Reasons to be cheerful

Well ‘tis the season to be jolly (now there’s a word we don’t use anymore), and jolly we will be! Here are just a few things that make us happy about living here in Montague … Location, location, location Located on the edge of the city, we are three stops from the CBD Free Tram Zone and the beach. We are also walking distance to and from South Melbourne Market and have three great pubs and a micro-brewery. Great schools We have an excellent state primary school in the precinct in South Melbourne Primary School, as well as a brilliant state secondary school only a 20-minute walk away in Albert Park College. Port Melbourne We have close links to our neighbours in Port Melbourne. We are closely linked to Port Melbourne and can access all the open space along the 109 tram route. Community The most important reason to be jolly is that, here in Montague, we know each other, we are a close-knit community, we care about each other and our precinct and we love our little village. So, before you all think I’ve allowed sentimentalism to affect my hitherto cautious approach, here are some things we in Montage look forward to seeing changed or developed in 2020 … Bringing back the Montague working group that included the Fishermans Bend Taskforce. Finally getting the City of Port Philip to discuss neighbourhood agreements with developers and builders. Putting in traffic lights at the intersection of Buckhurst and Montague streets to ensure safety for pedestrians crossing Montague St. Formally recognising in the marketing descriptions that there is an existing community of residents and businesses. Caring about the impact on locals of the constant development, loud noise and dust. Unlike the CBD, Southbank and Docklands we still have single- and double-storey buildings that are profoundly affected by large and small scale development. So, there we are; some reasons to be cheerful (with a nod to Ian Drury and the Blockheads) and five more to look forward to. Have a safe and peaceful end of year rest and thank you to all who read this column and are interested in our little precinct of South Melbourne. We are so grateful to Sean Car and his team, and all at the Southbank Local News as the voice of Montague. A special thank you goes to the Montague community. To all the residents and businesses who make up our village we wish you all a peaceful and restful Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year. See you in 2020. Trisha Avery - Convener