The Victoria Street Passport is the street’s pocket guide for summer 2026–27: a free A6 booklet in English and Vietnamese that sends customers along Victoria Street and into its shops, collecting a stamp at every featured business.

Backed by

Who it reaches

Where it goes

Reach

Ways to take part

How it works for your shop

How to book

WhatsApp Ha on 0475 833 595 or email hello@victoriastreet.org.au with your business name, a contact person and your offer.

Sample 

The need

Victoria Street needs one coordinated camera network from North Richmond Station (Hoddle St) to Church St, covering every side street and laneway.

• Arson: the July 2026 fire at 409–421 Victoria St destroyed about 10 businesses.
• Graffiti and amenity: VSBA has run clean-ups under the Multicultural Trader Grant, and graffiti keeps returning.
• Clean-up costs: Council has spent a large amount on clean-ups, and this money will run out.
• Traders: 200+ mostly small, multicultural businesses with no coordinated coverage of side streets and laneways. 
• Events: the Lunar New Year Festival (run by VSBA since 1994), Moon Lantern and the Clock Tower Market need crowd numbers and live safety monitoring.
• Data: the precinct has no reliable visitor counts for marketing, sponsors or grant reporting.

The proposal

A trader-owned network of AI 360° cameras at 15–20 corner sites plus key hotspots, coordinated and part-funded by traders through VSBA over 3 years.

• One camera per intersection, mounted on a corner shop, covering Victoria St and the side street.
• Hotspots: Lennox St, North Richmond Station, The Hive Shopping Centre, Clock Tower carpark, Abbots Yard Lane, Post Office Lane, the 409–421 site and rear laneways.
• Smart features: people counting, graffiti and loitering alerts, clear footage for Police.
• Built to grow: traders can add cameras later on the same system.

How it works

Traders own the cameras and footage; Police get the footage; VSBA gets the numbers and event-day safety view only.

Funding

VSBA will apply for grants, with traders contributing towards their own sites. Final costs will be set through installer quotes.

Safeguards

The network protects privacy and community trust.

• No facial recognition, number plate recognition or audio.
• Footage kept 30 days and released only to Victoria Police.
• No footage used in marketing or posted online.
• Clear signage across the precinct.

What we are asking for

VSBA will deliver the network with traders. We ask our partners to back it.

Contact: Victoria Street Business Association · hello@victoriastreet.org.au · victoriastreet.org.au

Summary

Victoria Street has one realistic chance left to turn around, and it is this one. If the Victoria Street Revitalisation Plan is not funded and delivered in full over the next two years, the conditions that make recovery possible will not line up again.

About one fifth of the street's shopfront floor space is empty. Colliers put shopfront floorspace vacancy at 22% in April 2026. VSBA's own count on 15 October 2026 found 35 vacant shops out of 215, with 11 advertised for lease that day. Traders have warned that once vacancy reaches the 30s, a strip is in serious trouble.

For the first time, every piece needed for recovery is on the table at once:

• A plan: Yarra City Council adopted the Victoria Street Revitalisation Plan on 11 August 2026, with implementation starting in 2026/27.
• A reason to invest: the State's Plan for Victoria targets 44,000 new homes in Yarra by 2051, and Victoria Street is an activity centre earmarked for change.
• A cultural moment: the Plan marks the 50th anniversary of Vietnamese migration to Australia with a public art project.
• A trader base still standing: 180 businesses are still trading, including family businesses.

Each of these is time-limited. Developers will build elsewhere if planning certainty does not arrive. Long-standing traders cannot carry losses indefinitely. The anniversary will pass. A plan that stalls in its first two years loses the trust of the people it depends on.

VSBA asks the Victorian Government and Yarra City Council to:

1. Fund the Plan in full and publish the budget, including the State advocacy items the Plan names.
2. Establish the State-led Victoria Street Precinct Revitalisation Board within 12 months, with traders at the table.
3. Deliver a visible safety and amenity lift in the first 12 months: lighting, CCTV, cleaning and a coordinated policing and outreach presence.
4. Start the vacant shop program now, with a public target to cut vacant shops on the street.
5. Publish the baseline measures and report quarterly, so everyone can see whether the Plan is working.

The street today

About one in five shopfronts on Victoria Street is empty, on both the Colliers and VSBA measures.

