June 2008
Minutes of the meeting of the Kensington Association held on 2 June 2008

 

Apologies:  Paul Devereux, Cr Rose Iser, Therese Fitzgerald, Monica Vandenberg

1.  East-West tunnel proposal by Eddington Report

The chair, Richard Reilly, updated members.  The Working Party had met officers of the Department of Transport (formerly ‘Infrastructure’) and clarified some points.  They had not replied in writing, as promised.  The Working Party have also planned three key events and urge members to support them.  The first would be the following evening Tuesday 3 June, when residents are urged to attend the Planning Committee of the City of Melbourne, which will be considering the City’s response to the Eddington proposals.  He said that the draft response offered a feeble protection to Holland Park in particular and Kensington in general.  He hoped that Councillors would adopt a stronger objection.  Association representatives had booked in to address the Committee.  Residents could catch the “Hands Off Holland Park Train” departing Kensington Station at 6:05 pm and then on to the Melbourne Town Hall.

The second event would be Kensington Public Rally opposing the tunnel plan, to be held later in June at a date to be fixed soon.

The third would be a submissions campaign responding to the State Government’s invitation to comment on the Eddington plan.  It was important that there be a mass of submissions.  The Association would make its own submission, and work to ensure that the maximum number of residents also sent in their comments (deadline 15 July).

The Chair summarized by stressing the importance of each member taking the 3 actions, and encouraging their friends and neighbours to do the same.

2.  Future Melbourne

It was agreed that the Association would participate in this ‘wiki”-based exercise, the details to be sorted out later.

3.  Footscray-Kensington-East Melbourne bus route 402

Donna Lancaster reported good news on the public transport front, in that the service has been improved on this route, with more frequent buses and other measures to speed travel times.

4.  City of Melbourne Community Service Grants

Treasurer Tony Dare reported that the Association had sent in a submission for 2009 funding.  He said that over the years, the City had most generous in providing these funds to resident groups, taking the pressure off membership funds. These grants, previously known as Community Information Support (CIS) had assisted the Association over many years in its basic communications needs, such as printing brochures and stationery, postage and website expenses (development, hosting and domain name).  The Association had also used the funds for its “Not for Profit Kensington” project, that offers organizations a free page on the Association website, and the successful “Welcome to Kensington” kits of information for new arrivals, several hundred having been distributed.  In 2008, two brochures would be produced:  “Kensington Story” and “Green Kensington”.  The 2009 submission proposes to up-date and further develop these projects.