Our plan for Macnamara

The Greens continue to support the arts through the creative industries policies, and are committed to investing in ANAM’s future as an extraordinary arts institution.

The Greens have committed $12.5 million in federal funding to ensure the success of this project.

The funding will be spent on:

• A full restoration of the town hall and creation of new open spaces;
• State-of-the-art performance, studio and rehearsal facilities;
• Office accommodation for creative industries organisations;
• A public café.

Art and culture are fundamental to the wellbeing of all Australians and should be valued as an integral part of Australia’s cultural heritage. The plan to restore the South Melbourne Town Hall and secure its future as an accessible community-serving arts venue is long overdue.

If elected, the Greens, in collaboration with ANAM and the City of Port Phillip, will help revitalise an integral historic building and provide a wealth of culture and art to the Port Phillip community and beyond.

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While the Local Council and State Government have engaged in extension planning and report writing, neither body of Government has yet committed the necessary funding to upgrade facilities or maintain current infrastructure.

The Greens have committed $5 million to ensure Albert Park remains a home for community sport, recreation and family leisure time available to all surrounding residents.

The funding will be spent on:

• Installing/upgrade lights on most ovals & fields
• Rebuilding overused and worn out sports grounds
• Creating new/replacement pavilions
• Completing the rebuilding of Lake Walls

While the maintenance of Albert Park remains a State Government responsibility, if elected the Greens commitment will help kick-start the upgrading of facilities and ensure the park remains accessible.

The Greens are committed to building and protecting Green space in Macnamara.

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It’s been more than 10 years since The City of Melbourne’s Open Space Strategy proposed “stitching together the northern and southern fragmented ‘halves’ of Southbank by decking over the void”, but it still remains just a proposal.

It’s time to take the proposal seriously and create more green open space for Southbank. There is no other area in Southbank for new public open space at this scale.

With the Greens funding commitment, we will:

• Partner with the State Government and commence construction of a new large community park, decking over CityLink to connect the two halves of Southbank;
• Create dedicated walking trails linking up with Balston Street, Sturt Street, Miles Street and Power/Kavanagh Streets will facilitate a high quality, convenient network of pedestrian connections;
• Propose a triangular parcel of land between Power Street and Sturt Street that may also be decked in future to allow for mixed and community uses for the Southbank community.

Green space helps keep our cities cooler – fighting the effects of climate change. The Greens know that without more trees in our suburbs, we will simply roast.

Since the Greens were first elected to Melbourne City Council in 1999 they have led the charge in protecting existing parks, gardens and green spaces, and also in the creation of new parks.

While the major parties are still taking money from coal and gas companies, The Green’s Green Australia plan thoroughly details their investment in making Australia’s cities greener – vital to our community’s health and wellbeing.

This proposal requires multi-level governmental input, and if elected the Greens commitment will help kick-start the project and create more green space where it is needed most.

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The Greens are committed to kickstarting this innovative project to improve green space in Macnamara, encourage active transport and to re-plant native species.

The proposal will mean:

• Improved public accessibility along the green line route;
• Walking, cycling and recreational connection from Alma Park to Elsternwick Nature Reserve, Rippon Lea Gardens, and the Elwood Canal precinct linking to the foreshore and beyond;
• Increase tree canopy cover;
• Increase biodiversity support through indigenous (and suitable) planting, and a dedicated corridor for wildlife along the rail line route;
• Improve permeability of water by replacing on-street parking with planting reserves and permeable paving.

The proposal will also make the area safer by installing more pedestrian crossings, widening pedestrian thorough-fares and nature strips, removing pedestrian obstacles and improving traffic flow.

Planting of indigenous species from the ground cover species to tree canopies will help revitalise some poorly maintained sections of the Green Line. The Greens know that without more trees in our suburbs, we will simply roast. That’s why they are committed to the Green Line and other local parks.

The Greens are committed to The Green Line and the significant public and environmental benefits of this project to our area. Find out more about the proposal here.

