What will become of the vacant lots at the southern end of Galada Avenue?

A contentious 2017 amendment to the planning scheme approved higher height limits and an open extension to the original deadline for completion of developing these empty sites, but the community still awaits answers.

In principle, three more high-rise apartment blocks are due to be constructed on the site.

Questions abound. When, if ever, will they be built? Given the ongoing housing crisis, why is this land still undeveloped? What mix of housing will they eventually offer? What proportion of social housing will there be? Will such extra housing finally prompt the state government to honour its original promise of a community centre?

In the meantime, will the footpath on the western side of Galada Avenue through to Oak St be constructed? Its current abrupt end isn’t just inconvenient for pedestrians, but potentially unsafe.

These questions aside, Parkville Gardens remains a great place to live.

On that note, mid-July means there’s plenty of winter still to come, but day by day the span of daylight is increasing, even if it’s just minute by minute.

It was certainly a cold, dark and wintry night for PGRA’s Winter Social on June 26. Those who braved the chill enjoyed a triple treat – generous servings of pizza and pasta from host Carlo at the Reggio Calabria Club, an engaging illustrated presentation on Royal Park (especially its bird life) by Peter and Alex, two devotees from the Friends of Royal Park, and the opportunity to socialise with friends and neighbours in a warm and hospitable setting. Thanks again to the City of Melbourne for the funding that makes these events possible.

Peter and Alex left us with a list of practical ways residents can support Royal Park from home:

• plant local plants in your garden or in balcony pots
• keep lighting as minimal as possible at night
• check out the City of Melbourne’s Gardens for Wildlife program
• minimise the use of herbicides and pesticides
• use bird-friendly rodent control
• control potentially invasive weeds
• keep cats inside, especially at night
• get active with the Friends of Royal Park (royalpark.org.au)

Planning is under way for a special neighbourhood celebration in spring, probably in late October, thanks also to City of Melbourne funding. More on that in due course.

There’s also our AGM to look forward to around the same time.

In the meantime, we await the next phase of consultation about the Pedestrian and Road Safety Survey.

In the second round, everyone was invited to offer feedback by July 4 on specific improvements proposed by the council’s traffic engineers.

The third will take the form, we’re told, of “an in-person session with a group of community representatives to better understand any local issues we may not have captured and discuss the projects to be developed.”

We welcome this promised opportunity. •