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i just cant wait to see Melbournes skyline in 2006!!! Imagine when the games show the city and surrounds when filming events! Everyone is gonna know about the reaaaalllyyy tall silver tower with a gold top!!!
:D

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<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by CULWULLA </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>i just cant wait to see Melbournes skyline in 2006!!! Imagine when the games show the city and surrounds when filming events! Everyone is gonna know about the reaaaalllyyy tall silver tower with a gold top!!!
:D</td></tr>
</table>

...and a 3 "stepped" tower complex, AND a blue-green 220 m beauty (hopefully!) AND a beefier Eastern CBD (norther and Southern extremities) AND a hell of a lot more in Docklands.... mmmmm!

I renamed this to an OFFICIAL thread - eh why not keep all discussion in one, quick linked as well.

Adam: get onto Steve Vizard and get him to hurry up and update the official site - or better yet, offer YOUR services :D

tays

one week until the unveiling!!! Can't wait, the old logo is SO bad.

Thanx guys,
Matt:)

Message cancelled.

From today's Age:
http://www.theage.com.au/ffxMedia/urlmedia_id_1047431099812_/media/2003/03/12/Variables.type/13GAMES
Click on this link for graphic: http://www.theage.com.au/media/2003/03/12/1047431099812.html
From http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/12/1047431097309.html

Games budget blows out to $1.1bn
March 13 2003
By Richard Baker
State Political Reporter

The Victorian Government's contribution to the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games has blown out by almost $350 million, prompting Premier Steve Bracks to cap state funding.

Mr Bracks said yesterday state spending on the Games would be capped at $697 million, almost twice the $350 million nominated in a 1999 bid document. The Government will spend $474 million on operating expenses and $223 million on capital investments.

Despite the Government's massive commitment, it still needs another $400 million from other sources to meet a total Games budget of $1.1 billion.

Last year's Manchester Games cost $1.2 billion.

Mr Bracks said revenue from ticket sales and sponsorship, as well as contributions from the Federal Government and Melbourne City Council, would make up the balance.



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But Victoria has yet to secure a specific commitment from the Howard Government, with a spokesman for federal Sports Minister Rod Kemp saying yesterday the Bracks Government had not put forward a submission or nominated an amount.

A spokeswoman for Mr Bracks later challenged the claim and said Victoria had made many representations to Mr Kemp and a Federal Government funding taskforce.

Mr Bracks said negotiations with the Howard Government were progressing well.

The Bracks Government is also having difficulty getting money from the Melbourne City Council, which to date has only agreed to spend $23 million on projects vaguely associated with the Games, such as an upgrade of the Bourke Street Mall.

The chairman of the council's finance, corporate services and governance committee, Kevin Chamberlin, said the Government was unlikely to get any money from the council.

Asked to explain the blow-out, Mr Bracks said: "Obviously there has been some matters which we have had to budget for which were not budgeted for when originally the Commonwealth Games was secured for Victoria."

He nominated licence fees to the Commonwealth Games Federation, security and police costs, and transport costs as among those not included in the initial Games bid.

The licence fees, which allow Melbourne to use the Commonwealth Games brand name, are expected to cost $51 million. The Government has also budgeted to spend $35 million on security and $21 million on police and transport.

Melbourne 2006 organising committee chairman Ron Walker, who was involved in the initial bid, said the licence fees were absent from early cost estimates because he and others "didn't exactly have a handle" on them.

Opposition Leader Robert Doyle said the statement released by the Government to outline its Games budget raised more questions than it answered.

Calling for a more detailed budgetary account to be released, Mr Doyle said all the Government had appeared to have done was cap its own blow-out.

National Party leader Peter Ryan said he could not believe the Government had outlined the funding requirements for the Games without first reaching agreement with the Federal Government and the Melbourne City Council on their contributions.

Mr Walker said he had been inundated with interest from sponsors and Mr Bracks said the Games were expected to generate $2 billion in economic activity for Victoria.

http://www.theage.com.au/ffxMedia/urlmedia_id_1047431099812_/media/2003/03/12/Variables.type/13GAMES.jpg

Its good that atleast $200 million is being spent on sports infrastructre so that even after the games Melbourne will still have the best and most utilised sports facilities in Australia.

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<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by Adamonline </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>LOL ... the new one (Logo) might be worse.

It will be interesting. I agree that the official website is pathetic. About as inspiring as a vasectomy. It would have to be the most bland website promoting something that I can think of. It is certainly rarely updated, in fact the information on it is normally up to 6-12 months old. Very poor effort all round I think given that they have a decent budget and should be keeping it updated.</td></tr>
</table>
The question is...who's designing it? High school students? uh oh...

But Melbourne in 2006 will be so exciting!!! Too bad I'll be getting grey hairs by then!

Btw, still got your CD, Adamonline...will bring it to the March meet!

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The new Games Logo is finally revealed:

http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/images/lg_logo.gif


I like it, and the new look for the official site looks fantastic.

agreed, very nice.

a far cry better than the older logo!

New look for official site ?

when's it going to be implemented ? (just had a look and it's still the old ??)

tays

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/15/1047583739681.html

Freeman adds gilt-edged touch as face of the Games
March 16 2003
By Stephen Moynihan


http://www.theage.com.au/ffxImage/urlpicture_id_1047583741264_2003/03/15/16FREEMAN,0.jpg

Picture: CRAIG SILLITOE
Cathy Freeman, the face of Melbourne 2006, sports the new Games logo.


Now, who could be the face of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne?

Cathy Freeman, you say?

Who else.

Yesterday Australia's golden girl of the track was unveiled - literally - when she appeared from behind a curtain at Federation Square as the personification of the Games.

The organisers said Freeman will be the ambassador, the face and the spirit of the event.

The Olympic and world champion said she was thrilled with the news.

"I feel overwhelmed but I'm very proud and happy," said Freeman.

The MCG, Australia's most hallowed piece of turf, will host the athletics for the Games and Freeman said "It's going to be amazing, absolutely amazing. I can't even really articulate it, I wish I could but it going to be really special."

With speculation growing over her retirement, Freeman hinted the 2006 Games may be her swan song but "you never know, so we'll just have to wait and see".

Exactly three years from today will see the first day of competition at the Games and yesterday's function also saw the unveiling of the logo for signage and official branding.

The logo depicts two stylised athletes in bright colours and the figures join together to form a subtle "M".

Victoria's Commonwealth Games Minister Justin Madden said the Games would be one of the largest sport and community events staged by the state.

"It will be fairly intense for those organising the Games . . . but as we roll into the Games there will be an enormous amount of excitment," he said.

Federal Minister for the Arts and Sport, Rod Kemp, said the Government would work with the state to assure the success of the Games.

"There will always be negotiations and there will always be different points of view but I think there is a spirit to make sure that we work well together," he said.



http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,6132829%255E2862,00.html

Games finale for our Cathy
By IAN HABERFIELD, state political reporter
16mar03


http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,242412,00.jpg
First lady: Cathy Freeman stands next to the logo of the 2006 Commonwealth Games at yesterday's launch.


CATHY Freeman will grace the athletics track for the last time at Melbourne's 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Named the face of the Melbourne Games at a ceremony at Federation Square yesterday, Freeman told of her plans to quit athletics.
The pint-size star said she could not think of a more fitting event or place to hang up her running shoes.

Her announcement came as the three-year countdown to the Games was launched and the event's new symbol unveiled.

Freeman said she had a life-long love affair with Melbourne and was looking forward to being the Games' ambassador and finishing her athletics career at the MCG.

"I'm 30 now, so I'll be 33 in 2006," she said. "I'm going to be under a lot of pressure.

"I want to win in Melbourne . . . no question, but I know it's going to be tough.

"And just thinking about running in front of 100,000 people at the MCG is amazing.

"It's going to be the perfect conclusion to my running career. It's going to be magnificent . . . spectacular."

Freeman said she felt an immediate emotional attachment to Melbourne when she first visited the city as a 10-year-old.

"I love Melbourne because the people are fantastic, and the culture of the city," she said.

"Melbourne's one of the most beautiful cities in the world . . . and I love it," she said.

Freeman said she was overwhelmed, proud and happy to be chosen as the face of the Games.

It was her aim to make 2006 the athletes' Games and to "take the message of the Games around Australia and around the world".

Commonwealth Games Minister Justin Madden said Freeman was an international sporting icon and Melbourne could not have a better ambassador.

"Cathy has a huge following and is a tremendous ambassador for her sport and country," he said.

"Cathy symbolises what the Games will be all about.

"I'm sure all Australians want her to finish on the highest of notes . . . with a gold medal."

Another Olympic and Commonwealth Games star, Raelene Boyle, said victory for Freeman in front of a home crowd would be the sweetest way to end her career.

Mr Madden also unveiled the Games' logo, which features two figures coming together.

"It's an image that really equates with Melbourne," he said.

"One figure represents athletic prowess and the other, almost ballet-like, represents the cultural aspects of Melbourne."

Mr Madden said preparations for the Games, to be held from March 15 to 26, 2006, were on target.

He said the Government would guarantee that tickets were accessible and affordable to all.

"Today marks three years to the Melbourne 2006 opening ceremony and it will come around very quickly," he said.

"An estimated 15,000 volunteers will be selected and trained to assist at the Games.

"The marathon, triathlon, road walking and cycling will be accessible to everyone at no cost. And there will be an extensive program of test events to ensure everything is in readiness for the Games."

Test events would assist athletes' preparation and provide a feast of action for sports lovers.

Federal Sports Minister Rod Kemp said the state and federal governments were close to agreement on Games funding.

Message cancelled.

A couple of Facts there are 72 countries in the Commonweath with over 1.6 billion people!
The Victorian govt is only spending about 150 million on the MCG and new outdoor swimming pool NOT 500 million - 358 million dollars at the MCG is being raised by the MCC and AFL not the Govt.

its actually $125 million on those two main arenas. $77 Million on the MCG and $52 million on the 10,000 seat 2nd Comp Pool at the MSAC.

The MCG has little to do with the state Govt in general and is owned & operated by the MCC who loan it to the AFL. The majority of the money to build the new stand will come from those two organisations.

Most facilties are already running with Melbourne Park/ Rod laver Arena/Vodafone Arena , State Netball/Hockey Centre, Melb Exhibition Centre, Telstra Dome all in place with Olympic Park/GlassHouse currently undergoing redevolpment, which is part of the Collingwood Footbal Club move to that venue next year.

So as has been said previously, MOST of the stadia are in place with upgrades due but the MCG and MSAC are the only Major redevelpments wich will occur over the next 3 years.

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

Games Village rises to nine storeys
The Age
17 March 2003
By Royce Millar
City Reporter

Plans for the Commonwealth Games Village in Parkville have been altered to include two, nine-level apartment buildings backing on to the Tullamarine Freeway.

But only about a quarter of the 1000 dwellings proposed for the village will be ready for the 2006 Games, with many of the 6000 visiting athletes and officials to be housed in temporary accommodation.

Yesterday, developer Village Park Consortium said it wanted to maximise return from the sales of the village housing after the Games by staging construction to avoid saturating the local housing market. Plans for the village will be made public today as a Government-appointed planning advisory committee starts to assess the project.

The consortium, including residential developer Australand and the Citta Property Group, was chosen to develop the village last year. At the time it proposed apartments up to six levels.

Project director Guy Pahor said that, if approved by the committee, the nine-level apartments at the western end of the site would allow a lower development around heritage buildings at the heart of the project. Mr Pahor said the new design would reduce the "footprint" of the project and improve public access to open space. "We are confident that when the general public sees the proposals they will support it as an improvement to the original proposal," he said.

He said the nine-level buildings would act as a buffer between the freeway and the village.

Mr Pahor said the consortium and the State Government had signed a confidential deal to share revenue from the sale of village houses and apartments.

He said the Government would therefore benefit from the staging of construction.

"The more successful the houses are, the greater the Government revenue," he said.

Royal Park Protection Group convenor Julianne Bell described the nine-level apartments proposal as appalling.

Ms Bell also attacked the Government for supporting the staging of the project in order to maximise returns from housing sales. "I'm speechless... this makes it clear that this project is nothing more than a land grab for a real estate development."

In October last year Premier Steve Bracks said the Government expected revenue of $58 million from house sales. He did not explain how the revenue-sharing arrangement would work.

Why Australia loves the Commonwealth games...

Manchester 2002

Australia 82 62 63
England 54 51 60
Canada 31 41 44
India 30 21 18
New Zealand 11 13 21
South Africa 9 20 17
Cameroon 9 1 2
Malaysia 7 9 18
Wales 6 13 12

Kuala Lumpur 1998

Australia 80 61 58
England 36 47 53
Canada 30 31 38
Malaysia 10 14 12
South Africa 9 11 14
New Zealand 8 7 20
Kenya 8 5 4
India 7 10 8
Jamaica 4 2 0
Wales 3 4 8

Victoria 1994

Australia 84 53 41
Canada 38 41 49
England 31 41 47
Nigeria 12 13 13
Kenya 7 4 8
India 6 11 6
Wales 5 6 6
Scotland 5 3 10
Northern Ireland 5 2 3

Given Melbourne has world class events such as the F1 and Australian Open every year, the Commonwealth games is hardly something to get all that excited over.

Message cancelled.

If anyone is interested in seeing a display about the Commonwealth Games Village, head on down to Information Victoria on Collins St between Queen & Elizabeth Sts.

KEEP THE DISCUSSION ON TOPIC OF THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES

the "leftovers" after I split this thread can be found here: http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30930

KEEP THE BULLSHIT TALK IN THAT THREAD PLEASE.

tays

Message cancelled, membership voluntarily withdrawn.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/04/25/1050777407191.html

Games barges sinking
April 26 2003
By Ewin Hannan





The Bracks Government has cast doubt on the proposed centrepiece of the 2006 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, indicating an ambitious plan to ferry 4500 athletes on barges along the Yarra is not feasible.

Commonwealth Games Minister Justin Madden told The Age the plan - brainchild of organising committee chairman Ron Walker - might have to be scaled back because it would take too long to transport 4500 athletes along the river.

Other factors against the plan were that Melbourne did not have enough barges, and countries with big contingents would require "extremely large barges".

Government sources revealed that Labor had budgeted $30 million for the opening and closing ceremonies. "It would take six hours to come down the river and cost $50 million alone," one senior source said. "The Government is concerned about expenditure so it's been substantially cut back from Ron's ambitions."

Mr Walker said the minister's comments were "logical" but it was premature to suggest the plan would not work as the costings had not been finished. "We are three years out," he said. "All these things are in the pot at the moment."

In other developments:

•It is believed the Government will shortly announce plans to build a new footbridge from the MCG to Birrarung Marr. It is understood it will be the centrepiece of a $56 million package of Games-related capital works.

•Mr Madden outlined $23 million in new Games-related programs - including $6 million to increase participation in sports - aimed at "long-lasting community benefit".

Asked if the barge proposal was feasible in the context of the proposed budget, Mr Madden said it was a good idea that faced "logistical challenges".

He said an alternative would be to bring a "core group" of athletes from each nation along the Yarra. "I think the symbolism of being able to bring some athletes along the river at some stage would be nice." But Mr Walker said he did not support splitting the athletes into categories, because some athletes would be upset at being left out.

He said the committee was aware of the $30 million budget for the ceremonies and would seek contributions from the corporate sector if required. "If it is not (enough), we will have to go outside to private enterprise," he said.

Mr Madden said the Yarra would remain an important theme of the Games, but the event had to be undertaken within "existing financial and logistical constraints".

"The issue is how big do you want to make these things and that's a fairly reasonable question . . . people will often get excited about the opening and closing ceremonies," he said. "For some that's what they equate the Games with, but for us, it's more than that."

