Looking back, looking ahead, looking around

It’s hard to believe that Christmas, and for the fortunate, the happy prospect of summer holidays, is just around the corner. It’s time to look back, look ahead and look around.

Looking back can be done swiftly. The first half of the year was rather quiet for the Parkville Gardens Residents’ Association (PGRA) because of a funding pause, but Frasers Property and social housing provider Housing First filled the gap with a very successful Easter Fair on the Galada Avenue Reserve in April.

PGRA was back in business in October with another of its popular Quiz Nights at the Reggio Calabria Club and a second “Amazing (not really a) Race” event for Children’s Week. Sadly, our Halloween event had to be cancelled at the last minute because of a bereavement, but lots of families and children were able to enjoy Housing First’s Halloween festival the weekend before.

Looking ahead, PGRA is planning to hold a number of community events in the first half of 2024. We had intended to have a neighbourhood multi-cultural celebration this month, but circumstances made that impractical, so it will now happen in the early months of 2024.  And, of course, there’ll be the usual Easter egg hunt for the kids. Dates and details to follow.

Also in the New Year, PGRA will be following up on discussions with City of Melbourne traffic engineers about how to make the area safer for pedestrians, especially our frail aged, and less attractive to non-resident drivers taking a short cut through our narrow streets.

We’ll also continue conversations with the City of Melbourne about community facilities as our population increases, while noting the welcome upgrading of the Brens Pavilion in Royal Park and its availability for community functions.

This prompts me to gratefully acknowledge the City of Melbourne grants that fund the majority of our activities, as well as the Department of Education grant for Children’s Week.

Looking around, Parkville Gardens residents are fortunate to have Royal Park close by. The City of Melbourne has been engaging the community in the revision of the Royal Park Master Plan.

The latest round of on-site consultations has finished but everyone is urged to continue engaging with the process.

Go to participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/royal-park-master-plan-review.

Royal Park is a treasure for us all, so please have your say!

Also nearby is the decommissioned CSL site. It would appear that major stakeholders such as the City of Melbourne and both state and federal governments are in conversation about its future.

The site is complex in terms of ownership and heritage status so there’s every likelihood that negotiations will be protracted. Its size and proximity to Parkville Gardens make its future a prime concern of ours.

Let’s make our voice heard. Send me your ideas on what you think should be done with it.  Email me at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks to North West City News for publishing this monthly column. Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to all readers and especially to all who call Parkville Gardens home. •