Council moves to lock in eight pocket parks across the city

Eight long-standing community parks across the City of Melbourne will be officially recognised and protected as public open space.

At the October 28 council meeting, councillors voted to “discontinue” the road status of eight small parcels of land currently listed as government roads, formally transferring them into the city’s network of parks and reserves.

The sites include Exhibition Street Reserve (CBD), McCracken Street Reserve (Kensington), Barkly Street Reserve (Carlton), Barry and Leicester Street Reserve (Carlton), Pitt Street Reserve (Carlton), Bowen Crescent at Princes Park (Carlton North), St Andrews Place Reserve (East Melbourne), and a parcel within Royal Park Golf Course (Parkville).

The decision will allow the land to revert to the Crown and be reserved for public park and recreation purposes, with the City of Melbourne to be the formal manager.

The head of the environment portfolio, Cr Davydd Griffiths, said it was “a pleasure” to bring the item before council, noting that each of the eight spaces held “special significance” for local communities.

Cr Griffiths noted that McCracken Street Park in Kensington was a space particularly close to his heart.

“That park was four or five doors down from where I used to operate a burger and poutine store,” he said.

“Anyone who’s ever worked in a poutine kitchen knows how lovely it is to step out and sit on a small patch of grass, and that’s exactly what we used to do. I’m sure none of us ever thought we were sitting on a public road.”

According to the council report, the decision aligns with the Open Space Strategy, which seeks to ensure every Melburnian lives within a 10-minute walk of public open space.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece praised the initiative as symbolic of Melbourne’s evolution from “grey to green.”

He said the City of Melbourne was doing the reverse of what Joni Mitchell sang about in Big Yellow Taxi, by “pulling up” parking lots and building paradise.

“These projects are known and loved by the people of Melbourne, and tonight we’re making it official that they’ll stay protected for good,” he said. •