The VSBA count is lower because it counts every tenancy, including upstairs offices and each tenant inside The Hive. Several large sites are empty, including 66, 210–212, 306–308 and 513–519 Victoria Street, each between 400 m² and 800 m².

The street's character has thinned. In its peak years, from the late 1990s to the early 2000s, Victoria Street had around 30 Vietnamese restaurants. Today it still has a strong core of Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese and Korean food, grocers, butchers and bakeries. Colliers describes a retail offer geared to food, liquor and groceries, and notes a cluster of vacancies on the north side between Regent Street and Hoddle Street.

Traders name the same problems again and again:

• Safety and perception of safety, particularly around Victoria and Lennox streets.
• Graffiti, roller shutters and tired facades, which make the street look closed even when shops are open.
• Quiet evenings, with fewer reasons to visit after dark.
• Planning uncertainty and fragmented ownership, which hold back investment in the buildings themselves.

How we got here

Victoria Street has been planned for, consulted on and upgraded for more than a decade, and vacancy has still reached 22%. Past efforts improved parts of the street but were never large enough, joined up enough or sustained enough to change its direction.

Three lessons stand out:

1. Streetscape alone does not fill shops. New paving and seating were welcome, but they did not address safety, planning or the business mix.
2. Small, one-off funding does not change a 1.6 km strip. Short grants deliver short projects, and the gains fade when the money stops.
3. No single agency owned the outcome. Safety sits with Victoria Police and the State, planning with Council and the Minister, and health services with the State. Without one table where these meet, the street fell between them.

The 2015 Masterplan noted that "a significant number" of shops sat behind steel roller shutters from 5.30 pm to 9.30 am. More than ten years later, the Plan is still proposing a roller door removal trial.

Why now

Five conditions have lined up in 2026 that have never lined up before, and none of them will last.

The Plan also contains the ideas traders have asked for over many years:

• Safety: CPTED lighting, CCTV registration, syringe collection, graffiti removal and a coordinated crime prevention response.
• Business support: a Business Concierge, a planner for business permits, a facade program and a vacant shop program with incentives for long-term vacancies.
• Activity: outdoor dining trials in side streets, a pocket park at Jonas Street and a marketing strategy for the street.
• Culture: in-kind support for the Lunar New Year Festival and a place identity study.
• Governance: a State-led Precinct Revitalisation Board with Department Secretary-level representation.

The ideas are no longer the problem. Delivery, funding and the State's part are.

Why never, if not now

If this Plan stalls, Victoria Street does not stay where it is. It slides, and each step down makes the next recovery harder and more expensive.

Vacancy feeds on itself. Empty shops mean fewer visitors, which means less trade for the shops that remain. VSBA traders have warned that once vacancy reaches the 30s, a strip is "in a lot of trouble". At 22%, Victoria Street is closer to that line than to a healthy strip. We lost 10 shops in a fire bombing.

The street's identity is at risk. Victoria Street is Melbourne's best-known Vietnamese precinct, and many of the families who built it have moved to outer suburbs. If the remaining traders close, the cultural reason to visit goes with them. Rebuilding a cultural precinct from nothing is far harder than supporting one that still exists.

Investors will go elsewhere. The housing target will be met somewhere. If Victoria Street cannot offer planning certainty, consolidated sites and a safe ground floor, development will go to other activity centres. The chance to bring thousands of new residents, and their spending, to the street will pass.

Trust will run out. Traders, residents and property owners have taken part in consultations since at least 2015. Another plan that is adopted but not delivered will make the next one much harder to support. With current tax increases and cost of living pressures, our traders may not survive in the next two years.

What must happen

VSBA asks for the Plan to be delivered in full, on time and with the State as a full partner. Each ask below has an owner and a deadline so progress can be checked.

Victorian Government

Yarra City Council

What VSBA will do

• Share the VSBA trader database (215 shops, updated October 2026) to build the vacancy baseline and track change.
• Connect landlords of vacant shops with the vacant shop program.
• Deliver the Lunar Festival, the Moon Lantern Festival and the Clocktower Community Market as regular reasons to visit.
• Take part in the Revitalisation Board and the Council working group.
• Report back to traders every quarter in English and Vietnamese.

Measuring success

The Plan will be judged at its two-year review, around 2028. VSBA proposes these public targets so that everyone knows what success looks like.

If the targets are missed at the two-year review, the Board and Council should reset funding and actions rather than wait for the end of the Plan.

