MELBOURNE
Your City Of Melbourne magazine
February - March 2015
Lord Mayor’s Message
The City of Melbourne is embarking on a new era as we welcome our new CEO Ben Rimmer, who joins us on 9 February.
Ben has extensive professional experience in the public and private sectors, most recently as Associate Secretary at the Australian Government Department of Human Services.
Ben is widely acknowledged as one of the finest thinkers in public policy in Australia and, in his recent job, has been hands on in the practical business of delivering better government services, especially using new digital technologies.
I am confident that Ben will be a CEO of vision, intellect and hard work. He is an inspirational leader and we are delighted to welcome him home to Melbourne.
Ben’s appointment comes after we said goodbye to our admired and respected CEO, Dr Kathy Alexander, on 3 December 2014.
Over the past six years, Kathy made an enormous contribution to the City of Melbourne and provided a strong voice for our organisation.
As an excellent CEO with an impeccable record at the top level of a public sector organisation, Kathy oversaw many City of Melbourne milestones and achievements including the transformation of Swanston Street, our international award-winning climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, an expanded and improved network of bike paths, recognition as a world-leader in legitimate community engagement and world’s most liveable city status for four consecutive years.
Kathy’s vision and leadership made these initiatives and accolades possible. On behalf of myself, my fellow councillors, City of Melbourne staff and our many stakeholders, I thank Kathy for her service and wish her the best of luck with her future endeavours.
I would also like to thank Martin Cutter who did a fine job as Acting CEO while we recruited for the position.
The current Council is half way through its four-year term and is working hard to deliver on our visions and goals for this great city.
I look forward to this exciting time at the City of Melbourne and hope we continue this term in the way we have started.
Robert Doyle, Lord Mayor
Time to return to Royal Park
Royal Park just got a little leafier with the return of the old Royal Children’s Hospital site to parkland.
The new park is a haven for children and wildlife. Open lawns and grassy meadows provide space to run around, while the playground, cubby mound and sunken gullies provide the perfect springboard for children’s imaginations.
Shade trees and woodland planting throw a dappled shade over visitors at the new barbecue facilities. A picnic area, seating and water fountains round out the brand new amenities available in this state of the art park.
To strengthen the connection of the new space to the predominantly indigenous landscape of Royal Park and to highlight the significance of the area to the local Wurundjeri people, the landscape was designed with special planting inspired by the Wurundjeri seasons.
Each of the seasons is expressed with plant selections and landscape detail showing relationships between flora and fauna, seasonal change and cultural associations.
The concept encourages curiosity and discovery, while increasing awareness of Melbourne’s indigenous heritage and was designed in consultation with Wurundjeri elders.
Wurundjeri elder Bill Nicholson said: ‘It’s going to be a great part of Melbourne. It gives people a perspective on how the Wurundjeri people saw this country and our people’s knowledge of the seasons’.
‘For the Wurundjeri the seasons are about lifestyle: what were Wurundjeri doing, what was important to them, and how they saw their country and its connection to the seasons. One such season was the eel migration near today’s Easter time, which allowed for the large ceremonial gatherings on Wurundjeri country’.
Located at the corner of Flemington Road and Gatehouse Street in Parkville, work began on the new parkland following the demolition of the hospital buildings in 2012.
After five years of work, including extensive community consultation, design and construction phases, the new park is now almost complete. Following a short period of plant establishment, the park will be officially opened to the public in late February.
Councillor Arron Wood, Chair of the Environment Portfolio, said the Return to Royal Park project was a great example of sensitive landscape design and a great addition to adventure-based play for children and families.
‘The City of Melbourne and the Department of Health have worked in partnership on this project and it is a wonderful example of our commitment to providing high quality open spaces for residents and visitors alike’, he said.