He said Victoria had reached an "in principle" agreement with Canberra for a substantial funding contribution, but the Howard Government wanted agreement on how its contribution would be "recognised" before handing it over.

Last month, Premier Steve Bracks revealed the state's contribution had blown out by almost $350 million to $697 million. Victoria needs another $360 million from sponsor-ship, fund-raising, ticket sales and the Federal Government to meet a total Games budget of $1.1 billion.

______________________

lol @ 50 million and 5 hours for the barges!

...always had a sneaking suspicion it would have been too good to be true ;)

.........................ANOTHER footbridge though ?

MCG - Birrarung would equate to a fairly lengthy one, no ? (compared to existing ones)

anyhow.

tays

I reckon the scaled down version will get a run afterall its Big Ronnies idea and he usually gets what he wants!
:rant:

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Footbridge from MCG to Birrarung Marr would make sense as BM essentially links the City (and especially Fed Square) with Melb/Yarra/Olympic Parks. BUT - it would have to be a major bridge - bloody long and bloody wide, and hopefully a major archi statement.

Oh, roof the farken rail lines and be done with it!

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With the new bridge, who will be walking on it?? Is there a real need for it? It i will look good i would imagine but it is a long bridge i don't think there would be that many people walking on it!

Depending on where this bridge will be, its not a bad idea. But I want to see where it goes first before I pass judgement.

Herald Sun (http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,6382883%255E2862,00.html)
Bridge offers a stroll to the 'G
By JOHN FERGUSON
5 May 2003

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,252806,00.jpg

A $28 million bridge linking the new open space by the Yarra River with the MCG and other sporting assets will be unveiled in tomorrow's Budget.

The bridge over the Jolimont railyards will start at the Birrarung Marr park and stretch to the MCG.
About 350m long and up to 12m wide, the bridge will start near Birrarung Marr's chimes, overlooking the Batman Ave extension about 150m past the intersection of Exhibition and Flinders streets.

It will extend through the back of the tennis centre with stairs to other sporting venues and public transport.

Commonwealth Games Minister Justin Madden estimated yesterday that 350,000 people a day would cross the bridge in 2006.

As well as bringing pedestrians from the MCG to the park precinct, it would prevent pedestrian gridlock, he said.

The bridge would be a long-term bonus for the city, he said.

"This bridge will go a long way towards better connecting the sports precinct to the city, providing improved access for the community by overcoming the significant barriers such as the rail corridor and CityLink that divide the precinct," he said.

Birrarung Marr will host cultural exhibits during the Commonwealth Games and is closely linked to the Yarra River, which is to be transformed for the event.

Mr Madden said the fine detail of the Games budget would not be detailed tomorrow but some de tails on infrastructure spending would be outlined.

Looks like the Victorian government are going to spend money on lasting infrastructure .
I think the Games will be a big boost to Melbourne.

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by swinehead </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>Looks like the Victorian government are going to spend money on lasting infrastructure .
I think the Games will be a big boost to Melbourne.</td></tr>
</table>
I read in the paper that there will be no new, major civic projects in this Victorian budget! >(
Hang on - I get it - this is an INFRASTRUCTURE project, not a CIVIC project.

Gday !

i agree with what u guys said earlier:

they should cover all the railway line up between flinders st and richmond and perhaps include parkland, retail shops, etc on the raised walkway.

Its better than wasting money on this bridge only to find that the walkway may be done later on anyway ! :rant::rant:

However, i wll say that the bridge will be better than nothing i suppose ! : shrug:

cheers

lozza

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Message cancelled, membership voluntarily withdrawn.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/06/16/1055615728575.html

$7 million beckons Games crowds
June 17 2003
By Darren Gray, Larissa Dubecki





A $7 million marketing campaign will beckon international and interstate tourists to Melbourne for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

The State Government campaign will include television commercials overseas and interstate and promotions during major Melbourne sports events such as the Rugby World Cup.

Acting Premier John Thwaites announced the campaign at the Australian Tourism Exchange international conference in Melbourne yesterday.

Mr Thwaites said the Games provided a great opportunity to boost Victorian tourism, with an estimated 40,000 international visitors and 50,000 from interstate expected to attend.

The $7 million will come from the Government's $697 million budget for the Games.


The international campaign will target Britain, New Zealand, Canada, India and Singapore.

Opposition Treasury spokesman Robert Clark said the Liberal Party supported the Games but was concerned that "there have been slippages in timelines and blow-outs in the (Games) budget and we will be watching carefully to ensure that Victorians get value for money out of today's announcement".

• A tourism discount card will offer entry for an all-inclusive price to more than 60 tourist attractions.

The See Melbourne and Beyond Smartvisit Card, which was launched yesterday, will give card-holders entry to such attractions as the Melbourne Aquarium, Open Range Zoo and Puffing Billy steam railway. Visitors can choose from two, three and seven-day cards

All good news Tayser but I see the Liberals just cant help whingeing from the sidelines.:wallbash:

Grounds works have commenced at Royal Park Hospital / Games Village site.

CDL have to strip out about 2.6k of asbestos fire services pipe before other works can commence.

Fences go up soon when the trees come down.




Spy

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/06/21/1056119516685.html

Revealed: the latest Royal Park . . .
June 22 2003
By Stephen Moynihan





The latest plans for the athletes' and official village for the 2006 Commonwealth Games have been released

The 20-hectare development in Parkville, on the site of the former Royal Park psychiatric hospital, will house 6000 people during the Games.

The development will eventually comprise 1000 dwellings, mostly one and two-storey detached houses as well as two nine-storey apartment buildings backing on to the Tullamarine Freeway.

An additional four hectares of parklands will be created, linked to the development through a network of pedestrian and cycling paths.

The site will also house a media centre, dining hall, training and medical facilities during the games.


The final design will be announced at the end of a formal consultation process, probably in the next few weeks.

A spokeswoman for the Commonwealth Games Minister, Justin Madden, said the final designs were still awaiting approval, and an announcement was expected in late June or early July.

Building was likely to begin in the second half of the year, the spokeswoman said.

The State Government plans to offset most of the $250 million cost through environmentally friendly practices such as recycling of timber and water, and through post-games sales of the development and conversion to public housing.

The cost to the Government is expected to be $34 million.

It is also anticipated that the development will deliver 400 jobs during the next five years.

Australand Holdings won the tender for the development late last year.

The post-games plan includes the building of additional housing over the next 10 years. The master plan proposes 200 homes for public housing and the development of a 100-bed aged-care facility after the games.

The greenies are still bitching about this project.
The point is its never been public parkland it was a mental hospital.
Sounds like a neat proposal that is not going to cost the taxpayer an arm and a leg.

The government is developing the village site with the view that the occupancy of athletes is only short term. The longer term use by residents is the focus of the development and tax payers money wont be used.

They are developing this site like any other residential project.
In other words to make money.

Soon the apts are to released to market, the expected average price is as I understand, about 700k each.

So the government will actually make a lot of money on the sale of each of the apts.

So the greenies need to know what there talking about first before they mouthoff and misinform.


Spy

Message cancelled, membership voluntarily withdrawn.

Hi all,

Does anyone know if the Gummunt is going to do something about the decrepid Richmond Station? FFS, it is the 'gateway' to the MCG, and it looks like it could fall apart any minute.

I'd like to see a total redesign, perhaps a tube style roof over the top of the platforms, to protect the commuters, with a footbridge direct to/from the G.

Thoughts?

Cheers,

Kasey

I agree. Richmond Train Station needs a make over before the Commonwealth Games. Not a tunker, but a REAL make over. I like my earlier idea of a citylink style sound tube over all the platforms with a hotel and shops built on the northeast corner of Swan & Hoddle St.

I also agree that Richmond Station needs an urgent upgrade and has to have developers drooling over this prime site.
The govt should do a similar project to Spencer St/Southern Cross Station and involve private investors.

Message cancelled.

Cheers Tays, onya mate.

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http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,6966108%255E2862,00.html

Winning Games bid a secret
By SHAUN PHILLIPS, sports affairs reporter
16aug03

THE winner of the $30 million contract to produce the opening and closing ceremonies at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games has been decided, but won't be confirmed until next week.

Ron Walker's Melbourne 2006 board met yesterday to anoint either Australian theatrical whiz David Atkins or American entertainment giant Jack Morton Worldwide.
Mr Walker said the board had made an in-principle decision, but further investigations were required before the appointment could be made formal.

"A positive recommendation went to the board today, but we were unable to finalise the decision," Mr Walker said.

"We need to do some more due-diligence before it can be confirmed, probably next week."

Jack Morton Worldwide produced last year's Manchester Commonwealth Games ceremonies and is in charge of next year's Athens Olympics.

Mr Atkins, whose credits include the Sydney Olympics and numerous musical productions, was chosen by the M2006 board to produce Melbourne's segment of the Manchester closing ceremony.

Mr Atkins said yesterday the tender process for the Melbourne ceremonies had been the toughest he had known.

Message cancelled.

Some info on the Opening of the CG!
Sounds like they have gone for the best in the world.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/09/02/1062403493809.html
Commonwealth Games ceremonies to cost $30m
By Mike Hedge
September 2, 2003



Melbourne is to spend $30 million on its Commonwealth Games opening and closing ceremonies that will draw their inspiration from Australian culture and some of the biggest international events of the past decade.

Games organising committee chairman Ron Walker announced today the contract for the ceremonies had been won by the US-based Jack Morton Worldwide (JMW).

The company, which originated in Australia, is also producing the opening and closing ceremonies for the Athens Olympics.

Its previous credits include the Salt Lake City winter paralympic ceremonies of 2000, the Hong Kong handover ceremony of 1997 and last year's Manchester Commonwealth Games opening and closing ceremonies.

Mr Walker said he was confident JMW could deliver the right kind of show for the right money.

He said the $30 million budget, considerably less than Sydney's Olympic ceremonial expenditure and believed to be slightly more than that of Manchester, would be sufficient to produce a top class event.



But he declined to make direct financial comparisons.

"I don't think money is the measure of creativity," Mr walker said.

While JMW is an American company, its senior management includes several Australians.

It will establish offices in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne over the next three years and will employ 55 full-time Australian staff.

Artistic director Nigel Jamieson, the creator of the tin symphony segment of the Sydney opening ceremony, said it was too early to offer any hints on the style of the Melbourne ceremonies.

But he promised to produce "something the world has never seen before".

The Commonwealth Games will run from March 15-26, 2006.

Victorian Premier Steve Bracks said he was comfortable that a US-based company had won the contract to run the opening and closing ceremonies.

"It's the same company that also ran the Manchester Commonwealth Games and will also do work for the opening ceremony for the Athens Olympics," Mr Bracks said.

"So we're very confident this is the best contemporary firm."

Mr Bracks also the $30 million budget for the ceremonies was enough.

"We believe it is an adequate budget for the opening and closing ceremonies," he said.

"Obviously, you'd always like more, but $30 million in anyone's terms is a significant budget.

"It's comparable to what's happened in Manchester and I think what we will get out of that is a significant opening and closing ceremony."

Some more news!

A billion pairs of eyes on Melbourne 2006

September 3, 2003
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/09/02/1062403515130.html

An experienced hand will steer the Commonwealth Games ceremonies, reports David Rood.

In 924 days, when television sets across the world switch on to the opening ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, viewers will hear, see and experience the story of Melbourne.

Yesterday, Melbourne 2006 organising committee chairman Ron Walker announced that the New York-based Jack Morton Worldwide had won the contract for the opening and closing ceremonies, which will cost $30 million.

At present producing the ceremonies for the Athens Olympics, JMW worked on last year's Manchester Commonwealth Games, the 2002 Salt Lake City Paralympics and the ceremony of the Hong Kong handover to China in 1997. Artistic director Nigel Jamieson also produced a segment of the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony.

Mr Walker said thousands of Victorians would take part in the ceremonies that will be viewed by an estimated global audience of a billion people.

"They (JMW) have the artistic skills, they've got the best talent in the world, they will draw on the best talent in Australia and, indeed, as they've got a big balance sheet, they've guaranteed this corporation and the State Government that they'll bring it home on budget," he said.




Mr Jamieson said JMW would work closely with the community to create a production to "represent this remarkable city". "The success of these Games is finally about the way a city embraces them," he said.

Mr Jamieson, who led the production of the Manchester closing ceremony, said that while it was too early to offer any glimpses of style or content, the production would be "something like the world has never seen before".

Commonwealth Games and Victorian Sports Minister Justin Madden said JMW, which operates three offices and employs 55 full-time staff in Australia, had the energy, creativity and capacity to deliver a spectacular opening ceremony.

"We start from a blank canvass but it will also present a tremendous opportunity to have an opening ceremony which is distinctly Victorian in nature but presents and showcases Victoria and Australia to the rest of the world," he said.

With the MCG to host the opening and closing ceremonies, Mr Madden was confident the first bench mark of the ground's redevelopment, an 80,000-seat capacity for this month's AFL grand final, would be reached on time.

Mr Madden said a decision on the controversial plan to use barges to ferry the 4500 athletes expected at the Games along the Yarra to the opening ceremony would be left to JMW.

Premier Steve Bracks said he was comfortable with the contract being awarded to a US-based company and with the $30 million budget, which was comparable to the Manchester Commonwealth Games.
Vanessa Amorosi sings at the Manchester Commonwealth Games.
Reuters


"Obviously you'd always like more but $30 million in anyone's terms is a significant budget," he said.

"They will get a superior opening and closing ceremony for this contract."

With the Games needing to reach a $130 million sponsorship target, Mr Walker said the organising committee would be announcing major sponsors within weeks.

you wouldn't know there was sport being played at these big events there's so much attention on flames and ceremonies etc... it will just be the same again some kangaroos and aboriginals and a bunch of aussie singers with american accents who don't live here, and a bunch of aussie stereotypes that arn't true.... though they still are a nice show to watch....
I think some yanky company is doing it? did manchester have an opening ? I didnt' think they were to big at commonwealth games level cause Ive never heard any talk of it?

Did you actually READ the article just one post above yours Chris ?

you're asking questions which are answered in the article above.

I think the barge idea is still a good one, and it doesn't bother me a bit that this is a yank company becos they have a large Aussie base and will understand the local sensibilities. Hey, if they're doing it for the Olympo, it's gotta be good enough for Melb (although Athens' intro at the end of the Sydneylympics was damn boring!).

I just hope they use lots of pyro and glowy blue lights! And no, let's not reminisce about the old Brissie Games...we're a different, much more sophisticated country now, and the world sees us that way (and Melbourne in particular is totally different from Brissie culturally).

Message cancelled.

Update;

2nd stage demo, of the old houses on site is well under way along park and oak sts. Excavation of old ground services continuing.

Note; this site is now fully fenced to keep out the giant green backed rats and other such vermin.

:D

Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link (http://www.dtscg.vic.gov.au/4A256B7500063206/All/A6482A8189BFDDA8CA256D7A00201DE4?OpenDocument)

http://www.dtscg.vic.gov.au/web/dtscg/dtscg.nsf/1bf7714619086ae84a25698300202c18/a6482a8189bfdda8ca256d7a00201de4/Body/0.18E?OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=jpg

The Victorian Government has announced its commitment to build a 525m pedestrian link from the Birrarung Marr parkland across the Jolimont rail yards to Yarra Park and the MCG.

Located through the heart of the Sports and Entertainment Precinct, which will be the centrepiece for the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the Yarra Precinct Pedestrian Link will be crucial in reducing waiting times for pedestrians attending the Games.

More importantly, it will be designed to contribute to the quality of Melbourne's public realm, creating a sense of journey through an urban landscape that will showcase some of Melbourne's greatest assets.

