Latest news with #YarraCityCouncil
Sydney Morning Herald
30-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
The suburbs set to be transformed by minister's sweeping powers
More than 70 major housing, energy and commercial projects have been approved by the Victorian government, bypassing local councils and sidestepping residents' objections. An analysis by The Age has found at least 40 more developments are in the pipeline for ministerial approval through the Development Facilitation Program, which allows Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny to 'call in' and approve projects regardless of local opposition, including a proposed waste-to-energy-powered office tower in Cremorne. The property industry has lauded the bolstered ministerial powers as a critical way to accelerate housing supply and investment, but councils are demanding an urgent review and claim there is no evidence it has sped up the construction of new homes. Projects already approved under the program include an 18-storey, 400-home apartment building in Collingwood, which Yarra City Council had opposed. Property Council Victoria executive director Cath Evans said the DFP was a 'critically important' pathway to accelerate housing approvals and address blockages in development and construction. 'While this has been a positive initiative, there remain significant overall delays in planning approvals and red tape, such as the lengthy wait times many in the industry are facing on essential infrastructure delivery, such as water and power,' she said. According to the state government, its DFP pathway has approved 4802 homes since the launch of the Housing Statement in September 2023, when then-premier Daniel Andrews set a target of building 800,000 homes in Victoria over the next 10 years. The government can use the bolstered program to fast-track developments and bypass local councils based on several criteria, including a significant economic contribution, inclusion of affordable housing, or high-quality design and sustainability.
The Age
30-06-2025
- Business
- The Age
The suburbs set to be transformed by minister's sweeping powers
More than 70 major housing, energy and commercial projects have been approved by the Victorian government, bypassing local councils and sidestepping residents' objections. An analysis by The Age has found at least 40 more developments are in the pipeline for ministerial approval through the Development Facilitation Program, which allows Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny to 'call in' and approve projects regardless of local opposition, including a proposed waste-to-energy-powered office tower in Cremorne. The property industry has lauded the bolstered ministerial powers as a critical way to accelerate housing supply and investment, but councils are demanding an urgent review and claim there is no evidence it has sped up the construction of new homes. Projects already approved under the program include an 18-storey, 400-home apartment building in Collingwood, which Yarra City Council had opposed. Property Council Victoria executive director Cath Evans said the DFP was a 'critically important' pathway to accelerate housing approvals and address blockages in development and construction. 'While this has been a positive initiative, there remain significant overall delays in planning approvals and red tape, such as the lengthy wait times many in the industry are facing on essential infrastructure delivery, such as water and power,' she said. According to the state government, its DFP pathway has approved 4802 homes since the launch of the Housing Statement in September 2023, when then-premier Daniel Andrews set a target of building 800,000 homes in Victoria over the next 10 years. The government can use the bolstered program to fast-track developments and bypass local councils based on several criteria, including a significant economic contribution, inclusion of affordable housing, or high-quality design and sustainability.
NBC News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Australian locality removing often-vandalized monument to British explorer James Cook
MELBOURNE, Australia — An Australian local government has decided against repairing an often-vandalized monument to renowned British explorer James Cook because it would be destroyed again. But the mayor on Wednesday rejected accusations that the vandals have won. Statues and monuments to the 18th-century naval officer are common in Australia and are often defaced by opponents of Britain's settlement of the country without a treaty with its Indigenous people. In 1770, then Lt. Cook charted the Australian east coast where Sydney would become the first British colony on the continent. The granite and bronze monument to the master navigator and cartographer in an inner-city Melbourne park was vandalized days after the anniversary of the first British settlers' arrival at Sydney Cove was commemorated on Jan. 26. Opponents of Australia Day celebrations denounce the public holiday as 'Invasion Day.' There are growing calls for the country to find a less divisive national day. The monument in Melbourne's Edinburgh Gardens was snapped at its base and spray painted with the words 'cook the colony.' Mayor Stephen Jolly, head of the Yarra City Council, which is a municipality near the heart of Melbourne, said his fellow councilors had voted unanimously on Tuesday night against spending 15,000 Australian dollars ($9,700) on repairing the monument, which remains in storage. Jolly said the decision to permanently remove the monument, which included an image of Cook's face cast in bronze, was about economics rather than taking a position in Australia's culture wars. 'It's about being economically rational. It's AU$15,000 a pop every time we have to repair it and it's persistently getting either demolished or vandalized or tagged,' Jolly told Australian Broadcasting Corp. 'It's just a waste of ratepayers' money. We can't afford to do that,' Jolly added. But Victoria state's Melbourne-based conservative opposition leader, Brad Battin, condemned removing such memorials as surrendering to vandals. 'We need to stand strong and remember the fact that this is part of our history,' Battin told reporters. 'If you start to remove the history of our state and our country because of activists, then you're actually giving in to those that are campaigning against it,' Battin added. Jolly disagreed that his council had given the vandals what they wanted. 'No, I think they would've loved for us to put it back up and then they could've just tagged it again or destroyed it again and just had this ongoing sort of little war going on in Edinburgh Gardens,' Jolly said. 'I think they're probably the most disappointed people that it's not going to be there anymore,' Jolly added. The base of the monument remained at the entrance to the park on Wednesday with a traffic cone attached to warn cyclists, joggers and pedestrians of the trip hazard it presents. Someone has scrawled a smiling face and a torso on the cone in an apparent reference to the memorial that had once stood in its place. Jolly said a local branch of the Captain Cook Society, an international group that celebrates the explorer, has offered to preserve the bronze plaques. Melbourne-based society member Bill Lang said discussions were underway to find a short-term home for the monument, such as a museum. Lang said the council's decision not to repair the monument was disheartening. 'It's very disappointing for every open-minded Australian that believes that there are lots of things that we can learn about and learn from our history that we should celebrate,' Lang said.
