RPPG protesters gather at the Royal Park Hospital 21 September 2000 Photo courtesy The Age
Royal Park Protection Group
News Bulletin - September 2002
MELBOURNE SAYS "NO" TO GAMES VILLAGE -- OR ANY VILLAGE -- IN ROYAL PARK
Does the Royal Park Protection Group have Popular Support for our Campaign to save Royal Park?
Yes we do. Since the above photo was taken two years ago there has been a huge groundswell of opposition to the Bracks Government’s proposal to locate the 2006 Commonwealth Games Village – or a gross residential development of 1,000 units – on the former Royal Park Hospital site in Parkville. How can we be so sure? Here’s how we know:
Crowds Attend our Market Stalls: The Royal Park Protection Group (RPPG) held a stall in front of the Queen Victoria Market – courtesy of Melbourne City Council - on five successive Saturday mornings from 20 July to 17 August 2002. Members "manning" the stall were amazed at the strength of public opposition to the Games Village in Parkville. People actually queued to sign a petition (over 2,000 signed) and to sign, on the spot, proforma letters to Premier Bracks, Major Projects Minister Batchelor and the Member for Melbourne Bronwyn Pike. (858 were signed on two Saturday mornings alone and another 800 distributed). In addition, on the Saturday morning of 31 August 2002 the team held a stall at Brunswick Union Street market and found exactly the same sentiments expressed by shoppers. Over 300 signed the petition here. Membership of RPPG has grown dramatically in the past four months. In addition, at local meetings and forums in the inner city the subject of the Games Village location has been raised. For instance, on 3 September 2002 irate residents collared the Mayor of Moreland and a Councillor at a Brunswick meeting on local traffic plans and condemned Moreland Councillors for reversing their previous opposition to locating the Games Village on the Royal Park site.
RPPG "Major Events" – Protests over location of Games Village - or any Village - in Royal Park: Since the Open Day of the Royal Park Hospital on 14 April 2002 when about 500 people attended, RPPG has held a series of public protest meetings, which have received considerable media attention. These events were: demonstrations outside Commonwealth Games Minister Madden’s Office on 3 and 10 May 2002; a public meeting at Brunswick Town Hall on 5 June 2002 - World Environment Day - at which Dean Mighell, keynote speaker, announced Green Bans by the ETU; a public meeting at Melbourne Town Hall organized by the City of Melbourne on 30 June 2002; and a public protest meeting on 8 September 2002 at the Royal Park Hospital site. This latter event was intended to coincide with the Government’s announcement of the successful tender for the Games Village, which will reveal the Village location, but the Government has made no announcement yet. The rally reaffirmed the community’s commitment to protecting the heritage Hospital buildings; to saving the surrounding park – still part of Royal Park - and to ensuring that the Hospital is saved for a mental health training/education centre or for community use – not sold off to a private developer. At the Rally people signed on to our "telephone tree" which means we can call on supporters to meet at the Royal Park Hospital for a mass demonstration if construction is about to start. See attached form and website www.royalparkprotect.org.au
Worried Government Polls Inner Melbourne: We know we are having an impact – the Government appears worried about losing the seat of Melbourne over the Games Village issue to the Greens or to Melbourne City Councillor Cr Kevin Chamberlin if he runs as an independent. The ALP is polling inner city residents on their views on the Games Village location and how they will vote. Come to our AGM on Wednesday 13 November at 7:30 pm North Melbourne Library to hear the election candidates speak!
Other Actions and Campaigns
Commonwealth Games Minister Madden’s Suspect "Environmental Framework" for the 2006 Games:
In October 2001 the Bracks Government passed the Commonwealth Games Arrangements Act 2001. This contains no environmental benchmarks but does provide for an Environmental Advisory Committee (a ‘generic’ committee not a venue specific committee). Ten months later, in August 2002, the Committee is established. Community groups are given five working days notice of a public meeting then two weeks to make a submission. Minister Madden says that we are not allowed to include comments on the locations of the Games Village but we disobey and make a presentation to the Environment Committee, supplying the Environmental Benchmarks handbook of the Sydney Olympics 2000 as the guide for the 2006 Commonwealth Games and also providing a detailed submission on why the Games Village must not be located in Parkville. The Committee is given until 14 September 2002 but then the Minister announces that he would not be looking at the recommendations of the Committee until 2003. This will be AFTER construction of the Games venues and village is well under way! So much for the Environment!
