The joy of Southbank 

The joy of Southbank 
Trisha Avery

Yes, and we mean it! As spring is enveloping us all (along with the challenges of all the plane trees), Southbank is splendidly coming back to life. 

The trees, shrubs, grass and flowers are sprouting, and coats and scarves are slowly being peeled off. What a great time to be a Southbanker.

One of the main reasons we founded the Southbank3006 group was to forge connections with our neighbours, our environment and the liveability of our suburb. 

We have certainly come a long way, not just in all the community events we have organised that have been so well attended by our neighbours, and not only in our advocacy for more green and open space, better traffic management and personal safety, but also in the significant work we have put into building strong working relationships with the City of Melbourne councillors and officers, and our state and federal representatives. 

We at Southbank3006 are all volunteers and provide the services and events we undertake for the love of our suburb and our desire to create a liveable and joyful environment for all of us.

Of course, there are still many challenges that come with living in a suburb on the edge of a CBD home to serious state and national tourist attractions such as the National Gallery of Victoria, the Yarra-Birrarung and all its attractions and renowned restaurants, all of which attract many visitors. 

And that, dear readers, is not only one of the most unique attractions of our suburb, but also one of the biggest challenges. 

How can we embed our neighbourly connections and relationships when we are inundated with thousands of visitors every month? 

Spring and summer are the busiest times in Southbank with so many attractions both in the Arts Precinct and all the activities on the river. It is worth remembering that there are significant numbers of residents living adjacent to these iconic attractions, and the influx of significant numbers of visitors has an impact on us, both good and challenging. 

So, to maintain our connectedness and harmonious amenities we work together to create events, such as our major annual Christmas event a Merry Friend-mas, communications such as this column (thanks to Southbank News), our website southbank3006.com and our social pages on Instagram and Facebook. 

If you would like to be more involved in your community or have ideas, we would love to hear from you. 

The City of Melbourne council elections have now begun with voting open from October 7, and you should receive your postal ballots shortly. 

Please think very carefully about who to vote for. Southbank3006 is non-partisan as our members are diverse and smart enough to do their own research. However, as a community group, we would work with whomever is elected. 

We have had a fantastic and productive relationship with the incumbents who have listened to the community’s concerns and for the most part acted on virtually all of our recommendations, and we look forward to working as well and in unity with the newly elected Lord Mayor and councillors after the election.

We hope you have a wonderful October. You will hear from us again very soon but join us via southbank3006.com to become part of the team making Southbank more liveable. •

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