Leader Live
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
Captain Cook monument removed from Melbourne park after repeated vandalism
But the mayor rejected accusations that the vandals have won. Statues and monuments to the 18th century naval officer are common in Australia and are often defaced by opponents of Britain's settlement of the country without a treaty with its indigenous people. In 1770, then-Lieutenant Cook charted the Australian east coast where Sydney would become the first British colony on the continent. The granite and bronze monument to the master navigator and cartographer in an inner-city Melbourne park was vandalised days after the anniversary of the first British settlers' arrival at Sydney Cove was commemorated on January 26. Opponents of Australia Day celebrations denounce the public holiday as 'Invasion Day'. There are growing calls for the country to find a less divisive national day. The monument in Melbourne's Edinburgh Gardens was snapped at its base and spray-painted with the words 'cook the colony'. Mayor Stephen Jolly, head of the Yarra City Council, which is a municipality near the heart of Melbourne, said his fellow councillors had voted unanimously on Tuesday night against spending 15,000 Australian dollars (£7,285) on repairing the monument, which remains in storage. Mr Jolly said the decision to permanently remove the monument, which included an image of Cook's face cast in bronze, was about economics rather than taking a position in Australia's culture wars. 'It's about being economically rational. It's 15,000 dollars a pop every time we have to repair it and it's persistently getting either demolished or vandalised or tagged,' Mr Jolly told Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 'It's just a waste of ratepayers' money. We can't afford to do that,' he added. But Victoria state's Melbourne-based conservative opposition leader Brad Battin condemned removing such memorials as surrendering to vandals. 'We need to stand strong and remember the fact that this is part of our history,' Mr Battin told reporters. 'If you start to remove the history of our state and our country because of activists, then you're actually giving in to those that are campaigning against it,' he added. Mr Jolly disagreed that his council had given the vandals what they wanted. 'No, I think they would've loved for us to put it back up and then they could've just tagged it again or destroyed it again and just had this ongoing sort of little war going on in Edinburgh Gardens,' he said. 'I think they're probably the most disappointed people that it's not going to be there anymore,' Mr Jolly added. The base of the monument remained at the entrance of the park on Wednesday with a traffic cone attached to warn cyclists, joggers and pedestrians of the trip hazard it presents. Someone has scrawled a smiling face and a torso on the cone in an apparent reference to the memorial that had once stood in its place. Mr Jolly said a local branch of the Captain Cook Society, an international group that celebrates the explorer, has offered to preserve the bronze plaques. Melbourne-based society member Bill Lang said discussions were under way to find a short-term home for the monument, such as a museum. Mr Lang said the council's decision not to repair the monument was disheartening. 'It's very disappointing for every open-minded Australian that believes that there are lots of things that we can learn about and learn from our history that we should celebrate,' he said.
Rhyl Journal
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Captain Cook monument removed from Melbourne park after repeated vandalism
But the mayor rejected accusations that the vandals have won. Statues and monuments to the 18th century naval officer are common in Australia and are often defaced by opponents of Britain's settlement of the country without a treaty with its indigenous people. In 1770, then-Lieutenant Cook charted the Australian east coast where Sydney would become the first British colony on the continent. The granite and bronze monument to the master navigator and cartographer in an inner-city Melbourne park was vandalised days after the anniversary of the first British settlers' arrival at Sydney Cove was commemorated on January 26. Opponents of Australia Day celebrations denounce the public holiday as 'Invasion Day'. There are growing calls for the country to find a less divisive national day. The monument in Melbourne's Edinburgh Gardens was snapped at its base and spray-painted with the words 'cook the colony'. Mayor Stephen Jolly, head of the Yarra City Council, which is a municipality near the heart of Melbourne, said his fellow councillors had voted unanimously on Tuesday night against spending 15,000 Australian dollars (£7,285) on repairing the monument, which remains in storage. Mr Jolly said the decision to permanently remove the monument, which included an image of Cook's face cast in bronze, was about economics rather than taking a position in Australia's culture wars. 'It's about being economically rational. It's 15,000 dollars a pop every time we have to repair it and it's persistently getting either demolished or vandalised or tagged,' Mr Jolly told Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 'It's just a waste of ratepayers' money. We can't afford to do that,' he added. But Victoria state's Melbourne-based conservative opposition leader Brad Battin condemned removing such memorials as surrendering to vandals. 'We need to stand strong and remember the fact that this is part of our history,' Mr Battin told reporters. 'If you start to remove the history of our state and our country because of activists, then you're actually giving in to those that are campaigning against it,' he added. Mr Jolly disagreed that his council had given the vandals what they wanted. 'No, I think they would've loved for us to put it back up and then they could've just tagged it again or destroyed it again and just had this ongoing sort of little war going on in Edinburgh Gardens,' he said. 'I think they're probably the most disappointed people that it's not going to be there anymore,' Mr Jolly added. The base of the monument remained at the entrance of the park on Wednesday with a traffic cone attached to warn cyclists, joggers and pedestrians of the trip hazard it presents. Someone has scrawled a smiling face and a torso on the cone in an apparent reference to the memorial that had once stood in its place. Mr Jolly said a local branch of the Captain Cook Society, an international group that celebrates the explorer, has offered to preserve the bronze plaques. Melbourne-based society member Bill Lang said discussions were under way to find a short-term home for the monument, such as a museum. Mr Lang said the council's decision not to repair the monument was disheartening. 'It's very disappointing for every open-minded Australian that believes that there are lots of things that we can learn about and learn from our history that we should celebrate,' he said.