Message cancelled, membership voluntarily withdrawn.

Regarding the opening/ closing ceremonies at 2006:

I thought that Sydney 2000 did have decent opening/ closing ceremonies with cathy freeman lighting the circle of fire, which rose to form the olympic torch, the stunning fireworks on harbour bridge (which some people say were better than the millenium ones). etc..

But for me, I found that song sung by Olivia Newton John, and then another John- John Farnham, was very dull and tacky, and not really worth the money spent. It nearly put me to sleep. Also, the introduction to Athens was poor, in comparison to Atlanta 1996, which allowed Sydney to do a good presentation, and manchester 2002, which advertised melbourne 2006 fairly well.

My request to the organisers:

So at Melbourne 2006, please can we ban the 2 Johns (and have security remove them if they turn up by chance and want to sing another duet), and can we have a decent intro to the 2010 host city which will be either Hamilton (Canada) or New Delhi (India)??

Message cancelled, membership voluntarily withdrawn.

FROM THE MINISTER FOR THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES, MINISTER FOR SPORT & RECREATION

DATE: Thursday, September 18, 2003

WORK STARTS ON SPORTS AND AQUATIC CENTRE UPGRADE

Albert Park residents will see preparatory on-site works commence over the next week as part of the stage two development of the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.

The Minister for Commonwealth Games, Justin Madden, said the early works by Major Projects Victoria signalled the start of the development to add a second 50-metre event pool at the Centre in readiness for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Other features of the redevelopment include the creation of a sports house, a second hydrotherapy pool and easier car parking and access to the Centre.

The early works include site preparation and minor traffic works in Aughtie Drive, the Lakeside carpark and within the Centre precinct.

"The contractor is expected to take about eight weeks and during this time builders will be called to tender for the project," Mr Madden said.

The successful bidder should be announced by the end of the year and construction is expected to start in early 2004.

Preparatory on-site works include:
· Demolition of the gym and rear of the former Distance Education Centre building;
· Removal of trees to accommodate early works;
· Minor civil road works including:
- widening of the MSAC access road onto Aughtie Drive (up to 10 days); and
- roundabout works at Lakeside car park requiring temporary traffic management arrangements for up to three weeks.

"All these actions were outlined during the Advisory Committee hearings last year and local residents and council have now received written advice about the preparatory works," Mr Madden said.

"It's regrettable that some mature trees must be removed but I stress that significant mature plantings will occur around the expanded project site and within Albert Park.

"More than 300 trees will be planted in suitable locations determined in consultation with Parks Victoria.

"Any tree that's removed will be replaced on a two-for-one basis within Albert Park. Extra plantings along Canterbury Road will provide added screening of the venue."

Member for Albert Park, John Thwaites, said he was pleased with progress to establish a project Community Consultative Committee (CCC) with resident, council and stakeholder representatives.

"The committee is chaired by Des Bethke – a board member of the State Sport Centres Trust (SSCT) – and will be an avenue to provide two-way feedback and information-sharing throughout the project," he said.

Mr Thwaites said the CCC met for the first time last week.

The CCC will review and be able to comment on a draft Construction Management Plan and Operational Environmental Management Plan for the project.

The SSCT and Major Projects Victoria advise that users of the Centre facilities should experience minimal disruption during construction.

Further information about the project is available at www.mpv.vic.gov.au

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

Originally posted by Adamonline
XY12440: Firstly, I love your avatar, (I could barely read your post):D

I agree that there were aspects of the Sydney Opening Ceremony that were gushingly embarrassing, but the organisers have to cater to a broad audience, and what appeals to some won't appeal to others.

There was a damming criticism in one Melbourne Paper the other day about the 'Tin Symphony' Segment (the Ned Kelly bit) of the Sydney Opening Ceremony. Yet, I reckopn that, that was one of the more spectacular parts of the production (and certainly something that you won't see anywhere else).

The dilema facing the planning committee will be in trying to please all tastes to maximise Melbourne's and Australia's profile and further to keep people watching for the whole telecast.

I do recall Atlanta's Olympics Opening Ceremony that went for five hours, and it was a cavalcade of shite. It told no story, it was just a rock concert for big name American performers (If I wanted to see that, I'd watch 'Rage' on Saturday mornings) that was broken by some aspects of Georgian culture. After the second hour we went out shopping (because it was telecast in Australia back in 1996 on a Saturday Morning). When we finally came home two hours later the telecast was still going and only half the nations had meandered into the arena. Now that was shite! I think that ONJ and John Farnham would have only improved that.

you wouldn't know there was any sport in these big events that much attention is taken to flames and songs and ceremonies etc...
it is supposed to be about sport, does anyone really care much about the 'who har' I mean when there is overseas events not many people talk about the opening cereonies much, its should be focused on the sport not trying to out-do each other in the glitz and glamour that doesen't have much to do with the true event...

I wonder how long before the Save Albert Part dickheads start whingeing about the trees going?

As soon as those dickheads get a whiff of bulldozer fumes I reckon.:D

I imagine that for every tree (and there aren't many) that actually are being removed then they will be replaced or replanted elsewhere.

I think that in 2003 Melbourne has shead it's old "Tear down a park to put up a parking lot" mentality. It isn't 1963.

I read the other day, that since 1956 when Melbourne hosted the Olympics, that the population was 1.6 million people. It was city of parks and wide-arsed boulevardes back then. Incidentally, that was about that time that Barry Humphries left Melbourne for Britain.

He has since come back periodically spitting barbs and venom at the way in which the city has changed. The fact is that in the last 47 years the city has grown by 2 million people, and they have to live somewhere and why should people who live in the inner city be deprived of facilities just because dickheads (who are completely out of touch with reality would prefer to see all development banished out to Packenham. I wonder how many Albert Park protesters also use the extensive recreational facilities at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.

Those protesters should only feel so lucky. Where I live we are battling to save our olympic pool from demolition. The local council in its generosity built us a wonderful indoor, heated 25 m pool instead. Which I might add will go over real wel in a town of 7000 in a central Victorian (40 degree celcius) summer.

Originally posted by xy12440
Regarding the opening/ closing ceremonies at 2006:

I thought that Sydney 2000 did have decent opening/ closing ceremonies with cathy freeman lighting the circle of fire, which rose to form the olympic torch, the stunning fireworks on harbour bridge (which some people say were better than the millenium ones). etc..

But for me, I found that song sung by Olivia Newton John, and then another John- John Farnham, was very dull and tacky, and not really worth the money spent. It nearly put me to sleep. Also, the introduction to Athens was poor, in comparison to Atlanta 1996, which allowed Sydney to do a good presentation, and manchester 2002, which advertised melbourne 2006 fairly well.

My request to the organisers:

So at Melbourne 2006, please can we ban the 2 Johns (and have security remove them if they turn up by chance and want to sing another duet), and can we have a decent intro to the 2010 host city which will be either Hamilton (Canada) or New Delhi (India)??
The organisation for the next city's presentation is the responsibility of the next city. For Sydney, SOCOG wanted Athens to speed up their shite presentation...in Manchester, Melb was responsible for its presentation (which was brilliant, BTW) and in Atlanta, Sydney was responsible for its presentation (which was mediocre IMHO until the bubble SOH blew up, which I thought was great!)

LONG LIVE VANESSA AMOROSI (Melbourne Girl)! :D

Originally posted by chrisaus
you wouldn't know there was any sport in these big events that much attention is taken to flames and songs and ceremonies etc...
it is supposed to be about sport, does anyone really care much about the 'who har' I mean when there is overseas events not many people talk about the opening cereonies much, its should be focused on the sport not trying to out-do each other in the glitz and glamour that doesen't have much to do with the true event...
Bullshit! It's all part of the show...it's ENTERTAINMENT...(or it's supposed to be) so it's all important...the sport AND the show. And it's also a great advertisement for the city in question.

Adamonline, I agree with you entirely re Atlanta - how shite was their opening and closing ceremonies? :D

Adamonline, I agree with you entirely re Atlanta - how shite was their opening and closing ceremonies? :D [/B][/QUOTE]

But this is not about Atlanta's opening/ closing ceremonies- this recent discussion is about the flaws in Sydney's olympic ceremonies, and howe Melbourne could improve for 2006.

Message cancelled, membership voluntarily withdrawn.

most the opening ceremonies are the same thing anyway just adapted a little bit each time, other than australian's there wasn't to much press talk on the opening ceremony except a few pics.. its not a huge deal.

and all australian ones are is just feeding the world a 'cute' stereotype of australia/n's that really is nothing to do with us, and arn't true...
most the performers have american accents and don't even live here....

Originally posted by Blabbyboy
[B Melb was responsible for its presentation (which was brilliant, BTW) [/B]

A few days later, after Manchester 2002's closing ceremony, a few Sydney papers said that the Melbourne's presentation with that man doing things around a box was "ridiculous," and that it was an "embarrasment" that Tony and cherie Blair, who were in the stadium should witness such a display from australia.

This is not my own opinion- I'm just recalling what i read in some sydney newspapers over the internet in August 2002.

Originally posted by Adamonline


I do recall Atlanta's Olympics Opening Ceremony that went for five hours, and it was a cavalcade of shite........ I think that ONJ and John Farnham would have only improved that.

I think a lot of people would agree that Gloria Estefan, who did a presentation of some of her hit songs during Atlanta 1996, was much better than ONJ and John Farnham.

Originally posted by Jai Hind
A few days later, after Manchester 2002's closing ceremony, a few Sydney papers said that the Melbourne's presentation with that man doing things around a box was "ridiculous," and that it was an "embarrasment" that Tony and cherie Blair, who were in the stadium should witness such a display from australia.

This is not my own opinion- I'm just recalling what i read in some sydney newspapers over the internet in August 2002.

I would like to read that if you find it.
I don't agree, but it would be interesting to see what the Sydney media thought.

Originally posted by DrDan
I would like to read that if you find it.
I don't agree, but it would be interesting to see what the Sydney media thought.

Really who cares what those dickheads think.afterall they reckon anything thats not in Sydney cant be any good!:bash:

Originally posted by bearbrass
Really who cares what those dickheads think.afterall they reckon anything thats not in Sydney cant be any good!:bash:

oh god....:baaa:

Typical negative Cynical,jaded,wanker crap from bearbrass you surly old fart.

and look who's there, without fail, to make a thread take a downward trend to the toilet even further, why it's Chrisaus and Sydguy!

SHUT THE HELL UP THE LOT OF YOU.

that is all.

thanks.

Message cancelled, membership voluntarily withdrawn.

Great stuff Adam!You and your wife are the salt of the earth and all the more power to people like you.

Yeah I also reckon the Rugby WC will be the "greatest ever" well thats what the Sydney media will say.:applause:

Message cancelled, membership voluntarily withdrawn.

I think the best thing about the British Commonwealth is the quaintness of the idea of a family of like minded nations in a world hell bent on exposing our ethnic and religious differences to the detriment to the safety of everyone.
More power to the Commonwealth and its ideals I say.

I'm surprised nobody's posted this article yet.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,7551530%255E2862,00.html

"Only last week the Government's own documents revealed they are nearly a year behind schedule," Mr Honeywood said.

Maybe they could use some of the so called "over supply" of apartments in the city.

Now, if Jeff was still in..... :)


James.

Originally posted by joed
I'm surprised nobody's posted this article yet.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,7551530%255E2862,00.html



Maybe they could use some of the so called "over supply" of apartments in the city.

Now, if Jeff was still in..... :)


James.

The documents the Liberals were quoting were over one year old and the Government is not worried about the project being finished.
It seems all Doyle and co can do is put the Commonwealth games down. I reckon Ron Walker would be very pissed off by their constant carping.

Message cancelled, membership voluntarily withdrawn.

Well said Adam I think in the long run the Libs will only damage themselves if they keep on going down the same track.

I dont think the Govt will put up with this type of shit for very long. You cant have an ego manic like Migell telling an elected Govt what to do.Projects in the past (eg:the MCG light towers ) have had special legislation enacted in the past so thats a way for Bracks to get around this crap.
What do you think Adam?
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,7597019%255E2862,00.html

ETU bans a threat to village
By DAVID WILSON
19oct03

THE militant Electrical Trades Union is refusing to build the $450 million 2006 Commonwealth Games Village unless the Bracks Government changes the name of Royal Park to Children's Park and bans all future commercial developments there.

Construction of the village by the Village Park consortium is due to start within weeks and the ETU demand puts its tight building schedule under instant stress.
The ETU put a green ban on the village development more than a year ago citing potential destruction of heritage buildings and trees.

But the ETU secretary Dean Mighell announced the dramatic new conditions for the development to the Sunday Herald Sun only this week.

Mr Mighell said the green bans on the Commonwealth Games Village development were "well and truly still on".

"The bans are on over the whole set-up until the Bracks Government gives written guarantees over the rest of the park," Mr Mighell said. "These guarantees must be in writing or there will be no further commercial use of the park.

"The Government must create a covenant covering the park so that it remains as it is -- forever.

"Royal Park is an old-fashioned name -- it should be called the Children's Park.

"If there are no watertight guarantees on both of these things then she (the Commonwealth Games Village) won't be built."

The Project Director of the Village Park consortium, Guy Pahor, said the ETU demands "would be a challenge".

"But this is an issue between the ETU and the Bracks Government. We are not directly involved in discussions between these two," he said.

While construction is due to start on the village site within weeks, it will be dramatically limited if the ETU withdraws the electrician labor force.

Up to 30 electricians are expected to be employed on the site. They are key to the construction.

The village is to be built on the site of the former Royal Park Psychiatric Hospital.

But recent talks between the ETU and the Bracks Government have settled some of the union's concerns about its heritage buildings.

Meanwhile the all-important Rail, Tram and Bus Union has rebelled against signing a government/union non-strike deal for the games.

The Government, the Trades Hall Council and twelve of the state's major unions have agreed to a deal which clears the way for an industrial strife-free games.

But the state secretary of the RTBU, Trevor Dobbyn, said he would not sign "the no-strike deal".

A spokesperson for Commonwealth Games Minister Justin Madden said the Government was prepared to consider giving a new name to an area around the Royal Park wetlands.

"We will consider discussing this issue with the ETU. But the Government has already given a firm commitment to protect Royal Park. It is permanently reserved for parklands -- which is the highest priority protection.

"There is no intention for further commercial development in Royal Park because it is permanently reserved for parklands," she said.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/22/1071941669044.html

Qantas will be good sports
By Darren Gray, Larissa Dubecki
December 23, 2003

Qantas has signed up as the first major sponsor of Melbourne's 2006 Commonwealth Games in a deal believed to be worth more than $10 million and possibly about $20 million.

Qantas, Games organisers and the State Government closely guarded details of the sponsorship yesterday but Qantas chairwoman Margaret Jackson said it would be a mix of in-kind assistance and a "substantial" cash contribution.

Announcing the sponsorship alongside Premier Steve Bracks and Melbourne 2006 chairman Ron Walker, Ms Jackson said the airline had been involved with the Commonwealth and Empire Games for more than 50 years.

Qantas was a major sponsor of the last Commonwealth Games held in Australia, in Brisbane in 1982, she said.

"It is a substantial commitment by Qantas but we believe we are going to get fantastic value out of our sponsorship over the next two years and we're thrilled," she said.

Ms Jackson would not specify a breakdown of the sponsorship, but she said most of it consisted of travel support in bringing people to Victoria and Australia from overseas.

She said Qantas would also provide travel arrangements for Games executives travelling overseas.

The Qantas deal is the first of six sponsorships Games organisers are seeking with major organisations.

Mr Walker said he hoped three or four other major sponsors would be signed by the end of March next year and all six should be signed by mid-2004.

