Phase one

The conversation

We’re taking a neighbourhood approach to understand the strengths, needs and priorities of our local communities to build the foundation for a more empowered, engaged, and participatory community.

Consultation ran between 1 March and 30 April 2022, with a wide variety of consultation channels used to achieve broad and inclusive community reach.

Gathering insights

The Participate Melbourne website was a key engagement platform featuring a detailed online survey, an interactive map, a short fill in the gaps postcard and a community wall. Targeted phone surveys, community conversations and events were held to further capture feedback.

In-person community engagement for Phase One:

Engagement reach

Who we heard from

(These figures relate to 234 people who completed the survey).
  • 0% Under 15 year olds
  • 7% 15-19 year olds
  • 26% 20-24 year olds
  • 14% 25-29 year olds
  • 11% 30-34 year olds
  • 7% 35-39 year olds
  • 6% 40-44 year olds
  • 8% 45-49 year olds
  • 5% 50-54 year olds
  • 5% 55-59year olds
  • 6% 60-64 year olds
  • 2% 65-69 year olds
  • 2% 70-74 year olds
  • 1% 75+ year olds

  • 63% female
  • 34% male
  • 2% non-binary
  • 0% prefer not to say

Survey participants who responded to this question identified as:

  • Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander 0%
  • LGBTIQA+ 6%
  • Experiencing homelessness 0%
  • Living with a disability 4%
  • Living on a low income 3%
  • International student 5%
  • None of these 18%
  • Prefer not to say 3%

43% of respondents spoke languages other than English at home.

Top languages included:

  • Mandarin
  • Cantonese
  • Spanish
  • Italian
  • Korean.

What is your connection to Parkville?

  • Resident 61%
  • Business owner 2%
  • Worker 18%
  • Study or Visit 15%

How long have you lived/worked/studied in Parkville?

  • Less than a year 27%
  • 1-5 years 47%
  • 5-10 years 10%
  • 10-20 years 10%
  • More than 20 years 6%

What we heard

  • Parkville residents appreciate it’s amenity and livability.
  • Proximity to the CBD.
  • The parks, gardens and greenery – especially Royal Park are admired and appreciated.
  • Melbourne University and the various job opportunities for the community.
  • The attractive buildings – particularly heritage houses are cherished features of Parkville.
  • The need for more retail and hospitality options including supermarkets, green grocers, cafes and convenience shops.
  • Improved transport and movement around Parkville – particularly need frequent public transport and better parking.
  • A need for community spaces and facilities such as a community centre, community hall or a library to hold events and build connections.
  • Physical recreation opportunities for residents, workers and visitors including a fitness centre, sporting facilities, and outdoor exercise equipment.

Priorities for Parkville

  • Aboriginal Melbourne

    • Greater recognition and opportunity to learn about Wurundjeri heritage and culture.

  • Access and affordability

    • Affordable housing options that cater to diverse household needs.
    • Access to community spaces that are welcoming for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

  • Climate and biodiversity emergency

    • Increase greening and preserving and protecting parks and open spaces.
    • Improve waste, recycling and graffiti management in Parkville.
    • Sustainable programs and initiatives to support climate action.

  • Economy of the future

    • Provide greater shopping offerings and attract business to Parkville.

  • Melbourne’s unique identity and place

    • Preserve old buildings and heritage.

  • Safety and wellbeing

    • Improve public transport options in Parkville.
    • Reduce traffic, aggressive and anti-social road behaviour and better parking management.
    • Address drug and alcohol use, mental health, aggressive behaviour and more police and security presence and better lighting.
    • More recreational facilities and programs for a diverse range of groups.

Phase two

The conversation

In this second phase of engagement we presented the draft neighbourhood priorities we’d developed based on community feedback received in March and April 2022. We wanted to check in with community again to understand how well we’d captured the priorities, and whether there was anything missing or if refinements could be made.

Phase Two consultations ran from 15 August to 4 September 2022.

Gathering insights

Parkville residents, businesses, workers, students and visitors were all invited to take part. Our Participate Melbourne website was a key engagement tool featuring the draft priorities and findings from Phase One engagement, a short online survey, and a ‘chat with us’ function to book in a time to speak with our Neighbourhood Partner.

A range of pop-up activities and sessions were held with community to enable participation from a broader range of people and to gather feedback. Additionally, with our Business Concierge, we surveyed a range of local business to get their thoughts and ideas.

Engagement reach

Who we heard from

  • Under 15 years: 0%
  • 15 - 19 years: 0%
  • 20 - 24 years: 0%
  • 25 - 29 years: 4%
  • 30 - 34 years: 12%
  • 35 - 39 years: 18%
  • 40 - 44 years: 12%
  • 45 - 49 years: 6%
  • 50 - 54 years: 10%
  • 55 - 59 years: 14%
  • 60 - 64 years: 8%
  • 65 - 69 years: 8%
  • 70 - 74 years: 6%
  • 75 + years: 2%
  • Female: 55.77%
  • Male: 40.38%
  • Non-binary/gender diverse: 3.85%
  • Resident: 77.36%
  • Business owner / worker: 16.98%
  • Visitor: 0%
  • Student: 1.89%
  • No connection: 0%

What we heard

The community feedback was very positive with 95% of responses saying the priorities were captured ‘well’ or ‘very well’.

Comments received included:

  • This list is great, inclusive and long.
  • There is a need for diverse retail offerings, especially small grocery stores and cafes.
  • Graffiti is an ongoing issue and there is a desire for this to be addressed.
  • School zoning is an issue.
  • There is a lack of community spaces in the neighbourhood.
  • There is a need for more support for people living with disabilities.

Comments from community

Impact

We have refined the priorities based on the feedback received.

These include:

  • Minor change in ‘Parks and Greening’ priority to include increasing amenities in the parks as well as ensuring parks are maintained.
  • Minor change in the ‘Waste, Recycling and Graffiti’ priority to include community education initiatives on waste disposal practices.
  • Minor change in ‘Public Transport’ priority to emphasis importance of accessibility and affordability of public transport options in Parkville, particularly in the Parkville Gardens area.
  • Change in wording of descriptor in the ‘Traffic and Parking’ priority to emphasise the need for safer bike lanes and better parking and traffic management in Parkville.

Phase three

User testing

From April – May 2022 we undertook user testing with a diverse range of community members in small focus groups to assess the usability of the CBD and Kensington Neighbourhood Portals.

These portals are being developed as a one-stop shop for neighbourhood connection and planning.

Gathering insights

Sixteen community members participated in four sessions across four focus areas:

  • International Students
  • Members of the Disability Advisory Committee
  • Young People
  • Older People

Participants were asked to complete simple navigation tasks and provide feedback on their experience.

What we heard

Overall, participants understood and supported the idea and execution of the portals.

Participants provided useful feedback that then influenced the portal’s design and content, and improved accessibility and functionality.

Participants said they were 80 per cent likely to use a Neighbourhood Portal in the future.

Impact

We are using the community feedback gathered during the user testing sessions to further refine and improve the portal structure, navigation and content to increase community access and usage.

Draft neighbourhood priorities

See the draft neighbourhood priorities we identified during Phase One of consultation.