Southbank’s future begins now 

The title of this piece could be “believe it, achieve it”, “build it and they will come” or “dreams do come true.” 

Before I explain, let me take a step back and ask you a question: if you could change one thing about Southbank, what would it be? Hold onto that thought. 

When my partner and I moved into our Southbank apartment in 2019, we knew little about the area. We had been to several disappointing inspections throughout Melbourne when I saw an ad pop up for a new apartment building in Southbank, swung by for a visit and made a decision that same day to set down roots.  

Just a few days after moving in, while waiting to cross City Rd, a truck of cattle drove by leaving a plume of manure in its wake just a block away from Melbourne’s prized tourist waterfront. 

I couldn’t believe my eyes and searched the faces of those standing around me for the shock and dismay I was feeling. Nothing. Business as usual. 

I turned to my partner, “Why isn’t anyone else upset about this? How is it okay for farm animals to be transported through a neighbourhood?” I vowed to speak up and do something.  

That moment became the impetus for me to connect with several other community members who shared a vision for a better Southbank and, even more importantly, a philosophy about how to go about creating change. 

Together we formed the non-profit advocacy group Southbank3006. The core tenet of our group, and what sets us apart, is our belief in being solutions-focused and collaborative with stakeholders and leaders.  

We do not whine and complain. Rather, we engage with council, state and federal leaders thoughtfully, as partners not adversaries, coming to the table with ideas and a cooperative approach. We’ve earned the reputation of being problem-solvers, change-makers and idea-creators in the quest to make Southbank a great place to live and work.  

Fortunately, Southbank is blessed with dedicated leaders who listen and care with literal boots on the ground beside us, walking the neighbourhood, hearing our concerns, experiencing those problems firsthand and envisioning our dream of Southbank’s potential. 

Lord Mayor Nick Reece, Federal MP Josh Burns, State MP Nina Taylor, Greens Senator Steph Hodgins-May and City of Melbourne Neighbourhood Partner Ash Lee – all have invested time meeting with us and connecting with community members to better understand and address issues in Southbank. 

You may have heard that a glimmer of my dream came true on January 1, 2025, with a voluntary 12-month trial allowing livestock trucks to use the Burnley and Domain tunnels instead of detouring through Southbank. The trial is due in large part to the leadership and resolve of Cr Nick Reece and the hard work he began with us when he served as Deputy Lord Mayor.  

There have been other benchmarks for Southbank3006. Our creation of Southbank’s first community-wide celebration, A Very Merry Friend-mas, has inspired other groups to bring similar events to fruition. 

We came up with the idea to convert the crushed-rock space next to the ACCA into community green space and garnered the support of council, state and federal leadership with Nina Taylor MP spearheading funding to turn that dream into a reality. Our engagement with Josh Burns MP and the Lord Mayor contributed to the now funded Kings Ways under croft plan.  

After several years of building a strong reputation as solutions-focused partners with City of Melbourne, Southbank3006 is poised to be a key contributor to its new initiative, Envisage Melbourne 2050 – a plan for all of us to develop what Melbourne might look like in 25 years as a major metropolis that is vibrant and liveable to which Southbank is a key component.  

This is a bold initiative by the council to break out of operating from crisis to crisis to proactively deliver vision-based leadership inspired by solutions-focused partnerships with residents. 

Southbank3006 has been ready for this moment for a long time and has developed well thought out initiatives to bring about a more people-friendly Southbank that is safe, green and uncongested. 

Which brings me back to my question, if you could change one thing about Southbank, what would it be?  

To which I respond, what are you waiting for?  The vehicle for seeing your dreams come true exists, you need only jump on board.  •