Andrew Sibley Our Lady of the Park '95
Royal Park Protection Group
News Bulletin – June 2003
THE LONG BATTLE CONTINUES OVER ROYAL PARK "GAMES VILLAGE"
Action Update on Games Village for May and June 2003
As members know, we see the "Games Village" project in Royal Park as one of the biggest real estate scams ever to surface in Victoria, plus a monumental environmental disaster waiting to happen. Below is an update on action over the last two months.
Games Act Passes Parliament: The Commonwealth Games Arrangements (Amendment) Act 2003 has legalised the Bracks Government’s land grab in Royal Park. The Bill passed the Lower House of State Parliament on 10 April 2003 and the Upper House on 6 May 2003. Both Liberals and Nationals opposed the Bill, whose rationale was to "facilitate" the location and the construction of the Games Village on the Royal Park Hospital site. In reality, it gives the go ahead to a private real estate development. The legislation applies both before and after the 2006 Games. It gives the developers - the "Village Park Consortium" (Australand and the Citta Property Group) immunity from environment, heritage and planning controls until 2011 to complete the huge 1,000-unit development. According to the developer, this is to allow a "staged development" to "maximize profits". The Minister has referred to the proposed development as a "new suburb".
Hearings by the Commonwealth Games Planning Advisory Committee (Games Village): Minister Madden’s Planning Advisory Committee (PAC) conducted hearings from 16 May through to 13 June 2003 on plans for the Royal Park "Games Village", that is, The Village Park Consortium’s private real estate development. RPPG members attended this four-week marathon, during which the legal teams of the developer, Major Projects Victoria and the City of Melbourne made extensive submissions each lasting many days. RPPG made a three-part submission on Tuesday 27 May 2003, then a final comment on 13 June 2003. (See our website http://www.royalparkprotect.org.au/ for our submission and photos).
In a surprise move, the City of Melbourne proposed on the final day a joint meeting with the developer, the Government (Major Projects Victoria) and the City of Moreland to try to reach agreement on development plans. A majority of Melbourne Councillors voted at a Planning Committee meeting on Thursday night 12 June 2003 to approve the hastily cobbled up "revised plan". If implemented, this plan would spell the destruction of the heritage Royal Park Hospital buildings and their landscape surrounds as the precinct would be completely built in by the wall-to-wall unit development. Whatever recommendations these four parties make, it is still up to the PAC to make the final recommendations to the Minister who may, or may not, accept them. RPPG concludes that the PAC has spent nearly four weeks on refining the plans for a private real estate subdivision. Little time has been devoted to the question of the construction, the plans and the operation of the Village for the Games, although the PAC was purportedly meeting for this purpose. The Committee is due to report to Minister Madden by 30 June 2003. But will the Minister ever release the report?
OTHER GAMES NEWS
Legal Challenge to the Jurisdiction of the Games Village Planning Advisory Committee? Initially the City of Melbourne queried the jurisdiction of the PAC, which was appointed under the original Commonwealth Games Arrangements Act 2001. As we understand it, the suggestion was made that the PAC might not have the authority to consider plans for the Games Village development after 2006. We also understand that the City of Melbourne does not propose to challenge the jurisdiction of the Planning Advisory Committee.
Government Reins in Power of Games Boss, Mr Ron Walker: Early in June, the Herald-Sun reported that the Bracks Government is to "rein in the power" of Melbourne 2006 (M2006) Commonwealth Games boss Ron Walker. M2006, a private organization responsible for oversighting our $1 billion Games, is to be turned into a statutory authority – an arm of Government - to make it "accountable" to the public. The Commonwealth Games Arrangements (Governance) Bill was introduced into the Lower House on 3 June 2003 but will not be debated until Parliament resumes on 26 August 2003.
The 1,000 Day "Count-Down" to Games Starts: Last Thursday 19 June 2003, Acting Premier Thwaites unveiled a digital clock in Federation Square to mark the start of the 1,000-day "count down" to the 2006 Games. Other clocks were unveiled at the MSAC in Melbourne and in Canberra.
Parliamentary Public Accounts and Estimates Committee Quizzes Minister Madden: Also on Thursday 19 June 2003, at a public hearing of the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee, Opposition MP’s criticised Minister Madden for the 10-month delays associated with construction of the Games venues and Village and about the blowout of the budget. Highlights of this session were shown on TV news.
Media: Members might be interested in following up recent print media coverage in May and June on our website. These include articles and letters to the Editor from the Age, the Herald Sun and the Australian. RPPG often comments on the 2006 Commonwealth Games on Radio 3 CR Programs; "Beyond The Barricades"(Save Albert Park program) at 6 pm on Mondays; on "City Limits" at 9 am Wednesdays; and on "Strike Back" (Trade Union program) at 8 am on Saturdays. RPPG made a donation to the 3CR Radiothon recently, for the great job done in giving community groups a voice. RPPG members have been commenting on radio talkback programs.
OTHER ROYAL PARK ISSUES
Remember Melbourne’s Tree Massacres
In Melbourne thousands of trees, veritable forests of trees, have been and will continue to be massacred in the name of sport and "development". Andrew Sibley’s lithograph "Our Lady of the Park" reproduced above commemorates 14 December 1994 - Chainsaw Tuesday – when 300 huge trees (the first of over 1, 000 to go) were chain-sawed in Albert Park in preparation for the Grand Prix. Royal Park lost 550 trees on 19 April 1999 - Axe Monday - when they were axed for the State Netball and Hockey Centre. Possibly up to 1,400 trees are to be felled starting in August this year (if not before) to make way for the so-called "Games Village" on the 20 hectares of the Royal Park site. Join our tree count and help stop more massacres of trees and destruction of wildlife. Andrew Sibley and Melbourne artists will soon hold an Art for Parks exhibition. Watch our Web!
Melbourne Council Alienates Royal Park with Development Projects
Melbourne Council staff members, with Councillor backing, have been circumventing the Royal Park Master Plan Implementation Advisory Committee, ignoring community objections and issuing planning permits for projects, which clearly alienate more parkland. Recently these include a barbeque installed on the hilltop in West Royal Park designed, apparently, to serve the State Netball and Hockey Centre patrons, not park users, and a playground in West Parkville, not included in the Master Plan, to cost $60, 000 for just 15 children.
WHAT’S ON?
Tree Count on Royal Park Hospital Site
This is proposed for Sunday 6 July with a 10 am start. Enter from Park Street and go to the centre of the site. We will meet in front of the eastern wing heritage building where we used to have our rallies. Urgent help is needed to check tree numbers on the site, which possibly have been underestimated. Please ring Julianne on 98184114 or 0408022408 to volunteer an hour or so.
Quote: Ron Walker, Games boss, said on 3AW radio on 19 June 2003 while discussing the problems of transporting 4,600 athletes to and from the 40 Games venues dispersed all over Melbourne: "That's why Parkville was chosen for the Village because it is within walking distance of all major facilities." Some walk from Parkville to the MCG and back in time for dinner!
