Recapping another productive year at EastEnders
EastEnders is a resident group that is largely but not entirely drawn from the east end of our CBD. We welcome any resident who wishes to join, and we already have a healthy diversity within our membership.
We meet monthly between February and November with some great guest speakers.
EastEnders advocates for matters of interest to residents to be discussed in a respectful manner and desirably acted upon. Some of these that have been priorities for us are noted below:
City safety
Members continue to express legitimate concerns about safety on our streets and the issues of rough sleepers, begging, random violence, mental health and drug and alcohol matters remain of concern. We note and acknowledge the contribution of numerous service providers who assist in these areas and particularly give a call out to cohealth, the Royal Melbourne and St Vincent’s Hospitals, The Salvation Army and Uniting Care. The City of Melbourne and Victoria Police also have significant roles with these providers.
Healthcare
We are pleased to have taken a leading role in engaging with cohealth and The Salvation Army about new services being conducted at 69 Bourke St. EastEnders engaged at three events to enable opportunities for discussion with interested residents. There was some community concern expressed about the challenges in Bourke Street and Westwood Place where attendees at the Salvos occasionally congregate but overall, there was great support and appreciation of the services that are provided by cohealth and The Salvation Army for vulnerable members of our community. Consultation and communication should not be negotiable.
Council affairs
There have been many opportunities for residents to engage on significant community matters including:
The development of the Council Vision and Council Plan culminated in a major event at Town Hall where many of us were active participants.
The draft of the City of Melbourne Economic Development Strategy was diminished by a lack of community engagement but pleasingly, after representations from EastEnders, a more expansive consultation was undertaken resulting in some important amendments.
The City of Melbourne’s Community Engagement Policy is being reviewed and inputs were invited. We have been interviewed and gave our thoughts on how community engagement might be improved.
Queen Victoria Market
The Federal Government has conditionally approved three high-rise towers in Queen Victoria Market’s Southern Precinct, despite concerns over heritage impacts. We were disappointed in the bulk of the proposed development and the potential effects on QVM. Zero public housing and only 134 affordable homes within an envelope of 2279 apartments seems like a missed opportunity to tackle our significant housing challenge.
Protecting World Heritage
We acknowledge and applaud the State Government’s approval of the World Heritage Environs Area designed to provide a buffer zone around our great asset that is the Royal Exhibition Buildings and Carlton Gardens. Disappointingly we are now facing developers who seek to access the radical fast-tracking reforms of the State Government and construct buildings that are contradictory to the new laws and indeed the planning scheme.
Carlton Gardens
We believe it is timely to re-consider whether the Carlton Gardens should be closed to public access for three weeks to allow the conduct of the increasingly commercial Melbourne International Garden Show. While recognising the attraction and positives of the event, other options are possible. The protection of this unique asset and retaining public access remain paramount considerations.
Dilapidated buildings
The attention now being given to dilapidated buildings in the City of Melbourne is long overdue and we hope that some of these eyesores can be addressed. While not in this category, the so-called Shangri-La building remains dormant after several years and we do hope that this unwelcome addition to our skyline can be put to a suitable use.
E-scooters and e-bikes
We wish to formally record our appreciation that City of Melbourne has eliminated commercial e-scooters from our streets, and we all feel considerably safer consequently. It is hard to overstate how much this means and Melbourne is a leader internationally in prioritising safety for its citizens.
The issue of food delivery riders remains a safety concern, and we appreciate the efforts being made by City of Melbourne and Victoria Police in doing what is possible to reduce their negative impact.
If any of these matters resonate then maybe you would like to join us at EastEnders. At a membership fee of $15 per year it is an absolute bargain. More information can be obtained by emailing us at [email protected]
Warm wishes to all for a healthy and happy holiday season.