Royal Park

Dr Leigh Glover to speak on Sustainable Transport for Melbourne


Julianne Bell, Leading democracy with Royal Park Protection Group & Protectors of Public Land, Victoria

Royal Park Protection Group - the first of many groups standing between you and a total wipe-out of democracy - is having its AGM. Stand up for democracy; be there at the AGM:

Royal Park Protection Group AGM Wednesday 3 December 2008

Time: 6:45 pm for a 7 pm start. Date: Wednesday 3 December 2008

Key Speaker:
Dr. Leigh Glover

Assistant Director of the Centre for the Governance and Management of Urban Transport (GAMUT) at the University of Melbourne on

“Sustainable Transport for Melbourne.”

Venue: Upstairs Meeting Room, North Melbourne Library, 66 Errol Street, North Melbourne. (Near corner of Errol and Queensberry Streets.) Parking available in surrounding streets. Tram up Elizabeth St.

Why Attend: RPPG is one of the few organisations standing in the way of Royal Park being bulldozed and homes in West Parkville being compulsorily acquired. Once RPPG folds, organised resistance will disappear. So spare a few hours to make the evening a success!

Contact: Julianne Bell Convenor RPPG 98184114 or 0408022408. [email protected]

Recent Royal Park News

(See also article: )

Parliamentary Committee for Environment and Natural Resources – Inquiry into Melbourne’s Future Water Supply:

Julianne Bell made a submission for Royal Park Protection Group Inc. on the need for local water sourcing projects to ensure water supply for Melbourne's Parks and Gardens, including Royal Park. She attended a hearing which included submissions on storm water projects and local water sourcing projects. See the website under www.parliament.vic.gov.au for submissions and presentations. Bell reports:

“The Inquiry is proceeding at a snail’s pace despite the crisis re water. The next hearing won’t be till February 2009!”

Royal Park Master Plan Implementation Advisory Committee:

At the last meeting for the year a representative from the Royal Children’s Hospital attended and tried to defend the huge land grab by the RCH. Other unwelcome and unnecessary infrastructure projects are the car and bus parking at the Zoo’s North Entrance; the cycle path through Royal Park which is already built and appears hardly used by commuters or anyone else; and the bus pull in bay outside the Urban Camp which as predicted blocks traffic on Brens Drive.

Council Rejection of Application by CSL for 6 Storey Carpark on Parkville Site

Thanks go the City of Melbourne Councillors for refusing the application by CSL for a 6 storey carpark, which would have overlooked and overshadowed the Wetlands of Royal Park plus intruded on the residential amenity of the Parkville Gardens residential development. (Council staff had recommended that it be approved!)

Protest scheduled for Premier Brumby’s Transport Summit

Royal Park Protection Group Inc.

Media release 4 September 2008

Tomorrow the Royal Park Protection Group (RPPG) and the Yarra Campaign Against Tunnels (YCAT) are, in consultation with resident and environmental groups in the East and West of Melbourne, facilitating a Community Protest for resident, community, and environment groups plus concerned individuals at the Premier's Transport Summit to be held at Telstra Dome in Melbourne.

Opposition to the Brumby Government’s proposed extension of the Eastern Freeway in road tunnels under inner city suburbs, through Royal Park and Holland Park plus the western suburbs has steadily mounted since the Eddington Review was launched. Anger was expressed during June and July at rallies at local Council meetings. Anti-road tunnel protestors forced Councillors at Melbourne, Moonee Valley, Yarra then Brimbank to pass "no tunnels" resolutions. Many community groups were dismayed that the recent Transport Forums conducted by the Government and also by individual Members of Parliament were by invitation only and excluded many interested community representatives. People feel that they have no voice in decisions about Brumby’s Grand Transport Plan.

Rod Quantock of RPPG said today: "The East West Link is in essence a truck city by pass route designed to get freight via the Eastern Freeway and East Link to Dandenong. It will in no way serve commuters as they will not be able to turn off to the City but can only get to the Port of Melbourne or Tullamarine Airport. In the process of tunnel construction over five to twelve years, inner city suburban streets will be destroyed; Royal Park and Holland Park in Kensington will be transformed into giant quarries; and sports fields, community facilities and wetlands ripped up. In addition traffic congestion will worsen and gridlock will prevail. It is extraordinary that the Premier should be favouring building road tunnels at a time when the end of oil is in sight and the public is screaming for improved and expanded public transport. It is tragic that the Premier is considering spending $10 billion of our money on 20th century solutions to a 21th century crisis. Democracy goes underground."

Dr Paul Mees, transport expert and supporter of public transport, commented recently on the Eddington report tunnel proposals: "…the rail tunnel is not needed" and "…the road tunnel is a waste of money." He said that: "We seemed poised to commit the largest amount ever invested in Victoria’s history to dealing with non-problems in a way that will benefit only the vested interests associated with large engineering projects."

RPPG is opposing the construction of road tunnels and is demanding a proper review of the public transport and rail freight systems; remedies for climate change; for the Government to keep its hands off our parkland; and to protect residential amenity.

Media contacts: Julianne Bell on 0408022408 & Rod Quantock on 0438862079