Despite seeking funds in a post-Sydney Olympics era, Mr Walker said getting sponsorship was not proving difficult.

He confidently named major companies he said wanted to become games sponsors. "You can just imagine the predictables, the Telstras, the Cokes, all those people want to be part of it because it's a major marketing point for them," he said.

It is believed Games organisers are also trying to attract significant sponsorship from banking/finance and technology companies.

Mr Walker rejected comments made yesterday by State Opposition Leader Robert Doyle, who raised concerns about the building timetable for the athletes' village.

When Mr Walker was asked if he was confident all facilities would be ready for the Games and built on budget, he said: "Absolutely".

He said organisers were conscious of sticking to budgets.

Lets hope it goes as smoothy as Ron Walker expects, then again he usually gets what he wants.

Message cancelled, membership voluntarily withdrawn.

Commonwealth Games funds watch
THE Commonwealth Games Melbourne gets in 2006 will be determined to some extent in the back rooms of Parliament House, Canberra, in coming months.

The Bracks Government has said it will provide no more than $697 million of the Games' $1.1 billion budget.
Games chairman Ron Walker says he can raise $130 million in sponsorship, Channel 9 has paid $50 million for TV rights, and up to $30 million is hoped to be raised from overseas broadcast rights. Ticket, merchandise and other sales are estimated at $50 million.

That leaves about $140 million.

Federal Sports Minister Rod Kemp's office said yesterday the Federal Government's contribution would be revealed in the May Budget.

Commonwealth Games Minister Justin Madden has said costs would be cut if commercial revenue and the federal contribution did not raise $400 million. The Federal Government had pledged $90 million, as a Commonwealth Games project, to help rebuild the MCG.

But that fell through in 2002 after a brawl over industrial relations.
http://heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,8327429%255E2862,00.html

$50m aquatic site designs revealed
http://www.theage.com.au/ffxImage/urlpicture_id_1073268038334_2004/01/06/aquatic_0701.jpg
A 50-metre outdoor swimming pool protected by a giant "sail-style" permanent roof, a hydrotherapy pool and a 3000-seat grandstand are the key features of Melbourne's $50 million Sports and Aquatic Centre redevelopment.

Final plans unveiled yesterday for the project also show that a three-storey car park with more than 400 spaces, and new offices for sporting associations will be built on the site.

Acting Premier John Thwaites and Commonwealth Games Minister Justin Madden yesterday announced that construction would begin this month - 11 months later than originally planned.

The State Government's 2002 official budget papers listed a "target" start date for the project of February 2003. However, a later expression-of-interest document for the project listed the construction start date as "expected December 2003".

The Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, in Albert Park, will host events at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the FINA World Swimming Championships in 2007.

The project developer, John Holland Pty Ltd, will take possession of the site on January 19.

Mr Thwaites said the redevelopment would improve aquatic services open to the public.

"This swimming centre will leave a lasting legacy for Melbourne. It will provide a great location for the public to swim in, and it will also be host to major elite swimming events," he said.

While the pool will have permanent undercover seating for 3000 people, capacity will be lifted to 10,000 for the Games, and to 12,000 for the World Swimming Championships.

But while the Government trumpeted the announcement, Save Albert Park spokesman Graeme Bannerman said the Sports and Aquatic Centre site represented the equivalent of almost 31/2 MCG ovals of lost public parkland.

"It's depressing really. It (the final design plans) is a further indication that public parkland can be used as free real estate.

"That seems to be the way that governments treat public parkland these days," he said.

The final design for the project shows that the Government has backed away from a plan to build a five-storey car park.

Mr Thwaites said the final design came after extensive community consultation - one of the reasons for the delay in starting construction.

"We wanted to go through a proper consultation and planning process, which actually led to some changes in what was proposed, for example the hydrotherapy pool, the way in which the car parking was configured. It's a . . . better outcome as a result of that consultation," he said.

Mr Thwaites said the project would be completed on schedule by the end of 2005.

But Mr Bannerman condemned the consultation process, which he said was limited to only sporting people.

"There was really never any public debate about whether the extension should go ahead," Mr Bannerman said.

Opposition Leader Robert Doyle condemned the delayed start.

"While this is a good news project for the Commonwealth Games, it shows yet again that the Labor Party simply can't manage major projects," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Madden also said yesterday that the public could be told before June how many tickets would be available to Commonwealth Games events and how much they would cost.

The Commonwealth Games will be held from March 15-26, 2006.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/06/1073268035721.html

Originally posted by chrisaus
Commonwealth Games funds watch
THE Commonwealth Games Melbourne gets in 2006 will be determined to some extent in the back rooms of Parliament House, Canberra, in coming months.

The Bracks Government has said it will provide no more than $697 million of the Games' $1.1 billion budget.
Games chairman Ron Walker says he can raise $130 million in sponsorship, Channel 9 has paid $50 million for TV rights, and up to $30 million is hoped to be raised from overseas broadcast rights. Ticket, merchandise and other sales are estimated at $50 million.

That leaves about $140 million.

Federal Sports Minister Rod Kemp's office said yesterday the Federal Government's contribution would be revealed in the May Budget.

Commonwealth Games Minister Justin Madden has said costs would be cut if commercial revenue and the federal contribution did not raise $400 million. The Federal Government had pledged $90 million, as a Commonwealth Games project, to help rebuild the MCG.

But that fell through in 2002 after a brawl over industrial relations.
http://heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,8327429%255E2862,00.html

With an election this year I reckon the Federal Liberals would want ot be very carefull how they treat Victoria in the near future so I reckon they will come up with the money.

Message cancelled, membership voluntarily withdrawn.

Adam,I think having the former Liberal power broker in Ron Walker as CG chairman may also help to get the funds.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/14/1073877899528.html

The race is on to move GP in time
By Darren Gray
State Editor
January 15, 2004

http://www.theage.com.au/ffxImage/urlpicture_id_1073877905132_2004/01/14/wilcox_gp_1501.gif

Melbourne's formula one Grand Prix will be moved from its usual early March date in 2006 to avoid a clash with the Commonwealth Games.

"We are a victim of our own success in scooping some of the world's greatest events," Commonwealth Games and Australian Grand Prix powerbroker Ron Walker said last night.

If the race date was not moved, organisers could not get all the formula one equipment in and out of Albert Park and restore the park in time for the Games, Mr Walker said.

"We have to cart 40,000 tonnes of equipment into the park and then bring it out and then clean the park up," he said.

Mr Walker said it was crucial that Melbourne looked its best in world television coverage of the two sports events.

As well as hosting the Grand Prix in 2006, Albert Park will be a key venue for the Games, to be held from March 15 to 26. The sports and aquatic centre in Albert Park, which is about to get a $50 million upgrade, will host events including swimming, diving and squash.

The decision on the Grand Prix date is one for F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, but Mr Walker said Mr Ecclestone was very sympathetic to Melbourne's scheduling predicament.

Mr Walker sits in a uniquely influential position regarding the two events. He is chairman of both the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and Melbourne 2006, the key Games organising authority.

The Bracks Government has been lobbying for the race date to be moved, amid concerns that a clash with the Games would hurt ticket sales and corporate sponsorship. It has also been anxious to ensure adequate time for preparatory works.

Commonwealth Games Minister Justin Madden said the Government's aim was to ensure that neither event hurt the other.

Mr Madden said preparatory works for the Games would be extensive, and so would put pressure on Grand Prix scheduling. Works at Albert Park - including erection of temporary barriers and temporary amenities for Games volunteers and athletes - would need to be under way about one month before the Games, he said.

Well i personally love these type of so called 'problems'

Shit loads of Major events in Melbourne and not enuff time on the calender for them all... Sydney , Brisbane whoever... they can all wish.

Chicks Luv it!!!

Dean - Melbourne

Message cancelled, membership voluntarily withdrawn.

Radio upgrade may be delayed
Victoria's emergency services will have to rely on a troubled radio communications system for the 2006 Commonwealth Games because a $130 million upgrade promised by the State Government will not be ready in time, the Opposition claims.

Police and Emergency Services Minister Andre Haermeyer announced in May 2002 that the system used by Victoria Police, the Metropolitan Ambulance Service and the Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Service Board would receive the upgrade in the lead-up to the Games.

Mr Haermeyer said it would be operational in police vehicles, fire trucks and ambulances by December this year so that teething problems could be dealt with before the Games.

He said the mobile digital network would replace an analog system that was "marginally more reliable than smoke signals", alleviating radio congestion so that units in the field could access information and assistance more readily.

He said the new network would offer increased security and would allow radio communication between different emergency services.

The Government said it would award a contract to handle the upgrade before Christmas last year, but a decision on the shortlist is now not expected until next month.

Opposition police and emergency services spokesman Kim Wells said there was "not a chance in a million" that it would be ready in time. He said installing the new equipment in vehicles - 11,000 police cars, almost 300 ambulances and 250 fire trucks and cars would have to be progressively taken out of service in Melbourne alone - and distributing handsets for the digital network would take many months.

A well-placed telecommunications source said it would take at least three years to get the network up and running. He said it would be six months before the system's exact requirements were determined and implementation would require 15 to 18 months before a six-month transition period.

A "back-up" plan to temporarily adopt the Telstra system used in NSW during the Sydney Olympics had been discussed, he said.

The Bureau of Emergency Services Telecommunications, the state government department responsible for public safety communications systems, is believed to have told police that rushing the upgrade through before the games would pose a "significant risk".

But Mr Wells said senior police had told the Liberals that the existing police radio network was "so bad that they have grave concerns that it will not even last until the Games".

"The present police radio network is now so old that replacement parts are no longer available and parts from obsolete equipment, mothballed in other states, have had to be used for the past several years to keep the system operational," he said.

Another source said using Sydney's system would lead to a serious communication problem between the different services' radio networks and if there was a crisis, such as a terrorist threat or other serious incident at the Games, the services - as well as the army - would have "great difficulty talking to one another".

"That was one of the problems between the police and the fire brigades in New York on 9/11," the source said.

Mr Wells described the predicted delay as Mr Haermeyer's latest shambles. "He has sat on his hands for far, far too long with this contract, a contract that should have been awarded so work could have been started."

A spokeswoman for Mr Haermeyer said a timetable for the upgrade was being overseen by a steering committee chaired by an independent person and, although she was not sure if it would be ready by December, "it is on track to deliver the system ahead of the Commonwealth Games".
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/26/1075087956780.html

Where does the dickhead Liberal spokesman Wells get the 11,000 police cars from-out of his arse? the force only has 9000 members so are they handing out a car to everyone when they join up?

No wonder the Libs have no respect in the electorate when they come out with this sort of crap all the time.

more details, woop woop!

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/14/1076548272742.html

$100m Games boost in Budget
By Phillip Hudson, Kirsty Simpson
February 15, 2004

Victoria is set to win almost $100 million from the Federal Government in the May budget to help stage the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

It is believed the cash boost for the Melbourne games will be given to help pay for the opening and closing ceremonies, a volunteer program and possibly a baton relay, similar to the Olympic torch run.

But the package crafted by federal Treasurer Peter Costello and federal Sports Minister Rod Kemp is believed to be about $30 million less than the amount requested by Victoria.

Canberra is expected to also provide assistance including counter-terrorism teams, defence support and special immigration, customs and quaran-tine support for athletes and officials.

The Federal Government will increase security at Melbourne Airport and may also restrict air space above Games venues to maintain security and protect official sponsors from ambush marketing.

It would also run an emergency response team to deal with any chemical, biological or radiological attack, provide security for dignitaries and VIPs and offer national security and intelligence support.

Melbourne's Commonwealth Games chairman Ron Walker played a key role in securing money for the opening and closing ceremonies by arguing that people had high expectations after the Sydney Olympics for these events and it would enhance Australia's image overseas.

Mr Walker confirmed Victoria wanted more than $100 million, telling The Sunday Age he had met Prime Minister John Howard, Mr Costello and Senator Kemp about the funding.

"It is very clear that our request is in excess of $100 million and I'm hopeful that cabinet is kind to us," Mr Walker said.

However, the Federal Government is expected to demand that Victoria meet set conditions in return for the money after bitter clashes between the two levels of government over the MCG redevelopment and the Mitcham-Frankston freeway.

The Bracks Government knocked back $90 million in federal funds for the MCG re-development after Canberra insisted on different industrial relations practices for the pro-ject, sparking claims from the Howard Government that Victoria refused to stand up to building unions.

The row intensified last May when the State Government broke an election promise and said it would impose a toll on the Mitcham-Frankston freeway, causing Mr Costello to declare the $445 million in promised federal funds would be given only for a toll-free road.

A spokesman for Senator Kemp yesterday confirmed Victoria had lodged a funding request and submission. "The Government is giving consideration to assistance but doesn't speculate on budget outcomes," he said.

Victorian Sports Minister Justin Madden would not comment on whether the state would be satisfied with $100 million, saying negotiations were at a crucial stage.

"There are still some discussions taking place behind the scenes. We are anticipating some announcements in the not too distant future. What is crucial for us is not just what they give out, but where they allocate it," he said.

Victoria has already funded most of the major construction of the venues, so federal money would be expected to be directed towards the operating expenses of the games and associated events, with additional "in kind" contributions to be made towards security and customs.

The games, to be held in March 2006, are budgeted to cost $1.1 billion.

The state's contribution has been capped at $697 million, meaning the Victorian Government still needs to raise $400 million from sponsors, tickets, TV rights, merchandise and the Federal Government.

About $50 million was raised by selling the local TV rights to Channel Nine. Organisers expect to make $130 million on sponsorship, although so far only two sponsors, Qantas and Hudson (a recruitment business) have signed up for an unspecified amount.

Media experts said the Games would have no trouble raising another $24 million selling the international TV rights. Sponsorship executives with the Games authority were optimistic that more companies would sign on and that the $130 million target would be met, although some conceded it was not happening as early as originally hoped.

Mike Bushell from Sports Marketing and Management, who is working with the Commonwealth Games, said that while he had hoped more sponsors would have signed on by now, the sponsorship market had improved and the Games management was in "meaningful discussion" with a "significant number of companies".

Several senior Melbourne marketing executives told The Sunday Age that companies were a lot pickier than they used to be. Many felt they had not received value for money from the Sydney Olympics packages and would be casting a more sceptical eye over the Commonwealth Games offer, making it more of a challenge for the Government to meet its $130 million sponsorship target.

Most marketing insiders suggested there was a good chance the Melbourne Games could repeat Manchester's experience where the majority of sponsorship was sewn up only in the 12 months before the games.

It will be very interesting to see how much influence that Ron Walker still has in Liberal circles. His creditability is surely right on the line here.

Games mascot an endangered Aussie larrikin
http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2004/04/02/mascot_0304.jpg
One of the nation's most endangered native birds, the south-eastern red-tailed black cockatoo, has been selected as the official mascot for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Marching to the tune of 14 saxophonists and two drummers "Karak", a 1.8-metre tall version of the cockatoo, was unveiled at Government House yesterday.

The mascot won warm approval from luminaries such as Olympic gold medallist Cathy Freeman, Prime Minister John Howard, Premier Steve Bracks, chairman of Melbourne 2006 Ron Walker and Commonwealth Games Minister Justin Madden.

Mr Howard said Karak would be a great mascot at the most successful Commonwealth Games ever.

"Karak - named after his bird call - is distinctly Australian and welcoming to all, making him the perfect mascot to unite Australians from the bush to the city," he said.

Conservationists were surprised at the choice. State and federal laws have contributed to the cockatoo's demise.

With fewer than 1000 of the birds left, experts are warning the cockatoo may run out of food in the next 100 years. One of its favourite foods is seeds from the bull oak tree, which are being cleared by farmers - and recent cases suggest the state and federal governments are letting it happen.

