$28.2 million this year on footpaths, roads, bicycle lanes and other transport infrastructure works to provide more space for people and respond to population growth.

The City of Melbourne will invest $28.7 million over the coming year on creating and renewing public open space to cater for Melbourne’s growing population. Including:

• Southbank Promenade ($5.1 million) to revitalise a 300 m section of the promenade.
• Southbank Boulevard ($11.9 million) to finalise stage one of the $42 million project.
• Market Street ($3.4 million) towards a $7.53 million project to create the first central-city park since City Square was developed in the 1980s.
• Seafarers Rest Park ($1 million) towards adding 3500 sqm of open space to Docklands.
• Fawkner Park ($1.2 million) towards upgrading the Pasley Street North entrance to improve landscape health, drainage, safety and amenity as part of the Master Plan recommendations.
• Lincoln Square ($2 million) towards a new concept plan to add 3000 sqm to one of Melbourne’s oldest parks, and create a new play space around 150 year-old Moreton Bay figs.
• JJ Holland Park ($1.6 million) for a new playground in Kensington.
• Spring Street ($150,000) to create new public open space outside Princes Theatre.

$19.1 million to make our city more sustainable and resilient to the impacts of climate change.

This includes investing more than $7.1 million on renewing 480 hectares of Melbourne’s internationally acclaimed parks and gardens.

$18.4 million to promote the city on major events, including:

• Moomba
• New Year’s Eve
• Christmas
• Melbourne Fashion Week
• Melbourne Music Week.

$16.3 million to support Melbourne’s Arts, including $4 million in grants through our various arts funding programs, which collectively support hundreds of artists every year.

Our Creative Spaces program also supports artists by helping to connect creative people with studios and other infrastructure to support their practice.

We will deliver more than $29 million in works to upgrade, maintain and install priority city safety and security measures across the central city.

• We are getting on with the Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal program, with $15 million set aside for the delivery of precinct wide projects to improve customer and trader amenity.
• A revitalised ground floor of the Melbourne Town Hall Administration Building, as part of an initial $4.5 million investment in a masterplan to restore and refurbish the 148-year-old building and key centre piece of Melbourne.
• With $9.32 million we will complete construction of the Lady Huntingfield Family and Children’s Service Centre delivering the community an integrated family and childcare centre, providing improved care and support for children and families.

The City of Melbourne is committed to providing the highest level of services to our community, and in order to do that we are increasing rates by just 2.5 per cent. As always, Council continues its strong focus on containing operating costs.