Updated
Melbourne surfers could be riding 1.5 metre waves in the city under a proposal to construct a beach and wave pool at Dockland's Victoria Harbour.
Engineering firm Arup is leading the proposal after it was approached by a Melbourne architectural firm.
The proposed surf park would float off the end of Docklands Central Pier and include a deck, beach and grassy area.
Architect and surfer Damian Rogers started working on the concept five months ago and said it would be a great attraction for the city.
"Just to be able to hear the waves breaking and go for a surf - even if you're not a surfer, to be able to sit there and watch it," Mr Rogers said.
"The wave can be died down for multiple different user groups.
"It would just be a great place to be. Yet another great place for people in Melbourne to go."
The wave pool would cost more than $8 million, be heated all year round and use filtered salt water from the harbour.
Surfing Victoria chief executive officer Max Wells said it would suit surfers of all abilities.
"The concepts that I've been shown show that they can dial the wave up head height which is something that an advanced or intermediate surfer can surf," Mr Wells said.
"Then [they can] dial it down for the average Joe Blow like myself and then dial it down a bit further, so they can do learn to surf."
The City of Melbourne has issued a statement about the proposal after being approached by Arup.
"The City of Melbourne has not committed any support for this project and has only been approached informally to be advised of this private sector initiative," the statement said.
"Our feedback to Arup was that it was an interesting concept, if private funding were available for the infrastructure."
Topics: surfing, architecture, urban-development-and-planning, docklands-3008, vic, melbourne-3000
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