Spring marks positive turn for business

It’s always with excitement that our business community turns over the calendar to the month of September.

Not only does it usually mark the start of an upturn in business, which culminates in the late spring-pre-Christmas period, but it also heralds a raft of events and activities on and around the Yarra River.

We’re thankful for the City of Melbourne’s consideration of our plea to reduce the impact of the Southbank Promenade works on our river front businesses.

Their agreement to halt works from next month through to Easter 2023 should enable still struggling businesses to enjoy an unimpeded peak trading period, which will help them to claw back out of the COVID lockdown troughs.

Advocacy for our business community is one of our key roles, but so is building the relationship between the business and residential communities. One thing we learned out of the lockdowns was that many of our businesses are not meeting the needs of the more than 20,000 residents who live in Southbank and South Wharf.

This was based on anecdotal feedback over the years and was confirmed in the 2022 City of Melbourne neighbourhood survey for 3006. Among many priorities identified, you said that you wanted our businesses to provide a better product to enhance your residential lifestyle.

For this reason, and as a follow-up to the council survey, the association has appointed an independent consultant to delve further into what you want and need from the business community, and how you use local services. This is not a data-mining exercise, but a genuine effort to better align what we provide to what you want as residents.

Starting next month, you may receive an invitation to participate in an online survey from a company called Right Angle. We will be happy to share the aggregated information with you through this paper early next year. Apart from helping to improve the amenity of Southbank/South Wharf, your participation could win you one of a raft of dining prizes. The main communication channels to you will be through the Southbank Residents Association and Southbank 3006, so keep a watch on your inboxes!

The Lord Mayor’s Greenline vision is rapidly becoming reality and YRBA is pleased to play an active role in developing the concepts. The four kilometres of green spine along the north bank will be delivered in non-consecutive nodes, starting with the river frontage of Birrarung Marr in 2023.

After that, we’re hoping that the focus will turn to Banana Alley, which is an historic gem ripe for transformation into one of this city’s most atmospheric places for enjoyment and recreation. You can have input into the Birrarung Marr plans until September 12 by heading to participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/greenline-project/birrarung-marr-precinct-site-one •

Jeremy Vincent
President YRBA