FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, 2015 ISSUE 13 WWW.CBDNEWS.COM.AU FREE FOOD / EVENTS / NIGHTLIFE / LUNCH TIME / AFTER WORK / THE WEEKEND pages 12-15 COUNCIL IS ROLLING IN CASH TRAM STOP PLAN REVEALED DUCKBOARD BOOK LAUNCH STATE ACTS ON SMOKING - page 3 - - page 4 - - page 7 - - page 9 - Independence celebrations Indian Independence Day was celebrated in style last month. Federation Square was the focus of the day on August 15, which saw a fl ag-raising, dancing and celebrity heart-throbs. Th e Indian Film Festival of Melbourne also kicked off during the weekend. A Bollywood dance competition was popular with 31 teams of dancers selected from around Australia, New Zealand and Fiji participating. Among the judges were actress Kangana Ranaut, heart-throb Imran Khan and director Nikhil Advani. Double whammy for CBD traders along the eastern edge of the CBD. this year’s parade to assess whether the in that context. We will work closely with the money it contributes continues to activate AFL to ensure that city businesses continue Th e previously joyous thoughts Th is year’s parade starts at the Old Treasury CBD businesses. to benefi t from the AFL Grand Final Parade Building, travels south down Spring St before of another AFL grand fi nal in future years.” have turned to despair for turning left into Wellington Pde and making Th e council’s marketing chair, Cr Beverley its way to the MCG. Pinder-Mortimer, said she was disappointed Collins Street Precinct president Mary city retailers who are about to that the parade had been re-routed. Poulakis declined to comment, but City Th e AFL says the new public holiday played Precinct president Gerard Kelly did not hold “However, it is likely that the tradition will suff er a double whammy on “into a little bit of the thinking” and says it back. October 2. worked closely with the State Government remain and Melburnians will take to the before announcing the new route. holiday like any other long weekend and Mr Kelly said grand fi nal eve had become fi nd time to stop by for some shopping one of central Melbourne’s biggest days for Not only will they have to pay severe penalty “To fi nish the parade in and around that and dining after the Spring St activities,” Cr small business but many would not be able rates should they choose to open, city environment where families can enjoy a Pinder-Mortimer said. to open this year. workers won’t be around because the State whole day of activity, we think provides a “We hope that the change in the route does “Penalty rates will make it impossible for Government has gazetted a public holiday. great opportunity,” corporate partners and not prove to be detrimental to our retail some to open,” he said. business manager Richard Simkiss said. And, to make things even worse, the AFL and hospitality sector and will evaluate the has re-routed the annual grand fi nal parade Th e City of Melbourne says it will evaluate success of the 2015 AFL Grand Final Parade Continued on page 4 TOO BUSY TO VISIT A HOME LENDER? LET US VISIT YOU YOUR PERSONAL ANZ MOBILE LENDER, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE 03 9642 2025 This Mobile Lender operates as ANZ Mortgage Solutions Melbourne CBD, ABN 92 147 784 754, an independently operated franchise of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) ABN 11 005 357 522. Australian Credit License Number 234527. ANZ’s colour blue is a trade mark of ANZ. Item No. 92339A 08.2015 W454869 2 CBD NEWS ISSUE 13 The great CBD rip off Princess range of off erings from “the mindful art of Mary Club is Suite 108, 198 Harbour Esplanade Editorial comment, Integrative Qigong” to walking groups and PO Box 23008 Docklands 8012 by Shane Scanlan art activities. Tel: 8689 7980 Fax: 9602 2929 www.cbdnews.com.au Th e Library at the Dock in Docklands lists 22 still standing Melbourne CBD residents are “live events” on its webpage – including table Advertising tennis, learning how to make string, the art Tel: 8689 7980 Fax: 9602 2929 being short-changed when it CBD residents opposed to the of Japanese pickles and learning to knit with [email protected] comes to community services. big needles. demolition of the Princess Reader contributions are welcome. Th ese activities may not be to everyone’s Mary Club in Lonsdale St Please send articles and images to About 40,000 people live within postcode taste but, the point is, nothing is being remain confi dent of success. [email protected] 3000 and a further 6000 apartments are off ered within the CBD where the residential Th e deadline for the October edition is currently under construction. population is exploding. In the CBD, Developer Leighton Properties wants to Th ursday, September 17. Th e residential population will soon be particularly, there is an even greater