We have a Park for Mt Pleasant - YEAH!

The Rankin kids, Jodie (4), Matt (11) and Jimmy (13), are joined by Cr Nick Pazolli, MLA Janet Woollard, Melville Mayor Russell Aubrey, CEO Shayne Silcox and Mt Pleasant residents in a show of jubilation over Melville council’s decision to invest in more parkland

More Parkland likely for Mt Pleasant

23/Aug/2011 By Jessica Nico, Melville Times

RESIDENTS in Mt Pleasant are this week celebrating after the council decided to bid for a parcel of land from the Water Corporation, which could be turned into parkland for the area.

The council decided at last week’s meeting to offer to buy the land, surrounded by Ogilvie Road, Clive Street and Baldwin Avenue.

Mt Pleasant currently has a 12.67 hectare under supply of parkland, and residents closest to the land in question are more than 400m from the nearest park.

Real Parks for Mt Pleasant founder Rhonda Kerr said residents were happy with the result.

“When the issue was raised we had immediate responses from our local councillor, the mayor and the CEO and they have been very helpful in exploring options, in being available for meetings and in keeping in touch,” she said.

“We awaited the result of the vote with great anxiety because just now, there is a chance for one small park in Mt Pleasant for the healthy development of children and for the physical and mental health of people of all ages.”

Resident Murray Meaton said all residents welcomed the decision.
“A new park in the area is priceless. Mt Pleasant was a garden suburb of large blocks and trees, so this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to restore some of that lost green,” he said.

City of Melville chief executive Shayne Silcox said it would be good to see another park in the area.
“The City and the council are delighted to authorise the purchase of this land in Mt Pleasant to be enjoyed as a beautiful park by all residents,” he said.
“This is a significant investment and the new park will further add to the wonderful lifestyle in the City of Melville.
“The City intends to maintain a focus on the importance of public open space.”

Decision time for our Park

Well it's now Decision time for our Park.

What a journey.

Neighbourhood meetings, Community Rally, Petitions, letters, phone calls, meetings with Councillors, emails, letters to the Prince of Wales - you name it - we as a community have made it happen. Thank you to everyone.

The Elected Members of the City of Melville will vote confidentially on whether or not to purchase the land for our community park.

This will take place at the Council Chambers, Melville Civic Centre, 10 Almondbury Road, Booragoon commencing at 6.30pm on Tuesday, 19 April 2011.

Please show your support  by attending this Council meeting next Tuesday. Your attendance will show councilors that there is a strong community interest and support for the park.

Spread the word as we would love to see a crowd of supporters there.

Pleasant People really want a Park

It's official.....the residents of Mt Pleasant really, really want a park.

The meeting on Sunday afternoon was a successs with lots of new faces from our neighbourhood. If you were away for the weekend and missed the meeting, here is a brief run down on what was discussed:

• Rhonda Kerr has been invited to present our case for a park to the elected members/councillors of the City of Melville on March 8. This invitation was extended to our community group following our rally and receipt of the petition signed by more than 300 residents last year. Good Luck Rhonda!
• For our cause to be heard, we need many voices. We encourage everyone to call their local city councillors and talk to them about this wonderful opportunity to create more open space for our community. (They don't bite and they do listen). Visit City of Melville Elected Members
• Say yes to more open space in the City of Melville. We have a new Petition to be signed by all those who agree that Public Open Space in the city of Melville is important to our community. If you would like  more information about this petition, you would like to sign our petition, or would like to volunteer to obtain more signatures from the residents please call 9364 5982.
• Do you know the Mt Pleasant history? Well stay tuned.....we are currently researching everything about Mt Pleasant, the place, people and past events. If you have anything to share, please email or call Di 96161 5975
• Stay in touch and join our email list. Provide your email address to our email list for updates on, A Park for Mt Pleasant. 

Have fun and enjoy "our park"

Let's work together and get a Park!

It's time to make a difference for our community.

Do you want a new park for Mt Pleasant?

Do you want a playground for the kids?

An exercise or rest area away from the crowds on the Esplanade cycle path?

Then come along to our next community meeting.

At 5.30pm on 6th March 2011

At "The Park" on the Baldwin Ave Verge

Come to discuss our next steps to encourage the Melville Council to becoming part of the solution.

Phone Rhonda on 9364 5982 for further info.

Pleasant People Want a Park - Melville City Herald

Pleasant People Want a Park - Melville City Herald, Volume 21 No 35, August 28 2010

More than 200 Mount Pleasant locals want an old water treatment station transformed into a park.

They turned up on-site last week to make their feelings known, saying preservation of open space is even more important given the council's enthusiasm for it's high-density Canning Bridge Precinct plan.

Rhonda Kerr says the recently demolished Water Corporation plant in Clive Street frees up 3200sqm. Turning it into a park would require the council to purchase the multi-million dollar site.

"Whilst the state standard for public open space is 10% of the area, Mount Pleasant has only five per cent - and that includes the car park at the rowing clubs," Ms Kerr said.

The council's own policy states locals should be no further than 400m from public open space, but many Mt Pleasant residents are 800m or more away from the nearest green space.

