningful outcomes that make a positive contribution to the environment and the communities they support. While this year we were saddened at the loss of three members of the Tract family, it has offered us a time to come together, to acknowledge the dedication and humility they each brought to their work, the depth of talent we are privileged to have worked alongside, and the profound legacy they leave behind. Our passionate belief in shaping places for the better has never been more resolute, against the backdrop of both enormous challenges and opportunity. With collaboration at the heart of our approach, we thank everyone that has played a part in Tract’s journey over the past year, and look forward to continuing to create projects and places with impact together in 2025. We wish you a safe and restorative festive season. 

We were proud to sponsor this year's UDIA Annual Geelong Summit and support an ongoing conversation about opportunities for the Geelong region, including an important panel discussion moderated by Nick Clements, Senior Principal Town Planner at Tract and Chair of the of the UDIA VIC Geelong Chapter. Thanks to UDIA Victoria for continuing to host events that bring industry together - we look forward to more in 2025. 

Morris Moor has been recognised with an Urban Renewal Award at the 2024 UDIA Awards. We congratulate and celebrate with ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects, Up Property, Morris Moor and the entire project team on this achievement. What was once a collection of seven disused industrial buildings, has been transformed into a vibrant community hub in the heart of Moorabbin, blending commercial and industrial spaces. “Clarke Hopkins Clarke for Morris Moor by Up Property is an excellent example of urban renewal through an innovative approach to reuse and retain historic mid-century buildings with great industrial character. Close collaboration between builder and designers and creative problem-solving overcame the endless surprises associated with adaptive reuse, and while challenging, repurposing rather than demolishing buildings minimises embodied carbon, reduces operational carbon and construction waste, and expediates construction. Beyond bricks and mortar, the overhaul of the site’s masterplan put sustainable design and social interaction at the project’s core. Morris Moor has successfully delivered on its goal of creating a desirable, socially responsible, sustainable development that benefits the community. Its focus on supporting local businesses and organisations has fostered community and improved social and economic outcomes for the entire neighbourhood and beyond.” - UDIA Victoria Our landscape and planning teams, in collaboration with the wider project team, were instrumental in developing the vision and facilitating the re-imaging of this public place that offers diversity of experience, rewards individual discovery and nurtures new employment and creative opportunities. 📸: Robyn Oliver

As part of Geelong Design Week for 2024, Simon Loader and Nick Clements, Senior Principal Town Planners at Tract, had the pleasure of joining Tony Costa and the team from Scaada Environmental & Sustainability to dive deep into the challenge surrounding water sustainability. A fantastic session facilitated by the Geelong Design Leaders Forum.

We are pleased to have been invited to Geelong Design Week 2024 to present at the City of Greater Geelong Environment and Natural Resources team’s sold-out event, ‘Design for Nature – Rewild our urban public spaces.’   Dr Sarah Bekessy, Professor of Sustainability and Urban Planning at RMIT University, delivered passionate, practical, research-based ideas and examples of designing for nature and biodiversity in our cities, and why this is critical.   The new City of Greater Geelong Nature Strip Guidelines were soft launched for trial by Pete Mercouriou, Senior Sustainability Officer, generating some great audience engagement.   Melinda Blunt, Senior Principal Landscape Architect at Tract, wrapped up the session, presenting the design for the future Gardens for Wildlife Display Garden at the Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre.  

The Point has been recognised with a Residential Subdivision Award at the 2024 UDIA Awards. This landmark master planned community nestled in the heart of Point Lonsdale, on the stunning Bellarine Peninsula, is centred around a 2km length recirculating tidal waterway system which offers residents unrestricted water access and views, while protecting and enhancing the nearby Swan Bay, RAMSAR listed Lakers Cutting and Lake Victoria. The parks, waterway reserves and streetscapes have been designed to harmonise with and safeguard the area’s natural assets, featuring kerbless streets with “raingardens” which reflect the Point Lonsdale character as well as treating and filtrating urban runoff. “Dealing with environmental, engineering and community challenges, Moremac. worked hard to win over public negativity by turning talk into action and creating and delivering an exemplary development, and now more than 1500 people proudly call The Point home. The quality of the living environment and community being created at The Point will stand the test of time.” - UDIA Victoria Tract is proud to have been associated with this landmark project since 2015, taking part in seeing the masterplan vision for this unique residential community come to fruition. We congratulate Moremac. and the wider project team. 📸 Image 2: Moremac. #UDIAAWARDS2024 #awardwinning #UDIAVic #leadershipawards #leadership #Awards #awards2024

Make Room has been recognised with two awards at the 2024 UDIA Awards, having received the Affordable Housing and Judges Award. A huge congratulations to Unison Housing, the City of Melbourne and the wider project team. Tract is pleased to have provided the City of Melbourne and Unison Housing with pro-bono planning services which assisted in the delivery of their Make Room project – one small way we were able to support our community’s most vulnerable people. Make Room is an adaptive re-use project that transformed the council-owned building at 602 Little Bourke Street into specialist supportive housing for up to 50 residents. “This ambitious, adaptive, re-use project was delivered through a unique partnership between the City of Melbourne (COM), Unison Housing (Unison) and cohealth (Co), to address the needs of people experiencing primary homelessness in the City of Melbourne. The project is funded by the City of Melbourne, Victorian Government and philanthropic organisations and is at the forefront of affordable housing, demonstrating the potential of transforming commercial spaces into social housing. The judges believe that this groundbreaking solution should be implemented in every major city.” - UDIA Victoria 📸: Unison Housing, City of Melbourne #UDIAAWARDS2024 #awardwinning #UDIAVic #leadershipawards #leadership #Awards #awards2024

We are pleased to announce one of Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA)’s newest Fellows – Tara Graham-Cochrane, Principal Landscape Architect at Tract Adelaide. Tara's Fellowship is an incredible achievement which recognizes her long term service to AILA and the landscape architecture profession. Over the past 20 years, Tara has dedicated her time to helping others by volunteering for numerous AILA initiatives, panels and committees, and through her generous mentorship of the next generation. Continuing to help others outside of AILA, Tara's career has seen her specialize in the design of therapeutic landscapes for health care, aged care and education - an asset within our field and worthy of this wonderful recognition.   Congratulations, Tara!

Time is a magic ingredient for landscapes... and what a difference just a year can make. These before and after shots of award-winning Bell and Preston Stations, compiled by Level Crossing Removal Project, showcase a resilient, sustainable landscape. With high growth performance and low water usage, the benefits of drought-tolerant planting are on full display. In total, 148,000 plants, shrubs and grasses and over 700 trees were planted. It’s wonderful to watch these spaces come to life - improving connectivity to support the social fabric, mobility and biodiversity of our neighbourhoods. #Repost thanks to, Level Crossing Removal Project.   Wood Marsh Architecture KBR, Inc. John Holland Metro Trains Melbourne