Royal Park

Events on 26 & 27th August and a report on the 19th of Augst planting at Bayles Street Grasslands.

The admirable tenacity and personal sacrifices of people involved over a long time in fighting the East West Link on the streets and in the courts have finally effected some changes, but the fat lady has not sung yet. The huge Elliott Avenue toll road exchange that threatened the viability of Melbourne Zoo, will not go ahead. Royal Park woodlands near the zoo will also be left standing. What will happen instead is not yet clear and no-one can relax. The East West Link, if it goes ahead in any form, will be a kind of cut-off point for environment and democracy in Melbourne. The huge efforts already expended by the public should have seen the toll way cancelled and forgotten That it survives in some form draws attention to the tragic influence of the growth lobby over our laws and government. (Candobetter.net editorial)

Article has been adapted from a comment entitled "East West link business plan must be known by Senate" originally posted by PostGrowthEra on 5 September - Ed

Legal advice provided by deputy Senate clerk Richard Pye confirms the Senate has ''undoubted power'' to force Infrastructure Australia to hand over the documents, which the state government insisted must remain secret to protect delicate commercial negotiations.

The state government provided a cost-benefit analysis to Infrastructure Australia for the East West link, but it won't be available for public viewing because it's "commercially sensitive"

Sustainable Population Australia, Green Wedges Coalition, Protectors of Public Lands Victoria and Planning Backlash are four of the peak planning and environmental groups that have produced a Sustainable Population Charter for Victoria because the government seems unable to do so.

Rally to save Royal Park from destruction

Where: Smith Reserve, Alexandra Parade,Fitzroy (next to the Fitzroy Pool)
When: 1:00PM, Sat 31 August.                                                Be there!

Final Reminder : Rally "Say No to the East West Link - Yes to Doncaster Rail" Tuesday 20 August 2013 12:45 pm for 1 pm start to 2 pm Steps of Parliament. It is DDay for the future of Melbourne. Our inner city suburbs and our parks - Royal Park, Travancore and the Moonee Ponds Creek- will be bulldozed and destroyed if the juggernaut of the East West Link is constructed, unless we act now.

Included within this article: 10 reasons to say "no" to the East West link toll road

Melbourne residents are now threatened with the complete ruin of the iconic Royal Park in order to build the East West Link at an extortionate cost that will ultimately be borne by road users through tolls and taxpayers. A far more cost-effective and environmentally and socially sound solution to Melbourne's transport problems, the projected Doncaster Railway line, will be precluded if construction the East-West Link proceeds.

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.

You are invited to the official opening, the inauguration, of "Doyle's Dunny", a new toilet block at the entrance of the Australian Native Garden in Royal Park, Parkville. Iconic vegetation and indigenous and Melbourne Gardens traditions have been set aside for the siting of this enormous new stainless steel super toilet.

This is a copy of Kelvin Thomson's speech to the Annual General Meeting, Royal Park Protection Group Inc. Flemington Community Centre, 8 September 2012.

What Ever Happened to Royal Park?

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The Protectors of Public Lands Victoria Inc, of which the Royal Park Protection Group Inc. is a member, has lent us their logo for this newsletter.

Royal Park Protection Group Inc.

Media release, 24 October 2008

A measure of the success of the protest was that it was covered by four TV stations Channels 2, 7, 9 and 10. Channel 3 may be doing a documentary on the opposition to road tunnels.

Aerial View of Royal Park Showing proposed Road Tunnels in white, drawn by Dr Jan Scheurer.