DECEMBER 2012 / JANUARY 2013 ISSUE 82 PRICELESS WWW.DOCKLANDSNEWS.COM.AU : Docklands_News Christmas activities in Docklands Reprieve for diner See page 15 See page 12 Decision time on serviced NBN connection for some apartments Docklanders See page 4 See page 5 Locals push for 9.30 fi reworks By Bethany Williams Docklanders are lobbying for the reinstatement of the 9.30 pm New Year’s Eve family fi reworks amid speculation that the City of Melbourne’s safety concerns are unfounded. Melbourne’s councillors approved the cross-over between the two displays,” the cancellation of the fi reworks at a closed statement said. meeting in September. Inspector Beattie was unable to speak Th e cancellation was part of a wider revamp with Docklands News but his colleague, of the City of Melbourne’s New Year’s Eve Superintendent Rod Wilson, said Victoria celebration. Police’s major concern for New Year’s Eve was around Princess Bridge. According to the City of Melbourne, the new format was developed to address safety Superintendent Wilson said the concern for concerns identifi ed by the council, risk Docklands was about the crowd growing management consultants and Victoria Police. larger and that there was a need to eliminate the risk before it became a major issue. However, the council refuses to release the report alleging concerns about a potential According to Inspector Beattie’s statement crowd crush on the Southern Cross to council, there was a need to “decentralise Merry Christmas Coen concourse when families leaving the 9.30pm the audience”. display would meet the crowd coming into Th e new format is intended to push revellers Docklands for the midnight event. Christmas came early for Docklands’ Ashton family last month out of the middle of the city to live sites, such when a double-lung transplant donor was found for cystic A statement from Victoria Police Inspector as Docklands, on the edge of the CBD. Mick Beattie to the council confi rms police Superintendent Wilson confi rmed that support of the changes to the New Year's Eve fi brosis suff erer Coen, 15. the concerns for Docklands were due to format. the belief that more people would head Coen came home to Yarra’s Edge on Before a donor was found, Coen deteriorated But the statement focuses predominantly to Docklands due to the new model and Th ursday, November 29 after a month of to the point where medical authorities on the potential for crowd-crush incidents therefore the safety risk would be increased. stopped testing his lung capacity and around Flinders St, Princess Bridge and recovery at the Alfred Hospital. He was frail, However, residents and local businesses discussions had started about the next stage Federation Square. but in good spirits. have denied that there was a risk of crowd- of being on life-support. crush on the Southern Cross stadium He is by no means out of the woods and will Th e safety concerns for Docklands are Coen’s mum Dawn explained that they had only mentioned in the last sentence of the concourse. be under medical supervision for the rest of suff ered a false-alarm a month previously statement. President of the Docklands Community his life, but every day from now is a bonus. so when the phone call from the hospital “Victoria Police is also supportive of the Association, Roger Gardner, said he had came at 8am one morning, the family was Th e Ashtons came to Docklands from removal of a 9.30pm display at Docklands written to the lord mayor and all councillors apprehensive. Queensland in October last year to begin as the growing audience in this area is also their wait for an organ donation. Continued on page 9. causing safety concerns around crowd Continued on page 2. Factory Outlet Opening Early December DFO South Wharf 2 DOCKLANDS NEWS ISSUE 82 Docklands: it’s Locals push for Suite 108, 198 Harbour Esplanade 9.30 fi reworks PO Box 23008 Docklands 8012 Tel: 8689 7979 Fax: 9602 2929 Continued from page 1. www.docklandsnews.com.au (nearly) all good requested that the decision be reversed and Advertising that the fi reworks be reinstated. Tel: 8689 7979 Fax: 9602 2929 He said there had been no evidence [email protected] Comment provided to support the need for crowd Reader contributions are welcome. management and agreed that many people Please send articles and images to who had attended the family fi reworks in the [email protected] Shane past had travelled by car. Scanlan Th e deadline for the February edition is Jenni Hart runs Adventure Sails in January 30. Docklands and said her business was losing out because of the fi reworks cancellation. the things that matter most won’t come Follow us on Twitter 2012 closes with a promise around again until the end of January. We Adventure Sails ran a family cruise event @Docklands_News can’t wait that long. in Docklands to coincide with the 9.30 pm of some very good things for fi reworks but has had to cancel the event and Th e Docklanders representing us on the refund customers who had already booked. Like us on Facebook Docklands. forum had come together before the Docklands News meeting to map out the things that matter. Th e company also runs a midnight cruise We do see evidence around us of some But of four items agreed on, only the and has had customers requesting refunds things that could be better in our suburb. cancellation of the 9.30pm New Year’s Eve due to fears the midnight fi reworks would To download our iPad app, And with a chorus of negative sentiment fi reworks was discussed. also be cancelled. bombarding us almost daily, it’s obviously simply scan the QR code below: Th is was clearly the best part of the easy to lose heart. Ms Hart said the business had lost meeting. City of Melbourne director “substantial money” because of the fi reworks But Docklands is not a series of buildings, Martin Cutter gave an impromptu cancellation and the reasons given for the spaces, roads, retail outlets or businesses. explanation and refused to take a cancellation were not justifi ed. backward step in the face of vigorous It is a community of people. questioning from the community. “Most families drive and park at Harbour And it’s coming in contact with the people Town to avoid public transport and avoid It was real, unscripted and greatly who live and work here that gives me going into the city,” Ms Hart said. appreciated by attendees. enormous confi dence in the future. Ms Hart said she had written to every Th is should embolden the forum’s councillor about the cancellation. Docklanders are just getting on with it and organisers to have enough confi dence this year we saw evidence of an emerging that the Docklands community itself can She received a response from City of sense of co-operation. set the agenda. Having come so far, it Melbourne city business director Martin Th e highlight of 2012 for me was the would be a shame to see the forum fail Cutter on behalf of the councillors. because the council refused to let go. establishment of the Docklands In the letter, Mr Cutter said that council had Community Forum. It should congratulate itself that its work a legal responsibility to deliver a safe event Th e opportunity that it aff orded people to is largely done. It has set the scene and and that the decision was not related to cost. now it needs to take a back seat. come together to work towards a common If a choice was off ered the Docklands goal is the achievement. I would also like to thank all the Chamber of Commerce favours the 9.30pm Th e way people have responded to this advertisers who have supported the fi reworks over the midnight show. has clearly been a surprise to the forum’s Docklands News in 2012. Without our However, Mr Cutter told the Docklands organisers who have not kept up by advertisers, we would not exist. So please Community Forum on November 28 that this providing an adequate structure. support them in turn. was not an option. Th e forum met for a second time on And to our readers, I extend the He said the decision was irreversible and November 28 and it was frustrating that the compliments of the season. Have a great the new policy would drive more people to two-hour window of opportunity was largely break over the holidays and come back refreshed and invigorated for the work Docklands but encourage them to stay until wasted with presentations from the council that needs doing to fulfi ll Docklands’ after midnight. and Places Victoria. true potential. Mr Cutter implied that he had been trying Th e information presented was highly to have the 9.30pm Docklands fi reworks relevant, well presented and appreciated by cancelled for three years and had fi nally got the audience. councillors to accept that the public safety But the two-hour opportunity to talk about risk was too great. ISSUE 82 DOCKLANDS NEWS 3 Vans weren’t denied permit However, the food vans were not denied Reports that popular a permit to trade in Docklands. In fact, no Melbourne food trucks were application had been made for a new permit. kicked out of Docklands According to a City of Melbourne spokesperson, the vans had operated under after complaints from other a short-term permit issued to Places Victoria traders are false.