Royal Park Protection Group

Funeral service Friday, February 3, 2017 at 2pm, St Michael's Church, 220 McPherson St., Princes Hill, 3054. Written by Jill Quirk and Sheila Newman. With the death of Julianne Bell at 5.00 a.m. on Friday, January 27, 2017, environmental activism in Victoria has lost a formidable force and a fearless friend. Julianne was a committed defender of nature and of our right to "keep public land in public hands" through environmental groups such as the Royal Park Protection Group and Protectors of Public Lands, Victoria (which she founded). She sternly opposed the encroachment of development on public land, such as the Commonwealth Games Village (a real-estate development which took a large slice of Royal Park and for which 2000 trees were removed).

Dear Members and Friends,

It is with sadness that we advise that Julianne died this morning.
A true warrior princess for Royal Park. Sometimes called a modern day Boadicea.

She was so pleased to receive your kind wishes

Over past days she has enjoyed recounting many past battles and the friendship and support of members and friends.

The funeral is planned for Friday. More details will follow.

Yours sincerely
Paul Leitinger
Convenor – Royal Park Protection Group Inc.

Web : http://royalparkprotect.com.au

Notice of Annual General Meeting and call for Nominations. Take the opportunity to catch up with other members over a cuppa. Consider nominating for a position in this historic group for the protection of Melbourne's oldest public park.

A potential memorial to the threatened destruction of Victoria's first and most important public land, these exquisite photographs by David Tatnall will be for sale at the exhibition in large formats. The proceeds are to go to help Royal Park's legal battle against the East West link tunnel which is the force that has placed Melbourne's defining park under threat. Photographs are also for sale on-line at the website http://www.thelastsummer.org.

In spring this year Protectors of Public Lands Victoria Inc. commissioned David Tatnall, the renowned Australian wilderness landscape photographer, to undertake a record of Royal Park before construction starts on the proposed East West Link Toll Road. David has called his project ‘The Last Summer.’ [At the end of this article, see also actions you can join to save Royal Park and the Zoo.]

Protectors of Public Land Victoria Inc. wish their friends a Freeway Free Christmas. For this they need your support. They need your financial support. Seriously, this is serious. Their battle is ours and yours, but it needs funding. See inside for more detail.

Article originally published: 2013-05-29 01:10:20 +1000

Plans to build the east-west link tunnel Melbourne's Royal Park are commencing. The tunnel, which is to cost from $10 billion to $12 billion, is to use vents protruding from the ground to pour motor exhaust fumes into the park. Some of the park will have to be dug up to build the entrance to the tunnel. On Page 8 of the Melbourne Age it was reported that, for the project to commence, eighteen boreholes will have to be drilled into the Royal Park as part of the assessment by the Melbourne City Council as recommended by the city of Melbourne management. If voted for by the council "on Tuesday" (28 May or 4 June?) drilling will commence.

Threats to Royal Park: East West link, Children's Hospital expansion onto public land under Royal Children’s Hospital (Land) Act 2007, large new obtrusive metal public toilet known as "Doyle's dunny" after the Lord Mayor prioritised its installation. Meaningful community events planned to combat proposed outrages. Turn up to meet an energetic and politicised crew of public land activists with a taste for local environment and democracy.

Call for Victorians to write to the Hon. Anthony Albanese, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport at A.Albanese, to oppose funding of the East West Link and to support funding public transport instead, especially the Doncaster Rail Link along the Eastern Freeway.
The Baillieu Government has resurrected Sir Rod Eddington’s discredited road transport project and the Premier now has it as the centerpiece of his recently announced transport plan. The Victorian State Government has asked the Federal Government to provide funds of $30 million for a “review”. This would be the third review in the last 10 years. Victorian citizens, members of Protectors of Public Lands Victoria, working free on behalf of the public, and representing 16 democratic groups, traveled to Canberra recently to put the case for public transport. Here is their report.

Also published by Yarra Campaign for Action on Transport

The overwhelming focus of the mainstream press has been on a detail of Thomson's overall population numbers reform proposal, which was to cut the automatic entry for New Zealanders to Australia. So far the Canberra Times and The World Today on the ABC stand out for showing public responsibility by looking beyond the New Zealand issue and at what Thomson actually had to say. It will be eerily fascinating to see to what new lengths the Murdoch and Fairfax Press will go to try to destroy this politician and confuse the electorate about his outstanding environmental and democratic courage on behalf of Australians everywhere. Where to from here? Kelvin Thomson will be the guest speaker at a Public meeting run by Sustainable Population Australia (Victorian branch)on Sunday November 29th at 3.00pm. Topic: Population reform- Political challenges, at Meeting Room 1 North Melbourne Library 66 Errol St. North Melbourne - Convenor will be Jill Quirk, President of SPA Victoria.

MP Kelvin Thomson "Melbourne's skyrocketing population and its implications for our environment and our way of life".
Australia's only parliamentary Environment and Population champion, Kelvin Thomson will be speaking at the Royal Park Protection Group AGM on Wednesday 11 November 2009, 7.15pm. If you can't make it on the 11th, there is another speaker meeting with Kelvin Thomson about overpopulation on the 29th of November.