Hurrah! Our first 2018 forum is on

It’s at 6.15pm on Tuesday, March 20 at the Golden Fleece Hotel, 120 Montague St, South Melbourne.

With the announcement in late February of short term freezes on further planning permits until new planning controls are formalised and the Ministerial Advisory Committee presenting their report to the State Planning Panel on March 1, Fishermans Bend and The Montague Precinct are in the news and our forum is very timely.

The Montague Community Alliance is genuinely encouraged by the Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne’s announcement of the permit freezes and we look forward to hearing what controls will be included for building heights, density and the overall liveability of the Montague Precinct.

We have read with interest the Ministerial Advisory Committees (MAC) review and, for the most part, are supportive of its work.

We as always, note the lack of direct description of the existing community. We are small but we are here and our voices deserve to be heard.

The Fishermans Bend individual precinct plans have not yet been released.

And before they are released, there is an opportunity here for those in authority to engage directly with us, to ask us how it is to live and work here now.

How are we incorporating the rapid pace of change? How do we intend to welcome our new neighbours and finally what we think the future might look like?

The Montague Community Alliance has been working hard for five years to ensure our voices are heard. We have been running events, getting information out there to the local community (and those living on the interface with Montague Precinct) to ensure that, even though we are capital city zoned, we have communication and information.

So, Minister Wynne, don’t you think we might have something relevant and timely to contribute to the debate?

Sure we have been asked to attend meetings.

But NOWHERE in the reports, that have been years in the researching, does it directly acknowledge we exist!

This is not a brown field site … Well now I have got that off my chest, let me tell you who else we can talk with about the planning and future of the Montague Precinct – Martin Foley, State Labor Member for Albert Park and Minister for Housing, Disability, Ageing, Mental Health, Equality and Creative Industries.

David Davis, Shadow Minister for Public Transport, Planning and Equality and Dr Samantha Ratnam, Member for Northern Metropolitan, Leader of The Victorian Greens, spokesperson for Planning, Housing, Gambling, Disability, Veterans, Agriculture and Regional Development.

Please come along and join us, we need to ask pertinent and relevant questions of our elected representatives to ensure we are part of the solution.

There is a state election this year and what better time to start asking what we can expect from whom ever forms the next government.

As usual, the Golden Fleece has very kindly provided its great Montague pub and we look forward to catching up with you there.

See you on Tuesday, March 20 at 6.15pm at the Golden Fleece Hotel, Montague St, South Melbourne It’s one for your diaries!

Trisha Avery Convener