Spooner cartoon from Kenneth Davidson’s article “The real cost of our
Games” Age 2 December 2004
Royal Park Protection Group
News Bulletin – December 2004
Our news for the past year is covered in our Annual Report for 2004 (see attached), which was presented at our AGM on 2 December 2004. As guest speaker, Dr Bob Birrell of Monash University, spoke on the controversial subject of Melbourne 2030 before a packed audience of RPPG members and many interested community groups.
Other news events in December include the announcement in the Heritage Victoria Annual Report for 2004 that of 36 places included on the Victorian Heritage Register 6 were considered to be of "icon status". The former Royal Park Psychiatric Hospital in Parkville - site of the "Games Village" (aka "The Parkville Gardens" real estate development) was one of the 6 places considered to have "icon status". This special classification does not guarantee protection so we are continuing our campaign to try to halt further demolition and inappropriate development on the Heritage Precinct. Our barrister has been scrutinizing the Games Village contracts to see what action can be taken. We have, therefore, opened our second Fighting Fund appeal. (See below.)
Last July we heard the rumor that, owing to lack of space on the Parkville Village site, Games Association officials suggested that the Village expand into Royal Park. At our meeting with Games Minister Madden in late October we served notice on him that this would be entirely unacceptable and would be actively resisted. We also opposed car-parking on the Park. The Cabinet Games Sub-Committee has apparently now stated that owing to likely community dissent there are no plans to expand into the Park.
The debacle of the Games Village with criticisms of likely overcrowded accommodation has been hot news in December plus the perennial subject of the continuing blowout of the costs of the Games and the subsidies by the Victorian taxpayer. See above cartoon by Spooner.
Challenges for the New Year include forming a working relationship with new City of Melbourne Councillors to ensure that revegetation and the regenerating of the Park proceeds as before plus monitoring the Games Village.
TO ALL FRIENDS OF ROYAL PARK
SEASON'S GREETINGS AND BEST WISHES FOR A GREEN
NEW YEAR!
Cut along line
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URGENT CALL TO MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS
- WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP TO RAISE FUNDS FOR SAVE OUR ROYAL HOSPITAL
HERITAGE CAMPAIGN
Please donate even $10 so we can continue to take legal action to
ensure that the Government abides by the Heritage Council’s ruling and so saves
the former Royal Park Psychiatric Hospital from further demolition and
alterations. We particularly want to save the Mortuary-Pathology buildings for
an historic interpretive centre dedicated to leaders in Psychiatry who worked
at Parkville such as John Cade.
Name: Address:
Contact:
Phone: Email:
Donations: $10 $20 $50 Other:
MAKE CHEQUES OUT TO “ROYAL PARK PROTECTION GROUP FIGHTING FUND” AND SEND TO ROYAL PARK PROTECTION GROUP AT PO BOX 197 PARKVILLE 3052 BY MID JANUARY 2005.