The appeal against the use of Goodrest as a pre-school centre is continuing and is to be heard at VCAT in April. The proposed development raises very important issues for local residents. The MSYRG has contributed to the considerable cost of the appeal. The group would encourage all those concerned with the impact this development will have on the residential amenity of our increasingly over trafficked area of South Yarra area to do the same. Please contact Neil Gunn on 0418 435811 to make your contribution.
In recent years, and particularly 2015, areas of South Yarra have been inundated with persons parking illegally and damaging trees and median strips whilst attending the ANZAC Day Dawn Service. Domain Street has been most affected by this activity. An attempt to dissuade persons from parking on the central median strip and damaging young Tulip trees was made last year by placing large green tree watering bollards on the granitic sand between the trees on the central road islands. These were simply bulldozed out of the way by enthusiastic drivers who then pinned the bollards between the tow bars of their 4WD utes and the trees themselves causing just as much damage. The MSYRG has encouraged the CoM to take the next step and that would be closing off Domain Street for 2 hours around the time of the Dawn Service so as to protect these important public assets. The closure should have no effect on residents who will be able to move in and out of Domain Street between 05:30 and 07:30am on 25th April whilst the road closure to non-residents is in place. With any luck, no further damage will be done to trees and infrastructure by careless members of the public and their automobiles. Some examples of Dawn Service parking prowess demonstrated in 2015 can be seen below.
The review of the City of Melbourne heritage policy is about to enter the public phase that will in due course lead to an amendment of the current planning scheme.
The MSYRG committee has reviewed the draft policy and attached is our submission to Council.
We believe the draft is deficient in a number of ways and that the review does not go far enough to protect our remaining heritage areas.
Our submission discusses those deficiencies, sets out the additional work that is so essential and requests that this amendment to the planning scheme be postponed until this further work has been done.
Our submission to the City of Melbourne relating to the Heritage Policy review was lodged on 3rd March 2016 – Click on the link immediately below.
The Melbourne South Yarra Residents Group has as one of its main objectives the desire to protect the heritage nature of South Yarra. To that end, the President Michael Butcher has led the development of a submission to the Melbourne Heritage Review (MHR) intended to clearly describe some of the important heritage features of a number of specific streets in the South Yarra component of the City of Melbourne. It was decided to focus at the outset on a number of streets, or sub-precincts, that had substantially intact heritage features. Additionally we needed the assistance of individual residents – “street captains” who were able to contribute to the development of the statements of significance for each street. The MSYRG also commissioned the services of heritage architect Nigel Lewis to review and crystallise the individual precinct statements for ultimate submission to the Melbourne Heritage Review.
This project has involved many of hours of meetings, research and some expense to create this document that the MSYRG hopes will be a valuable contribution to the Melbourne Heritage review.
Very importantly, the MHR will be used by the City of Melbourne planning department to guide planning decisions in the future. The City of Melbourne states on its website that “Recognising and protecting the social and architectural heritage that defines our streets and neighbourhoods is an essential part of the City of Melbourne’s planning work”. The heritage review submission that we have made on behalf of all South Yarra residents aims to provide detail about the significant and irreplaceable heritage asset we have here in our midst.
It is important to realise that without the support of members and committee of the MSYRG, this important submission would not be possible and South Yarra would have missed out on vital input from residents who live in and take an interest in the area. Support of the MSYRG by local community is critical to its functioning.
Please take the time to have a read of the MSYRG submission – it outlines some of the rich and important history and of our local community.
Public Transport Victoria and Yarra Trams are conducting public consultation about the proposed tram route changes. The proposed changes include the cessation of the Number 8 tram that has served South Yarra residents well since the electrification of the line in 1926 by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB).
The MSYRG has written to the Minister for Transport and the CEO of Yarra Trams to seek further information on the reason for the proposed changes including the data they are using to justify the proposed change. That data has not been provided to date despite months of waiting.
Letter to Transport Minister 14.04.15 Letter to Yarra Trams 14.04.15
Whilst the MSYRG continues to pursue this matter it is vitally important that South Yarra residents express their view on the proposed change by completing the online survey on the Public Transport Victoria website.
The web address to complete the survey is: www.ptv.vic.gov.au
Click here
On the PTV website there is a window with sequencing content that eventually advertises the fact that you can, “Help plan your future tram services”. When you click on this you are directed to an online survey where you can provide input. It provides diagrams and justifications for the proposed changes. It justification largely rests on the supposed burgeoning demand for access to the western end of the CBD. Really?
PTV makes much of the increased frequency of trams to take passengers up St. Kilda road once they have been forced to wait at the Domain Interchange to head up to their usual destinations in St Kilda road or Swanston Street. There is little or no mention of the outbound trip from the CBD because the uncertainty of waiting for a proposed number 58 (far less frequent than St Kilda Rd trams) to collect them from the Domain Interchange and travel along Domain Road and into South Yarra and beyond is too unpalatable to mention.
This is a commercially driven proposal that has little regard for true amenity and passenger satisfaction with unvalidated supporting data dressed up as an improvement for all.
We say to PTV and Yarra Trams – leave the number 8 tram alone. It has served us well since 1926 with the central requirements to provide a single tram to transport users to the arts and entertainment area thence the centre of the city along Melbourne’s pre-eminent boulevard.
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