[{"asID":12743,"username":"Melburnian","submitted":"September 11, 2017","comment":"I like the idea of the grass over tram tracks - something different to soften an normally hard surface. Would be great to make sure decidous trees are being used to allow winter light to flood the area with as much sun as possible in winter months (through the existing high rise canopy!). Native plantings would be a great way of trying to attract local wildlife and birds to the area.","support":"4","action":"2. Living link"},{"asID":12742,"username":"Melburnian","submitted":"September 11, 2017","comment":"Finding a common theme to draw people through the new parkland is an exciting opportunity. Would be a great community project to engage the local students from the VCA with.","support":"4","action":"5. Public art in Southbank"},{"asID":12741,"username":"Melburnian","submitted":"September 11, 2017","comment":"Agree that some outdoor activity space is needed for children and adults alike - could be a basketball court or even a skate park? Agree with another comment about deciduous trees being a great option. We need as much winter light hitting the cold shaded surfaces of Southbank as possible!","support":"4","action":"10. Connecting the River (City Road to the Yarra River)"},{"asID":12740,"username":"Melburnian","submitted":"September 11, 2017","comment":"The Dodd St connection is probably the hardest part of this project to visualise when complete. I think the main problem with this area is how do you activate it better? At the moment when I walk down here it doesn't feel like a good connected space. And certainly at night time it feels uninviting and less secure than nearby streets. Are things like a couple of permanent pop-up style shops\/stalls an option? I'm thinking along the lines of the bread stand on Elizabeth St and the creperie on Swanston St etc. florist etc as a way of giving people a reason to come here - and also feel more secure.","support":"4","action":"7. Dodds Street"},{"asID":12739,"username":"Melburnian","submitted":"September 11, 2017","comment":"I think the use of hard spaces out the front of the ABC works, if it really is the intention of the Council, ABC, MSO, MTC etc to actually use this space for small scale outdoor events. Otherwise I agree with a previous comment about hard surfaces not working outside of ACCA with nothing there to attract residents and workers alike to use the space.","support":"5","action":"8. Meeting Place (Sturt Street to Moore Street)"},{"asID":12738,"username":"Melburnian","submitted":"September 11, 2017","comment":"Is there any way that the NGV wall and arts centre carpark walls can be activated? With this being the arts precinct it would be a great idea for artists to find a way of bringing this expanse of boring wall space alive! Walking this way often it feels so disconnected from the vibrancy of St Kilda Road. It needs some wall art or installations to liven it up and give people a reason to walk down this section.\r\n\r\nGreat idea re. super-tram stop and lawn style greening of the tram tracks.","support":"4","action":"6. Arts Gateway (St Kilda Road to Sturt Street)"},{"asID":12737,"username":"Melburnian","submitted":"September 11, 2017","comment":"Really like the grassed area out the front of Southside Gardens (I live in that building). I think it will draw people to sit and enjoy some quiet time outside of our homes in neighbouring blocks.\r\n\r\nWill we be getting the bluestone paving for the footpaths like in the CBD? It will really give it a proper boulevard feel rather than the current concrete surface.\r\n\r\nI don't agree with the large hard surfaced area proposed. I question if anyone would actually use it. I think creating more lawn space gives people the option of sitting on benches or putting a rug out on the grass. Or perhaps consider something more visually interesting like a dry-creek bed with native grasses or even a small water feature as a focal point.\r\n\r\nA couple of BBQ pits on the street side of the kids playground area near 88 Southbank Blvd will also encourage families to bring kids out for play and parties. Maybe also consider not just benches but a couple of picnic tables? With this area set to attract kids, also consider some native plantings near the roadway as a natural barrier to prevent kids running out onto the street.\r\n\r\nRegarding traffic congestion in the peak hour on Kavanagh St, I echo other comments on this forum. I'll send council a separate suggestion on a simple reconfiguration of Sturt St and Power St that could see existing Kavangh St traffic redirected down Sturt St instead.\r\n\r\nFinally, with Council successfully managing to a surplus recently, any reason why this project can't be funded over 1-2 years instead of 3 years?","support":"4","action":"9.  Neighbourhood Parks (Moore Street to Kavanagh Street)"},{"asID":12732,"username":"tiankd74","submitted":"September 8, 2017","comment":"The Southbank needs the park and this sort of public facilities so much! Great project, hope to see it finish asap.","support":"5","action":"9.  