Sources and data notes

• Victoria Street Revitalisation Plan – Your Say Yarra: consultation dates and adoption on 11 August 2026.
• Draft Victoria Street Revitalisation Plan, May 2026: priorities, actions and State advocacy items. The Plan was adopted with amendments, so check details against the final version.
• Colliers, Victoria Street Revitalisation Plan – Context Analysis Report, April 2026: 22% shopfront floorspace vacancy.
• ABC News, 2 January 2026: 22.4% vacancy, 2025/26 funding, trader and Mayor comments.
• Victoria Street Streetscape Masterplan, adopted 15 September 2015.
• Victoria Street consultation, 2017.
• Economic development in North Richmond.
• Yarra City Council – Victoria Street: Council's annual ground-floor vacancy audit.

VSBA data: The VSBA trader database counted 215 shop records on Victoria Street on 15 October 2026, including upstairs offices and each tenant of The Hive. It shows 180 trading and 35 vacant. 27 businesses recorded as closed have no street address and are not counted. Proposed targets and deadlines in this paper are VSBA proposals, not commitments by Council or the State.

At its meeting on Tuesday 11 August 2026, Council adopted the Victoria Street Revitalisation Plan. It runs for four years and covers safety, cleanliness, vacant shops, greening and the street's multicultural identity.

More than 580 people took part in the consultation between 14 May and 7 June. Two things stood out. Safety was the one issue almost everyone agreed on. And the in person conversations, which reached more traders and more Vietnamese community members than the online survey did, put more weight on food, identity and greening.

Year one commitments include visible safety improvements at Lennox Square by February 2027, amenity and safety works in Butler Park, an Identity Study, a trial roller door removal program, and advocacy to the State Government.

VSBA supports the Plan. Our job now is to hold the dates. Adopting a plan and delivering it are different things, and Council heard clearly during consultation that trust depends on follow through. We will report to traders on what actually gets delivered, and we will keep pushing the State Government items, particularly safety infrastructure and support for the businesses affected by the July fire.

If something in the Plan affects your shop, or you want to know what year one means for your block, 

contact us on 0475 833 595 or hello@victoriastreet.org.au

19 February

For many years, Victoria Street Richmond faced significant challenges. Despite its rich multicultural heritage, renowned food culture and strategic location close to Melbourne's CBD, the precinct struggled with public safety concerns, declining confidence, vacant shops and fragmented responses from different levels of government.

Today, Victoria Street is demonstrating that decline is not inevitable. Through collaboration between traders, community organisations, the City of Yarra, the Victorian Government and Victoria Police, the precinct is beginning a new chapter focused on safety, investment and revitalisation.

Safety First

One of the most important lessons from Victoria Street's experience is that safety is the foundation of economic recovery.

Improved police visibility, targeted enforcement, better lighting, CCTV investment and stronger coordination between agencies have helped improve confidence for traders, residents and visitors. When people feel safe, they are more likely to visit, shop, dine and spend time in the precinct.

Investing in Place

Revitalisation is about more than addressing challenges. It is also about creating reasons for people to return.

Recent and proposed improvements include streetscape upgrades, greening projects, public space improvements, better pedestrian connections, community facilities and support for new investment. These initiatives help reinforce Victoria Street as a destination for dining, shopping, culture and community life.

Bringing People Back

Events, festivals and community activations have played a critical role in rebuilding foot traffic and strengthening local identity.

From the Lunar Festival and Moon Lantern Festival to trader promotions, cultural events and community projects, Victoria Street continues to celebrate the multicultural character that has made it one of Melbourne's most unique shopping and dining precincts.

Strong Leadership Matters

Successful revitalisation requires clear leadership and ongoing collaboration.

The Victoria Street Business Association continues to work with traders, residents, Council, government agencies and community partners to advocate for practical solutions that improve safety, support businesses and enhance the visitor experience.

Looking Ahead

Victoria Street's experience shows that recovery happens when safety, investment, activation and leadership work together.

The precinct is far from finished, but positive progress is being made. With continued collaboration and commitment, Victoria Street can continue evolving into a safer, greener and more vibrant destination for residents, visitors and businesses alike.

As we look to the next fifty years, Victoria Street remains a powerful example of how multicultural communities, local businesses and government can work together to create lasting change.

