Cycling and the City

With a Greens cycling group opposite the Windsor

Although I often drive an electric car and catch public transport, I'm a regular and enthusiastic cyclist. At this time of year, it's a pleasure to pedal around Melbourne on two wheels, taking in the sights and sounds of the city at her best. The Melbourne electorate is one of the most convenient to navigate by bike, but my aim is to make it even more cycle-friendly by working to resolve the issues repeatedly raised by cyclists, pedestrians and drivers. There are some general issues which usually involve the disappearing bike lane - whether because of a parked bus, road works, or just bad planning. But there are several specific issues which can use some attention. Here are my top ten:

1. North bank of Yarra River

Like Southbank, there is now a good pedestrian route along the North bank of the Yarra. However, there's no specific provision for cyclists, who often use this route to avoid pedestrians on Southbank. A safe cycling route east-west though Melbourne along the north bank of the Yarra is urgently required.

2. Albert St 'Copenhagen' bike lanes

Melbourne City Council has provided Copenhagen-style bike lanes along Albert Street, East Melbourne, greatly improving safety and convenience. Although some industry groups such as VECCI have campaigned against these bike lanes, they retain my full support.

3. "Parkiteer" cages at Southern Cross

Southern Cross station does not have simple and secure parking for bikes - even though it services regional Victoria as well as suburban Melbourne. We should have proper bike cages here for storing bicycles between train rides.

4. Swanston Walk

Swanston Street is the busiest cycle route in central Melbourne. Cars are banned but commercial vehicles, buses and taxis clog up the route when they park, particularly when trams go through. A cyclist was recently killed by a bus this route. Better support for cycling here is important.

5. Crossing Curtain, Lee and Princes Sts on the Canning St bike path

The passthroughs of bollards at Lee and Curtain Streets are dangerous. Some bollards have a spacing so narrow that being 15cm off line at 25 or 30 km/h will result in a nasty crash. Cyclists have marked these up with reflective tape. The Princes Street crossing has a wait of about two minutes - far too long. Too often, cars stop in the middle of the intersection, blocking cyclists.

6. Moonee Valley Creek Trail

This is a good trail, but at the southern end has no clearly marked and safe route into the city. This is urgently needed.

7. North Melbourne station

Cyclists and pedestrians need a way to cross from North Melbourne to Docklands without passing through ticket barriers.

8. Pedestrian and cycling access blocked

VicUrban recently blocked pedestrian and cycling access to Village Street from Village Place in Docklands, putting up hoardings around the South end of the Goods Shed and offering no alternative access.

9. Carlton Gardens

Cyclists use this green space as a route between Canning and Rathdowne Streets, partly because of dangerous cycling conditions along Rathdowne Street, creating a source of friction for other park users. I'm working with local residents, the Council, and Bicycle Victoria towards a positive solution.

10. Pin Oak Crescent and Eastwood Street

This route beside the railway line is popular with cyclists but has no marked bike lanes. It's time it did.

Make Melbourne Democratic

Melbourne Town Hall

The City of Melbourne provides local government representation for about 90,000 residents. Local government is important and valuable: it makes decisions on issues very close to the community, and has the capacity to be very responsive to the community.

In Melbourne, as the capital city of Victoria, there are also many businesses both small and large, and the Melbourne City Council must also consider their needs.

To have a strong connection between the community and local government, it is important to have the best possible electoral system. The electoral system for the City of Melbourne has several unusual features.

1. It is a postal ballot, so there's only limited information and often no real sense of the amount of community support particular candidates enjoy, and what's more the Victorian Electoral Commission has acknowledged that it does not have the power to check the authenticity of the signature or the date of birth on the envelope containing the ballot paper. Postal ballots are notoriously open to abuse: we should consider a return to attendance polling;

2. Businesses get two votes - even if the owners live outside the country. The nominees of the business do not even have to be shareholders. It's not clear how this weighting can be justified - especially for those without a genuine link to the community: it should be citizens who elect the Council;

3. There are no ward councillors: the whole electorate elects all of the councillors, so no one representative has responsibility for a particular neighbourhood;

4. Despite the size of the municipality, which runs from Kensington to East Melbourne, there are only nine councillors: that's a big workload for each councillor.

5. There are two separate elections - one for the Lord Mayor and Deputy, and another for seven other councillors: a candidate must choose which ballot to contest. That's not a good way to maximize the talent pool for the council. And it also means that only those with a large campaign budget are able to win the Lord Mayoralty;

6. There is a "deeming provision" under which many voters are deemed enrolled even though they have not applied and frequently do not even know they are on the roll;

7. Above-the-line voting is permitted for the councillors, so that voters need only vote for one candidate. A better system would require voters to number the squares for at least the number of positions for election (currently seven).

8. There are no requirements to disclose election funding sources.

For residents, there is no councillor who is dedicated to serving their local needs. With the small number of councillors, it is hard for councillors to respond to all the concerns that are raised.

It is time for a review of the Council. It is the only council which does not automatically have a regular review under the Local Government Act. That review should also reconsider the electoral system, and the effectiveness of local representation.

The Council has itself requested a review on more than one occasion, but has not had a satisfactory response from the State government.

A review is an important opportunity for improvement of our local government system: Melbourne deserves this no less than any other municipality.

External Links

• Councillor Cathy Oke - Greens councillor
• City of Melbourne
• Resident groups

Building community - not empires

Carlton's Kathleen Syme Centre would be a great community facility

Kathleen Syme was a journalist and editor with The Age - the newspaper founded by her grandfather David Syme.

For many years Kathleen worked for the welfare of others - particularly women. She served on the board of the Royal Women's Hospital for decades, and in her honour its education centre (former Faraday Street State School No 112) is named the Kathleen Syme Education Centre.

The Women's Hospital has now moved to the corner of Grattan Street and Flemington Road Parkville, and Melbourne University wants to acquire the old hospital site.

Fair enough.

But will the university also be permitted to acquire the Kathleen Syme Education Centre?

Carlton has no public hall and no library. The Kathleen Syme Centre would be an ideal location for these services.

It is true that Melbourne University has a library, but it is not for locals. There is the State Library in the city, but that serves a rather grander function than a local library. There is a library in Rathdowne Street North Carlton, run by the City of Yarra. But for those in Carlton there is nothing.

Nor does the community have anywhere to meet. Meetings are often held at Melbourne University, but members of the public generally can't book space there - unless they are prepared to pay top dollar. Otherwise we have to go to the back rooms of pubs or to a church hall - such as St Jude's or the Church of All Nations - when public meeting space should be basic public infrastructure.

Carlton has a long and wonderful history - I lived for years next door to an elderly Italian couple, she having come out to Australia as a mail order bride in the 1930s. The football club (I confess I am not a supporter!) also has a proud history. Wouldn't it be great to have a place in the heart of Carlton to celebrate this heritage?

Carlton's postcode - 3053 - has the highest poverty rate of any postcode in Melbourne. It is an area that needs more community services, not less.

Carlton has never had its own local government, and it falls within the City of Melbourne. The City Council is willing and able to buy the Kathleen Syme Centre for a community space to meet the needs of Carlton residents. It has already done the same for Southbank and East Melbourne.

So what's the problem?

The problem is that the State government keeps blocking the acquisition. Formerly part of the Royal Women's, the Centre is currently under the control of the Minister for Health - Daniel Andrews. He and his Department don't want to sell one of their assets for community use.

It's empire building instead of community building.

When dealing with government assets, our government must take seriously the needs of the community.

External Links

• Carlton Residents Association
• Kathleen Syme Education Centre