Community to be given a say

Docklands is to get its own community forum where locals will get the opportunity to come together and influence decision makers at Places Victoria and the City of Melbourne.

The structure and membership of the forum will be discussed on Tuesday, March 20 and locals are being asked to participate.

The idea of a regular community forum is being championed by City of Melbourne CEO Kathy Alexander as part of a larger reform of how Docklands is governed by Places Victoria and the City of Melbourne.

By law, Places Victoria and the council are required to participate in the Docklands Co-ordination Committee (DCC), but both parties agree that the committee is ineffective and does not involve the public.

Established in 2007, the DCC originally met six times a year. In 2008 the frequency was cut to quarterly and this year it is only scheduled to meet twice – in March and in August. The DCC needs to only meet once a year to fulfil its statutory requirements and Dr Alexander is keen to explore other models which would result in positive community participation.

“The proposed new process is designed to include a more relevant forum for members of the Docklands community to participate in, to raise localised issues or opportunities that will be considered by the relevant management authorities,” Dr Alexander said.

“The need for a revitalised, more participatory governance process has been acknowledged by both agencies.”

“Within the proposed new arrangements, a recommendation will be made to establish a Docklands community forum.”

“This forum will be jointly hosted by the management authorities with the specific purpose to facilitate community input into the implementation of projects identified through the 'second decade’ consultation.”

“The information and discussions resulting from the forum will then be fed back into the management authorities as agenda items, and depending on the nature of the issue could subsequently be presented to City of Melbourne's Future Melbourne Committee,” Dr Alexander said.

The matter is to be discussed at 2012’s first DCC meeting which is scheduled for 6pm on Tuesday, March 20 at Places Victoria, 710 Collins St, Docklands.

It is understood that the council has been working on a preferred structure but wants community input before making a decision.

Under the model it is working on, the community forum would meet regularly and would feed local views into both strategic policy matters as well as day-to-day infrastructure and maintenance issues.

The community forum will comprise Places Victoria, City of Melbourne and community representatives and formal meeting structures and procedures will be established.