Say hello to your friendly neighbourhood partner and share ideas to make your community the best it can be.
From historic Carlton to the glistening harbour at Docklands, each City of Melbourne neighbourhood needs different services and support based on its unique demographics, strengths and challenges.
We’re working to better understand and respond to community needs in a highly localised way through a new neighbourhood model.
Led by seven passionate neighbourhood partners, the model aims to ‘connect the dots’ between the City of Melbourne, residents and businesses to empower local people, build community capacity and guide city projects.
The neighbourhood partners recently completed in-depth community consultation and analysed the data to draft key priorities for each suburb.
This is revealing opportunities for us to explore new projects, adjust upcoming work to respond to community needs, and better communicate our progress on existing work.
Sharyn Barkl, who lives in the CBD, shared feedback during the consultation.
‘I wanted to contribute to the consultation sessions because it’s important that Council hears directly from residents who are on the ground and living in the city about what matters to our community,’ Sharyn said.
‘It was easy to share feedback, and I was pleased that Council provided information in different languages.
‘The initiative allowed positive and negative feedback and involved all residents in contributing to the city’s future.’
Neighbourhood partners will continue to engage with the community year-round, recording feedback into a central knowledge bank that will inform City of Melbourne projects with rich insights into the future.
You can keep in touch with the latest local news and share ideas for your suburb through our new interactive online portals at Participate Melbourne.
Neighbourhood partners
Ash Lee
Southbank
‘Southbank is a very interesting suburb with three distinct and high-density residential, commercial and arts areas. I look forward to helping make the neighbourhood even better and build a more connected community.
I’ve met so many people from different countries in Southbank. We are in an active process of defining ourselves as Southbankers, and we’re in it together.’
Ash Lee
Read our full interview with Ash.
Fadi Qunqar
Docklands and Fishermans Bend
‘There’s no other place in Victoria, or even in Australia, like Docklands and Fishermans Bend. The aura of being around the water and being able to see the city right behind you: it’s a magical feeling.
I’ve learnt so much working with different people, coming to understand what needs to be done in the background to help them in the future. Making other people happy makes me feel happy.’
Fadi Qunqar
Read our full interview with Fadi.
Melanie Del Monaco
Kensington
‘There’s a great vibe in Kensington because even though you’re in the heart of the city it has a unique village feel, and a highly active and connected community.
I love working closely with community, which allows us to respond quickly and create changes that have a positive impact on people’s lives. Above all, it’s about helping to create more connected, vibrant and sustainable neighbourhoods.’
Melanie Del Monaco
Read our full interview with Melanie.
Michelle James
CBD
‘The pandemic reminded residents, business owners and students that they have a community here. We want to encourage this neighbourhood connection and resilience into the future.
The CBD is made up of distinct neighbourhoods with unique strengths but there are also some basics that we need to get right across the city. People are keen to tackle these things together.’
Michelle James
Read our full interview with Michelle.
Nasteha (Nas) Mohamud
Carlton and Parkville
‘I really love working with Carlton and Parkville – each of the neighbourhoods is very special and unique.
The people I meet are so passionate and driven. They all bring so much knowledge and wisdom, and ideas about how we can make things better. I am excited to continue to connect and collaborate with our communities.’
Nas Mohamud
Read our full interview with Nas.
Tallia Gilary
North Melbourne and West Melbourne
‘West Melbourne is so intriguing. Every day I discover some fascinating story about its history. And in North Melbourne, I really like how people own their public green spaces.
I’d love to shine a light on all these incredible neighbourhood assets for others to see: the characters, the stories, the landscapes, the spirit of this special spot.’
Tallia Gilary
Read our full interview with Tallia.
Rei Chin
East Melbourne and South Yarra
‘There is a wealth of talent, knowledge and passion within the East Melbourne and South Yarra communities. Both are very established neighbourhoods that take pride in their unique identities.
I’m looking forward to working with the community members to ‘connect the dots’ and bring people together to make great, community-led projects come to life.’
Rei Chin
Read our full interview with Rei.
New neighbourhood portals
Keep in touch with the latest local news and share ideas for your suburb through our new interactive online portals.
To find out more, and contact your neighbourhood partner, visit Participate Melbourne.
