Meeting with Minister Guy

Greetings everybody and welcome to 2012.

The DCA Christmas Party held on December 7 at the Harbour Kitchen on Victoria Harbour was a great success, with a crowd full of cheer on a balmy summer’s evening.
Members are being kept informed of coming events in the area.  The new year’s eve fireworks were spectacular as usual. The crowd was well behaved. The number of police and security arrangements were well sourced.

Myself and two representatives from other areas met with Planning Minister Matthew Guy in his offices on December 14. I reiterated our community’s strong objection to MAB Corporation’s plan to erect a hotel in the Waterfront City Piazza, together with its plans for extra tall buildings and with no extra traffic management.  Mr Guy referred to MAB’s plan to put a park at the rear of the proposed hotel. Hopefully he was just being rhetorical, but it would be annoying if he had been “taken in” by MAB’s proposed “park” which we had already advised was a sham, as it would be a small overshadowed strip with traffic lanes on both sides to the hotel, with water views blocked. I repeated this. 

The City of Melbourne is siding with us and has sent written objections to the department, which I referred to in the meeting. Councils get overridden, but the fact that it is the City of Melbourne may carry more weight. Developers have done what they like in Docklands. The community’s profile has been raised and we have to continue to fight for what’s left. The Minister gave no indication of a decision at the meeting, which was to be expected.

Council has released plans for future open space in the municipality including Docklands.  This has been forwarded to DCA members. Feedback is encouraged.  A link is available for readers on http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/openspace. The plans as per the maps do not provide anysignificant land-based open space in Docklands which is not surprising, since there is not much left. The same applies to other areas of the city with no new major parks/gardens planned. It says a lot but delivers little.

Apart from token strips, the largest space shown is the known patch off the end of Docklands Drive at the Bolte Bridge which may be allocated to the Melbourne Football Club.  The sizes of the blue and orange circles (on their maps) are exaggerated.  

Some salvation could lie in the redevelopment of Harbour Esplanade between the newly located tram tracks and the water. This is a fairly large area. We will be following up for concept plans which so far have not been forthcoming from the council or Places Victoria. This area should become a walking esplanade with lawn, paths and trees.  We will oppose any plan to put buildings on it.

Their maps do show another blue circle for open space provision in the proposed redevelopment of the railyards known as E-Gate on the other side of Footscray Rd and at its northern end.  This is not close for Docklands and the size again is dubious. The nearest major gardens for us will continue to be Flagstaff.

It is disappointing to say the least that whist extolling the virtues of open space “within easy walking distance”, the plans provide very little.

The chair of Places Victoria (formerly VicUrban), former city councillor Peter Clarke, has stated a desire to liaise more closely with the DCA which is welcome. We hope that this will result in us gaining more facilities and redress for the community, including open space, recreation and other facilities, improved traffic management and more control over developers.

If any reader would like to become a member of the DCA or has any
suggestions they wish to put forward regarding activities or issues, they
are welcome to contact us on [email protected].    If
you would like to talk to me about any aspect you are welcome to call me on
0412 097 706.  You can also keep up with things on our website http://www.docklandscommunityassociation.com

Great to be in touch again.

Sincerely
Roger Gardner
President DCA