Docklands Community Association -  August 2014

Greetings everybody

It was gratifying to see Minister Guy can the proposed tram bridge over the Yarra saying it will not happen in his time. It shows we can win one occasionally. Planting the bridge in the Yarra’s Edge residential precinct was never an acceptable idea considering the large marina there, the need for power lines, to say nothing of the noise due to the gradient. In any event there is already a tram/light rail running through the Port Melbourne/Fisherman’s Bend area between the city and Beacon Cove [109 I think] as well as the trams along Clarendon Street.

The esplanade re-development continues to get one-way media attention with the media releases from Places Victoria. They took their survey site down after the time limit. Their summary of responses is rather confusing. It does say however that 86% of respondents want lawn/grass areas and 74% want passive areas for seating and relaxing, including bike riding, despite the fact that Places Victoria/Council didn’t offer a linear park option. Why didn’t they? Because Places Victoria and Council are determined to put sheds along the Esplanade. As a result however, of people giving priority to lawn and passive recreation, are they going to modify their plans? The concept plans, which they came up with showed 12 sheds/pavilions along the stretch. The Places Victoria/Council idea is to have spaces/lanes between the buildings which they seem to suggest will provide nice passive open space! Got to be joking!

As we’ve already said, people want an open stretch to offset the cramming of buildings, with open space being at a premium in Docklands due to most land having been given to developers.

Regarding including heritage sheds, people were asked if they rated heritage buildings as important, to which, of course, they gave support. But they weren’t asked if they supported two large old cargo sheds being installed in the middle of the esplanade stretch. In fact in our resident survey only one person in seventy supported that. Places Victoria/ Council also didn’t tell people that we already have a line of these sheds along both sides of Central Pier. I might add that these sheds and pavilions will block the panorama of the waterfront. As for calling it a ‘vision’ I wonder what they were on.

In terms of events, which we send out in notifications, just mentioning that the Friday night fireworks are scheduled to continue through August.

I went through the new library/ community centre a week ago. It is certainly spacious with a lot of good features and fittings. The theatre provides space for meetings and functions. The boating hub is to be built next door. The lack of parking space is a pity.

Removal of amenities by the developer in New Quay continues. Having earlier removed a line of mature tall palm trees behind the Conder building to make way for construction, they have now removed more mature palms and shrubs from the side of the Boyd building as well as innovative planter boxes to make way for construction of a small ‘square’. Council’s response is they can’t tell the developer what to do on his own land. My response is they can certainly recommend, but they don’t give any indication of doing so. Believe it or not I’ve since found out that the ‘square’ is actually on Council land.

I had asked that they suggest to the developer to return the palms to a prominent position on another site – no answer, likewise a children’s playground they removed. The reply was to put it down at Bolte Bridge. Is it any wonder I say developers rule?

Regarding the establishment of the Owners Corporation Network Victoria [OCNV], A committee has been formed with representatives from various buildings including a number from the CBD [including the Eureka tower], St Kilda Road and Docklands, with myself as President. This was an essential step forward to enable formal operations. It is great to get this off the ground in order to gradually take up issues and give a voice for strata owners and also to ally with counterpart organisations interstate.

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

Regards to all
Roger Gardner
President DCA