More Parkland For Yarra

Rushall Reserve is under threat from Council

UNLESS STOPPED they will cut down trees and PERMANENTLY turn grassland into asphalt. One third (33%) of green space used by the local community will be GONE forever.

AND which will cost $1.6+ million ... every cent of it coming out of your rates.

SHOW YARRA COUNCIL THAT FITZROY NORTH RESIDENTS VALUE THEIR GREEN SPACE AND WILL FIGHT TO PROTECT IT.

How did Council get into this mess?

Rushall Reserve is Fitzroy North's second largest park. It is your park which has been restored from a tip in 1978 to a community park by local residents over the years.

Today it is a thriving, bushy park because local residents, schools and community groups spent 15 years clearing, weeding and planting out the area.

All of it was done with the full support of the then Fitzroy Council.

Yarra Council is voting on a Planning Permit to build a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists in Rushall Reserve (Merri Creek Linear Reserve).

The Planning Application can be found here:

https://www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/services/planning-and-development/planning-applications/advertised-planning-applications/2018/08/15/pln180456

Here is the location of the shared path:

The Arguments for YES or NO

YES

Enables access to Rushall Reserve from Rushall Train Station.

Provides a third bike route between Holden Street and Queens Parade.

NO

Duplication

The shared path duplicates existing bike paths on Rushall Crescent

Cost

The shared path is rapidly increasing in costs. It has grown from $520,000 in 2018 to $906,245 in 2019.

This does not include an additional $393,195 that Metro Trains Melbourne will charge the Council for construction works impacting Rushall Train Station and tracks.

The expected minimum cost for this approximately 200m of shared path is $1,299,440.

[Note: Latest estimates suggest is now expected to be over $1.6 million].

That is $1.6M+ dollars of your Rates ... and Council staff can't guarantee that it won't go up even more.

Nevertheless Council voted to CONTINUE the project 6 to 3.

Potential danger

The anticipated path is along the steep enscarpment next to the train line.

Constructing the path here is likely to weaken the area and make the ground more likely to give way.

Incomplete plan

There is NO Masterplan for Rushall Reserve.

Residents and previous Councils have worked together to turn this former dump site into the Rushall Reserve loved and enjoyed by the community.

Before spending $1.6M+ of your rates, Council should develop a complete plan of how Rushall Reserve can be improved for all new and existing residents.

This project has become so expensive that at the 24 April 2018 Council Meeting, Council Staff recommended that it NOT GO AHEAD.

So how did your Councillors vote?

VOTED YES

(Continue Project)

- Councillor Amanda Stone

- Councillor Mike McEvoy

- Councillor James Searle

- Councillor Misha Coleman

- Councillor Jackie Fristacky

- Councillor Stephen Jolly

VOTED NO

(Stop Project)

- Councillor Chen Yi Mei

- Councillor Danae Bosler

- Councillor Daniel Nguyen

What can you do if you don't want Council to spend $1.6M of your Rates on this Project?

Send an objection to Yarra Council by clicking on the big green button above

OR

via this link: https://www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/services/planning-and-development/planning-applications/advertised-planning-applications/2018/08/15/pln180456

and click on the 'I Want To Lodge An Objection' button.

OR

It might be easier to just email your objection to:

planningadmin@yarracity.vic.gov.au.

Remember to include the Planning Reference 'PLN18/0456'.

You might like to use our Sample Objection here: https://sites.google.com/view/moreparklandforyarra/objection

OR

If you are old school you can mail your objection to:

Yarra City Council

PO Box 168

Richmond VIC 3121

AND

If you want you can also send a copy to us at: moreparklandforyarra@gmail.com.

Why Does It Matter?

Your Parks are your breathing spaces.

Guard them. Cherish them.

A park is a living living-room, in which to do anything or nothing…or simply breathe.

Parkland is valuable…. there are and will be many attempts to steal or spoil your parks.

Protect your parks from the pressure of political concrete.

Greedy eyes see the money in it

Patrick White 1972

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