October 3, 2023
In this update you’ll find:
- On 21 March, Melbourne City Council endorsed a motion in support of the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart, and the ‘yes’ campaign for the Constitutional Recognition of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament. As part of our ongoing commitment to truth-telling, we have compiled a set of resources about the Voice to Parliament, the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart, and the upcoming referendum. We will continue updating these resources as the referendum approaches, including information in multiple languages. We encourage you to bookmark this page to stay up to date.
Authorised by Sally Capp in Melbourne on behalf of Melbourne City Council.
- In May, Yirramboi festival brought us an incredible program of First Nations creative exploration for community to experience across the city. In May and June as part of National Reconciliation Week, we hosted a range of events to promote truth-telling, learning, healing and change, including an oration by 2022 Melbournian of the Year, Anotinette Braybrook which is available to view. In July we celebrated National NAIDOC Week and offered a range of activities to embrace and deepen understanding of our Aboriginal history and culture including a Deadly Books Giveaway, NAIDOC in the City event, Finders Keepers Market and more.
- The Connected Neighbourhoods Small Grants program provides small grants to support connection and community-led responses to the neighbourhood priorities. There were 46 community-led projects that were funded in the first year. In Carlton this includes:
Affordable housing
- We are running a People’s Panel on Affordable Housing in October and November. This panel will include 40 people who are representative of our resident community, to hear from the experts, learn about affordable housing in the community and explore new and innovative ways to truly make Melbourne a city that everyone can call home. Recruitment for the panel has begun and the outcomes will be shared to Council and the general public.
- Through one of our community grants, Anika Legal developed self-advocacy guides for renters in 10 priority languages to help local residents experiencing disadvantage navigate changes in rental laws and find support for housing related legal problems.
- We’ve installed a new accessible public toilet on Faraday Street in Carlton. The new toilet replaces the underground public toilet on the centre median strip east of Lygon Street. Two car parking spaces will be permanently removed. The new toilet is a modern and compact cubicle with features including an automatic sliding door, automatic flush, touchless handwashing station and a secure locking system.
- Inclusive employment program Game Changers, supported eight young people to gain employment at our recreation facilities. This program, delivered in partnership by The Huddle and YMCA, provides free support to young people looking for employment, including resume writing, interview practice, career planning, and goal setting. The program has helped improve diversity in the recreation facilities’ workforce with 26 per cent living in the City of Melbourne, 25 per cent born overseas, 15 per cent identifying as being a part of the LGBTQI+ community, and 9 per cent with a disability.
- Our libraries provided a safe and welcoming space for all community members, through programs such as storytime for children, ‘Cook to Connect’ social cooking sessions, book clubs including Chinese book club, queer book club and Womempower book club, ‘Connect Café' to provide tech help for older people, talks such as queer history in Melbourne, and a trans and gender diverse writing group.
- Communication boards were provided at customer service point and libraries. These boards contain symbols and pictures and are an alternative communication device for people with limited or no language. Scope Australia was engaged to update and customise the communication boards and provide training to staff in 2023–24.
- Community Resilience Assessments are conducted to understand better and respond to the physical and social vulnerabilities that communities face before, during, and after a disaster. We piloted assessments in Carlton, Southbank and Kensington.
- A new translation function was added to Participate Melbourne, meaning online content can be translated into the top 10 languages other than English that are spoken in the municipality.
Tailored services and opportunities
- We partnered with all tiers of government through the Inner Metropolitan Partnership to promote food security and social cohesion. We have distributed food vouchers through our childcare centres, family services, Ageing and Inclusion programs, Multicultural Hub, neighbourhood centres and libraries. We have also started a Community Lunch Club at Kathleen Syme Library and invested in The Carlton Community Grocer, enabling community members to access good food at affordable prices.
- The community was better able to reconnect in 2022–23, following the isolation associated with the pandemic. We engaged not-for-profit organisation Lively to deliver digital literacy programs for older people. Lively trains and employs young jobseekers to provide support and connection for older people. It also builds meaningful intergenerational relationships that foster greater understanding and respect.
- Lively tech helpers provided one-on-one technology training and support for participants to use their smartphone, tablet device, laptop or computer. People were supported in their homes, at Connect Cafes and Tech Help pop-ups at public housing estates at Carlton, Kensington and North Melbourne. A total of 589 older people participated.