The cockatoo lives in small pockets of native woodland in the state's west, between the Little Desert and Portland, and in South Australia. According to estimates only about 300 mating pairs of the bird are left.

Mr Walker said Karak was a bit of an Aussie larrikin, but was also sophisticated. "Through flight, he aims high - just like the athletes competing in Melbourne will," he said.

Mr Walker said Karak would be highly popular with children. "To have a mascot like that today is something that the toy manufacturers are going to go mad over. You know, it's going to provide an enormous amount of revenue for us. But more particularly it's a friendly, soft bird, that is representative of a dying species that we want to promote."

Soft toy versions of Karak are expected to be on sale by Christmas.

Mr Bracks also announced yesterday that Victorian school students would learn more about the British Commonwealth via a program adding the Commonwealth Games to the school curriculum.

"We want these Commonwealth Games to inspire us to lead more active lives, helping to lift the health and fitness of Victorians as well," Mr Bracks said.

Quizzed at the launch about the Federal Government's financial contribution to the Games, Mr Howard declined to reveal the figure. But he said: "We will be supporting the Games very strongly . . . I think everybody will be very pleased."

The State Government is seeking $130 million from Canberra, but the contribution is believed to be closer to $100 million.

Mr Walker said he was confident that Canberra would contribute adequate funding
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/02/1080544697478.html

March 2006: art vs. sports spectacle?
TheAge
By Penelope Debelle
October 19, 2004
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/10/18/1097951609288.html

Melbourne sport-and-arts lovers will have to choose in March, 2006, between the last five days of the Adelaide Festival or the opening of the Commonwealth Games.

A revitalised Adelaide Festival - directed by current Sydney Festival director Brett Sheehy with a significantly bigger budget than was available to the last director, Stephen Page - has been programmed for March 3 to 19. It overlaps by five days the long-awaited Commonwealth Games, last held in Australia 24 years ago and never before hosted by Melbourne.

Adelaide Festival chairman Ross Adler said talks had been held with Games organisers during the past three to four months, but a decision was made not to shift Adelaide's dates, which fitted around events including the Adelaide Fringe and the WOMAD world music festival. "We don't think it would make any difference whether it was two days earlier or two days later," Adler said.

Commonwealth Games organisers gave the Adelaide Festival its audience research data, which showed no significant clash between target groups, he said.

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"We looked at the research they had done about their expectations of people from South Australia and it didn't appear to be significant at all," he said. "We looked at the demographics of it and you end up making judgements about these things."

Adler said the overlap was in the second week of the festival: the Commonwealth Games begin on March 15.

Research commissioned after Page's festival this year showed the festival attracted 10,000 interstate and overseas visitors who stayed for an average of 10.5 nights, touring nearby wine regions and bringing $15.4 million into the local economy.

Adler said the strength of the 2006 program would dictate whether people attended.

Sheehy, an accomplished festival director who presents the 2005 Sydney Festival early next year, will be given a far more generous budget than indigenous choreographer Page, whose direction was hampered to some degree by debt and the need to reclaim traditional audiences after Peter Sellars' festival in 2002.

"We certainly have more money available than we had last time and it will be a more significant program," Adler said.

Sheehy's festival would have more money partly because Page's generated a profit and sponsorship was stronger, he said.

He said festivals historically weighted their blockbuster events into the first week of programming, which would mitigate against audience loss because of the Games.

"If you look at our program last time, in the second week it definitely tapered off," he said.

"The success of the earlier events creates the mood and the referrals and everything else.

"The key for us is the first week."

Advertising campaign launched.

First TV ad: http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/m2006tvad.mpg

onwards and upwards!

great work tays

Merchandise will start appearing in stores from Christmas with over 500 different items planned. Full sales will commence from March 2005.

My family's website is pretty much completed and generating the right balance of interest. It is our plan to include links to all ticketing agencies once the ticketing is announced in December.

It was good to see that they announced the design of the commemorative 50 cent peice, although the design is take it or leave it. It depends on your tastes. I personally liked some of the other designs, but congrats to the 16 year old lass who won it. Good on her!

Things seem to be tracking normally now without too much controversy or trouble. We might even be bold enough to soon start to use the propper M2006 Logo :eek2: :runaway:

I have suggested some ideas to my other half how to use the logo and other promotions but not to use them directly on her site. I'm sure that she'll surprise everybody as she always manages to surprise me. It'll be worth a look. She put a lot of work into finding and linking the best accommodation links onto her site. She's done a great job and I'm enormously proud of her.

Many older forumers know the site that I am talking about, however for the newcomers and novices the link is:

Melbourne 2006 - The People's Site (http://www.geocities.com/m2006cg/index.html)

Adam - Sorry, this site is temporarily unavailable!
The web site you are trying to access has exceeded its allocated data transfer. Visit our help area for more information.
Access to this site will be restored within an hour. Please try again later.
http://www.geocities.com/m2006cg/index.html

Site works for me. Been there once, very good.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Games-come-to-a-street-near-you/2004/11/20/1100838274754.html

Games come to a street near you
By Len Johnson
November 21, 2004

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2004/11/20/games_narrowweb__200x355.jpg

The Games' map.
Photo: Supplied

In 1956, Melbourne's Olympic marathon went out of the MCG and virtually straight into Melbourne's suburban sprawl, with the runners heading along St Kilda and Dandenong roads to Clayton before returning to the MCG.

Suburbs were pretty well all Melbourne had to offer in those days. Fifty years later, the course for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games will be a vastly different affair. It will be an inner-city route and will showcase a very different city, taking in the oldest and newest of the Garden State's parks, precincts and landmark buildings.

Starting and finishing on the track at the MCG, the athletes will run past or through some of Melbourne's best parks - the Fitzroy and Exhibition gardens, Albert Park, the Botanic Gardens and Birrarung Marr - and landmarks old and new, such as the Exhibition Building and Melbourne Museum, Lygon Street, Melbourne University, Docklands, Flinders Street Station, Southbank and Federation Square.

Justin Madden, Minister for Melbourne 2006, said the course was chosen to show off the best of Melbourne to the runners and to an estimated global television audience of 1 billion viewers.

The marathon and other road events in the triathlon, the road walks and the cycling road races, would also be open to all Victorians to watch free of charge. "All Victorians will have the opportunity to glimpse these world athletes first-hand," Mr Madden said, "and it will highlight to the rest of the world the most picturesque aspects of Melbourne."

It will be the first time such an inner-city route has been used. The 1956 Olympic marathon went pretty much to the city limits. Monash University had not even been built.

The annual Melbourne marathon, which for most of its 27-year history has run from Frankston to the city, switched to an inner-city route for several years in the 1990s, but it made much more extensive use of Beaconsfield and Marine parades and did not venture north of the CBD.

The Melbourne 2006 marathon course is officially a "preferred route" at this stage as final arrangements have yet to be agreed on with the councils and authorities responsible for parts of the course. There also are issues about the length of time roads will be closed.

At the Games in Manchester 2002 for example, a Norfolk Island competitor in the men's marathon finished last in 31/2 hours, an hour behind the second-last finisher.

Nor is it certain that there will be a test event conducted on the full course. The impact of road closures has been assessed, however, as the significant parts of the course have been closed for other recent events.

The Athens Olympic torch relay last year passed through Docklands, Southbank, Federation Square and the university precinct, while parts of Lygon Street were closed for both the torch relay and this year's Herald Sun cycling tour.

The men's and women's marathons will be held on the first day of athletics competition, also the first Sunday of the Games, on March 19.

Though there have been exceptions, one, or both, of the marathons is usually held on the final day of competition. Melbourne has opted for a first day, which would otherwise be a day of track and field heats.

Organisers are believed to have consulted some of Australia's leading marathoners on the design of the course. There are no big hills, although there are significant undulations early in the race as the course goes around Fitzroy Gardens and again as it runs almost the full length of La Trobe Street into the Docklands precinct, and later as it rises from Alexandra Avenue to Government House Drive around the Tan.

Yipeeee. I am getting excited! I'll be able to walk to the route shown above.

Sounds like a fantastic way to showcase the best parts if inner Melbourne to the world and dare I say also to those aussies that dont know Melbourne that well.

Front page artical in the herald sun (dunno if it is mentioned in the age, have not read it yet) saying some tickets will go for as low as $15 a person, thats if you buy the family packs, but still, nice and cheap.

There was a liftout in todays Sunday Times (Western Australia), I think they were in all those crappy papers by that company ie herald sun advitiser etc, had all the ticket info etc...

yep, A level tickets to the opening ceremony cost $595

and you can get $15 individual tickets for events like table tennis

lol i think they said there is lawn bowls haha this event demands respect hehe

lol i think they said there is lawn bowls haha this event demands respect hehe

I'm sure that for the 600,000 Australian's and many millions of people who play the game in the Commonwealth that it does demand some respect. It is a game that is a lot of fun to play and it requires a lot of practice to get good at it.

I mean, if we're poking fun at sports here, then what's the deal with trampolines being an event at the Olympics? I'm sure that the traditional gymnasts at the Olympics get a laugh at that one too.

lol i think they said there is lawn bowls haha this event demands respect hehe
Showing your immaturity again. :runaway:

Sounds like a fantastic way to showcase the best parts if inner Melbourne to the world and dare I say also to those aussies that dont know Melbourne that well.
dont you mean showcasing best parts of melb to the "commonwealth"?
Commonwealth games really is a low key event. its big for the city its based in for the 2 weeks. but outside, it doesnt exist. its a damn shame.

dont you mean showcasing best parts of melb to the "commonwealth"?
Commonwealth games really is a low key event. its big for the city its based in for the 2 weeks. but outside, it doesnt exist. its a damn shame.
No I meant what I said, the world .Yes it is mainly about the Commonwealth but people who are into sport in other counties will also have some interest.

maybe in some swimming events with thorpie and some other swimming events with fast girls.Also Jana pitmans race. not much else.

Ticket to ride for the Games
By Steve Pogonowski
From The Melbourne Yarra Leader

TRAMS and buses are expected to get priority over the humble motorist in the inner city during the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

In the State Government’s Metropolitan Transport Plan launched late last month, public transport was named as the “primary mode of access for spectators”.

Games organizers last week announced ticket holders will travel free on public transport on the day of their event.

Public transport will also be free during the Games period, from March 15 to 16, for athletes and officials, Games staff and volunteers.

A tram conductor on route 70 along Swan St, Richmond, last week told the Leader Yarra Trams hoped to persuade VicRoads to block off Swan St from car traffic during the Games.

While unable to comment on specific changes to inner-city tram routes, Yarra Trams spokesman Colin Tyrus said improving tram priority was obviously important in the lead-up to the Games.

“Yarra Trams is involved in discussions with the director of public transport and office of Commonwealth Games coordination regarding public transport arrangements”, Mr Tyrus said.

“It’s too early to comment on any specific tram proposals because they would be subject to those discussions”.

VicRoads spokesman Lou Simonetta said VicRoads had established a special unit to deal with games’ road changes but it was too early to indicate which roads would be altered.

In an effort to improve public transport services for the 1 million people expected to attend the Games, transport operators will provide free transport, paid from the $1100 million Games budget.

Fourteen of 16 sports in the Games will be held within 3km radius of the CBD. :D

They should be closing all those roads through Richmond and from the north which have tram routes on them (excluding Flemington RD / Royal PDE)!

Oh and, Chapel Street.

Melbourne in 2006 would be chockers how much people do you think would be here from counting people from interstate and overseas

They are expecting about 25,000 OS visitors and 70,000 from interstate.

I'm considering going. So long as I don't get frostbite. :jk: When abouts(month) in 2006 are the games?

March 15 to 26

something in the paper about posible boycotts to the village due to cramming? media beat up/slow news day?

I'm considering going. So long as I don't get frostbite. :jk: When abouts(month) in 2006 are the games?

You wont get frost bite its usually hot and dry at that time of the year and thats why the date was chosen.

Unfortunately my wife's site is finally killed off.

They got a 'Nastygramme' from a Ms Kate Bradshaw threatening legal action because the 'People's Site' was too confusing in that ordinary people couldn't determine whether it was official or not. In other words, the site was too good and more people were visiting it than the official site.

My wife is upset but I advised her to let the people have their say and words of protest to the appropriate authorities.

If you agree that the Melbourne 2006 Games Corporation is being dictatorial and over bearing then visit the following link: Melbourne 2006 (http://www.geocities.com/m2006cg/index.html)

I have told my wife and her mates to take a chill pill and come back better than ever in the new year when they calm down. We can build a website promoting Queensland Tourism with Melbourne images and icons.

Melbourne - A City without a Rugby Union Super 14's Team - Perhaps there's something in that for all of us?

It was better!! Adam your wife did a fine job with the site and I visited that one much more often as it had information pretaining to Melbourne. The official site is pretty dry and all it really had to say about the city of Melbourne is click on this link to Tourism Victoria. ho hum Even the official Manchester 2002 site had more tourist and city information. The Melbourne Games will be a smash I'm sure but their website is as boring as hell. About the most exciting thing on it is looking at the various venues.

I think that when we rebuild the new site - and it will be rebuilt by March 15 that it will incorporate a Melbourne Fest. We will beaverishly work to build the site to incorporate humour, the absolute best possible views of Melbourne and information that provides all facets of stuff that we ordinary folk want to know.

The site won't come back fully on line until March 15 2005. We will sit down as a group (I've been making phone calls this morning to pep-talk my wife's group) and even the missus is now starting to smile again at the prospect that we will create something better that will blow these C*#TS out of the water.

IT'S ALL GOOD

That's great Adam! Let us know when its back up. Still toying with writing that Bradshaw woman but just as well I probably don't. Probably best to let it die down. Tourism Victoria might have got their knickers in a jam because while the Commonwealth Games didn't really talk Melbourne much as a destination, it did give links to Tourism Victoria. Still, even the Tourism Victoria site could sell Melbourne with a bit more gloss. Hell, the pictures you get here and better than many of the ones they use.

Good News:

We have established contact with the Melbourne Commonwealth Games Corporation and after a phone call this afternoon it seems that Kate Bradshaw was very reasonable and started to buckle a little. She said that the emails and phone calls were all brought to the attention at a meeting this morning and that it was agreed that our site was doing nothing contrary to the interests of the Games.

She said that another meeting was being held about the matter this afternoon and that some guidelines would be discussed. The fella who rang this afternoon said that he'd ring again tomorrow to discuss the broad outcomes of the meeting and that either himself or us as a group (website committee) would arrange a meeting at the WTC in early January and that we could discuss a total outcome to allow us to rebuild and run a website that enjoys total endorsement.

Overall, a bloody good outcome.

Thanks to those who contributed emails and protests, there were apparently quite few and they all helped.

Here is a little reminder of what the new pedestrian bridge will look like that is currently being built between Birrarung Marr and Yarra Park

http://img157.exs.cx/img157/9797/pedbridge4ut.jpg

http://img157.exs.cx/img157/8522/pedbridge22cj.jpg

There are an extraordinary number of pedestrian and other bridges over those rail lines now.... I just wish they'd cover over and develop the whole lot up to Richmond station and be done with it...

Stu

no, not the whole way up to richmond, just up to the last bridge going outbound.

They should cover it, and put down grass, exept next to the tennis center, they could put a few courts ontop of it. then grass for carparks and whatnot for the MCG and stuff.

How about we start with the area between Batman Ave, Flinders Street, Exhibition St and the Fed Sq Car Park. Once that is done, we can move east.

There are an extraordinary number of pedestrian and other bridges over those rail lines now.... I just wish they'd cover over and develop the whole lot up to Richmond station and be done with it...

