Give Carlton Gardens a break!

The Carlton Residents’ Association (CRA) has called on the City of Melbourne to conduct a review of the location of the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show in the Carlton Gardens. 

We have also requested that the council administration undertake a feasibility study into a newly vamped Melbourne International Festival of Flowers and Gardens in locations across the central city.

While CRA recognises that the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show has held an important place in Melbourne’s calendar of major events, we believe that there is a need to consider the environmental future of the Carlton Gardens.

The interruption it causes to the use of the Gardens by locals, workers and commuters en-route to work and school and for those finding a place of relaxation and peace in a busy city continues to be of concern.

We believe that a central city-based flower and garden festival would contribute to the revitalisation of the city and also ensure the long-term future of the World Heritage-listed Carlton Gardens in a climate changing world.

There is an overwhelming need to build the central city’s economy in an increasingly competitive national and international marketplace. We have, therefore, proposed that a festival of flowers and gardens be adopted as a major central city event and moved to both public and private venues across the central city, while maintaining a presence in the Royal Exhibition Building and hard surface surrounds.

We propose that Birrarung Marr is a standout central and pivotal location for the Melbourne International Festival of Flowers and Gardens along with the Royal Exhibition Building, Federation Square, Melbourne Town Hall, the State Library of Victoria and the Immigration Museum.

There are other public and private venues that would benefit from their participation in the festival. It will be a gain for the central city economy and contribute to its continued revitalisation.

The festival would be expanded to a 14-day event and would place the City of Melbourne at the epicentre of the international greening of cities movement. There would be flower and garden displays and demonstrations plus community and farmers markets, forums and workshops involving our universities and a “Blooming Ball” in the Melbourne Town Hall.

The festival would attract visitors from across metropolitan Melbourne and Victoria, plus national and international visitors and would promote greening for the health of the city and the planet.

We believe that this proposal warrants consideration and we call on the council to initiate a review of the impact of the current location of the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show in the Carlton Gardens and initiate a feasibility study into a central city festival.

Let the city bloom!

Protection for Royal Exhibition Building and surrounds

By Peter Sanders

The area around the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens (REB + CG) has been given substantial protection with the recently approved World Heritage Strategy Plan for the World Heritage Environs Area (WHEA) 2025.

The City of Melbourne has modified the Melbourne Planning Scheme to substantiate the changes.

The whole WHEA, in the Cities of Melbourne and Yarra, is now covered by a Design and Development Overlay (DDO4) that will protect views to and from the REB + CG and set controls for any development.

Importantly, it establishes mandatory height limits. The new height limits are generally the same as those contained in previous discretionary controls.

Maps showing these new maximum heights have been published in The Age (May 8, ‘25) and the May edition of Inner City News, although with some errors. For example, the area between Victoria, Grattan, Rathdowne and Drummond streets will have a maximum of 13.5 metres, not 10 metres as shown, with some higher areas back from the street frontages.

Any applications for new or altered buildings above 11 metres or two storeys must be referred by the council to Heritage Victoria. The council has nominated Heritage Victoria as a “Recommending Authority”.

They recommend to the council whether, on heritage grounds, to refuse or accept the application or accept with conditions. If the council cannot agree with the recommendation the matter is then referred to VCAT.

The illustration is an extract from the state government approved strategy plan. •