Neighbourhood Parks (Moore Street to Kavanagh Street)"},{"asID":12720,"username":"Ray Cowling","submitted":"August 28, 2017","comment":"We are talking about the area around the theatres for drama, ballet and opera, all with creative set designers. Is there room in the plans for something dramatic and engaging designed by these people. Sometimes art is more an expression of the artist's needs rather than a communication which the public easily engage in, yet set designers have an especially strong commitment and ability to weave a very strong spell over their audience, young or old. They too have an ability to take on a larger canvas than usual, to incorporate sections of several buildings, to use imagination and fantasy.","support":"3","action":"5. Public art in Southbank"},{"asID":12719,"username":"shaobu","submitted":"August 26, 2017","comment":"Traffic along City Road to Power St (into Westgate Freeway) is terrible during 5pm-7pm.\r\nAre you sure Southbank Boulevard could not be used to divert the traffic a little bit?","support":"4","action":"1. Transforming Southbank Boulevard \u2013 creating new open space"},{"asID":12718,"username":"shaobu","submitted":"August 26, 2017","comment":"Yes love the Basketball court!\r\nIndeed we need more sport facilities in Southbank please!\r\nAn indoor one (which can be used in Winter & night time) would be even better!","support":"5","action":"10. Connecting the River (City Road to the Yarra River)"},{"asID":12717,"username":"shaobu","submitted":"August 26, 2017","comment":"Good park initiative!\r\n\r\nBut to attract people, please put in some BBQ pits, so people would have a good reason to get out from their little apartment in Southbank and spend substantial time in the park.\r\n\r\nBBQ pits please!","support":"4","action":"8. Meeting Place (Sturt Street to Moore Street)"},{"asID":12716,"username":"shaobu","submitted":"August 26, 2017","comment":"Good park initiative!\r\n\r\nBut to attract people, please put in some BBQ pits (same as those along Yarra River), so people would have a good reason to get out from their little apartment in Southbank and spend substantial time in the park.\r\n\r\nBBQ pits please!","support":"4","action":"9.  Neighbourhood Parks (Moore Street to Kavanagh Street)"},{"asID":12713,"username":"Lisamjs","submitted":"August 22, 2017","comment":"I'm a local resident, and I'm quite concerned about potential noise from the area in front of the ABC building. Will there be time and noise limits on any events happening there?\r\n\r\nThe rest looks great.","support":"3","action":"8. Meeting Place (Sturt Street to Moore Street)"},{"asID":12682,"username":"Damien","submitted":"August 17, 2017","comment":"A single lane of traffic between Kavanagh Street and Fawkner Street seems very strange.\r\nTraffic is always banked up waiting to turn left onto City Road. A single lane will prevent other traffic (buses included) getting through to proceed either straight or using the right turn lane into City Road and further amplify the traffic problems. A better design would have the left turn lane start from Kavanagh Street and the straight and right traffic have a second lane. There is enough space to achieve this along with bicycle and green space.\r\nAlso, traffic is often banked up on Southbank blvd waiting to turn left into Kavanagh Street to get to Citylink due to the poor design further intersections. With only two lanes, if traffic banks up from the City Road left turn, you might then have two lanes of traffic not moving at the Kavanagh left turn intersection.\r\nTraffic from Arts Centre Melbourne and The Australian Ballet Centre car parks needs to be able to exit the Arts precinct efficiently and get to Freeway and other major roads.\r\nMost of the problems are caused by the bad lane design of City Road and lack of intersection clearway enforcement but the issue shouldn't be ignored as it seems City Road is unlikely to get fixed before this project, this intersection having been excluded from previously released master plans.","support":"2","action":"9.  Neighbourhood Parks (Moore Street to Kavanagh Street)"},{"asID":12612,"username":"MP","submitted":"August 15, 2017","comment":"I was wondering whether anyone has considered the volume of traffic west-bound along Kavanagh St? Too many vehicles are turning into Kavanagh St (from Southbank Bvd) and in particular those north-bound (from St Kilda Rd) at the peak, PM hours. As the most direct route to the West Gate Bridge (along Power St), residents of Southbank Bvd and Kavanagh St are constantly exposed to traffic jams, noise and pollution. Has any consideration been paid to this? How is this problem going to be resolved?","support":"3","action":"9.  Neighbourhood Parks (Moore Street to Kavanagh Street)"},{"asID":12580,"username":"Local Resident","submitted":"August 10, 2017","comment":"Rather than an an occasionally used and fenced-in basketball area, a multi-purpose grassy section with benches would be more practical (similar to the \"respite and a back yard for locals\" intended south of City Rd). \r\n\r\nCan you show a rendering of the section between Waterfall Lane and the \"red stage\". Is Southbank News correct in showing the playground picture intended for near Dodds St for this section?\r\n\r\nAre there any plans to include Cook St in the rejuvenation of this part of Southbank?