The Victoria Street Business Association strongly supports the City of Yarra's Victoria Street Revitalisation Project and the long-term vision to strengthen one of Melbourne's most important multicultural precincts.

The revitalisation strategy recognises what traders, residents and visitors have known for years: Victoria Street has enormous potential. It is a culturally significant destination, home to generations of migrant-owned businesses, a thriving food culture and an important gateway between Richmond, Abbotsford and Melbourne's inner north.

We support Council's commitment to improving public spaces, encouraging investment, attracting visitors and creating a more vibrant and welcoming street.

However, revitalisation must be measured not only by plans and consultation, but by visible outcomes that people can see and feel.

Safety Must Be the First Priority

The business community consistently identifies safety and public amenity as the most significant barriers to growth and investment.

Customers need to feel safe visiting the precinct. Staff need to feel safe travelling to and from work. Traders need confidence to invest, extend trading hours and grow their businesses.

Without a visible improvement in safety, many of the benefits of revitalisation will be difficult to achieve.

This requires a coordinated response involving:

• Victoria Police
• City of Yarra
• Victorian Government
• Health and social service providers
• Local businesses and community organisations

A cleaner, safer and better-managed public environment will encourage visitation, support local businesses and build community confidence.

Supporting Local Business Growth

The Victoria Street revitalisation vision aligns closely with what local traders have been advocating for:

• More visitors and foot traffic
• Better public spaces and streetscapes
• Improved lighting and cleanliness
• Stronger support for multicultural businesses
• Events and cultural activations
• Investment attraction and business growth

Victoria Street businesses are already investing in the future of the precinct. What is needed now is ongoing support that helps traders succeed and encourages new businesses to establish themselves in the area.

A Precinct Worth Investing In

Victoria Street is not simply a shopping strip. It is one of Victoria's most recognised multicultural destinations and an important economic and cultural asset.

With the right support, Victoria Street can become:

• A leading multicultural dining destination
• A vibrant community and tourism precinct
• A place for new investment and jobs
• A welcoming gateway to Richmond and Abbotsford
• A model for main street revitalisation across Melbourne

Working Together

The Victoria Street Business Association is committed to working with the City of Yarra, Victorian Government, traders, residents and community partners to help deliver this vision.

We support the revitalisation project and welcome the investment already committed.

At the same time, we encourage all levels of government to continue prioritising safety, public amenity and visible improvements on the ground.

When people can see cleaner streets, safer public spaces, thriving businesses and more visitors, confidence returns.

Victoria Street's future is bright. Together we can ensure revitalisation delivers lasting benefits for businesses, residents, visitors and the broader community.

Together We Thrive.

12 November 2025

The Victoria Street Business Association Inc (VSBA) welcomes Council’s motion regarding the Medically Supervised Injecting Room and calls for stronger, coordinated action to restore safety, confidence and pride across Victoria Street and North Richmond.

Victoria Street traders recognise the importance of health and support services for vulnerable people. However, local businesses, residents and visitors continue to experience serious public safety and amenity issues, including open drug use, street dealing, theft, antisocial behaviour and people sleeping rough in highly visible public areas.

VSBA President Ha Nguyen said the community needs practical action that balances health responses with safety, business confidence and neighbourhood renewal.

“Our community deserves safety, pride and a real chance to revive Victoria Street,” Ms Nguyen said.

“The injecting room may support some people, but the wider street environment has become increasingly difficult for traders, residents and visitors. Safety must come first for everyone.”

VSBA said the revitalisation of Victoria Street cannot succeed without a coordinated response from Council, the Victorian Government, Victoria Police, health services and community organisations.

“We are all committed to reviving the street, but we cannot take one step forward and two steps back,” Ms Nguyen said.

“Investment in the precinct must be supported by visible safety measures, better outreach, cleaner streets and stronger accountability.”

VSBA is calling for a practical precinct response that includes:

• A visible, community-focused police presence to deter crime and antisocial behaviour
• Targeted support for vulnerable people, including outreach, housing pathways, treatment and mental health services
• Improved street cleaning, lighting, wayfinding and public maintenance
• Stronger trader and resident engagement
• Transparent reporting so the community can track progress and outcomes

Victoria Street traders remain proud of the precinct and optimistic about its future. With clear leadership and coordinated action, VSBA believes Victoria Street can once again be a safe, vibrant and respected main street for everyone who lives, works, visits and invests in the area.