Streets Alive Yarra offers the following feedback, regarding some of the items on the agenda.
Item 7.3 Intersection Upgrades
Streets Alive Yarra supports the officer recommendation to proceed to construction at:
- Balmain Street, Cotter Street and Church Street, Cremorne; and
- Wertheim Street and Stawell Street, Richmond
We support the officer recommendation to proceed to continue the design work for:
- Scotchmer Street and St Georges Road, Fitzroy North;
- Lennox Street and Highett Street, Richmond; and
- Johnson Street and Victoria Street, Richmond.
We don’t support the officer recommendation to cancel two projects and instead consider them as part of the Rowena Parade Road Safety Study, because changes on or near Rowena Parade don’t have inter-dependencies with the two locations. Instead, the two projects should proceed to construction:
- Lennox Street and Swan Street, Richmond; and
- Lennox Street and Bridge Road, Richmond.
Overall, we note that Council has already consulted extensively on, and adopted, the Community Vision, Council Plan, Transport Strategy, and Transport Action Plan, all of which highlight the Yarra community’s support for intrinsic human values of empathy and responsibility, including respect for the freedom of others to move about in safety, including for people who can’t drive, such as children. The Transport Strategy and Action Plan point out that we need to upgrade intersections to deliver that safety, and we should keep that in mind when deciding how to move forward.
Item 7.5 Submission to Melbourne Water’s Updated Flood Mapping
It’s good to see that the draft submission acknowledges that investing in stormwater drainage won’t solve the problem, i.e. it can only partially mitigate it.
It’s also good to see that the draft submission acknowledges that Council has statutory duties, obligations, and responsibilities to advise property owners of flood risk.
The issue of flood mapping has been going on since 2020. It’s time for Council to stop blocking, delaying, or complaining, and instead to start supporting the adoption of the updated flood mapping.
In particular, Council does its reputation a disservice by continuing to stoke fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) about insurance costs. Instead, the Council submission should point out that members of the community are now realising that those concerns are unfounded.
Item 7.6 E-Bike Share
Streets Alive Yarra supports the officer recommendation to proceed with a permanent shared e-bike scheme, and we also recommend combining that with a commitment to deliver on-street e-bike parking corrals, so that shared e-bikes don’t block footpaths.
7.8. North East Link – Urban Design and Landscape Plan
Streets Alive Yarra supports the officer recommendation to advocate for improvements to the Main Yarra Trail under the Eastern Freeway, and for a major upgrade to the Roseneath Street Bridge, because the upgraded shared user path along the North East Link will deliver many more people onto those connections.
Item 7.9 Proposed Discontinuance of Road at Mater Street, Collingwood
Streets Alive Yarra supports the officer recommendation to commence the statutory process to discontinue the road, to create new public open space at Mater Street, Collingwood, because adding new public open space is a good thing.
Item 7.10 Proposed Discontinuance of Road at Budd Street, Collingwood
Streets Alive Yarra supports the officer recommendation to commence the statutory process to discontinue the road, to create new public open space at Budd Street, Collingwood, because adding new public open space is a good thing.
Published 14 December 2025