Southbank on pause amid uncertainty

By David Schout

As businesses close, workers clear and events cease, Southbank is bracing for an acutely uncertain 2020 amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

In the space of just two weeks in March, almost all Southbank-based businesses and events, including the highly anticipated Southbank Community Day and Boyd Park opening on March 21, were forced to close or cancel after increasingly stringent government measures forced people indoors.

Many local residents now face the prospect of isolation inside apartment buildings, making the months ahead particularly challenging.

With less room to move (and practice social distancing) in these living arrangements, owners’ corporations (OCs) throughout Southbank face important decisions about common areas and procedures to deal with residents who may contract the virus.

The local area, via its numerous hotels, may also host return travelers who are forcibly quarantined under federal government directives.

At the time of publishing, Crown Promenade and Crown Metropol were the only local hotels offering quarantine accommodation for returned travellers, according to the state government.

The impact on many businesses has been swift.

An area defined by a large working and tourism population, Southbank has seen a rapid downturn in foot traffic that rendered some streets to ghost towns in a short space of time.

The City of Melbourne’s pedestrian counting system indicated that foot traffic at usually busy locations at Queensbridge Square and Arts Centre Melbourne were down by 70 per cent in early April from usual averages.

Those numbers continue to decline as cafes, restaurants and other businesses in Southbank shut their doors last month, with some closing for good.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the health and economic impacts on the city were profound.

“Of course, the priority has to be health and the way we respond to our challenge around slowing the spread of this virus,” she said in a social media address.

“It has been devastating to see the impact on the number people (present) and what that means for our retailers and hospitality businesses in particular.”

Cr Capp said that people were “firmly at the centre” of the council’s approach in the coming weeks and months.

“It’s really important that we’re all taking a caring approach at this time. For us we’re particularly looking at our most vulnerable, being our elderly and rough sleepers. So please, whatever you’re doing, look out for the people around you whilst taking the necessary precautions for all of us to slow the advancement of this virus.”

All the city’s libraries, aquatic/recreation centres, arts and cultural centres, community hubs (including the Boyd Community Hub) and visitor centres have been closed until further notice.

While parks remain open, playground equipment has been ruled off-limits at the likes of Boyd Park and Grant Street Reserve.

As part of a partnership with Spotless Services, council’s cleaning services have been ramped up across the city, with a focus on sanitisation, cleaning surfaces that are touched often, removing litter and increasing street sweeping.

Some examples of additional cleaning activities include increased frequency of high pressure cleans of street furniture, installation of new soap dispensers in toilet blocks in Melbourne’s busiest parks, increased frequency of cleaning of public toilets and deep cleaning of priority park assets.

Childcare facilities and in-home services such as domestic assistance, home maintenance, meals, personal care, respite, and individual social support would continue, as council staff were ordered to ask COVID-19 screening questions.

While the state and federal government’s response would best determine the health and economic impact of COVID-19 on locals, the council has made a number of moves to soften the blow •