For more information, visit www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/returntoroyalpark
Your say
Letter of the month
I received the December 2014/January 2015 issue of the excellent Melbourne magazine. With the many new developments, completed, under construction, and planned within the city, have there been any issues of the magazine devoted to these developments, and with a recent aerial photo of the city which includes a timeline of the developments? I have enjoyed reading the magazine for several years now, and I have not seen any aerial photo of the changes in Melbourne’s growth and development (the built environment) - in pictures! I think this would be a great benefit to both residents and non-residents who love this great city!
Richard C. Howard, Boston, USA
Editor: Keep an eye out for future editions to find out more about how Melbourne is growing, or check out the Places for People study, which explores how our city’s urban environment is changing, at melbourne.vic.gov.au/participate
Share your thoughts with us at
Labour Day holiday parking
I would like to attend the Moomba Parade on St Kilda Road. As Monday 9 March is the Labour Day public holiday, can I park in the city for free?
The best way to get into the city and see the Moomba Parade is by public transport. If you drive on Labour Day, remember that parking is free and unrestricted on public holidays where a parking sign panel states days of the week (1P meter, Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 7.30pm). However, if the sign does not state days of the week then the usual fees and time restrictions apply, regardless of the public holiday.
For more information, visit melbourne.vic.gov.au/parking
Participate Melbourne
Have your say online now at www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/participate
Clever concepts for University Square
Following community consultation in September 2014, an ideas plan has been developed for the transformation of University Square. The plan illustrates how the square could be made bigger, feature more trees, more garden space and more things to do. The plan also includes a stormwater capture and re-use system.
Great freight ideas for a busy city
A growing city will need more deliveries in order to fill shops and offices with the things people want and need. The City of Melbourne wants to talk to businesses and people across the central city to find ways to make deliveries efficient, keep costs down and improve the city environment.
Fitzroy Gardens flourish again
Widely recognised as one of Australia’s premier Victorian-era landscape gardens, with its network of tree-lined avenues, ornamental ponds, fountains and sculptures, the future of the Fitzroy Gardens looked precarious at the end of 2010.
But after much planning and four years of hard work, the gardens are now well prepared to withstand the effects of climate change and meet the needs of a growing population.
The Fitzroy Gardens master plan, first released as a discussion paper in 2010, sought to protect and enhance the unique attractions of the gardens so they could be enjoyed by generations to come.
A new stormwater harvesting system was installed at the southern end of the gardens on the site of the old maintenance depot. The system includes a four megalitre underground stormwater collection tank.
Water collected in the tank is cleaned through a bio-filtration reed bed and then stored in a separate one megalitre storage tank for re-use.
It is estimated a total of 69 megalitres of water will be provided annually through this system, which is equivalent to roughly 28 Olympic-size swimming pools.
Meanwhile, the old depot has been rebuilt on the western side of the depot site to make way for the new visitor centre and garden area. New lawns, pathways and plantings have also been added, to refresh and renew the gardens’ overall appearance.
Other major renewal works undertaken in the gardens since 2010 include a significant replanting of the mound, near the Dolphin Fountain, and planting more than 100 new trees in the northern section of the gardens.
Curious visitors will find information on the Fitzroy Gardens, the new stormwater harvesting facilities and other nearby gardens in the new visitor centre.
For more information, visit www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/parks
New visitor centre opens
As the expectations of modern visitors rise, so too must the services offered by popular destinations.
The new Fitzroy Gardens Visitor Centre has revitalised visitor information services at the eastern end of the city.
Interactive touch-screen displays, free Wi-Fi access and a social enterprise café run by KereKere Green are just some of the highlights on offer.
Operating since December last year, the centre is linked with Cooks’ Cottage, providing ticketing and merchandise sales. It also serves as a meeting point for a range of programs and walks in the Fitzroy Gardens and Cooks’ Cottage. The new centre complements the City of Melbourne’s existing network of visitor information services, all of which receive great support from a team of dedicated staff and volunteers.
For more information, visit www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/visitor
Better decisions for heritage buildings
As our city’s population grows we want to ensure the subsequent building growth is well designed and well managed.