- Each month City of Melbourne Libraries induct new people to access library makerspaces. These makerspaces provided access to technology, creative infrastructure and programs that support digital literacy and skill development. Libraries deliver specific Digital Literacy workshops to support employment, financial and wellbeing needs. Individuals can also Book a Librarian for a one-on-one digital literacy support program that is tailored to user’s needs. The Mel-Van outreach continues to visit community centres and festivals with community wifi and digital literacy resources.
- In June Council considered a report called ‘Improve internet access in City of Melbourne's community facilities and for hard to reach groups’ and agreed to develop a Digital Inclusion Plan. This will include establishing a standard for Wi-Fi at Council facilities and looking at a model for the City of Melbourne to support a device donation scheme, allowing hard to reach groups access to devices.
- TalktoMe was an application developed by St Vincent’s hospital and funded by us to facilitate brief, sentence-based, non-clinical information in multiple languages when communicating about day-to-day topics relating to healthcare.
- Our Family Services team has created an inclusion and access officer role to provide inclusive and responsive support for families. The officer will help families from culturally diverse backgrounds access support and services.
- A forum to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act was attended by 140 people and co-designed and delivered by community members with lived experience of disability. The forum celebrated the positive changes that have happened over the past 30 years, but also highlighted numerous barriers that still exist, such as community attitudes, employment opportunities, and persistent gaps in accessible transport.
- Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Training was completed by 518 volunteers, and 74 staff members. This training helps volunteers and staff to support people living with non-visible disabilities.
Safer roads and bike lanes
- In May a new Parking and Kerbside Management Plan was endorsed which provides an opportunity to review the location and design of accessible parking spaces to ensure maximum benefit to the community. In addition, there were 418 City Access Permits issued to community members in the financial year. The City Access Permit is our initiative, which provides extra parking time for people with disabilities to regularly attend work, study or specialist medical appointments within the municipality.
- We launched Biketober, a bike encouragement program, in collaboration with RACV, Banyule, Glen Eira, Bendigo and Ballarat. Biketober will run through October and is open to businesses and community members for free.
- We are working through the M9 Active Transport Behaviour Change Working Group, made up of other inner-Melbourne councils, to support collaboration on sustainable transport behaviour change initiatives. This work has seen Open Streets and e-Bike subsidy schemes expand across multiple areas.
- To protect Princes Park from the impacts of future drought, we are progressing a project to capture excess stormwater from Moonee Ponds Creek to provide a sustainable water supply to this valuable open space.
- More than 150 kW of battery capacity has been installed across the municipality, primarily at residential properties in Carlton, Kensington, North Melbourne and Parkville. Capacity figures were taken from data updated by the Australian Energy Market Operator in March. This initiative seeks to shift the City of Melbourne to gas-free operations and ensure climate change and biodiversity are considered as we manage our assets. Progress this year towards implementing gas-free operations included:
- Our Power Melbourne project will install a network of neighbourhood batteries around the city to help renters, people living in apartments, and those running small businesses access more affordable renewable energy. Last year we consulted with community on where the first batteries could be installed, and the first three locations were approved by Council: Library at the Dock in Docklands, Boyd Community Hub in Southbank, and Council House 2 in CBD.
- We identified further areas for future neighbourhood batteries and ran a city-wide online survey and pop-ups in Carlton, North Melbourne, Kensington, South Yarra and East Melbourne. A team of community champions also explored the topic with their personal and professional networks. This helped us understand how people feel about potentially having a neighbourhood battery in their area, the kinds of benefits they want to see, and their location ideas. Follow the Power Melbourne page for updates including the report on this phase of engagement.
- We’re committed to reducing the threat of extreme urban heat for all, particularly vulnerable people. We are working to create a ‘heat safe city’ with our goal that the city provides places of respite for residents, workers and visitors during extreme heat events. Earlier in the year we consulted with community on heat health priorities and ways we can create a heat safe city. We spoke to community members in the CBD, Docklands, Kensington, South Yarra and West Melbourne. This feedback is helping us develop heat safe city principles and advocacy positions which will guide actions for future summers, such as design of streetscapes and open space, location of shading and services to support vulnerable community members. Keep an eye on the Heat Safe City page for further updates.
