The residents celebrate 20 years!

The Southbank Residents’ Association (formerly Southbank Residents’ Group) has come a long way since its establishment in 1998.

Office bearers past and present met on May 8 to celebrate and reflect on the organisation’s first 20 years serving our local community.

Including current president Tony Penna and past presidents Ray McDonald and Joe Bagnara, the group gathered for a photo in Southbank Village, which is where the organisation's story first began.

What they said...

Ray McDonald – Inaugural president:

“We started this group because this area was going to be Southbank Village. Only thing was that is wasn’t going to be a village it was just going to be a series of high-rises,” he said.

“Due to the efforts of the Southbank Residents Group, that never happened. I’m proud of what we started.”

Joe Bagnara – Longest serving president:

“I quite enjoyed the role and I had a good relationship with the city council. I sometimes feel disappointed that we didn’t do more than we did but what more could we do?”

“The SRA was the only incorporated group in Southbank, one with an official voice and I think we can take credit for the good things in Southbank. We needed to give this place a soul and SRA has provided that.”

Tony Penna – Current president:

“I think now the association is taking a different approach in that all the land is developed so now it’s about infrastructure and having an association that creates a sense of community,” he said.

“We have a very good reputation in council. Even today the councillors look to the Southbank Residents’ Association as being the mouthpiece of Southbank. If you want to know what the residents think or feel we’re the first point of call.”

Martin Foley – Member for Albert Park:

“The Southbank Residents’ Association (SRA) evolution has followed the evolution of the Southbank community. Both have matured and led Southbank’s voice and development.”

“An independent and bold voice for the people of Southbank is what the SRA delivers. I look forward to working with the SRA on the next stage of the community of Southbank’s future.”

20 years and counting

It goes without saying that the sustainability, and ultimately, the success of any organisation come down to the people who run it.

Our community has been incredibly fortunate over the past 20 years to be served by a range of passionate and engaged residents, who’ve taken on the voluntary duties to advocate for the change we all want to see in our local area.

And this month, a number of those people gathered in the place where the journey first began in 1997 – Southbank Village.

Back then it was about protecting the Arts Precinct from high-rise development. The low-rise area that we know today as Southbank Village is all thanks to the efforts of those who started the Southbank Residents’ Group, which was incorporated on April 6, 1998.

The likes of Ray and Faye McDonald, the late-Bill Stephen and Marjorie Secomb, led the group during a period when Southbank was facing many serious threats as a result of questionable politics and poor planning.

By 2003, the group would be led into a new era under the leadership of Joe Bagnara – a passionate local resident who would serve in the role of president for the next eight years.

While it fought for a number of changes during this period, it was this group that achieved one of the organisation’s biggest feats to date – the establishment of the Boyd Community Hub.

And as the area has built up rapidly, recent presidents Michael Smolders, Mabel Vargas and currently, Tony Penna, have led the group into an era where strengthening community is now the number one priority.

Under the new name of the Southbank Residents’ Association, Tony Penna continues to lead this change by strengthening Southbank’s voice and fighting for the vital community infrastructure that allows that voice to flourish.

While it has been the victim of poor planning on more than one occasion, Southbank continues to slowly develop into a place that its community can be proud of.

Between the new Southbank Boulevard, Boyd Park, development of the Arts Precinct and changes along City Rd, I believe that the community has much to look forward to.

This is only due to the efforts of the Southbank Residents’ Association - the voice of Southbank. I would encourage any locals to become a member of SRA.

I thank and congratulate all of our engaged community members who have been involved in helping this vital community pillar reach its 20th birthday. Here’s to many more!

southbankresidents.org.au