Photo Janet Graham
Your Park - Going Going Gone - 2000 Trees Axed - Royal Park Hospital site
Park Protest Meeting 2 November 2003
Royal Park Protection Group
News Bulletin – November 2003
Keep Public Lands in Public Hands
Parks Protest Meeting: On 2 November 2003 the Royal Park Protection Group convened a public meeting at the gates of the Royal Park Hospital. We were protesting over the Bracks Government alienation of public open space and threats to heritage and parkland across Victoria for construction of high-rise, high-density development, car parks and sporting facilities. First Albert Park, then Royal Park, now Point Nepean, Kew Cottages and Burnley Gardens and many other parks are in the firing line. We were using the occasion to launch a coalition of "Protectors of Public Lands" to resist these land grabs.
The trigger for the meeting was the belief that construction proper on the Royal Park Hospital site would start in the first week of November for the so-called Games Village - in reality a massive property development. It has not yet started although we have seen the clearance of possibly 1,000 trees on the site over the past four months for removal of asbestos and other toxic materials. On 24 October one of the key heritage buildings was demolished with three more over the following days. This was despite the fact that the appeal to Heritage Victoria by the Royal Park Protection Group, the National Trust and the City of Melbourne to have the precinct included on the State Heritage Register has not yet been heard. (See over)
Kenneth Davidson, well-known Age writer, had travelled from Canberra to attend as key speaker. The Hon Gordon Rich-Phillips MLC, Opposition spokesperson on Sport and Commonwealth Games also spoke
A broad range of groups attended the RPPG protest and expressed support for inclusion in the Coalition of Protectors of Public Lands. These were Birds Australia, Friends of Footscray Pool, Friends of Peters Reserve (Northcote), Friends of the Earth (FOE), Greens Australia, Kew Cottages Coalition, Nunawading Park and Wildlife Action Group, Save Albert Park, Save Our Suburbs, R.A.I.D.Brunswick, Victorian National Parks Association and Westernport and Peninsula Protection Council.
Formation of Protectors of Public Lands (Victoria): Inspired by the NSW movement Protectors of Public Lands (PPL), which saved Callan Park (the Sydney equivalent of the Royal Park Psychiatric Hospital), RPPG took advantage of the occasion to launch the new coalition. A resolution, which was carried unanimously, commenced with the following preamble: "Significant public lands do not belong to the Government of the day, they belong to the people. Governments must keep these sites in public ownership and control for present and future generations. Governments must also properly protect, conserve and manage these sites." The following aims and principles were adopted as follows: "We would seek PPL principles and policies to be embodied in legislation to: stop the sale of significant public lands to private developers; properly and independently assess the significance of public lands; require assessments to be placed upon State and Commonwealth Registers; preserve, protect and manage significant public land sites in public ownership; establish proper and genuine processes for consulting with the community; and recognise and respect the rights of indigenous communities to their own lands."
Join PPL Victoria: Groups are urged to join the Coalition to help us form another pressure group to try to stem the tidal wave of "development" washing over our parks. Forms are on our website at www.royalparkprotect.org.au See also website of NSW PPL www.nsw.nationaltrust.org.au/ppl.html
MORE HOT-OFF-THE-PRESS NEWS
Friday 24 October 03 - Demolition Day at Royal Park Hospital
On Monday 20 October Games Minister Madden met a Royal Park Protection Group delegation at Coburg Town Hall as part of the "Cabinet comes to the Community". He acknowledged that he knew that RPPG plus the National Trust and the City of Melbourne had mounted an appeal to Heritage Victoria to have the Royal Park Hospital heritage precinct included on the State Heritage Register and appeared to agree to a meeting with RPPG on the site. Yet that very day the Minister had signed the authorisation for the demolition of four buildings on the Royal Park Hospital heritage precinct. He failed to mention his demolition plans when the future of the heritage buildings was discussed. This reveals the "community consultation" as a complete sham.
Late on Friday afternoon 24 October the bulldozers moved in and demolished the key pivotal building of the complex, the Administrative building, which contained the offices and laboratory of Dr John Cade, who discovered the therapeutic use of lithium in the treatment of bi-polar disorder (known as manic depression). No thought of saving reminders of one of our most famous Australians. Three more buildings were demolished over the next few days. Channels 7 and 9 had good coverage of the demolitions on Saturday 25 October and Channel 10 had a feature on Cup Day (4 November). The Yarra Leader and Melbourne Leader carried feature articles on the demolitions. See our website for our photos and for media articles. ABC Radio news covered the Parks Protest.
On 5 November a group of representatives from RPPG and the National Trust, parties to the appeal to Heritage Victoria, were allowed onto the Royal Park Hospital site to inspect the buildings and were given a guided tour by the Games Village Project officer from Major Projects Victoria. The scene, which greeted us, was of extensive destruction with two storey high piles of rubble. The Minister banned media photographers from the site and scornfully referred to our appeal in Parliament as "frivolous".
Bid to Save and Protect Remaining Buildings in Heritage Precinct of the Royal Park Hospital: RPPG had submitted an application to Heritage Victoria to have the heritage buildings included on the State Heritage Register. The application was rejected and, together with the National Trust and the City of Melbourne we have appealed. It will be heard on Friday 21 November 2003.
Northern Central City Corridor Study (NCCCS): RPPG pays tribute to Dr Paul Mees, our representative on the NCCCS Advisory Committee, who was instrumental we believe in convincing the NCCCS Group of the insanity of pursuing the "tunnel option" i.e. the extension of the Eastern Freeway in a tunnel through/under Royal Park. RPPG put in a final submission to the NCCCS on 7 November. .
WHAT’S ON
Join our Picket Line - Stop the Games Village: RPPG will ask members and supporters to gather for a protest when construction starts in earnest on the site. It could be starting mid to late November. The ETU has a green ban on the site and is maintaining the ban. Ring Julianne on 98184114 or 0408022408 or see our website.
Appeal to Heritage Victoria 9:30 am Friday 21 November, 22 Floor 80 Collins Street: RPPG, the National Trust and the City of Melbourne will be heard at the appeal to have the Royal Park Hospital heritage precinct included on the State Heritage Register and afforded a measure of future protection.
Rally for Transport not Traffic 2 pm Sunday 23 November at the Fitzroy Town Hall: The PTUA and allied groups are organising a rally and march. RPPG supports public transport campaigns.
Attend our AGM 7:30 pm Tuesday 16 December 2003 North Melbourne Library: It is important we have your continuing support. Please show it at our AGM. RPPG is the only voice in the community speaking up in the interests of residents about the "future shock" of the Games Village. The AGM had to be deferred to December due to the huge number of commitments by RPPG. See Committee nomination form.
Quotable quote: "Heritage Victoria gave the green light for the demolition (of the key Royal Park Hospital heritage building) because it couldn't be restored but 9 of 14 buildings on the site will be saved. Games Minister Madden passing the buck after personally authorising the wholesale demolition of four buildings on 20 October 2003. From interview on Channel 7
Another quote: "I think if an ordinary member of the public did that (demolish heritage buildings) they would be on charges. It’s just vandalism." RPPG member quoted in the Yarra Leader and the Melbourne Leader. 3 November 2003 ".