🚀 go-pugleaf

City in crisis

Victoria�s Capital City, the States centre of Art, Culture and 
commerce is in crises. 

Melbourne�s economic decline, aided and abetted by State Government 
and the impedance of the City of Melbourne, continues at an alarming 
rate.  At a time when we need clear strategic goals and positive 
action our Community leaders continue to burry their heads in sand 
and walk away rather then address the situation. Melbourne retail 
activity already suffering from lure and expansion of major regional 
shopping centres now faces, potentially greater blow, another nail in 
its waiting coffin.  The recent decision to extend trading hours 
along with the continual removal of major cultural and administrative 
activity from the City Centre will severely impact on Melbourne which 
will be left standing not as a centre of excellence, the focus of 
cultural activity, the arts, entertainment and heritage but as a City 
devoid of soul and character servant to the interests and domination 
of the new Casino culture.  

Melbourne new Casino with over 20 cinemas and theatres and major 
retailing space will result in a dramatic shift of economic activity. 
 The Bourke Street entertainment precinct, already suffering from the 
expansion of suburban cinema complex, will be unable to remain viable 
or compete with the new facilities provided to lure customers to the 
new City Casino complex. The concentration of economic activity and 
wealth centred on Melbourne�s new Gateway "The Crown Casino" and its 
resulting power and influence will be like no other seen in Victoria. 
 Melbourne must address and come to terms with the need to implement 
strategic planning.

Where is the commitment to our City, what is the vision for the 
future.  The �Kennett�  State Government having been in office for 
over four years has failed to generate real confidence in the future 
of our City.  With an large number of vacant development sites now 
existing within the heart of the City, each site having a proposed 
planned hotel, none of which in spite the State Government  
reassurance and propaganda have proceeded beyond the concept stage.  
Do we really believe that Melbourne needs and can support 24 more 5 
star hotel complexes?  

The State Government is contributing further to the City�s planning 
crises by failing to strategically allocate community resources where 
they will benefit Melbourne the most.  Instead of centrally locating 
major civic buildings and institutions within the heart of the city 
on one of the many vacant bomb sites the Government continues to add 
to the city�s decline by using valuable park land as cheap 
development sites. Destroying further the heart, soul and character 
of our City once renowned as the �Garden State�.  The proposal to 
relocate the State Museum to the Carlton Gardens on the outskirts of 
the City is one example that clearly demonstrates the need for 
strategic planning and development.  The State Museum currently 
located in Swanston Street generates over 600,000 visits to the City 
centre.  It is estimated that the proposed new State Museum will 
generate over 1 Million visitors per year.

The economic impact of the relocation of 1 Million visitors from the 
Swanston Street along with the expected decline the Bourke Street 
entertainment precinct and retail activity is considerable.  RMIT and 
the State Library will remain as the only Civic institutions left in 
what was once Melbourne�s Civic centre. Melbourne is in desperate 
need of commitment and continuing cultural identity and given that 
there are a number of vacant sites ideally situated along the 
Swanston Street corridor why is the Government pursuing the 
relocation of the State Museum to the Carlton Gardens as opposed to 
retaining the Museum within the heart of the City.

The new Museum instead of being located where it can do the most good 
is to be located where it will do the most harm.  The allocation of 
over 250 million dollars for a proposed development of the State 
Museum would go a long way in reinforcing and providing long term 
commitment to a city.  If the Government is not prepared to consider 
the proper allocation of resources and commitment to the City Centre 
how can it expect to instil public confidence in the City�s future.   
 
   
We must ensure that the development of our City is in balance with 
social and economic needs that fulfil the aims and objectives of a 
healthy and culturally vibrant City.  Our City Councillors and 
Community leaders must take on the role of facilitator and engage the 
community in discussion and debate about the future planning and 
development of our City.  Out State Government and State Institutions 
would better serve the interests of the State if it stopped and 
consulted with the community before making irreversible discussions 
that are not in the communities best interest. We should all head the 
motto embedded in the foyer of the State Parliament reads,.  "In the 
absence of counsel the people fall but in the multitude of 
counsellors their is safety" .


Anthony van der Craats
DEFEND OUR HERITAGE


PS Please write to the daily newspapers, and State Parliment to 
express your opposition to the proposed devleopment in our urban park 
land.  THERE ARE BETTER ALTERNATIVES THAT DO NOT THREATERN OUR 
HERITAGE.