Wurundjeri Heritage and Culture

Learn about key places of Aboriginal cultural and historical significance using the innovative and interactive digital map Mapping Aboriginal Melbourne.

Supporting Reconciliation

We’re helping support the establishment of a local community-led Reconciliation Action Group for Kensington.

Affordable Housing and Homelessness

Our Make Room project is another step closer to providing rough sleepers a pathway out of homelessness, with the signing of a lease agreement with Unison Housing.

Improving library access and digital inclusion

We've launched Mel-van which provides digital and library access to a range of community members and Connect Café sessions. Older people can also learn how to get started with computers at Kensington Neighbourhood House.

Recreation spaces and programs

We’ve commenced the redevelopment of Kensington Community Aquatic and Recreation Centre.

Local food security and production

We’ve planted 97 new edible trees along the Stock Route Food Walk, and are supporting Kensington Stockyard Community Garden to consider plans to expand. We’re also as well as working on a process to ensure increased community access to the Westbourne Community Garden.

We’re currently collaborating with Kensington Neighbourhood House, Unison Housing, The Venny and Transition Town Kensington to deliver a climate justice pilot project focused on improving food insecurity and developing a more resilient local food system.

Invest in and advocate for renewable energy

We’re currently undertaking community consultation on our Power Melbourne project which will install a network of neighbourhood batteries around the city. The batteries will be linked to a retail electricity plan to help residents and businesses access more affordable renewable electricity.

Climate action and neighbourhood resilience

We’re developing a Climate Justice pilot focused on improving food security for vulnerable communities in Kensington.

We’re currently consulting with community and building industry on how we can make our buildings zero carbon.

Reduce waste and develop circular economy

We support the delivery of community repair hub monthly events and helped establish a bike repair hub pilot launched in October 2022

We also continued the rollout of the Food Organics and Green Organics (FOGO) high-rise trial.

Increasing neighbourhood greening

We recently planted 21 new trees and understory at Scarborough Place and Durham Street, providing canopy, biodiversity and 89 square metres of permeable surfaces for natural absorption and filtration of rain water.

Local shopping

We recently undertook significant works to Bellair St to improve drainage, kerb and channel infrastructure and footpath. As part of these works, we restored the colourful street mosaics created as part of a community art project in 1996.

Local business and employment

We’re providing the Kensington Business Association with more than $60,000 of funding this financial year, and offering city activation grants, a Christmas activation fund and shopfront activation program. Through the Lord Mayor’s Small Business Awards and workshop, we recently recognised the achievements of local business owners including Redina Real Estate in Kensington.

Heritage and character

We are bringing about land use and built form outcomes of the Macaulay Structure Plan through a Planning Scheme Amendment, and introducing a Development Contributions Plan to deliver infrastructure identified in the Macaulay Structure Plan.

Councillors discussed the Municipal Planning Strategy and Draft City Spatial Plan at the 19 July Future Melbourne Committee meeting. The strategy plots how our neighbourhoods will look and feel over the next 10 to 20 years.

Dogs off leash

We recently created a new (timed off-leash) dog off-leash area at Riverside Park in response to strong community support.

Active transport

We convened a community reference group and are developing plans for approximately $450,000 worth of projects to be delivered in 2023/24, which prioritise the improvement of pedestrian safety and walkability in Kensington.

Later this financial year, we’re also expecting to construct bike lane safety upgrades on Macaulay Rd and Arden St, a new raised zebra crossing across Epsom Road at Market St, and a new zebra crossing across Barnett St at Macaulay Road.

Community activation and connection

We’re supporting the delivery of a number of community-led initiatives including through our Community Grants Program. This includes the creation of a new barbecue social space at the Kensington Housing Estate, and a ‘Green Time not Screen Time’ project with families living in public housing, to reconnect with and experience time in nature after COVID lockdowns.

Local amenity and safety

We hosted a Safety Summit in August, and brought together government agencies, service providers, resident groups and other community members to discuss safety in the city.

The Clean Melbourne Graffiti Blitz ran from 6 March to 30 June to combat illegal graffiti and tagging, improve public spaces and ensure the city is sparkling to entice people in. Our campaign to tackle illegal graffiti continues, with a record $28.2 million investment in our Budget, including $1.5 million to expand the Rapid Response Clean Team.

We welcomed community feedback on our draft Design and Construction Standards from 17 May to 15 June. Our Design and Construction Standards determine how our city is shaped and guide our approval processes. They ensure that consistent materials, furniture, signage, lighting, planting and utilities are used across our public spaces.

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.

The following projects have recently received Connected Neighbourhood Small Grants:

• Growing Stronger Communities Together

This project aims to provide a new outdoor gathering and bbq space at the Kensington housing estate.

• The Creative Youth Coding Program

This project is aimed at providing outcomes for children (aged 11-12) in the City North area where there is currently limited low-cost weekend programming for children and young people.

• Book Club

This is a unique idea to bring together diverse groups of women in the CBD neighbourhood to support each other and learn together about financial and business skills.

• Docklands Primary School End of Year Celebration

This project is aimed at bringing together the Docklands community, beyond the school community, for a concert and celebration.

• Carlton High Rise Elder Citizens project

This project aims at increasing community connection for older men living in the Carlton Housing Estate.

• Unity makes Community East Melbourne

This project aims to be an event inclusive of all the community to encourage post pandemic re-connection and assist residents to get their bicycles running again in a community setting.