If Richmond is to stay as an elevated station (which it should), there's no way the decking would reach it, due to the space needed to raise the tracks from the deeper level they'd have to be placed on to deck the surface-level tracks, to the station. But I agree, as much of it should be decked as possible, rather than wasting money on bridges that'll eventually just be pulled down again.

then grass for carparks and whatnot for the MCG and stuff.

Don't you think the MCG has more than enough carparking space? I'd prefer an underground carpark to be built in Yarra Park for the MCG, so people no longer park in the park, as it were. Getting more people to use the suffocatingly dense PT in the area would be nice too, but it ain't going to happen anytime soon. At least we shouldn't increase the parking space.

well i ment grass and they could park on it, but yeah i guess so. would be better if they did use PT.

have it like that, green box more park, red box more tennis stuff?
and on the otherside of the green develop it? inbetween fed square and exibition.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/drunkill/pedbridge4ut.jpg

Mine was more an offhand comment.... I know going all the way up to Richmond station would be a bit difficult in terms of the rail lines and expense. But at least some decking down to the tennis centre with parkland, or apartments, or whatever is 1000x better than the current eyesore that is the railyards.

Stu

There are an extraordinary number of pedestrian and other bridges over those rail lines now.... I just wish they'd cover over and develop the whole lot up to Richmond station and be done with it...

Stu


I wouldn't totally cover the area, it doesn't add to the enjoyment of a train ride to be underground. I like the idea of partial covering so that people above ground can see the tains moving beneath them. Further it allows the transition of fresh air to the trains and commuters. Many commuters spend too much time as it is breathing artificial air. Exposing sections of track also adds a realistic earthiness to the city.

After all, the tracks that are exposed now are nowhere near as dominant or ugly as the Jollimont Railway expanse of the 1970's. Renember how it used to start at Flinders Street and ran almost to the edge of the Yarra and spread all the way back to the MCG?
http://www.thecollectormm.com/gallery/postcards/1920s-1980s/slides/Yarra5.jpg

I wouldn't totally cover the area, it doesn't add to the enjoyment of a train ride to be underground. I like the idea of partial covering so that people above ground can see the tains moving beneath them. Further it allows the transition of fresh air to the trains and commuters. Many commuters spend too much time as it is breathing artificial air. Exposing sections of track also adds a realistic earthiness to the city.

I agree that exposing the trains would be a great effect, but allowing air to flow around them won't stop the people inside from breathing 'artificial' air after its been air-conditioned. Unless their are still any Hitachis around by then!

I had the idea a while ago of incorporating big sections of glass into the deck, so people can literally stand right above the trains and look down. And some interesting lighting under the deck would add to the effect after dark.

That idea has a lot of merit. Although I would be concerned about creating glasshouse effect under ground. Also we'd loose the wonderful sounds of the trains. That's one thing that adds a vibrancy to the city. Further it seems silly to me for airconditioners on trains to be drawing air from another artificial source. I am wary of air conditioners at the best of times (in this day and age of airborne viruses). Anyhow, that's enough on that one don't you reckon?

On another side of the argument, do forumers agree that moneys could be better spent upgrading and rebuilding Richmond Station as well as other projects to clean up along the railway lines generally. It would be nice to see Brunto Avenue landscaped along it's Southern side.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/01/31/1107020331861.html

Back to the drawing board at the Games Village
By Royce Millar and Peter Ker
February 1, 2005

The Commonwealth Games Village at Parkville has been redesigned, mid-construction, at a cost believed to be tens of millions of dollars, following complaints about overcrowding.

Well-placed sources confirmed last night that plans were altered after the London-based Commonwealth Games Federation complained that the village, with up to 28 athletes and officials sharing houses, would be too cramped.

The federation was also unhappy about the quality of the portable buildings which were to house about 1260 of the 6000 competitors and officials. It is believed the federation's intervention followed complaints from the Australian Commonwealth Games Association.

Under the reworked plan:

· More than 500 athletes and officials will be housed in an adjacent heritage precinct - the former Royal Park Psychiatric Hospital.

· The number of portable buildings has been reduced and their quality will be improved.

The change will reduce the number of athletes and officials per dwelling to a maximum 24.

Village developer Australand had not intended to build on the heritage precinct until after the Games.

Last night Commonwealth Games Minister Justin Madden confirmed that the village plan had been altered but said it was part of ongoing "fine-tuning".

He said the village would be "much better than anything Sydney offered and comparable, if not better than what Athens offered".

A source said the Commonwealth Games Federation had endorsed an earlier scheme but then decided it was unacceptable. The changes have involved a variation of the contract between the Government and Australand; an increase in building workers on site; and an increase in the project's cost, estimated by one source as "tens of millions of dollars".

The Government is believed to be angry with both the federation and the Australian Commonwealth Games Association for complaining about the design after construction had started.

Speaking from London last night, federation chief executive Mike Hooper said it was a "moot point" whether the federation had approved an earlier plan but confirmed the federation had concerns about "congestion" at the village.

He said the federation signed off on the scheme, including the heritage precinct, in August.

Use of the heritage precinct to expand the village followed Government rejection of a proposal to locate portable homes on the adjacent Royal Park last year.

Developer Australand will now refurbish former hospital buildings and build new homes, including single houses and townhouses among the heritage buildings.

Mr Madden would not disclose the cost of the change but said it would not blow out the $697 million Government expenditure cap for the Games.

The village is designed to house 6000 athletes and officials but organisers are known to be unsure about precisely how many participants will show up for the Games. Final numbers will not be known until shortly before the Games opening.

Melbourne 2006 chief executive John Harnden denied there been a major change of plan for the village, describing the heritage precinct move as an "evolution" of the village design.

"As with everything with the Games you're continually working, continually refining and working forwards," he said.

Mr Harnden said he was unsure who would get to stay at the heritage precinct and said he did not know if Australians would be housed there.

"We have not done the final allocation of which team goes into which accommodation," he said.

Mr Harnden said he believed most Australian athletes would stay at the Parkville village, including champion swimmer Ian Thorpe. "At this stage Melbourne 2006 does not intend to accommodate any athletes outside the athletes' village (with the exception of those competing in Bendigo)."

Melbourne 2006 chairman Ron Walker described the shift in plan as part of the "development process" towards staging "one of greatest Commonwealth Games ever".

"Ever since we won the Games in Fiji in 1999 we've been making changes for the better," he said.

Mr Harnden also confirmed that Games organisers were looking for accommodation for more than 500 officials outside the village.

Sources said options being considered included taking over an entire hotel/motel. One venue in Preston had been considered.

Police are known to be concerned about security for hundreds of additional Games participants.

Mr Harnden said organisers had always known they would have to find accommodation outside the village for many officials. He confirmed Melbourne 2006 would pay for most of the extra accommodation.

The Commonwealth Games Corporation have reviewed my wife's website:

2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games - People's Site (http://www.geocities.com/m2006cg/index.html)

and finally given it the thumbs up. That's official. They have asked us not to use Karak or any logo's which may imply that it's official in any way, but they are happy with the way in which we have rebuilt it. We still have to rebuild an accommodation and touring page (which is under construction).

We would be most happy for any good graphics or photo's that may enhance the final page. We still have other graphics for the MCG and Village that are not posted on the site yet, but these will be posted once the last page is completed. There are a few more aces up my wife's sleeve but she's now playing he hand close to her chest.

She is quite wary since the drama's before Christmas unfolded and I promised to help her rebuild the site better than ever.

Anyway, I hope that you all like it, because we have borrowed quite heavily from the forum.

Its an awsome website, so much better and informative than the official one. Too bad the site is unvailable a lot of times because of exceeded data transfer.

Yeah, fantastic website with great info and pics, and it's good to hear you have the official nod to go ahead! If I can offer a quick correction:

Victoria is one of seven marvellous Australian states. Being the most settled and developed, it concentrates the best of what Australia has to offer into an area no bigger than the UK.

You have this on your sidebar.... just an oversight as Victoria is one of six marvellous Australian states (QLD, NSW, SA, TAS, VIC & WA), obviously with the ACT and NT being territories ;). I know it is anal but thought that since it is supposed to be educating visitors and those interested about the games and our country that it may be something to correct.

Keep up the good work!

Stu

It was a beautiful day so why not take it for a walk. :)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v225/sirbugalugs/IMG_3501.jpg

Sakor1, you're absolutely right in what you're saying. I asked my other half about that and she said that she'd considered the Northern Territory as more or less a state in it's own right. For the record ... I agree with you :yes:

But I enjoy my sex life too much for me to argue with her too much :)

From Melbourne Leader
By Claire Turfrey

Shedding new light on rowing

Melbourne’s rowing precinct is in for an expensive revamp in the lead-up to the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Home to seven rowing clubhouses, the Victorian Dragon Boat Association, the Mercantile Kayak Club and a bike hire business, the area between the Alexandra Gardens and Yarra River, near Princes Bridge, faces a proposed $4.3 million facelift.

Richmond Rowing Club head of club development Lucy Crunden said the clubs in the precinct recognized that rowing was becoming more popular.

“Many of the clubs are bursting at the seams and there is a real need for more space, “ Ms Crunden said.

“All of the clubs are behind the proposal to put in a bit of effort to improve the general amenity of the area.

“The redevelopments will benefit not just rowing but the general community use of the area.”

Under the plan, the Melbourne University, Banks, Mercantile and Richmond rowing club houses will be redeveloped and expanded, while the Yarra Yarra Rowing club house will be demolished and rebuilt.

The Dragon Boat Association and the bike hire business, which operates from a shipping container, will be shifted at a cost of $200,000, while Boathouse drive will be reconfigured to cater for the road cycling events at the Games.

Melbourne Council Community and Culture Committee chairman David Wilson said he was hoping most of the works would be completed before the games start next March.

“Our part will involve the reconfiguration of the road to the value of $550,000 and we will be getting on to that as soon as we can, “ Cr Wilson said.

“It will be a combination of tidying up the area and making it look better, as well as increasing the safety aspect, because the road on the other side of the rowing clubs is quite narrow.”

The Community and Culture Committee gave its in-principle approval for the proposal.

It will now go before the full council for consideration. :)

_______________________________________________________________

The better make a move on this quickly, as time is running out. :runaway:

Iv'e always thought that the road in front of the Boathouses should only be for pedestiians it van be quite dangerous of a weekend when the crowds are wandering along the Yarra.
A good move, lets hope the MCC gets on to it quickly.

Pathetic:

JOLIMONT STATION GETS MAKEOVER FOR GAMES

Jolimont Station is set for a $1.3 million revamp to cater for the large influx of people expected to use it during the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

The Minister for the Commonwealth Games, Justin Madden, said work to improve station facilities was due to commence in coming weeks.

"Large numbers of spectators will use Jolimont Station to get to the Melbourne Cricket Ground to watch the opening and closing ceremonies and track and field events," Mr Madden said.

"Importantly, these upgrades will help make the Commonwealth Games and other events at the MCG more accessible for people with disabilities."

Mr Madden said the Bracks Government's Equal First strategy was making it easier for people of all abilities to find out about, get to and participate in the Commonwealth Games events.

The Jolimont works include:
§a Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant ramp on the northern platform;
§widening of both platforms at the western end;
§improved access to the southern platform and
§additional lighting.

The Minister for Transport, Peter Batchelor, said the works would deliver lasting benefits.

"The Jolimont Station upgrade will further enhance this important sporting precinct in the lead up to and beyond the Commonwealth Games, better servicing spectators at Australia's greatest sporting stadium," Mr Batchelor said.

Public transport in metropolitan Melbourne will be free for those with a Commonwealth Games ticket, on the day of the event they are attending.

Other initiatives making the 2006 Commonwealth Games an accessible event will include a wheelchair-friendly shuttle bus service between public transport hubs and key venues, and enabling people with a disability to be accompanied to events with a support person for no extra cost.

The XVIII Commonwealth Games will be held from 15 – 26 March 2006 and will bring together 4,500 athletes from 71 nations.

Jolimont needs to be redeveloped or rebuilt not just a makeover :-(

They can refurb the station initially and cover over the cutting later Grollo ;)

yes, covering it would be good, extend the park, or widen the road, make a bikepath or somthing, one of them.

Also Richmond needs it, jolimont is for the footy/cricket only, but more use richmond, plus its much cloer to the tennis centre too.

Sakor1, you're absolutely right in what you're saying. I asked my other half about that and she said that she'd considered the Northern Territory as more or less a state in it's own right. For the record ... I agree with you :yes:

But I enjoy my sex life too much for me to argue with her too much :)

Lol, I won't press the point too hard then, forum members not getting any tend to be more grumpy ;)

Stu

Adam, glad your wife's site is back up. You did a good job with it.

Mine was more an offhand comment.... I know going all the way up to Richmond station would be a bit difficult in terms of the rail lines and expense. But at least some decking down to the tennis centre with parkland, or apartments, or whatever is 1000x better than the current eyesore that is the railyards.

Stu

i love the rail yards leave em :)

and yes i was wondering why they are cutting down those beautiful trees ....

Each to his own I suppose ;)

Stu

Where is Jolimont station? Which line?

Regardless, I agree - it's all BS. Richmond station needs to be rebuilt too!

Jolimont Station is between Wellington Pde and the MCG opposite the Hilton Hotel

Where is Jolimont station? Which line?

Regardless, I agree - it's all BS. Richmond station needs to be rebuilt too!

Hurstbridge & Epping lines

News Tonight:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/auboy/POOL.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/auboy/village2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/auboy/village.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/auboy/MCG3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/auboy/MCG2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/auboy/MCG1.jpg

All the projects are starting to look good already.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/auboy/village2.jpg

Starwars episode 2, attack of the clones...

lol - all those houses make it look like simcity

Mmmmmm, pretty...

simcity!

My goodness. Those houses in the Village are going up so quickly!

Talk about coincidence:

I know you didn't grab our images because the images that we just posted on our website were taken from the country WIN network ... but we took exactly the same images last night and posted them onto my wifes website not even 15 minutes ago.

If you look at our images they are watermarked with the WIN logo.

Isn't that Amazing? :)

Games village gets the judges' nod (http://www.theage.com.au/news/Commonwealth-Games/Games-village-gets-the-judges-nod/2005/04/07/1112815667621.html)
By Peter Ker
Commonwealth Games Reporter
The Age (www.theage.com.au)
8 April 2005

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2005/04/07/games_village_wideweb__430x286.jpg
Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell and Games Minister Justin Madden check on progress at the MCG.
Photo: Shaney Balcombe

It took 115 upgraded temporary homes, a move into a heritage precinct and securing their own chunk of Royal Park, but Commonwealth Games officials are finally satisfied with the Melbourne 2006 athletes village.

Delegates from the 71 Commonwealth nations toured the Parkville village site yesterday and, according to Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell, liked what they saw.

"We think it's going to turn out quite well," Mr Fennell said.

"It started out being a pretty tight village and they've expanded it, and opened it up and put in some extra rooms and extra apartments . . . From what I've seen, they've responded to all the recommendations."

Organisers were forced to redesign the village after officials complained that the living conditions would be too cramped for 6000 athletes and officials to live comfortably during the Games.

A section of Royal Park was annexed into the Village grounds as extra "recreation space" for athletes.

The State Government refused to reveal the exact cost of the redesign, but it is believed to be tens of millions of dollars.

While Mr Fennell and Commonwealth Games Minister Justin Madden could not rule out future changes to the village, Mr Madden said any adjustments would be minor.

"Whether it's coat hooks here or towel rails . . . we're happy to work through that with all our stakeholders," he said.

Australian Commonwealth Games Association president Sam Coffa said he was "quite happy" with the new arrangements.