The City of Melbourne has a long history of heritage conservation. We are proud of our historic streetscapes, residential neighbourhoods, parks and other public infrastructure.
To protect the city’s heritage over the next 15 years, as outlined in the Heritage Strategy 2013, we will review two heritage planning scheme policies, which are used to make decisions on planning permit applications (Melbourne Planning Scheme clauses 22.04 and 22.05).
New statements of significance will also be developed to help understand the important heritage qualities of the existing heritage precincts in the following suburbs:
· Carlton
· East Melbourne and Jolimont
· North and West Melbourne
· Parkville
· Southbank
· South Yarra
· Kensington
A statement of significance details the main heritage characteristics of each precinct and is important when making decisions about development proposals affecting a heritage place.
Planning Portfolio Chair Councillor Ken Ong said that as we harness the opportunities of our city’s growth, we also need to protect the things we value.
‘Melbourne is renowned for its heritage fabric and we will work with key partners in the community, the state government and heritage groups, to ensure our story continues to be well understood, celebrated and protected’, he said.
For more information, visit www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/participate
Queen Victoria Market: third phase
More than a year has passed since the renewal of the Queen Victoria Market was announced back in October 2013.
In that time we have talked with traders, residents, shoppers and community groups to better understand what’s important to them and what can be improved at the market.
Now the third and most important phase of community engagement will begin in March.
We want to hear your thoughts on a range of draft renewal concepts that will help us preserve the market’s heritage and atmosphere, while allowing the precinct to evolve.
Your feedback will ultimately help shape a master plan which is expected to be presented to Council for endorsement in June.
For more information, visit www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/participate
Lovely laneways and slick streetscapes
Before Melbourne’s laneways became famous for their cafe culture and street art, they were often dark places, full of rubbish bins and litter.
A few small changes – fewer bins, more cleaning, better lighting – opened up a whole new world for traders and visitors alike.
The City of Melbourne’s Love Your Laneway program continues to make improvements by working closely with laneway traders, owners and residents to discover and address issues.
Thirteen lanes have been part of the program since 2011. Key results have included a significant reduction in the number of bins and dumped rubbish, and cultural enhancements such as new wall murals and street signs – the distinctive AC/DC sign among them.
Laneway recycling levels have increased, resulting in less waste going to landfill, and a new compost recycling system, complete with worm bins, has also been installed (find out more on page 12).
Overall the program has seen an increase in building code compliance and promoted greater pride and respect for the lane from inhabitants and visitors. This year, Love Your Laneway is operating in AC/DC Lane, Stevenson Lane, Sniders Lane, Flinders Court, Rothsay Lane and Amphlett Lane.
In addition, several streetscape improvement programs are scheduled to take place this year, which will include things like new trees, drainage works, traffic management improvements, road resurfacing, footpath widening, and bluestone paving.
Street works to be undertaken in 2015 include:
· Lonsdale Street between Russell and Swanston streets
· Elizabeth Street between Little Bourke and Lonsdale streets and between Little La Trobe and La Trobe streets
· Spencer Street between Flinders Lane and Collins Street
Laneway works to be undertaken in 2015 include:
· Little La Trobe Street between Swanston and Elizabeth streets and Literature Lane
· Westwood Place
· Brights Place
· Healeys Lane
· Crombie Lane
For more information, visit www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/participate
Sharing is caring on our streets
Crowded footpaths, busy streets and hectic schedules can turn navigating the city into an obstacle course. To make walking, riding and driving in the city safer and more enjoyable, the City of Melbourne has launched the second phase of our road safety campaign, Share Our Streets. The campaign encourages road users to show courtesy and respect to fellow road users.
Roving street teams will be at busy locations across the city until April, to encourage all road users to be alert, cross on the green signal and to look out for each other in a bid to reduce collisions, car-doorings and injuries among pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and motorists.