The Royal Park is the only bushland park in the City of Melbourne — just two kilometres from the GPO. The Royal Park is public land. It belongs to all Victorians. We hold it in trust for future generations.
As early as 1862, Town Clerk Mr E G Fitzgibbon protested the further alienation of the park.
“Hands off the parks” was his battle cry. It needs to be our battle cry.

The proposed tollway will destroy Ross Straw field and West Parkville with huge flyovers joining City Link. It will ruin the wetlands. It will butcher the park from Flemington Road to Royal Parade with huge on/off ramps into Elliot Avenue. It will pump pollution into the “lungs of the city”
It will take priceless parkland that can never be replaced.
To save Royal Park we need to stop E.W. Link
What can I do

RPPG joined with Protectors of Public Landands Victoria Inc. and Carlton Residents’ Association at theirsnap protest – Say No to East West Link Yes To Doncaster Rail Link next week.

This was the notice:

“As you would know Stage One of construction of the East West Link has commenced with “geological investigation” (ie drilling for soil and rock samples and testing for underground water) along the proposed alignment of the above/under/on ground road way.  Note from comments made by the State Government that the tollway/freeway it is highly likely to be an above ground “aerial roadway” akin to CitiLink along Princes Street and through the inner suburbs with compulsory acquisition of property along the route. It is likely to be open cut through Royal Park.

Please support us at this crucial stage of our campaign. The drilling rig will be installed on the reserve outside the Dan O’Connell Hotel Carlton, north east of  the Canning St/Neill St intersection,Carlton.  The reserve is right on Princes Street behind the wall.  (The reference for this drilling site is EWL-B12-007 on the map from Linking Melbourne Authority. Please advse if you could like a copy of the map sent on email)

Time: 12:15 pm for 12: 30 pm start

Date: Tuesday 21 August 2012

Reason: Continue protest over East West Link and demand the Doncaster Rail Link.

Speakers: Councillors and community representatives

Bring: Green triangles with No Tunnel message or Trains not Tunnel placards or Public Transport Not Road Tunnels placards/banners.”

PPL and RPPG reps  met at 12 noon at the Football Pavilion between Brens Drive and H G Smith Ovals

See Map of drill sites. We visited EWL-B12 – 012 first on the crown of the hill in the grasslands This was an aboriginal corroboree site and are important grasslands and habitat for grasslands parrots and feeding ground for flocks of native birds.  We also checked out EWL-B12-013 and 014.

The group then drove around to Brens Drive park outside the State Netball and Hockey Centre then walked back to meet at Anzac Hall.  We inspected the drilling site next to or opposite Anzac Hall.

See  EWL-B12-007 at the corner of O’Neill Street and Canning Street Carlton on the triangle of land near the Dan O’Connell Hotel Drilling will start there on Monday next.  The Dan O’Connell Hotel only got a note under its door on Thursday afternoon advising of the drilling. .

You do realise that the drill sites indicate the alignment of the EW Link and that the Government wont be able to afford a tunnel so as we were told during the Eddington Review the motorway will be “cut and cover” – cut now cover in 5 years if ever.