Campaign by Major Projects Minister Batchelor to "Sell" his Parkville Housing Development: It appears that the Bracks Government decreed in its wisdom that, if the Games Village is not sited on the Royal Park Hospital location in Parkville, then it will be sold for a gigantic housing development – equally unsuitable! How the Government proposes to shoehorn 1,000 units of a low-rise development into the 19-hectare site yet retain the heritage buildings and open space is not known. Compare Lynch’s Bridge development in Kensington, which has approximately 1,000 units, but is located on 40 hectares. The Government launched into a blatant PR selling campaign to try to convince inner city residents of Brunswick, Parkville and Flemington of the merits of such a development. 10,000 glossy brochures, with real estate agents type spiel containing erroneous and misleading information, were distributed (at taxpayers expense we assume). RPPG countered by producing a flyer with the real facts "Royal Park No Place for a Village – Any Village: Citizens Reply to Peter Batchelor’s Misinformation on the Royal Park Hospital" which thanks to a big team of volunteers was delivered to a large area of Brunswick. Few residents appear to have been taken in by Minister Batchelor’s arguments. Anyone wanting a copy of our flyer ring Julianne on the number given below.
Implementation of the Royal Park Master Plan Goes off the Rails: Despite commendable projects being produced by the City of Melbourne to regenerate and revegetate Royal Park, the old development ethos is still alive and well in the Parks and Recreation Division. The Royal Park Master Plan Implementation Committee and its Sub Committee – the Vegetation Group - is supposed to make recommendations as to the projects to be implemented and the community representatives (RPPG, the Parkville Association and the North and West Melbourne Association) work extremely hard keeping up with the demands. Yet, without so much as a by your leave, stainless steel topped picnic tables and barbeques set on concrete slabs have appeared in the Park. Also wooden bollards have been placed at the Golf Club entrance and Kendall Avenues bike track entrance, despite a decision that these should be phased out and the inconspicuous green painted pipe and rail fencing retained. RPPG members should rest assured that eternal vigilance is our watchword as we work to keep Royal Park "a bushland" park.
What’s On?
Royal Park Community Planting Day Sunday 29 September 2000
Come to the City of Melbourne Community Planting Day, which is being held in Royal Park alongside the tramline and on the south side of the State Netball and Hockey Centre (SNHC) (Melways Map reference 29 12 D). It commences at 10 am and goes to 2 pm with a barbeque lunch provided. People attending the community planting can park in the SNHC carpark (drive up Brens Drive) or catch the West Coburg line tram - 68 on Sundays – Tram stop at Elliot Avenue.
RPPG Members’ Meeting Monday 30 September 2002
Regular members’ meetings are held on the last Monday of each month at 7:30 pm usually at the North Melbourne Library, Errol Street, North Melbourne. This month the meeting is being held at the North Melbourne Neighbourhood Centre, Errol Street, just along from the North Melbourne Library
North Melbourne Spring Fling Sunday 20 October 2002
The Royal Park Protection Group always has a stall at the "Spring Fling" in the North Melbourne Town Hall at the corner of Queensberry Street and Errol Street. It is a great PR opportunity and is particularly important now for us to sell the message " No Games Village – or any Village - in Royal Park." We need volunteers even for half an hour from 11 am to 4 pm.
RPPG Annual General Meeting Wednesday 13 November 2002 - Meet the Candidates
The RPPG is holding our fourth AGM at 7:30 pm upstairs at the North Melbourne Library, 66 Errol Street North Melbourne (Melways 43 D5) near the corner of Queensberry Street. We are inviting all the candidates in the forthcoming State Election for the seat of Melbourne to speak on their vision for Melbourne. We need you to ask questions of the candidates on their position in regard to the location of the Games Village and the Commonwealth Games. Enquire: Julianne: 98184114 or 0408022408
Thought for the Day "The measure of any great civilisation is its cities and a measure of a city’s greatness is to be found in the quality of its public spaces, its parks and squares" (John Ruskin)