This commitment is a fully costed part of the Greens platform as part of our commitment to protect the environment, the full plan is here.

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The MPC will create over 200 gardens and plant 18,000 new plants over 4 suburbs. Over twenty specialists and scientists have been consulted on this project and the connection between science and community is to be celebrated through citizen science.

The Greens funding will go towards:

• 200 street gardens and public plantings;
• 18,000 indigenous plants designed for native bees and other pollinating insects;
• The creation of joyful and positive outside spaces that will benefit community and nature;
• Sustainable long-lasting healthy gardens;
• A citizen science program that will bring focus to our precious ecosystems in our urban areas;
• Enabling local schools and childcares/kinders within the MPC zone be a part of this ecosystem restoration

The Heart Gardening Project (THGP) is a community initiative based in South Melbourne that connects humans to humans, humans to nature and nature to nature through street gardening and public plantings.

Unlike the major parties who take massive handouts from property developers and big corporations, the Greens understand the need for more green open spaces in our cities to keep our air clean, and cities liveable.

The last time the Greens were in balance of power, we secured $1000 million dollars in funding for our environment – imagine what we could do with more Greens in parliament.

More information available here.

This commitment is a fully costed part of the Greens platform as part of our commitment to protect the environment, the full plan is here.

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The Greens have committed $12.1 million to support the delivery of Bayside Council’s masterplan for the 14 hectare site, which will create and expand wetlands, construct a chain of ponds (which are already undeway), plant wildflower meadows and re-forest woodlands.
This fully costed funding commitment from the Greens will assist Local and State Government to deliver the Masterplan, with a focus on providing habitat for threatened native animals that reside in the park, including the eastern great egret and the grey headed flying fox.

Elster Creek
This funding commitment will also support the rehabilitation of Elster Creek, which runs through the reserve, by expanding wetlands to harvest and filter storm water, improving the water quality of the Port Phillip Bay. The proposed wetlands cover 5.5 hectares, and it is estimated that constructing the wetlands will remove 1,620 kg of total Nitrogen per year from entering the Port Phillip Bay. Water treated through the wetland system will be harvested as recycled water and an alternative to potable water for use in public parks and gardens.

Flood Mitigation
Elwood is a low-lying suburb at the bottom of a water catchment area, which means regular flooding occurs. Flooding results in loss of public amenity, safety hazards, damage to houses and high levels of pollutants flowing into the Bay, harmful to biodiversity, habitat, residents and swimmers. This flood is largely determined by ‘up-stream’ management of the catchment area.

The $12.1 million commitment will include supporting the cities of Bayside, Glen Eira, Kingston and Port Phillip to deliver the Elster Creek Catchment Flood Management Plan through the construction of 660 metres of new underground drain from Elsternwick Park to the Bay, pending further analysis from Melbourne Water and community consultation.

Greening Australia
Rehabilitating Elsternwick Park and Elster Creek are part of the Green’s national plan to restore wildlife habitat by investing $2b each year to plant 2 billion trees by 2030 to reestablish green space in our cities, regions and suburbs.

Photo: Elsternwick Park Golf Club by user Donaldytong on Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 3.0. Mild adjustments to colour.

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The Greens have made a commitment of $5 million for renovation or relocation to ensure these centres have a home for the long term. We’re calling on the Labor and Liberal parties to match this commitment. These centres must remain in public hands, run by the community. Without a funding commitment, they are just passing the buck.

If this sell-off goes ahead it will mean the loss of 120+ community-run childcare places across our area. It’s simply not good enough to ask these families to relocate their children to a yet to be built mega-centre in another suburb, or to scatter to an assortment of private facilities. And it’s unacceptable to abandon staff and families who have put so much into making these centres what they are.

This can all be avoided if federal and/or state funding is committed now. What matters most isn’t how these centres are saved. It just matters that they stay open. And if a funding commitment is given, Council will have no cause to proceed with the sale.

The Greens support free, publicly owned childcare. Find out more here.

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