Reporting from the Chamber of Commerce

You will all be aware that Docklands is now an aged friendly precinct, a project that your Docklands Chamber of Commerce has championed since earlier this year.

The Seniors Festival runs from October 5 to 12 and the Docklands Chamber of Commerce has worked hard to bring our senior citizens into our precinct during the Seniors Festival. If you are a business in Docklands, make sure you are part of the program.

A free ferry service will operate throughout the week from 10.30am to 2.30pm.

The Docklands Arts, Laughs & Blues Festival kicks off on October 1 for five days of blues music, cabaret, theatre, arts and laughs right in the heart of Docklands! Whether you love to dance, laugh or be entertained by incredible artists there will be something for you. For more information check the website:  http://www.docklandsartsandlaughsfestival.com.au/

The Mission to Seafarers plays host to its annual ANL Art Prize throughout October, and if you are senior – then come along to one of the seniors tours during Seniors Week.  If you like music, then on Thursday, October 16 come and listen to Cool Change from the Bureau of Meteorology who are playing at the mission from 5pm till 7pm. Call 9629 7083 for more information and bookings.

The Melbourne Regatta and Blessing of the Fleet was a huge success and showed Melbourne what a wonderful playground Docklands can be. One of the key aims of the regatta was to celebrate Melbourne’s rich maritime heritage, and what better time than Melbourne Day and the re-enactment of the first landing by the schooner Enterprize.

Victoria Harbour was brought to life with dozens of vessels of all types and vintages. The event demands to see more participation in period and maritime costume to bring to life a sense of history and a carnival atmosphere to the waterways – and this is what the Melbourne Regatta and Blessing of the Fleet promises for the coming years.

How fitting then to see an article by the Lord Mayor Robert Doyle about a proposed transport museum slated for Harbour Esplanade, and State Planning Minister Matthew Guy saying that if a site could be found in Docklands that it would be a great addition to Melbourne.

If this is something Docklands Community would like to see, then the chamber can open up that dialogue with council and State Government.  It would be of interest to know what funding could be available to ensure an important community project such as this becomes a reality, and suggestions on where such a project might be located and how it would look for maximum community benefit.

If you are interested in working with the Docklands Chamber of Commerce, then come along to the annual general meeting Wednesday, October 15 at the Dock Library from 6.30pm. We are always looking for enthusiastic people to continue the hard work of bringing great opportunities to Docklands. So looking forward to seeing a great turn out!

With summer is on its way and Christmas just around the corner Docklands can look forward to some  exciting events throughout the holiday period, so stay tuned! Have a great October in beautiful Docklands!