"The proposed park is close to the Canning Bridge Precinct [which] projects a massive increase in density and population, 1000 per cent increase in the number of workers and 234 per cent increase in the number of residents," she says.

Stoke Street's Graham James says families need access to safe parks where children can play.

"This area, bordered by Clive Street, Baldwin Avenue and Ogilvie Road, is perfect for a park as it is close by but on quiet local streets." "Melville has some great parks, including those at Heathcote, Deep Water Point and Point Walter, and these parks are heavily used by the community. More parks are needed to cope with the increased numbers of people in the area."

Ms Kerr has whipped up 230 signatures on a petition to hand to the council next week.

Council CEO Shayne Silcox says the land is not city-owned and "hypothetically the owners may decide to develop the land for residential purposes."

Water Corp flak catcher Clare Lugar says the station was only recently decommissioned and it's too early to say what might happen.

Park Push for Mt Pleasant - Melville Times 17 August 2010

Park Push for Mt Pleasant


Published: Melville Times, 17/Aug/2010 

ABOUT 200 residents turned out to a community barbecue in Mt Pleasant on Sunday to appeal to the City of Melville to buy and turn a demolished water treatment station into open parkland.

Melville Action Group members, schoolchildren, seniors, Tangney MHR Dennis Jensen and candidates David Doepel (Labor) and Pete Best (Greens) and Liberal Senator Chris Back spent the afternoon discussing why the land should be turned into parkland and how it could be done.

In July, the Water Corporation demolished the water treatment station on Clive Street and community members now want the site turned into a park.

Mt Pleasant resident Rhonda Kerr said the 3200sqm vacant block presented a “rare opportunity” to provide vital public open space to the suburb.

“The state standard for open space is 10 per cent, City of Melville’s average access to open space is 18 per cent, but the access to open space in Mt Pleasant is just 6 per cent and this includes the Rowing Club and the car park,” she said.

MAG member Graham James said the aim of the barbecue was to influence local and State government representatives to ensure that development throughout the City satisfied the needs and wishes of the Melville community.
“The residents want the space to be turned into park, not into a three-storey housing development,” he said.
“The city’s policy is that every resident should have access to public open space within 400 metres of their homes, but most people in this area have to walk for 800 metres or more.”

But Melville chief executive Shayne Silcox said the pumping station land was freehold and not owned by the city, so “as long as it met the requirements of the Community Planning Scheme, it was up to the owners on how they developed or sold the land”.
“The land is in three parcels owned by the Water Corporation, Landgate and the Crown Land Department,” he said.
“The land has a multi-million dollar market value and hypothetically the owners may decide to develop the land for residential purposes.”

Mr James said the community group would hold a meeting every Sunday afternoon at the open space bordered by Clive Street, Baldwin Avenue and Ogilvie Road until their message was made clear.

Comments:
Alan Diggin, 31/08/2010

The City is already protecting old road reserves in the precinct in the review of the Town Planning Scheme. These were previously identified for a sell of by the Crown for housing . The same should be done here . The land should be zoned for open space under the Scheme review. That would be a good start to getting a park rather than housing on the land.

Thanks for Your Support!





Nearly 200 Mt Pleasant residents gathered in the new found shade of a temporary park on the old Water Treatment site in Mt Pleasant on Sunday the 15th August.

Speakers discussed the important issue of poor access to usable public open space for young children and older residents unable to walk 700m to the nearest park. Mt Pleasant has less than 5% public open space compared to the Melville average of 18%.  Local Residents overwhelmingly agreed, that the purchase of this land by The City of Melville, is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our community and is too important to pass by. Residents showed their support by signing a Petition to The City of Melville and were also encouraged to contact the City of Melville's Elected Members directly, to voice their concerns.   

The importance of public open space for local community use was described as the one area of complete agreement for the political rivals for Dr Dennis Jensen's Seat of Tangney.

Both the Greens Candidate Pete Best and the Labor contender David Doepel warmly endorsed Dr Jensens’ call for access to public open space where kids can kick a footy and play.

‘Sunday in the Park with Balls’ looks like becoming a regular event for the 40 or more children of the area who now have somewhere off the streets to play. Families and neighbours often meeting for the first time, intend to make good use of the area until the City of Melville approves the sale of the land for 4 more large houses.

As local resident Murray Meaton said, “The benefits of a park for the community may outweigh the addition of only 4 houses to the City of Melville rate revenues.”

Thank you again for all for your support and we look forward to meeting regularly each Sunday afternoon at 2.00pm at our park.

Have Your Say Now!

Want to sign our Petition? 
Great. Call Rhonda Kerr 9364 5982 and we will arrange for your support to be included.

Who is my Local Elected Member and how do I contact them?
Full details of your local members can be found at Elected Members of The City of Melville

How do I contact The City of Melville online, to show my support for increasing public open space in Mt Pleasant? 
For the first time Melville Council is using an online forum to make getting involved easier for residents.

Over the next three months, this forum will listen to your thoughts and views about our community to help the council create a Cultural Vitality Plan. Online Council Forum

or better still......get your kids involved and enter the Photo-voice project.Melville City Council - Photo Voice Project