ad

Southbank shunned, again

Southbank shunned, again

Southbank has once again been shunned by the City of Melbourne’s budget, receiving precious little of the $99.3 million to be spent on capital works throughout the municipality over the next 12 months.

It is the second year in a row the council has largely ignored the Southbank community without any meaningful funding for infrastructure.

Of the capital funding we did receive, part of $1 million allocated to flood mitigation works will be spent near Kingsway, $300,000 will be spent on a linear park along Southbank Boulevard and $100,000 will go towards pedestrian improvements on Dodds St.

In other areas of the budget, $65,000 was allocated to the development of the City Rd Master Plan (See our story on page 3) and funding was included for the continuation of the First Friday Dance Club.

Councillor Aaron Wood said the flood works were vital for the area.

“Through detailed flood mapping and updated studies completed in 2013 we’ve identified heightened flood risk in the Southbank precinct,” Cr Wood explained.

“Investing in flood mitigation works for the Kingsway area is complementary to other aspects of the Southbank Structure Plan and ensures we are preparing for this risk,” he added.

Cr Wood also spoke of the need to develop and protect open space in Southbank.

“As a high-growth precinct, open space is critical for Southbank and that’s why this year’s budget includes $300,000 to kick-start a linear park along Southbank Blvd,” Cr Wood said.

“Green, open space is not only great for residents, but also reduces hard surfaces, which is another part of the solution in lessening the impact of flooding from storm events.”

Join our Facebook Group
ad