Mel Yuan for Brunswick

Brunswick Residents Network reports that 1% of developer open space contributions are being spent in Brunswick.

I look forward to showing you more detailed figures, obtained by another local resident activist, about the size of the fund, the amount collected and spent per suburb. This information should be more readily available not buried on page 181 of these Council papers.

Council can, and must, either make strategic purchases with this fund or use it to re-purpose existing public land.

I’m told that a small part of the Hopetoun Ave park will be purchased using this money, but at a high cost. This reflects a simple cost-shifting to Moreland ratepayers from the State Government.

Anyone with an interest in open space should see the heat map which is the driving force behind an Urban Heat Island Action Plan.

It is crucially important that sites like the Edward Street car park are not locked-up or developed in any way. These are the crucial in-fill sites we need to mitigate the urban heat island effect and deal with climate change.

I am strongly opposed to any attempts to lock-up Council car parks for any kind of development, including social housing.

Council has the strategies and funds – now it must act to increase Brunswick’s green space.