ad

YRBA

YRBA

Train travellers may have noticed that the Yarra River Precinct has featured inside a large number of Metro carriages this autumn.

The colourful marketing campaign aimed to highlight to Melburnians that our part of the river is alive with events this time of the year. Whether you’re a young family or an octogenarian, there’s always something to engage you on the riverbanks, and it’s often free.

Events are a huge economic generator for precinct businesses, which is more than obvious when you wander through the food courts of Southgate or Crown on event days. However, the higher-end dining establishments also do well and, after their meal, the diners often wander the retail shops.  The connectivity between events and business was well proven during the refurbishment of the NGV a few years ago, when patronage to nearby businesses dropped by about 30 per cent during the two year closure.

To enhance the public’s knowledge of events happening in the precinct, the business association has added a real-time event calendar to the official Yarra River website: www.yarrariver.info  The immediate day’s events are highlighted on the homepage, and viewers can then delve into the calendar to see what’s happening in the days, weeks and months ahead. It’s also a great resource for local residents to learn what’s happening on their doorstep.

Planning

Southbank residents are well aware of the need to keep on top of planning department machinations at Spring St. The business association is now on high alert as a result of a proposal for a mega tower at 555 Collins Street, which could throw shadows across the river to City Road.

Since the late 1980s, the city council has recognised the potential for our narrow river and its public areas to be overwhelmed by inappropriate development. The council has a carefully-calculated formula for building height, so that it does not shadow the river, and its has provided reassurance to us, even as the skyline changed rapidly before our eyes over the past 20 years.

That is now threatened by the encroachment of state planning into what was traditionally the realm of local government to look after its constituency and, in particular, the look and feel of the city. Council cops a lot of criticism, but it must be commended for the way it has stylishly transformed this city, yet managed to retain and enhance the historic fabric of the streetscape.

Along with many others, the Yarra River Business Association will fight Minister Guy on any further attempt to subvert local control over planning, especially where it affects the amenity of the river and the economic wellbeing of its business community.

To contact the business association, please email the executive officer at [email protected]

Join our Facebook Group
ad