"I guess you are never 100 per cent happy, but many of the concerns have been amended, so we've signed off and are satisfied," Mr Coffa said.

What can one say to that?

IF "THE AGE" JOURNALISTS DON'T LIKE IT .... LEAVE

What perhaps one person thinks is a bad thing and a regressive step, is to another, a significant step forward.

Hmmm? Look, I remember Melbourne in the late 1960's as a huge country town with it's leafy quiet suburbs. Today there are another 2 million people fighting for almost the same amount of space, and quite frankly in 2005 it's 500,000 short of being Sydney and somewhere that I avoid like AIDS. The skyscraper heads among us quite sensibly argue that everybody has to live somewhere and that the "Save Albert Park" heads and "Save Royal Park" heads are living with their heads firmly shoved up their arses and quite out of touch with reality. These types of people want development but not in their back yard. They want the city grow up all around them but to leave some bizarre 3km raduius exclusion zone around them. Where on earth do these idiots expect another 1 million Melburnians (in 20 years time) to live? BRISBANE???? CRIKEY!!! Then that'd be another million people living closer to JAYT :) Errr (Exasperated) .... I wouldn't wish that on any poor bastard ... let alone ONE MILLION :D

These inner city, shoulder to shoulder cave dwellers are apparently happy to reap the rewards of living in a prosperous and growing city but don't want to share the sacrifices too. I suspect that 'THE AGE' journalist is just another anti-games recalcitrant. There's an old saying that goes ... "you can't have your cake and eat it too".

If these people and journalists want prosperity and growth they also have to accept that the city cant just keep creeping outward. It ultimately has to creep upward and engulf a lot of what was once free space (parkland and perhaps phsyciatric homes). These are the sacrifices you pay for chosing to live in a big city. If they don't like it .... LEAVE! Go and live in in hick country town like ???? BRISBANE

Since the new AGE Scots editor has taken over the paper has gone decidedly down market to a tabloid style ie: negative spin on almost everything and stirring up bull**** non stories.
IMO it will cost the Age a lot of readers.

just entered the ballot for
-opening ceremony
-mens gymnastics team final
-swimming finals for friday night
-mens weightlifting final

hope i get them all :) f**kin' costing me about a grand :(

I'm buying 3-C grade seats for opening ceremony @ $250 each...

Here's a pic of the soon-to-be-renovated Bourke St mall:

http://theage.com.au/ffximage/2005/04/11/next_cover3_apr12,0.jpg

In keeping with established tradition, we have removed all content from my wife's website and marked a special ANZAC Day message there instead to commemorate this day 25th April. We do this with all of our websites as a mark of respect to the former service personnel of Australia and New Zealand.

We invite all forumers to visit the site and to read the special message contained as it demonstrates a wonderful message of peace from a former Muslim enemy to Australians.

The website will be reinstated tomorrow.

2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games - The People's Site (http://www.geocities.com/m2006cg/index.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/auboy/village2.jpg

Starwars episode 2, attack of the clones...

LOL, if it wasnt for street numbers you would forget where u lived :D

http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/rsrc/Images/DevelopmentsStrategic%20Plans/bourke_street_1_0001.jpg?0.24269784981137954

A visit to the Bourke Street Mall Redevelopment webpage reveals that there are some significant changes to the plan that was first mooted 12 moths ago:

These are sumarised on these two webpages:

Bourke Mall Redevelopment (http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/info.cfm?top=192&pa=1323&pg=1346) and Bourke Street Mall Update (http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/info.cfm?top=192&pa=1323&pa2=1346&pg=2146)

The attached pdf files on the first webpage are also very enlightening as they detail exactly what is and isn't to be built.

http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/rsrc/Images/DevelopmentsStrategic%20Plans/BSM.jpg?0.8444918886449249

http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/rsrc/Images/DevelopmentsStrategic%20Plans/BSM1.jpg?0.692512419998246

Of note is that there will be raised tram stops, lower glass roof awnings, the addition of 72 flagpoles for the Commonwealth nations and Territories, the shop awnings get a reprieve, and there will be some other additions and deletions. In particular there is no reference to the handsome looking centre piece that was to be placed on the Swanston and Bourke intersections. Sadly we won't see the radical blue paving, instead we are going to see some pinkish coloured paving in the centre of the mall.

Dammit! Get rid of those awnings!

I've had a close look at it, and basically it's an el cheapo cop out IMHO. SO MUCH can be done, but so much has been rejected. The Elizabeth Street end (outside GPO) will have 30m tram superstop WITHOUT roof, no tram stop at Swanston St end. Instead, there will be a 50m tram superstop on the Nike side of Bourke St, stretching up to Target, also WITHOUT roof. The only good thing appears to be LEDs along the tram lines and some lighting options on the building facades, including possible animated projection onto building facades. And the lighting will be similar to Fed Square, with lights strung on lines across the top. It's a minimalist makeover - IMHO it's a touch up rather than makeover. Shame. At least there's always hope that more can be done.

Piss weak

I've had a close look at it, and basically it's an el cheapo cop out IMHO. SO MUCH can be done, but so much has been rejected. The Elizabeth Street end (outside GPO) will have 30m tram superstop WITHOUT roof, no tram stop at Swanston St end. Instead, there will be a 50m tram superstop on the Nike side of Bourke St, stretching up to Target, also WITHOUT roof. The only good thing appears to be LEDs along the tram lines and some lighting options on the building facades, including possible animated projection onto building facades. And the lighting will be similar to Fed Square, with lights strung on lines across the top. It's a minimalist makeover - IMHO it's a touch up rather than makeover. Shame. At least there's always hope that more can be done.

Yes, I'm inclined to agree with your summation of it. It will look better but not as good as it could have done. It will look as utilitarian as a public toilet block in five years time.

It won't work unless they get rid of ALL the awnings on the shop. They're outdated in my opinion and completely distract from the facades of the buildings. Some of those facades are beautiful. Also, first level outdoor cafes will not really work with th eawnings stil there.

I think they should replace ALL awnings with a standardised, neutral transparent glass awning the same width right across (stopping at the GPO, of course!).

Replace the awnings on the old buildings with the original Victorian style awnings and remove awnings from buildings that never had them in the first place!!

http://www.thecollectormm.com/gallery/postcards/1920s-1980s/slides/Bourke14.jpg
Notice that in the postcard above we see that the buildings on the north side never had awnings! See how great they look!!
(All those buildings are still there). :)

yah, I agree, get rid of them on both sides. Myer Windows / Buckley's and Bradman's is very very dark under there.

Obviously, the awnings were originally built to provide shelter from the sun, not the rain! All those retailers on the south side of the street were worried that their stock would fade.

Found this on another site, photo credit goes to Darren Howie

How dissapointing! No 747 logo jet as per Brisbane '86 ('86?). Maybe that is yet to come! (hopefully!)

http://img230.echo.cx/img230/9572/8497808mm.jpg

^ LOL. I posted exactly the same photo on the Melbourne Airport discussion forum!! :)

Found this on another site, photo credit goes to Darren Howie

How dissapointing! No 747 logo jet as per Brisbane '86 ('86?). Maybe that is yet to come! (hopefully!)

http://img230.echo.cx/img230/9572/8497808mm.jpg

How old are you ???

I don't remember them painting a whole jet at all for the Brisbane '86 whatever that was. I do recall being very actively involved in the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane as a soldier (And was actually in the opening ceremony carrying a placcard in front of one of the participating teams ... how cool was that?). QANTAS did indeed have "Brisbane Commonwealth Games 1982" logo's painted on the front quarter of all of it's aircraft between 1979 and 1982. That was about the extent of it.

The world has grown and shifted from 1982 when Brisbane hosted 41 nations and 1500 athletes. Without taking any credit at all away from Brisbane because Brisbane did a marvellous job at embracing and turning what was an event that at the time was almost on the back burner around.

Since 1982 there has been an explosion of sport and sponsorship around the globe and many cities now measure themselves internationally and nationally by the events that they stage. Melbourne will be hosting an event that will be guaged not just nationally but by viewers on TV's in the UK, South Africa, SE Asia, Canada (an important backpacker market for Australia), as well as a massive audience in India (One of the fastest growing middle class economies in the world). You don't ignore these facts, and if you do then you do so at your own peril.

the Commonwealth Games are good for Melbourne and they are good for Australia ... Get it?

^Just slightly overreacting?

Christ, what the fuck is you problem adamonline?

I was contributing something that I found interesting and thought others might too. You are seemingly upset (to the extent that you needlessly volunteer the details of your patriarchal duties) that I didn't have time to check the date of Brisbane '82 - for that I oh so sorry! I had things to do (do you?) and was in a rush; however I thought it was better to contribute than to not contribute at all.


the Commonwealth Games are good for Melbourne and they are good for Australia ... Get it?
Where the fuck did this come from? I am a Melburnian and support the games, from where did you draw the conclusion that I was not in support of the M2006?

Oh, by the way, you are wrong - this was the 'official' logojet for B'82. No pretty colours I hear you ask? That was the way they did things back then:
http://img231.echo.cx/img231/8835/3520395jl.jpg

I'm old enough to know the definition of parochial (having completed secondary education and studying at University), although you, perhaps, do not? Suggest you visit http://dictionary.cambridge.org/ or http://dictionary.reference.com/ .
Sorry for the rant :rant: :rant: :rant:
Caught me at an early time!

Cheers

lol wtf? Where did that come from Adamonline?

Please do accept my deepest apology as I misread what you had said. I am indeed sorry. I was feeling a bit defensive about some other issues that had been raised by Victorian media and others 'CROWING' (pun intended) over stupid interstate rivalries that day (which I think are pointless and rubbish). I was particularly annoyed and sensitive to any comparisons being made of any city or place against another. In a country that experiences it's fair share of rewards and adversities I was discusted by tone of those Victorians begrudging SA getting a reward as I was by some SA folk expressing via the media open disdain toward Victorians.

Your comparison about the Brisbane 82 Games was a positive one, and in the mood that I was in I totally hyper-sensively reacted. My thoughts indeed as always were really about the common good. Your thoughts were also directed at the common good too, and I was a complete arsehole to you.

Again please do accept my apology for my misinterpreting your post.

Again, I am very sorry, please accept my apology.

No worries mate! :)

Hi Dudes and Dudies
I've just been to an interview to be a volunteer for the games.
awesome
:weirdo:

testing

I think that there has been some serious editing going on to delete the ten or so previous posts between the 11 June and today. I am not sure that I can say that I approve of such censorship in a demorcratic forum because the fellow who expressed his views equally had as much right to express his views as I do. His view questioned the ethos and value of the Games and a couple of us tried to explain why we do indeed 'get it!'

For the fellow who claimed to be from the UK (After all you could be just a JAYT from Queensland who was being a fly in the ointment) who had his posts deleted, I must that I had no say in it. Even if you don't agree with me, I'll still stand by your right to disagree with me.

To melb2006
Back on the topic at hand, I am supportive of the Games and reckon that your volunteering to support the Games is pretty cool. I hope that you get accepted and get as much as you seek from the experience.

My wife runs a website that promotes the games in a bizaare agrrement with the M2006 Committee:

Melbourne 2006 - G'DAY (http://www.geocities.com/m2006cg/index.html)

All the best.

adam the mods dont go wandering through threads deleting posts for the sake of it.

differing points of view can be found in well 95% of threads over one issue or another, doesn't mean they're automatically deleted. if an individual or posts happens to disappear, it occurs for a reason, generally the betterment of the forum...

on a wider note the forum is not totally democratic, levels of decency ect. need to be maintained so on occasion the mods delete as they see fit. individuals such as samantha come to mind.

good to see comm games committee are asking for an extra $10 mill for the opening and closing ceremonies, which will make them $50 mill in total ($70 mill was spent on the Sydney olympic games ceremonies).

We should get the money too, given that the treasurer is a melbourne boy.

For the 2006 Commonwealth games, the city councle is opening up some of the Vaults of the yarra banks near federation square. About 20 will be opned, to make cafes, tourist info thingy and boat/ferry ticketing, and one as a bike hire place. They will name that part of the yarra Federation Wharf. i'll try and find the article (i found a free HUN on the train today)

EDIT: cant find it online, or at the ages site either, it might popup soon.

Anyway for people that dont know...

Shrine area may become Games car park
By Peter Ker
Commonwealth Games Reporter
June 18, 2005

Parkland behind the Shrine of Remembrance could be the latest swathe of public open space to be commandeered for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

The State Government is considering using the land for parking for support vehicles and the cars of workers involved in nearby Games events next March.

But the proposal - which could lead to cars being parked within 150 metres of the Shrine - has come under fire from the State Opposition and a public land lobby group.

A spokesman for Games Minister Justin Madden said the Shrine plan was one of several parking options around the Domain and Royal Botanic Gardens.

Princes Park in Carlton and Yarra Park in East Melbourne have also been earmarked as likely car parks during the Games. Catani Gardens and several streets around St Kilda will be taken over for triathlon competition.

The area around the botanic gardens, the Alexandra Gardens and the Domain will host road cycling and will be the site of many cultural events during the Games.

The Age believes cars could be parked within 150 metres of the Shrine if the parking plan gets the go-ahead. However, the Government spokesman said parking cars around the Shrine was not the most likely of the options under consideration.

The chairman of the Shrine trustees, John Taylor, said he was satisfied there would be no damage to the Shrine. "Our main objective is to protect the Shrine," he said.

But Protectors of Public Lands spokeswoman Julianne Bell said the proposal was another example of the Government doing whatever it wanted under Commonwealth Games legislation. "I would have thought the area around the Shrine was sacrosanct" she said. "It's an insult to the war dead.

"The State Government confuses park with car park these days. Once parkland is alienated it's often never returned."

Opposition Games spokesman Gordon Rich-Phillips said parking at the Shrine should be a last option.

"I wouldn't have thought the Shrine would be the most appropriate place to establish overflow parking," he said.

"I would expect the Government to continue to explore an alternative site."

For the 2006 Commonwealth games, the city councle is opening up some of the Vaults of the yarra banks near federation square. About 20 will be opned, to make cafes, tourist info thingy and boat/ferry ticketing, and one as a bike hire place. They will name that part of the yarra Federation Wharf. i'll try and find the article (i found a free HUN on the train today)

EDIT: cant find it online, or at the ages site either, it might popup soon.

Yeah I saw that, you mean this article:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v367/skortum/mini-Vault.jpg

It looks really interesting! Certainly an improvement to having them closed up, and may bring a little more life to the Yarra in that area! Hoping that it stays around after the games :)

Stu

Thats always been a spooky place after dark with alot of undesirables hanging around in the shadows, any improvement would be welcome.

Tenders for redevelopment of the Princess Walk Valuts were called for by the City of Melbourne earlier on in the year. So restoration work should commence soon.

Any chance for the redevelopment of the banana alley vaults, i hear some are in use but to open them all up, that would be wonderful! And also i think along the facade of the Flinders street stn on flinders street they should also perhaps revitalise that area and create shops or cafes, i think the only one there is cafe`stazione if i'm not mistaken? The 'Flinders Quater' would definatley be a buzzing point for Melbourne.

Yeah thats the article.

Looks like Ron is spinning like a top.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/business/melbourne-reckons-it-can-recoup-cost-of-the-games/2005/06/20/1119250928288.html

Melbourne reckons it can recoup cost of the Games
By Stephen Dabkowski
June 21, 2005
Page Tools



The Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games may very well break even, given corporate sponsorship worth $115 million will be unveiled by the end of the year. Its original target of $130 million by the time the Games begin on March 15 next year now looks achievable.

Companies including Toyota and Foster's are expected to announce their association with the Games during the next month.