Neighbourhood greening
- We continued our tree planting program with 2554 trees planted this year. There are now more than 80,000 trees planted in the City of Melbourne, and our canopy cover was mapped at 25 per cent this year. We renewed our Urban Forest Precinct Plans and engaged the community about priorities in Carlton, East Melbourne, South Yarra and Central City this year.
- We released our new Greening Melbourne permit system which enables community-led greening on council-owned footpaths. Visit Greening Melbourne to read more about this initiative.
- Canning and Neill Street Reserve is now a timed dog off-leash area. Dogs are allowed off-leash in this area between 6pm to 8am from 1 November to 31 March, and 5pm to 9am from 1 April to 31 October.
- We held three ‘dog in the park’ events in Princess Park, Fawkner Park and Riverside Park, chosen based on the results of an online poll, with these locations being the most favoured.
- Carlton Inc. was funded for business development initiatives, consumer advertising, marketing and promotion campaigns and local activations that promote the Carlton trader area to visitors.
- Our small business grants program supports new businesses to get started and existing businesses to expand and grow. This year we have a special focus on supporting small businesses that enhance the city’s vitality by increasing the occupancy rate of shopfronts across the municipality.
- Our business concierge team had 8089 contacts with business across the City of Melbourne between February and September.
- Several inclusive community events were delivered with the support of City of Melbourne, including the Carlton Harmony Day Festival, bringing the community together to celebrate cultural diversity and strengthen community bonds.
- At Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre, programs included story times, youth programs, book clubs, conversation clubs and employment support workshops.
- Other inclusive community events were delivered with the support of City of Melbourne, including:
- We’re also supporting our talented creative community through its Annual Arts Grants Program. The 2024 funding will celebrate 102 excellent one off projects that will employ over 1,000 artists and attract 360,000 people. All art forms have been supported with an investment of $950,000 by Council. During September we opened grants for our 2024 Aboriginal Arts program and quick response arts grants that will seed small scale projects and help artists to test and develop new creative ideas. We look forward to these being visible over the next 4 months after approval in November.
- We continue to expand our Rapid Response Clean Team to fast-track graffiti removal, dumped rubbish, cigarettes, street sweeping and syringe collection across the city. Residents, workers and visitors continue to play an important role in reporting graffiti and rubbish across the city using Council’s QR code reporting system. From January to August this year we received 25,549 requests to respond to graffiti and cleaned from more than 70,000 square metres of graffiti.
- Since the Shopfront Activation Program began in September 2021, there have been a total of 67 improvements across Carlton, CBD and Docklands.
Heritage protection
- Carlton Heritage and Punt Road Oval, Amendment C405, finished its amendment process and was submitted to the Minister for approval.
- The Royal Exhibition Buildings and Carlton Gardens World Heritage Management Plan was open for consultation through Engage Victoria and closed in March. The strategy plan for the World Heritage Environs Area was subject to a Heritage Council hearing in May.
- Melbourne’s heritage is a rich tapestry of Aboriginal and much later colonial and contemporary stories. We are celebrating all things heritage across the city and invite you to join us. Share your stories, photos and videos celebrating #timelessmelbourne. There are plenty of ways to get involved including self-guided walking tours, learning about history of neighbourhoods and exploring the arts and heritage collection.
Strengthening community connections and social cohesion
- We have funded communities to host events and festivals like the African Music and Cultural festival, Somali Day Australia Festival, Carlton Harmony Day Festival, Australian Oromo Cultural Week, Spanish Language Fiesta, Vasant Festival, United Through Football soccer tournament, Polish Festival, Indian Film Festival and the Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival.
- We received a High Commendation award at the Victorian Multicultural Awards for Excellence, for the holistic organisational approach to supporting international students during COVID-19, and newly arrived refugees evacuated from Kabul.
- The Lord Mayor’s Iftar dinner was hosted at Queen Victoria Market. This event strengthened connection amongst the Muslim community and demonstrated Council’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. A social enterprise that employs migrant and refugee women, Meals with Impact, was provided the catering. With 80 guests, this year was the largest Lord Mayor’s Iftar dinner to date.
