Merri & Edgars Creeks Parkland Group

Pictured is MECPG member Irene taking the “Save our Park” message direct to Buckingham Palace.

The Merri and Edgars Creek Parkland Group (MECPG) have been fighting now for three years to keep the Edgars Creek parkland as public open space. MECPG has become increasingly frustrated at the inability of the State Government to do the only just, fair and sensible thing and that is to gift the VicRoads parcels of land to the people of Moreland.

Members of the group decided to “think big” and “go global” and take the “Save our Park” message to higher authorities. First stop - Buckingham Palace!

Can Her Majesty save our park? [PDF, 411kb]

August 19th, 2009 | Category: media | Leave a comment

On 3 August the Moreland Leader published an affirmation of the council’s support for the retention of the Edgars Creek parkland as public open space. (see attached article).  We need hundreds of concerned residents to email or phone Andrew Mackinnon supporting the retention of the parkland and asking to be kept informed on what is happening with the park.

Moreland City Council opposes the sale of open space and is actively lobbying VicRoads for the land on the Edgars Creek in Coburg North to be gifted to Council.  Council wishes to retain this important land as open space for public enjoyment.

 

 For further information about this initiative please contact Andrew Macinnon, Manager Property Services, on 9240 2440 or amackinnon@moreland.vic.gov.au

Moreland Council affirmation to have land gifted

August 3rd, 2009 | Category: council, government, media | Leave a comment

Since the original commitment from Moreland Council on 14 Feb 2007, a local government election led to a substantial number of new councillors representing residents.  Many councillors indicated their support in a pre-election pledge request provided to them by MECPG but they were individually given as candidates rather than elected councillors.  Thus, we requested Moreland City Council reaffirm their commitment for the public record, in alignment with the resolution of the previous Council.  This reaffirmation was provided immediately following our request at the Council Meeting on 10 Jun 2009.  Cr Archer moved a motion (seconded by Cr Teti) that:

Council resolve:

 

1. To reaffirm its position that all parcels of VicRoads land near Newlands Rd, Coburg North be gifted to the City of Moreland and retained as public open space.

 

2. That a report be presented to Council as per resolution CRTA5 disposal of land by public authorities by the July meeting.

The vote on this motion was unanimously in support - demonstrating the Council and residents are as one on this issue - the land should be gifted in entirety for the benefit of the community!

June 11th, 2009 | Category: council | Comments (1)

Kate Lahey, The Age, February 18, 2009

A RARE slice of parkland in Melbourne’s north should be given to the public, not sold for profit as planned by state authorities, a federal Labor MP says.

Kelvin Thomson has written to a state inquiry saying VicRoads must be prevented from selling the “lungs” of Coburg — 10 hectares of land along Edgars Creek — because open space is more important than the profit from its sale.

VicRoads should ensure the parkland stays in public hands by giving it to Moreland Council — on the condition it is kept as open public space, Mr Thomson says.

The council has made a similar submission to the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council’s inquiry into metropolitan Crown land.

But VicRoads says it must sell the land at market value under State Government policy.

The roads authority has previously offered a direct sale to the council for about $10 million. Negotiations are continuing.

“Government policy requires that all surplus land is to be sold by public process at market value as assessed by the Valuer-General,” VicRoads director of property services Bernard Toulet said.

A Government spokesman confirmed the policy but declined to comment on Mr Thomson’s submission.

VicRoads bought the land in the 1970s for use as a freeway, but the plan has since been abandoned.

Some locals fear at least part of the land could be sold to developers.

In a written submission to the inquiry, Mr Thomson says Coburg is largely built up and needs all the parkland it can get.

“The land is the largest open space in Coburg and acts as lungs, pumping the oxygen throughout the veins of our community,” his submission says.

Councillor Jo Connellan said it would be “a nonsense” for ratepayers to have to buy the land, as the public had already paid for it once and the council could not afford the purchase.

“Public land is so precious, we shouldn’t sell it. If the agency who’s got it doesn’t need it, then put it back into the public land estate and reallocate it to a public purpose,” Cr Connellan said.

The council has allowed increased development in Moreland, including at large sites such as the former Kodak plant and Pentridge Prison.

Mr Thomson says Moreland’s population growth of 0.9 per cent over five years has put pressure on local infrastructure and the parkland’s value cannot be measured in monetary terms.

—

This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/national/keep-coburgs-lungs-for-public-mp-20090217-8a9z.html

February 18th, 2009 | Category: media | Comments (2)