Melbourne 2006 chairman Ron Walker said "90 per cent of the work has been on three key issues: sponsorship income, broadcasting rights and ticket sales".

He emphasised the success of the Sydney Olympics had made it much easier for organisers to achieve their sponsorship goals.

"We are very confident that … about $115 million will be announced by the end of the year. The last $10 million or so of our original target will be the hardest for us to receive because it generally involves smaller sponsorships. But, in any case, we will be persisting to get that income in the last few months prior to the Games," Mr Walker said.
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So far only a handful of major sponsors have put up their hands: Qantas, Telstra, Visa and National Australia Bank. Tabcorp yesterday signed on as the fifth official sponsorship partner.

But Mr Walker said the length of time it took to conclude negotiations meant many of the other deals being finalised had yet to be announced.

"It's been a very frustrating time for all of us. We've got a host of major sponsors now lining up to be announced," the Games chairman said.

The categories of sponsors expected to be announced include suppliers of beer and wine, automotive goods, confectionery and computer software.

Mr Walker also revealed that the organisers negotiating with the News Corp's Fox television network to broadcast highlights in the US.

"The Murdoch family knows about the deal and are very keen on it but nothing has been finalised. It is an ambitious plan on our part to take the Commonwealth Games to the US market and we hope we can pull it off," he said.

Mr Walker said the broadcast rights to most of Asia would be concluded in the next month and he hoped for a resolution soon on the two main television markets, both participants, yet to sign up: India and Canada.

"The Indian market is playing cat and mouse but with India hosting the Games in 2010 they cannot afford not to take the television feed. We will get a deal done in India soon," he said.

"In the Canadian market there are four major networks and we will get a deal done with one of them to take the feed," Mr Walker said.

In terms of ticket sales, Mr Walker said he believed that the Games would be all but a sell-out by the end of the year, except for some small pockets of tickets for minor sports which might still be on sale on the day of competition

Yeah I saw that, you mean this article:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v367/skortum/mini-Vault.jpg



Hasn't that bird ever heard of a garden vac?

Anyone else remember "Sugarshack???"

Or am I just getting really old?

^^ I remember hearing of it...

I understand your point Silvermb, though I noted that the UK lad wasn't using any profanity nor was he being obnoxious. He was just expressing a view that a lot of us did not agree with, although I didn't agree with him I was pretty cool with that. At least I can say that when I am wrong - I have the humility to admit it, if I am rude to anybody - I always apologise. It's not a sign weakness, it's integrity.

I was annoyed to think that those 10 or so posts of mine and a few other forumers were cut. I can understand the moderator(s) deleting posts that are divisive, threatening or indecent. I just hope that our moderator(s) continue to use propper discretion and remain even handed as they generally have in the past.

On a different matter:

I read yesterday that Indian officials are now considering using Ballarat to train a massive contingent of performers for it's handover display promoting Delhi 2010 at the 2006 Closing Ceremony.

BALLARAT COURIER: (http://ballarat.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=local&category=general%20news&story_id=402393&y=2005&m=6)

BALLARAT looks set to get the thumbs up from an Indian delegation keen to use the city as a base for 2000 performers during next year's Commonwealth Games. The city is expected to reap large economic benefits as the visitors prepare to perform in the closing ceremony at the Melbourne Games in March.

The delegation of three influential Indians, including High Commissioner Vinod Kumar, got a close look at accommodation and tourism venues yesterday. A report will be sent to New Delhi in the coming days to determine whether Ballarat will be chosen as the base for the 2000 performers.

The performers will feature in the closing ceremony at the MCG on March 26 as New Delhi will host the games in 2010.

Mr Hancock and Mayor David Vendy are confident the delegation left with a good impression of the city. Mr Hancock said it was a "very, very strong possibility" the 2000 Indians would stay in Ballarat for at least 10 days during the Commonwealth Games.

"We are hoping confirmation will be given to Ballarat very shortly," he said. "It's extremely exciting for Ballarat."

A range of tourism and cultural activities will be arranged, as Ballarat has adopted India as a second team for the Commonwealth Games. Mr Hancock said it would be a chance for Ballarat citizens and the Indian visitors to learn about each other's culture.

"We are trying to get some understanding of what these activities will be in the very near future," he said. Mr Hancock added it could be the biggest single influx of people to Ballarat since the gold rush era, and was an opportunity for schools to benefit.

If the plan is given the green light, Mr Hancock said the visitors would bring hundreds of thousands of dollars to the city. Accommodation, tourism and food outlets will benefit most, and Mr Hancock said council would prepare a range of tourism packages tailored to the visitors' different budgets.

Cr Vendy said talks with the Indians began about six weeks ago. Council will approach Ballarat schools in the coming weeks in a bid to find extra bed space. Mr Hancock said he was grateful for the co-operation and support of the Ballarat Indian Association.

I reackon that this reinforces my long stated view that the 2006 Games aren't a waste of time and that the benefits for all Victorians will greatly outweigh the expense.

sporting venues are coming along fine.
hockey should be intresting

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/4946/soccer7qn.gif

What the where? :nuts:

Has work started on the Federation Wharf vaults as mentioned in the article posted a while back?

what the? im sending this into rove live! thankz. lol

Call to revamp 'shabby' Richmond station (http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/call-to-revamp-shabby-richmond-station/2005/08/03/1122748699989.html)
The Age (www.theage.com.au)
By Dan Silkstone
Transport Reporter
4 August 2005

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2005/08/03/04STATION_wideweb__430x220.jpg
Passengers walk through the tunnel in Richmond station to get to their train platforms yesterday.
Photo: Craig Abraham

The Melbourne City Council and Melbourne Cricket Ground are urging the State Government to redevelop Richmond railway station to provide better access to the MCG, amid claims the station will be an eyesore during the Commonwealth Games.

The Age can reveal that ambitious redevelopment plans were drawn up by the Government as part of early planning for next year's Games, but were shelved because they were considered too expensive.

On Tuesday, Melbourne City Council voted 6-1 to call on the Government to upgrade the station, including building a pedestrian footbridge over Brunton Avenue.

Richmond station is used by about 10,000 passengers a day. That number is expected to treble during the Games as ticket-holders take advantage of free public transport.

The City of Yarra council has also backed the calls to improve the station. City of Yarra Mayor Kay Meadows said the council had been asking the Government to redevelop the station for years.

"There will be a lot of people walking through that area during the Games who will look at Richmond station and think, 'This is pretty shabby'," she said.

Critics say access from the station to the MCG is poor and poses a safety risk. At the moment, sporting fans walk from platforms through an underpass and must cross busy Brunton Avenue to enter the stadium.

Melbourne City Councillor Fraser Brindley said it defied logic that the Government had undertaken a $434 million redevelopment of the MCG for the Games but had not tackled such a basic access problem.

MCG general manager Trevor Dohnt supported the idea and said he wanted the MCG concourse extended to link the Great Southern Stand with a new footbridge to the station.

The Age believes that draft plans for a station redevelopment were prepared by the Department of Infrastructure about four years ago in a document titled Rebuilding Richmond.

The document proposed dramatic changes in time for the Games, including a Brunton Avenue footbridge. The plans, estimated to have cost hundreds of millions of dollars, were considered too expensive and dropped.

A spokeswoman for Transport Minister Peter Batchelor said the station would be repainted before the Games. It had recently been fitted out with new signs.

"The State Government recognises that Richmond station has not been upgraded for a number of years and is considering what works can be carried out on the station within the existing Department of Infrastructure budget," she said.

Wow that Peter Batchelor is a real thinker; new signs. Who'd a thunk it? Lol.

Photo of the Games Pool under construction last Monday (Including the $400,000 Gum Tree). It seems that the tree wont impede the placement of the temporary Northern Stand, but it will affect the roofing of the temporary stand.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/3672/picture0031ts.jpg

sporting venues are coming along fine.
hockey should be intresting

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/4946/soccer7qn.gif

Is that what it is, after studing the phot I can also see some similarity to the Southern Cross Station roof. :)

Pathetic, a new paint job for richmond.

It wont be redeveloped for another 6 years now, seeming that they will give it a nice sharp looking paint job [/sarcasm]

Photo of the Games Pool under construction last Monday (Including the $400,000 Gum Tree). It seems that the tree wont impede the placement of the temporary Northern Stand, but it will affect the roofing of the temporary stand.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/3672/picture0031ts.jpg

I know Melbourne is quite nice in March, but at all times of the year it is prone to pretty changable weather - and with that comes lots of wind. Being that it will be getting into Autumn, I can imagine leaves being blown in from the park beside, which wouldn't be such a good thing. Also, is there going to be diving in this outdoor pool? As a strong NW wind (the type that preceeds a cool change) would maybe cause problems with the dive tower.

I wonder if they have any strategies for dealing with this. Anyone know anything??

^^ Its too early for much bother from deciduous trees loosing their leaves, its also the second driest and one of the least windy months.

Also diving is inside.

But i don't know why that pool is just not permanent, i'm sure the Aquatic center would not oppose having another poo.

The pool IS permanent.

^Yes, there's just a stand that will be temporary. It would be too costly for a temporary structure.

Ahuh, i get it now d'oh

^Wowsim, I think you'll find that especially after a hot summer, you do get alot of leaves, even before the the proper autumn comes (which is in full swing only three weeks after the game). The reason I thought this is I have seen leaves drifting onto the track when the weather was bad in last years (or maybe the year before) grand prix. Not to mention the big gum tree, dust, etc. Melbourne's winds can be quite strong, and it wouldn't look too good having bark or leaves floating in the pool.

There may be "debris" as there would be anywhere in the world, but i can tell you, in March there wont be a problem of true autumnal leaves coming off trees in large numbers....Melbourne's average 3pm wind speed for March is 13.7km/h, thats less than Sydney and Brisbane. ALso Sydney's average 3pm windspeed for Sep (when it hosted the Olympic games) is 18.3km/h and wind wasnt a problem then.....so i'm not really sure what your getting at?

Plus, the pool will be substantially sheltered by the roof and the stands being put into place...

Stu

Is it true that when Melb hosts the world swimming championships, the pool will be set up in Rod Laver Arena? Seems weird that the comm games swimming will be at msac, but not the world championships?

Yes the WSC will be held at Rod Laver, with diving at Albert Park, and the Triathlon at St. Kilda or possibly docklands. Rod Laver was chosen over Albert Park because a larger capacity stadium was wanted.

a 50m swimming pool in the middle of rod laver arena?
cool...

Then they could recreate the ad where Samantha Stosur and Todd Reid are playing tennis against Ian Thorpe.

There may be "debris" as there would be anywhere in the world, but i can tell you, in March there wont be a problem of true autumnal leaves coming off trees in large numbers....Melbourne's average 3pm wind speed for March is 13.7km/h, thats less than Sydney and Brisbane. ALso Sydney's average 3pm windspeed for Sep (when it hosted the Olympic games) is 18.3km/h and wind wasnt a problem then.....so i'm not really sure what your getting at?

No I'm not talking about the volumes you get in the peak of autumn, but deciduous trees start to loose a percentage of their cover from late summer onwards.

With the average wind, we all know that Melbourne rarely has weather that reflects it's average - if you told someone that the average january day has a maximum of 25.8 degrees and 8.1 hours of sunshine - it would sound like a perfect climate, but everyone knows that it can vary from extremely hot to pretty cool and rainy. So yes while we might have some very calm days, generally melbourne can be very windy at any time of year.

And when Sydney had the Olympics, they used an indoor pool, so unless someone left the door open, wind wouldn't be a problem ;)

My main concern was with leaves blowing into the centre but mostly with the diving, as you have to have very stable conditions - but as it seems it'll be indoors then that shouldn't be too much of a problem, and on a nice day, it'll be a great location for the swimming.

MARCH-Melbourne
March is a calm warm month between summer and autumn. Hot weather is experienced in the first fortnight, when the month's highest temperature of about 37ºC is usually recorded, and it may be accompanied by a strong northerly wind during the day. Humidity is uncomfortable on about one day only. Most days are mild and sunny although some days are cool and cloudy. A maximum temperature of around 20ºC is recorded about once a week. The afternoon sea-breeze is not as strong as in mid-summer therefore days are calmer. Nights are noticeably cooler than in the preceding month. Towards the end of March, it is quite common for the overnight temperature to fall below 12ºC on one or two occasions. The month is reasonably dry.

www.bom.gov.au

^Wowsim, I think you'll find that especially after a hot summer, you do get alot of leaves, even before the the proper autumn comes (which is in full swing only three weeks after the game). The reason I thought this is I have seen leaves drifting onto the track when the weather was bad in last years (or maybe the year before) grand prix. Not to mention the big gum tree, dust, etc. Melbourne's winds can be quite strong, and it wouldn't look too good having bark or leaves floating in the pool.
Ahh... the famous leaf that blew up a v8 super car at the f1. The last two F1s have shown all weather types over the 4 days, last year practice days were sunny and mild with light breezes, qualifying was warmer but windy... then race day it was overcast with on and off rain. Also anyone remember that huge storm where the internal pressure dropped to a low just where it gets called a cyclone (in the tropics it would anyway, here it's an arctic depression)... I'm sure no one could forget the never ending rain, the new rainfall record, the freezing 8 degree nights, the trees and powerpoles falling down, the traffic lights flashing amber... and all this in summer... testament to the fact that Melbourne is not a place where forecasts can be easily or accurately applied. There's not much point arguing over Melbourne's climate, it changes every year, last summer was shitfull, this winter has been awesome, anything could happen when the games are on.

Yarra to MCG Pedestrian Bridge (not a building but still worth posting).

http://homepage.mac.com/jbadcock/Melbourne/misc/P1000634.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/jbadcock/Melbourne/misc/P1000635.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/jbadcock/Melbourne/misc/P1000637.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/jbadcock/Melbourne/misc/P1000638.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/jbadcock/Melbourne/misc/P1000639.jpg

Wow the bridge has gone up quite quickly, the actual span of it. about 2 weeks ago it was only a bit at both ends.

I just heard from the director of the Office of Commonwealth Games Coordination that the pedobridge will have some interesting art installations.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/drunkill/Prints.jpg
Kinda related to 2006 games, but also to hotels in general. and docklands too. but it will suit here.

Just in addition to the pedestrian bridge pics I posted before. There've started on the walkway now.

http://homepage.mac.com/jbadcock/Melbourne/misc/P1000643.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/jbadcock/Melbourne/misc/P1000644.jpg

This could have been the Commonweath Games Village:

http://www.a-r-m.com.au/images/projects/29/photos/commgames_village.jpg

http://www.a-r-m.com.au/images/projects/29/photos/commgames_cityscape.jpg

http://www.a-r-m.com.au/images/projects/29/photos/commgames_aerial.jpg

Putting the games village out in Parkville was a stupid decision.

WOW

I have never seen these before.

That would be a waste of the docklands area. The games village is gonna be used for 2 weeks and we are gonna forget about it - so parkville was the right choice. Or maybe they could have covered the jolimont railyards and put it on top.

lame. check out the empty spaces and most of all the rendered car park, fuck that for a joke.

Personally I thought the Jolimont proposal seemed the most rational.

You all seem to forget that the car park would of course be temporary and allow for future infill development. So all-in-all, this proposal woudl have been a great start to development at Vic Harbour.

true but having such a very high-profile facility in a half-built half-arsed area would just look amateurish, incomplete and.........half-arsed! :lol:

Parkville at least is established and [won't?] doesn't look like it has for the past 150 years.

http://www.mercadolivre.com.br/org-img/items/MLB/032005/27358105_9844.jpg

I particularly like the buildings they have added to the skyline in particular what looks like the NAB tower where 700 Collins is, and a Centra on steroids.