YRBA

The inaugural Yarra River business luncheon on 15 November 2013 proved that local business people have needed such an opportunity for many years.

75 people enjoyed two hours of making new contacts, renewing old ones and learning about an exciting new project for the Yarra River.

It was particularly pleasing to see a number of local residents as well, including Tony Penna of the Southbank Residents Group. Hopefully these quarterly lunches will help to bridge the gap between the business and residential interests of the precinct, because our common goal is to create a more liveable environment for residents, workers and visitors as well as promoting local business and commercial opportunities. The next luncheon will be mid-February 2014, so please let us know if you wish to be included on the mailing list, by emailing the address at the end of this column.

The luncheon also generated some new members for the association, so this month we are pleased to welcome: BC Car Rentals of 16 Whiteman St, Avril Image Consulting of Flinders Wharf Tower, Red Mullet Creative of Balaclava, and TGI Fridays, which has just established in Queensbridge Square.

Another reminder that the next few months is prime time to nominate someone for the Yarra River Precinct Customer Service Awards. This is a consumer-driven awards program and we need residents and visitors to tell us “who has made their day”. Look for the nomination coupon in this paper, and it will also appear in the February edition. It’s a reply-paid response, so all it needs is a few seconds of your time. Business and individual nominees need to be located and working in the Lower Yarra River and Southbank area.

The better weather and festive spirit has reminded everyone that the best way to see our city is from the water, whether it be on a dining cruise, a gondola, a one hour guided tour, a ferry trip to Williamstown, or a water-based taxi trip.

Any of the following can provide you with a very memorable Melbourne experience: Classic Steamboat Cruises, tel. 0425 779 473; Melbourne River Cruises, tel. 9614 1215; Melbourne Water Taxis, tel. 0416 068 655; Venice on the Yarra. tel. 9399 1991; Williamstown Bay and River Cruises, tel. 9682 9555.

As the year draws to a close, we should all be grateful to live or work in one of Australia’s great waterfront locations. With the slower pace of life over January, and perhaps a few days off, why not get acquainted with some of the lesser known aspects of the precinct, such as Marina YE at Yarra’s Edge, the Police Museum in WTC, No Vacancy Project Space in Federation Square, the Mission to Seafarers building (open to the public), the Plant Cottage in the Botanic Gardens, the Old Melbourne Observatory on Birdwood Avenue, and beautiful musical offerings at St Johns Southgate.

Happy holidaying.
[email protected]