demolish the building to make way for a proportion of overseas-born residents who, Follow us on Twitter 50,000 – the equivalent of a major country 33-storey commercial tower on the site. you would reasonably expect, would be in @CBD_News_3000 town – and yet there are practically zero community facilities and activities. even greater need of community services. Th e Wesley Historic Precinct Action Group (WHPAG) reports that Heritage Like us on Facebook Th e City of Melbourne has done very well It’s as if the City of Melbourne believes that Victoria is organising a peer review cbdnewsmelbourne from its apartment-tower-fuelled growth. the buzz and vibrancy of the city is its own of a report from the developer on the reward for residents. But it’s the residents’ Unlike fast-growing outer metropolitan CBD News is owned and operated by condition of the building. presence in the fi rst place which has created councils, it has (relatively speaking) not Shane Scanlan ([email protected]. the buzz and vibrancy. had to fund new roads, street lighting or “Leightons are claiming that the building au) and Shine Dighe (shine@cbdnews. footpaths to house its new residents. is too far gone to the saved, but we com.au). Th e council itself admits this. Two years ago know that that’s not true,” said WHPAG it hosted a self-congratulatory exhibition, It likes to brag about its low rate increases. Lifestyle editor: Laura Timberlake - spokesperson Maureen Capp. Postcode 3000: A City Transformed?, which But an examination of its budgets shows [email protected] celebrated the achievement of returning that this is because of massive increases “We’ve asked Heritage Victoria to send 20,000 copies are printed and residents to the central city. in the numbers of rateable properties and their own engineers to check out the distributed within Melbourne's CBD corresponding increases in revenue. Princess Mary Club,” she said. Its promotional material said: “Today, each month. 14,000 of these copies Melbourne is internationally recognised as On the expenditure side of the ledger, it can Ms Capp said, once the condition of are delivered by Australia Post into one of the world’s most liveable cities, with a be seen that staff are the people who are the building was established, Heritage residential and business letterboxes vibrant, urbane downtown. Th ere are many doing the best from the extra revenue. Victoria has a further 53 days to make within postcode 3000. Th e other reasons for this dramatic turnaround but the a decision. Th e action group has also 6000 copies can be found in cafes, Th e city’s website says community return of residents to the downtown 21 years written to the City of Melbourne opposing restaurants, supermarkets, bars,etc. infrastructure projects are being conducted ago is generally acknowledged as a major in Carlton, North Melbourne and Docklands. an application by the Wesley United CBD News works because people want contributing factor.” It has completed projects in Kensington, Church to consolidate seven titles on the to know what is happening in their site into three. Th e same promotion goes on to say that Docklands, Southbank and Carlton. neighbourhood. council staff had been the recipients of more Open space is rapidly diminishing from In a letter to the council WHPAG said: We report local news – things that than 120 local, national and international the CBD, often with the blessing of the “Given the background to the site, and matter only to people who live, work or awards for their eff orts. City of Melbourne (the last two examples the fact that there is a town planning visit postcode 3000. We cover all City permit application in process with Locals have rewarded the CBD in so many being in Little Collins St at the McKillop St of Melbourne council meetings, we Heritage Victoria and the Minister for ways. But there is nothing coming back. intersection and at the Rialto site on the have monthly briefi ngs with local police corner of Collins and King streets). Planning, Wesley Historic Precinct Action and we attend resident and business Th e community facilities and activities are Group (WHPAG) wishes to object to the Th e council likes to engage in the intellectual networking events and functions. in the long-established residential suburbs above proposed Town Planning Permit exercises such as apartment design to our north and west. And it’s perhaps application No TP-2015-648.” We generally keep our opinions to standards. But there is no awareness or not surprising that this is where fi ve of ourselves. We are a community service interest in looking after the people who have “Th ere is no doubt there is more than one Melbourne’s six resident councillors live (the bringing accurate, crafted reporting to underpinned its recent fi nancial success.