Advocacy plan sets vision to make Melbourne “a city of possibility”

The City of Melbourne has endorsed its Advocacy and Partnership Plan 2024-25, which aims to build a more liveable city, attract investment, and improve the overall quality of life for residents and businesses.

The plan outlines the city’s priorities and goals including delivering facilities, open space and infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing and diverse community, as well as advocating to all levels of government to create opportunities to revitalise the Moonee Ponds Creek.

One measure will also to be amend the Melbourne Planning Scheme and set a vision for how the council guides strategic growth and change across the city for the next 10 to 20 years.

“We will act immediately to mitigate the impacts of climate change and promote sustainable development and design excellence,” the advocacy report stated.

“There will be a focus on reducing inequality and ensuring everyone feels safe and able to participate in city life. We will encourage housing diversity and the delivery of affordable housing with high standards of amenity.”

As part of its future investments, priority outcomes include extending the rail network to provide high-frequency public transport connections between Arden, Fishermans Bend and the CBD. 

The council will also seek to establish a ministerial advisory committee “to identify and overcome barriers to constructing approved developments in Melbourne’s central city”.

Speaking at the May 28 council meeting where the advocacy document was endorsed, the council’s planning chair Deputy Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece said the council had “great ambitions” to make Melbourne as “a city of possibility”.

“In our recent budget annual draft, we set out our plans for the delivery to make Melbourne unbelievable, prosperous and inclusive and resilient,” he said.

“We know that in order to be able to achieve those goals and those plans, we are not able to do it by ourselves. We cannot go it alone. We must collaborate between all levels of government, private sector and the community to help us get the job done. And the advocacy and partnership plan help pave the way for us to achieve that.”

Melbourne has a place for investment, putting our communities in the best position for investment and innovation, boosting employment opportunities and precinct connection.

At present, the City of Melbourne has approved 71 active permits for 90 buildings for new office accommodation as well as 17,000 residential dwellings.

Cr Jamal Hakim said, “it’s necessary for us to be able to capture some of our major advocacy positions and themes in a way so we can ensure we better advocating on behalf of our community – and this is just that”.

“There are other times when we advocacy to other levels of government and institutions is required because they have the power to make decisions. And ultimately, all what we need to or can do is actually speak up on behalf of our community,” he said.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said advocating to other levels of government in the interests of the community was an essential role of council.

“This document provides a way of organising focusing efforts across our organisation to really amplify and accelerate and ensure the effectiveness of our advocacy efforts,” she said. •