It’s Groundhog Day
30 Jun 2010
Docklands News recently found this press release from October 24, 2000 on the internet. If you substitute the names with the people in charge these days, it has an uncanny sense of the present. We hope not to read something similar in 2020.
Melbourne’s new waterpark and public space unveiled.Plans for a multi-million dollar 10 hectare harbourfront park and esplanade at Melbourne’s new waterfront – Docklands – were unveiled today by the Minister for Major Projects and Tourism, John Pandazopoulos.
“Dockland’s Harbour Esplanade will become a centrepiece linking all of the precincts and will become a focal point for community activity,” he said.
“Harbour Esplanade will create an enormous open space which will provide the key public access to the CBD’s newest waterfront - on Victoria Dock.
“This development forms an important part of the vision for Docklands by this Government which calls for a high degree of public space and an opportunity for the community to embrace the project.”
Around 400 metres of public waterfront between Colonial Stadium and Victoria Dock will be opened up under the plan. In total, Harbour Esplanade will be more than 2.1 km long and will stretch from the Yarra River to City Link.
“This open space will create a superb public waterfront plaza for the people of Victoria. The grand plaza will become a meeting place with ferryboats transporting people to the plaza marina to attend events at the stadium, and to enjoy water events and activities,” Mr Pandazopoulos said.
Work will be undertaken in stages and will see the creation of a public park – another green fringe for Melbourne’s CBD.
He said the development of Harbour Esplanade would create an accessible public waterfront with a promenade, rollerblading and cycling paths, integrated art, picnic areas, parks and meeting areas.
Mr Pandazopoulos said Harbour Esplanade would be the link between the waterfront, a number of Docklands precincts and the 30 metre public promenade that will extend around the entire Victoria Harbour.
The development of Harbour Esplanade will be a long-term project in stages with ongoing enhancement occurring over 10 years as work on surrounding precincts accelerates. The cost of the development of the Esplanade will be approximately $25 million and the initial works will be carried out by the Docklands Authority and funded by the developers of Victoria Harbour and adjacent precincts.
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