Carlton Gardens Policy
| Article No. 360 -
November 22, 2004 |
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Gary Morgan
Lord Mayor Candidate
Margaret Wood
Deputy Lord Mayor Candidate |
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1. CARLTON GARDENS
BACKGROUND
The City of Melbourne manages the whole of the Carlton Gardens , with exclusion of the ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING (REB) the MUSEUM and the adjoining concourse.
The REB and the Museum are the responsibility of Museum Victoria (State Body). The Board of Trustees for the REB was scrapped in favour of the so-called Museum’s Board of Victoria (very silent and ineffectual body).
Consequences:
• Large sections of the gardens are no longer identifiable as part of the Gardens. That is, the Royal Exhibition Building reserve, open gravel plaza and bitumen car parks adjacent REB
• Linkage between the Gardens and the Museum is non—existent
• There has been no effort on part of Museum Victoria to restore these sections that are in poor condition and in desperate need of rejuvenation
• The REB was recently restored but works did not include the heritage areas immediately surrounding it
• Lack of coordination and cooperation between the two management bodies at Local and State levels
• There are three different contractors maintaining different areas of the Gardens; City Wide for MCC and Serco and a Landscape contractor for the Museum — how silly is that.
2. WORLD HERITAGE LISTING
BACKGROUND
In June 2004, City of Melbourne and Museum Victoria signed a MEMORANDUM containing specific terms of reference, and offering an opportunity to get all parties working together on a ‘ Joint Management Committee’ that would be responsible for this World Heritage Listing.
So far nothing has happened!
Nothing has been set up! No budget for it!
• The City of Melbourne should lead the way to ensure a proper ‘World Heritage Board’ is set up consisting of members from all three levels of government— FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL
• The Board must ensure that the Carlton Gardens are of world standard. The new City of Melbourne Master Plan does not go far enough
• These Gardens are 150 years old and the only World Heritage Gardens in Australia
• The MCC has an obligation to continue acting as custodian and ensure they are appropriately respected.
IMMEDIATE CHANGES THAT THE ‘WORLD HERITAGE BOARD’ SHOULD TACKLE:
• A workable relationship between Local, State and Federal Government
• The Federal Government were the sponsors of the World Heritage listing and put up the nomination, since the listing there has been no formal structure of management.
• The National Trust should be a member of the ‘World Heritage Board’ as an expert advisor and independent member
• Set up ‘financial management strategies’ that bring in joint funding from both State and Federal Governments. Local Government to assist
• Develop a plan to restore world standard gardens (stop damage from badly handled ‘Flower Show’, move Flower Show onto concourse or find another location)
• Get cars off the reserve — engineer traffic management to and from the site
• Increase underground parking
• Get drug dealers/users out of the children’s playground
• More rangers for increased security
• Sustainable water policy — ludicrous that our fountains have to turn off because nothing has been done in this area of water sustainability during the ‘big dry’
Gary Morgan will ‘make a commitment to help set up the World Heritage Board of Management. He will offer to lead the way in this very important project.
Further, Gary Morgan ‘will ensure that all our heritage gardens receive the attention and respect they deserve, not just the Carlton Gardens ’.
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