Yarra Park Association

Return the Park to the People!

Our objective is to remove car parking from the grass surfaces of Yarra Park

Article: Government pours our money into the Southern Stand.

Sydney defeats copy-cat proposal for Moore Park.  (PDF) Sydney Cricket Club has Yarra Park envy. 

• Melbourne City Council policy is to remove parking from Yarra Park.  See Council business item relating to current agreement.
• To try and avoid the electoral backlash from forcing a new parking agreement on the City of Melbourne, the Government passed a bill through Parliament last December to transfer control over Yarra Park from the City of Melbourne to the Melbourne Cricket Ground Trust, which will outsource management of the Park to the Melbourne Cricket Club.  The only votes against the bill were from the Greens and the DLP in the Upper House (Legislative Council).  The Liberal Party supported the Government's bill.  This was despite the fact that the Government had failed to produce documents requested by the Upper House 3 weeks earlier.  The bill was signed into law by the Govenor on 15/12/2009, ending over 100 years of the Park's management by the City of Melbourne.
• The Commonwealth Games used no parking on Yarra Park, proving that it is feasible.
• Trees are dying in Yarra Park because of the drought, cars are making it worse by compacting the soil.  Read the Friends of the Elms President's Annual Report and see the photos of cars parking on the tree roots.
• Cars are parked all over the dogs off-leash area.  This puts the Council in the position of encouraging dog owners to expose their dogs to danger.  At the very least the signs need to be removed when parking is permitted.  See offleash page.
• There is no enforcement of the 10km/h speed limit.  Cars are frequently driven well over this speed.  This puts pedestrians and cyclists at risk.

News Archive

Yarra Park fees, fines help swell City Council coffers - The Age 15/11/2009

 

Kick out the Cars Picnic Was held Sunday 28th June 2009 Watch the Channel 7 News item

 

It's on in Central Park, NY also: http://www.transalt.org/campaigns/cpark

 

Government offers to give away Yarra Park

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,25217976-2862,00.html
“the Government offered the AFL a package that would: … see the Government take control of Yarra Park (used for parking on match days) and in turn transfer management of it to the MCG Trust.”

Melbourne City Council Elections 2008

The Yarra Park Association recommended a vote for any of these three teams:

• Morgan-Clarke
• The Greens
• C Melbourne Grow

These candidates have committed to ending car parking at Yarra Park, and all of them have a track record on and off Council opposing parking. Other candidacies, including McMullin, Fowles and Doyle will allow parking to continue.  See the correspondence page.

 

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Article: Car is doomed, energy experts warn.

01Aug07 Melbourne Leader reports Melbourne City Council wants to remove parking,

see article. 

Cr Catherine Ng said the park was being destroyed.  “The park is not a car park so we need to return it to a normal park,” she said.  “It's not about the parking money, that's just … for administration,” she said. “People are using Yarra Park as a convenience and we've extended (the parking contract) because there are no other options.” The State Government should build a car park big enough for all Olympic Park events when it builds its soccer stadium in 2009, Cr Ng said.

Cr Ng is congratulated on her strong stand in defence of the park.

Age article on economic benefit of the Grand Final

Age article discusses economic benefit and whether it is better to have interstate teams in the finals.  While they mention that most economic benefit would accrue from interstate visitors, we can conclude that those visitors don't need to park on the park! Actually they would be far more attracted to beautiful parkland where they could have a picnic before the game.

AFL grab for more of our Park defeated!

Thanks to all those who wrote to Council opposing the AFL land grab, described below.  The Council's environment committee rejected the proposal on Tuesday 5th June.  From the minutes: ‘The Chair Cr Brindley, […] acknowledged receipt of numerous items of written correspondence in relation to Agenda Item 5.6, “AFL Grand Final Centre Square Club”.’  The Committee passed the following motion:
That the Environment Committee:
1.1.  not issue a permit for the Centre Square Club in Yarra Park;
1.2.  explore options with the AFL for alternative sites for the event;
1.3.  resolve that all applications for major events in parkland be brought to Committee before any ‘in principle’ approval status is granted; and
1.4.  request a further report to the Marketing and Events Committee detailing a revised procedure for event applications.

We can now demand that the land in question cease to be used for car parking at all times.  The AFL has admitted it is not needed for parking by proposing to use it for their eateries.

Details of the AFL land grab

Paddock 8 was to be fenced off from September 3 until October 4 (35 days) to allow construction and demolition of marquees and landscaping and catering infrastructure to entertain corporate guests.

Read the East Melbourne Group's Notice.

We can now see what was finally agreed to: most of Birrarung Marr is alienated for the AFL's use along with a strip of Yarra Park alongside Brunton Avenue.  How ironic (and stupid) to block off the Will.  Barrak bridge, constructed at huge cost to facilitiate pedestrian movement from the City to the 'G, at exactly the time it is most needed.  What else can the City do to make public transport less attractive?

Rectangular Stadium

Melbourne Victory doesn't want to be part of the new rectangular stadium - prefers Telstra Dome.  This is good news for Yarra Park.  The new rectangular stadium is therefore unnecessary and would add more cars to Yarra Park on more days.  See Heraldsun story and
The Age: Second A league Club May Damage Sport.