Royal Park

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

Dear Members and Friends,
1. Planting 19th August Report
The sun came out and blue skies prevailed as the planting at Bayles Street grasslands began
We had 8 in total including 3 new planters.
Unfortunately before we finished the rain returned.
However all plants were planted by some very hardy people.
The sun returned for cuppa time.

A big thank you to those who came. We will await the Spring to see how the plants progress.

2. Next Week – Planting Again!
Date: Next Saturday August 26th there will be a small planting at the remnant site in Royal Park West in conjunction with Friends of Royal Park.
Time: 10am – 12 noon if not finished earlier
Where: Remnant Native Vegetation Site Royal Park West
Access via steps behind Ross Straw Pavilion (off Manningham St, Parkville West), walk up through Skink Site, take informal track on right just before Capital City Trail and through the gate.

BYO gardening gloves
Planting equipment provided; also morning tea.

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. It recommends that net overseas migration be reduced from the recent 232,000 immigrants in a year to 70,000 net per annum. See "Peak Community Groups advocate for Population size as an election issue."

This useful democratic initiative could save Melbourne from chaos, but it has been reported in a slanted kind of way by Murdoch's Herald Sun, which gives quite unmerited authority to a disrespectful and ill-informed response from the government.

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. The inauguration will be officiated by Rod Quantock Acting President of PPL VIC, as MC. Venue is Gatehouse Street Parkville entrance to Australian Native Garden, Royal Park, at 12:30 pm Friday 15 February 2013.

PPL VIC: Official Opening of "Doyle's Dunny" Entrance to the Australian Native Garden Royal Park on Gatehouse Street Parkville at 12:30 pm Friday 15 February 2013 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.

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. Kelvin Thomson is a Federal Labor politician in the seat of Wills who stands out for his independent views on democracy and population in a government and opposition that seems depressingly unaware of the importance of these concepts and their effect on each other.
Note: Headings in this article are editorial additions by Candobetter.net

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.

Unfortunately we have failed to save Royal Park from “shark” attack. Over the short space of the past 13 years first the Kennett Government, then former Premier Bracks and his operative Bronwyn Pike MP, Member for Melbourne, plus compliant past and present Melbourne City Lord Mayors and Councillors, have presided over the progressive carve up, degradation, clear felling and concreting over of Royal Park, previously one of the glories of Marvellous Melbourne – set aside by our first visionary Governor, Charles La Trobe.

Royal Park Protection Group Inc.

Media release, 24 October 2008

Opposition to proposals in Sir Rod Eddington's Transport Review to construct road tunnels through inner Melbourne and elevated roadways through the western suburbs has been steadily mounting over the past three months. On Sunday next community groups from across Melbourne, who have joined forces as the Coalition of Transport Action Groups (CTAG), will rally at 12 noon under the clocks at Flinders Street Railway Station to demand "sustainable public transport – no new road tunnels or freeways". The anger growing in Collingwood and Clifton Hill plus West Parkville over the possible compulsory acquisition of whole streets of house for tunnel construction has spread to Sunshine and Footscray where it is feared that up to 1,000 houses will be lost if elevated roadways are built. The Royal Park Protection Group has been at the forefront of opposition to the extension of the Eastern Freeway for many years fearing, not just the loss of residential amenity and increased traffic congestion, but the destruction of Royal Park itself with open cut and cover methods of construction. Not only precious open parkland would be lost but these gigantic engineering works would destroy the wetlands, an important source of water for Melbourne, obliterate State sports grounds for 5 to 10 years, impact on the operation of the State Netball and Hockey Centre and badly affect the Melbourne Zoo.

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. The Herald Sun mentioned our protest but not the Age news_#main-fn1">1. (There has been a letter published today see below.) We expect that it may feature in local papers in the coming week including The Melbourne Times, The Moonee Valley and Melbourne Leader papers. (See the www.savehollandpark.org.au website for TV footage and photos by Cory Baudman. See also www.ycat.org.au Ycat website (Yarra Campaign Against the Tunnel) Also an indication that we had been noticed - Premier Brumby refused to face the protest and went into the Transport Summit by a side door via the carpark.We were there to present him with the resolution passed at the rally.

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

The extension of the Eastern Freeway in tolled road tunnels through Royal Park was announced in Sir Rod Eddington’s report on “Investing in Transport - East West Link Needs Assessment” released on 2 April 2008. The State Government then called for public submissions on the Report.

The closing date is next Tuesday 5 July 2008. If you have not already done so, could you make a submission? To assist, there is a proforma letter for you to send urgently, published at the base of this article.

Click here to see a map of Royal Park before Australand, Commonwealth Games and proposed Road Tunnels.

Construction of Road Tunnels through Royal Park, as proposed in the Eddington Report, will devastate the Park and badly affect residential West Parkville.