\r\n\r\nRemoval of slip lanes at the north side of the Southbank Blvd and City Rd intersection will make it more difficult for the many motorists entering and leaving the north side of the boulevard. Given that there are traffic lights at Power St and Southgate Ave, has any thought been given to a large roundabout (which appear to work well in some overseas major cities), at Southbank Blvd? This could also alleviate the current long delay of cars turning right from the north side of the boulevard into City Rd.\r\n\r\nI commend the plan and look forward to a greener and more open Southbank Blvd, especially with a removed or lowered \"red stage\".","support":"4","action":"10. Connecting the River (City Road to the Yarra River)"},{"asID":12560,"username":"Jessica Timmons","submitted":"August 1, 2017","comment":"Hello, I am an Orientation and Mobility Specialist at Vision Australia, I work with people who have Low Vision and Blindness. I teach people how they can navigate the community safely. Often for our clients, accessibility is challenging in open spaces and reduces their ability to navigate and be engaged in public spaces. With some simple new concepts and designs, we could make these spaces accessible to everyone of all ages and abilities. \nCreating tactile features within footpaths to create direction, could be applied, not just by using TGSI's.  ibeacon technology could be used to describe the area and history, art installations. A permanent tactile map of the area with braille descriptions could provide valuable information about the landscape.  There will be a steady increase in people with a vision impairment with the increase of and aging population, diabetes, stoke, brain tumours, etc. Not just Australians, but internationally. \nCan incorporate accessibility in the new designs?","support":"5","action":"4. A Shared Journey"},{"asID":12554,"username":"bodysuitman","submitted":"July 31, 2017","comment":"Great to see proper, fully separated bicycle lanes.\r\nDisappointing that it will take so long for the designs to be enacted though. Speed it up please CoM!","support":"5","action":"6. Arts Gateway (St Kilda Road to Sturt Street)"},{"asID":12552,"username":"lwhillas","submitted":"July 30, 2017","comment":"Glad to see so many trees.\nDisappointed that there isn't more green groundcover. The gravel\/sand areas are not conducive to using this space for R&R. Note the desolate space that exists outside ACCA. \nWill there be BBQ facilities?","support":"4","action":"8. Meeting Place (Sturt Street to Moore Street)"},{"asID":12551,"username":"southbank","submitted":"July 29, 2017","comment":"supportive of the red stage should be re-designed to be reduced in height and size to improve visual and physical connections between Queensbridge Square and Southbank Boulevard","support":"4","action":"10. Connecting the River (City Road to the Yarra River)"},{"asID":12550,"username":"southbank","submitted":"July 29, 2017","comment":"Are not supportive of a basketball court near the BMW dealership","support":"3","action":"10. Connecting the River (City Road to the Yarra River)"},{"asID":12546,"username":"joannag","submitted":"July 27, 2017","comment":"I work in this area - this will be a great asset, a great place for lunch and any move to increase pedestrians over traffic is great","support":"5","action":"9.  Neighbourhood Parks (Moore Street to Kavanagh Street)"},{"asID":12545,"username":"joannag","submitted":"July 27, 2017","comment":"As a resident and worker in this area I think it is in need of more green space and less traffic. Thank you for such a community minded vision!","support":"5","action":"10. Connecting the River (City Road to the Yarra River)"},{"asID":12536,"username":"mot leets","submitted":"July 26, 2017","comment":"The use of evergreen green trees  is a very poor choice (many of which do not appear to be indigenous to this part of Victoria anyway) Southbank Bvld is already heavily overshadowed by buildings in winter - evergreen trees will make this significantly worse.\nThere would also be a significant negative impact on the passive solar performance of the buildings shadowed by evergreens (which appear to be very tall species).\nIndigenous planting is ideal in locations which are not already overshadowed by built form and where shade is not cast on buildings, where deciduous species provide denser summer shade and good winter solar access - this is a significant contributor to the thermal performance of buildings (refer Sustainability Victoria website)\nAll other initiatives are great","support":"3","action":"10. Connecting the River (City Road to the Yarra River)"},{"asID":12522,"username":"Resident Deb","submitted":"July 22, 2017","comment":"More parkland less traffic.\r\nBUT question:\r\nWill traffic be able to turn into Sturt Street from the Boulevard this able to enter the Arts Centyre Parking?","support":"5","action":"1. Transforming Southbank Boulevard \u2013 creating new open space"},{"asID":12513,"username":"Greenvalue","submitted":"July 20, 2017","comment":"I don't see the value of grass over the tram tracks. Maintenance nightmare, and no\"value\" to occupants.","support":"2","action":"2. Living link"}]