Change is on the way in Parkville Gardens

Sixty articles down the track, this will be my last for North West City News before it’s reborn as The Melburnian. Change is in the air!

That goes for the Parkville Gardens Residents’ Association as well as this publication. At our upcoming AGM in October, I will hand over the reins of leadership.

In my six years as president there’ve been two Popes, two Prime Ministers, three Premiers and two Lord Mayors. On that basis, it’s time for a fresh face here in Parkville Gardens.

Is that face yours? Please ask yourself that question. It’s been a privilege for me to serve the Parkville Gardens community as president for the past six years. It’s enabled me to be more deeply grounded in the neighbourhood while connecting me and the community more broadly to the City of Melbourne.

These are the two facets to the role. The first is to lead PGRA in its engagement with the local community, promoting a climate of inclusion and belonging, fostering pride in the neighbourhood and supporting practical measures to make the precinct more liveable than ever.

The second is to connect with authorities and agencies beyond our boundaries, most especially with the City of Melbourne, Victoria Police and other residents’ associations. Our relationship with the City of Melbourne is crucial. Grants from the council are the primary source of funding for our organisational responsibilities and for the events we hold, along with occasional grants from other bodies such as Greater Western Water and the Victorian Department of Education.

We’re most grateful for all this financial support, but also and especially for the key role played by our neighbourhood partner who is our liaison with the council.

The salary package for the position of president is impressive in its simplicity. It’s full of zeroes. The same goes for committee members. We serve out of love for the community and that’s immensely rewarding in itself.

Please consider putting your hand up to serve. All positions will be declared vacant at the AGM. Some committee members will offer to continue but they’ll be happy to have new company.

Our secretary/treasurer would love to hand over the finance portfolio, and I’m handing over the presidency. If you would like to discuss your options, please contact me at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you.

Let me finish with a brief rollcall of upcoming events. The AGM is tentatively planned for Thursday, October 22. Halloween falls on a Saturday this year.

Our final event for 2026 promises to be particularly memorable. It’s 20 years since the Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne. In 2026 what is now the Parkville Gardens neighbourhood was the athletes’ village.

We’re delighted to announce that the Mayor of the Commonwealth Games Village, renowned Australian athlete Steve Moneghetti, has agreed to be our speaker on the night of Thursday, November 19. Confirmation of these dates will follow in due course with posters on our noticeboards and flyers in every letterbox. It should be a great night. See you there! •