A new home for the Docklands Squid (Octopus)?

Dear Sean,

If and when the boat shed gets demolished at North Wharf, we at the Melbourne Seafood Centre would be happy to be the new home for “the Docklands Squid’ with the financial help from Developments Victoria.

If this happens please tell the artist Mike Maka that we will rename it “The Docklands Occy” because that’s what it is: an octopus.

George Miriklis

Melbourne Seafood Centre (wholesale fish market), 133-165 Kensington Rd, West Melbourne.

Exorbitant rental increase in Docklands

Hi Docklands News,

I’m writing to let you know about our experience with renting in Docklands.

My housemate and I moved in to The Montage apartment building at 1 Encounter Way during the middle of the pandemic in Oct ober 2020.

The rent was admittedly relatively low given the weak conditions at the time, and when we came out of lockdown and inflation/interest rates started rising in 2022 we were expecting some form of correction. However, we have since been subjected to two rental increases that amount to a shocking 64.9 per cent increase on what we were paying two years ago.

Landlords and real estate agents in this suburb are using current conditions as an excuse to squeeze exorbitant rental amounts from tenants. We have heard similar stories from other tenants in our building and in the neighbourhood.

We have since decided to move from Docklands as we have found an apartment in the CBD itself that is cheaper, bigger and has two tennis courts and a swimming pool – compared to the zero amenities that The Montage offers.

Best regards, Adrian. •