Welcome to the NWMA website

The North & West Melbourne Association was founded in 1967 to work towards a better community: ensuring strategic and statutory planning meet local goals, protecting heritage buildings and streetscapes, improving parks, gardens, open spaces and the environment, improving community facilities, taking up social issues and protecting the local area from through commuter and truck traffic.

Members of the Association work on these issues at local and government levels.

The Association welcomes new members. In 2009 our meetings will be held at 7.30pm at the North Melbourne Library on the third Wednesday of the month, with the exceptions of March and May 2009, where meetings will be held on the fourth Wednesday (25th March at 8.00pm) and second Tuesday (12th May at 7.30pm) respectively.

What do you think about these issues?

1.HORSE POLO IN ROYAL PARK

Last night (13th October 2009) the Finance and Governance Committee of the Melbourne City Council rejected the proposal for a Horse Polo event on prime recreation land next to the Hockey and Netball Centre. This is a great decision for the users of Royal Park where it was proposed to remove a number of trees. A range of other issues such as parking, traffic and public safety are still of concern to the community. The North & West Melbourne Association will continue to monitor this issue as it is possible that it may be referred to the full Council meeting where the numbers could change. It is understood the Lord Mayor and Councillor Peter Clarke (believed to be a strong supporter of the proposal) were absent from the meeting last night so the decision is at risk of being overturned. It is believed this proposal would require the State Government to amend the regulations controlling Royal Park.

Please make your view known to the Melbourne City Councillors and to the local member Bronwyn Pike.

Polo in Royal Park Download (201KB)

posted Wednesday 14th October 2009

2. NORTH MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB PROPOSAL ‘AUSSIE ROCK ON ARDEN’

North & West Melbourne Association thanks the membership for the responses received. In the light of further information that has recently become available the Committee maintains its level of concern about this proposal. The further information consists of:

.Cost of admission to the event is to be $75-00 per head.
.The target audience is to be 25-30 year age group, plus, and not orientated to youth or families.
.The event is not part of the open day family multicultural activity which is proposed to be on the 14th February 2010.
.Aussie Rock on Arden is a stand alone commercial event proposed for Saturday 20th March 2010 between 2-00pm and midnight.
.The main performers are Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham – chosen to appeal to an older audience.

Whilst the above information is confirmed, the Melbourne City Councillors appear to have only been briefed on this issue at a private meeting at the Town Hall. The matter has not been to a Council committee meeting where normally a detailed report would be available for public scrutiny. The Association is concerned about the process to date.

A number of issues are still unresolved:

Proper standards for the conduct of the event including, infrastructure protection, public safety and health issues have not been defined.
The Rock concert is not part of the opening and is actually being held 5 weeks later.
It is a commercial event and it appears no opportunity exists for local youth to perform.
Is the event consistent with the lease between the Council and the football club?.
Is State Government approval required for this event.?
Are the Melbourne City Councillors going to make the decision on this proposal at a public committee and council meeting, or just leave it to the administration?
What impact will the event have on the grassed surface and other recreation areas and facilities?
What is the expected attendance of this event and what is the expected impact on the surrounding area?
Will this event create a precedent for similar events in future years?
The event appears to have little to do with the Language and Learning Centre or multiculturalism.
Whilst comments have been made about sharing the profits between the Football Club, Language and Learning Centre and the community, no clear guidelines have been provided for the distribution.

posted 14th October 2009

ALERT URGENT – MAJOR ISSUE AFFECTING NORTH MELBOURNE

The North Melbourne Football Club has announced that it proposes to conduct a rock concert at the North Melbourne Recreation Reserve in Arden Street North Melbourne. The event will be held on Saturday the 20th of March 2010 between the hours of 2.00pm and midnight.

The Football Club is conducting a public meeting to discuss this proposal on Wednesday the 14th October at 6.30pm in the meeting room at the North Melbourne Pool.

It is important for members of the community to attend this meeting to question the Club and the Council about this proposal in more detail. It would also be reasonable to question our Local Member Bronwyn Pike given the State Government is the owner of the land. It is unclear if our Local Member will attend.

Members have already expressed concern about this proposal, particularly as Councillors have only been briefed about this proposal in early September and formal notices have appeared in the media. Other concerns are traffic, parking, noise, lack of infrastructure (no public toilets or seating etc) commercialisation of our Parklands (this is a ticketed event), Town Planning requirements, damage to recreation areas and alcohol. It is unclear if it is to be a one off or regular event and if a precedent is created (the Big Day Out in Princes Park and the Flower and Garden Show in Carlton Gardens).

Why does this event need to be held in the only substantial public open recreation space in North Melbourne and not in other safer and better purpose designed facilities for this sort of event.

Please let us know your views as soon as possible. The Association depends on the active expression of member’s views. Our email address is info@nwma.org.au

We encourage members and other community members to attend the meeting on the 14th October to express their concerns.

posted 9th October 2009

3.FLEMINGTON RAILWAY

We have supported the proposal to extend the railway line from the Flemington racecourse and Showgrounds to the new housing proposal for the old munitions site in Maribyrnong. It could connect to the Victoria University and Highpoint Shopping Centre. Read the report from The Age: Maribyrnong Railway

4.E-CITY

Professor Chris Ryan spoke about E-City at the NWMA’s AGM in April. In early May another proposal emerged for E-Gate to construct another football stadium on the site. A sample response has been prepared and sent to Tim Pallas (Minister for Major Projects) with a copy to Bronwyn Pike. We encourage you to send your own letter of support. (email addresses as follows tim.pallas@parliament.vic.gov.au, bronwyn.pike@parliament.vic.gov.au ) Download the sample letter (PDF)

Current Projects

Key current projects include