- Through a community grant, RMIT held workshops with multicultural LGBTIQ+ people to create a glossary of LGBTIQ+ terms, concepts and services in different languages. These multilingual resources will be shared with community members, organisations, and translators to use when working in LGBTIQ+ contexts.
Safety in the streets
- Anti-social behaviour around Lygon St was identified as a critical safety issue in partnership with Victoria Police, and we worked daily to improve safety. Following this work, a proposal to expand the Safe City Camera Program to Lygon St was developed. Community feedback on safety in Lygon St support a successful funding bid to State Government. Expansion will begin pending Councillor decision at Future Melbourne Committee.
- We upgraded four park paths to provide safe, clear and well-lit accessible paths of travel at Point Park, Princess Park (Icon Park Path), ArtPlay Playground boardwalk, and Princess Park (north) board walk.
- We’re continuing to work with the Department of Transport and Planning to monitor and evaluate the trial of shared e-scooters. The trial has been extended until 5 October. To date, there have been 5.4 million e-scooter trips made since the beginning of the trial in February 2022. In August, the Future Melbourne Committee voted on the future of commercial e-scooter operations. The rollout of in-app designated parking across the municipality is being looked at as part of this. We are also talking to Victoria Police and the Minister for Roads and Road Safety to ensure they can provide adequate infrastructure and enforcement of the road rules for e-scooters. We are currently working with e-scooter operators to rollout designated parking, focussing first on the Hoddle Grid, before moving to other high activity locations such as Southbank, Docklands and Carlton. By October we should have transitioned Flinders Street, Swanston Street, Elizabeth Street to fully designated parking. E-scooter operators are trialling technology to improve the safety of e-scooters, particularly targeting illegal activity such as footpath riding and riding with a passenger.
- A ‘drug safety in the city’ flyer was produced and distributed to key stakeholders and businesses.
- A Local Safety Committee Meeting was held in June, which covered the Melbourne West local area, which includes the western part of the CBD, North Melbourne, Docklands, Parkville and Carlton. Representatives from each of these neighbourhoods were present.
- We hosted the Melbourne Licensees Forum in June, a forum where licensed venues share information and discuss matters impacting them. This forum shared learnings and information about the late night liquor license freeze and public intoxication law reform.
- ‘What you need to know to survive on the streets’ is a short information booklet produced every two months by a group of people experiencing or with lived experience of homelessness, published by our libraries in partnership with Cohealth. Participants have also been supported to learn and care for each other and the community – building social, emotional, and practical skills.
- We continued working closely with Victoria Police, including joint outreach patrols to engage with people experiencing homelessness to ensure they are supported.
- City Swimm(h)er, a partnership between us, Islamic Council of Victoria and Australian Muslim Social Services Association, received external funding to pilot women’s only open swim sessions every Saturday afternoon, as well as structured swimming lessons at Melbourne City Baths.
- A range of programs and activities are taking place at Carlton Baths including Reclink providing a safe and welcoming environment for various members of our community to participate in sport and recreation opportunities as well as Y Streetball, the volunteer-led program running sports activities in the basketball stadium for members of our community who experience homelessness. The pool has also more than 17,000 visits on a monthly basis.
- We're exploring ways to improve opportunities for women, girls and others who experience barriers to participation in community sport and recreation. To achieve this, we’re developing a Fair Access Policy. Public consultation was also carried out during September and October to better understand the barriers, as well as enablers to inclusion. Find out more about this work and how to get involved.
Our libraries provide a sanctuary of learning, creativity and relaxation across the city. Books are just the beginning of our library services – connect with the community at workshops, unleash your creativity in a makerspace or book one of our many meeting spaces. Visit our Carlton library now.
Join our Local Lunch Club to boost your wellbeing, learn healthy recipes and meet new friends at Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre in Carlton.
Grants of up to $2000 are available to increase community participation, connection, equity, diversity and inclusion through our new Connected Neighbourhoods Small Grants. Applications are open all year until the budget has been fully allocated.
Check out other grant opportunities on the Community Noticeboard.
Neighbourhood Partner, Carlton
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Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners
The City of Melbourne respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land we govern, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin and pays respect to their Elders past and present. We acknowledge and honour the unbroken spiritual, cultural and political connection they have maintained to this unique place for more than 2000 generations.
We accept the invitation in the Uluru Statement from the Heart and are committed to walking together to build a better future.
