Sorting out safety

In October 2008, the City of Melbourne facilitated the first of two safety summits, bringing together Victoria Police, Liquor Licensing Victoria and other Victorian Government departments as well as the Victorian Taxi Directorate, taxi operators and health and welfare organisations to identify more than 50 actions to improve city safety.

Community Safety Day was also in October. The event included an impressive display of helicopters, boats, fire trucks and other emergency services and was enjoyed by a crowd of 35,000 at Docklands.

The City of Melbourne invested $1.8 million in the installation of 31 additional safety cameras in the city in 2008–09, bringing our total number of cameras to 54. The project represents a significant commitment by the City of Melbourne and its partners – CitiPower, VicTrack, Yarra Trams, Victoria Police, VicRoads and other authorities.

The City of Melbourne’s commitment to safety was highlighted locally and internationally in December 2008 with the launch of Grogger, an online game reinforcing pedestrian safety, promoting responsible alcohol consumption and the importance of planning safe travel home after a night out. Media and online coverage of the game was so extensive the City of Melbourne’s website crashed briefly from an overload of players.

Melburnians had a chance to play Grogger on the big screen as part of a Melbourne City Safety Event in December 2008 at Federation Square. This event also announced the winners of the Lord Mayor’s Safety Awards which recognised six champions of city safety.

Planning Scheme Amendment C141 continued to be developed in 2008–09 and was open for public comment in early 2009. Amendment C141 will provide the council with policy to better plan and manage the location and impact of licensed premises, promoting a safer community and providing clarity for owners and operators of licensed premises in areas such as patron number, hours of operation and noise.

Championing Melbourne's hospitality sector

The City of Melbourne launched its Melbourne Hospitality Strategy 2008–2012 in October 2008. Based on the recommendations of the Melbourne Hospitality Advisory Board, the strategy focuses on the city as a leading hospitality destination, renowned for its diversity, cultural richness, professional services and consistent quality.

The City of Melbourne also teamed up with 28 dining venues across the city for the Summer Serve campaign to support special dining deals during the Australian Open. Participating restaurants reported a good response from their customers to the promotion and some reported an increase in business for the campaign period.

In 2008–09 the City of Melbourne and Nutrition Australia worked with take-away food outlets in the QV Urban Market to pilot a program that helps city shoppers and workers make informed choices about what they eat. Green Light, Eat Right’s ‘traffic light’ menu system for determining nutritional value received extensive radio and press coverage with several businesses reporting more sales of green-coded foods (those with higher nutritional value). The program will be evaluated in 2009–10 to consider its extension to other parts of the city.