Lord Mayor calls to end Racecourse Rd “complexitron” as council backs strategic update

Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece has called for Racecourse Rd to be brought under the control of a single council, arguing that the current split between the City of Melbourne and the City of Moonee Valley has created an unnecessary “complexitron” that is holding back one of the city’s most important corridors.

The comments were made at the February 3 Future Melbourne Committee meeting, the first of 2026, during debate on a report updating progress on the Racecourse Road Strategic Improvements Plan. Councillors voted unanimously to note and support the update, which outlines advocacy efforts, early works and next steps for the busy arterial running through Kensington and Flemington.

Racecourse Rd carries more than 30,000 vehicles a day, functions as a key tram and freight route, and serves as a long and diverse high street. According to the update, the road’s future depends heavily on coordination between local councils and the Victorian Government, particularly the Department of Transport and Planning.

Moving the motion, Cr Reece described Racecourse Rd as sitting “at the intersection of state infrastructure and local community life”, with competing demands that make reform difficult but essential.

“It carries 30,000 cars a day. It’s a busy tram line. It’s a long and busy high street. It has parks. It has a brilliant bowls club. It’s got everything,” he said.

The council’s long-term vision is to transform Racecourse Rd from a traffic-dominated corridor into a greener, more people-focused street that supports walking, cycling, public transport and local business. The update confirms that both councils have been working together to advocate for state-led changes that sit outside local control, including accessible tram stops, speed limit reductions and safer cycling infrastructure.

A key breakthrough outlined in the report is the Department of Transport and Planning’s agreement to undertake a formal “movement and place” assessment of Racecourse Rd following the opening of the West Gate Tunnel. Council officers say this assessment is critical to rebalancing the road’s transport function with its role as a neighbourhood high street.

The update also details imminent changes linked to the rollout of Melbourne’s new G-class trams on Route 57. Tram stop modifications are expected by March 2026, although the report notes these stops will not yet be fully accessible. Proposed speed limit reductions to 40km/h and 50km/h along different sections of the corridor are also targeted for implementation by the same date.

While welcoming progress, Cr Reece warned that governance complexity continued to slow outcomes, pointing directly to the municipal boundary that runs down the middle of Racecourse Rd in several sections.

“I do wonder if the community is best served by having the boundary go right down the middle of the road,” he said. 

He argued that a single-council model could reduce “buck passing” and clarify responsibility for improvements, allowing Racecourse Rd to reach its potential as one of Melbourne’s great high streets.

Cr Davydd Griffiths, who seconded the motion, supported the Lord Mayor’s call and highlighted the scale of behind-the-scenes advocacy already undertaken.

“The Department of Transport and Planning has agreed to undertake a movement and place assessment of Racecourse Rd, and that really is going to be an important step,” he said, describing the corridor as “another complexitron in Kensington”.

The update also lists smaller-scale works already delivered or planned, including recent footpath renewals, minor lighting upgrades, new seating locations, and the planting of 16 new trees across 2025–26, all funded within existing council budgets.

While councillors acknowledged that many of the most transformative changes remain dependent on state government investment, the unanimous vote signals a clear political push to keep pressure on.

As Cr Reece concluded, Racecourse Rd “could be one of the best high streets in Melbourne”, but only if structural complexity is addressed and long-promised improvements are finally delivered.