Future Focus Group Projects 2008-2009
Connect-ed
Connect-ED aimed to deliver, in consultation with key stakeholders, an initiative that would market and reinforce the idea of Melbourne as an international university city and demonstrate commitment to an improved international student experience.
In partnership with the City of Melbourne’s Office of Knowledge Capital, the team organized for a welcome booth at Melbourne Airport as well as a team of volunteers who handed out over 4000 information welcome packs to international students arriving in February 2009 from 6am to 11pm, to assist in their welcome to studying in Melbourne.
Each pack contained information relating to employment, accommodation, city services, safety and social integration.
The project brought together key stakeholders, including tertiary institutions, the City of Melbourne, industry, student groups and the Melbourne community. A second pilot was conducted in July 2009.
The group successfully negotiated with the Office of Knowledge Capital to continue the project in 2010 and received state government funding as part of a four-year commitment to the initiative.
All members of the Connect-Ed team were invited by the Office of Knowledge Capital to be part of the Office of Knowledge Capital International Education Reference Advisory Group.
Westwood Place Rejuvenation
Working with the Salvation Army, this project aimed to revitalise Westwood Place Laneway where the entrance to the Salvation Army’s drop in/crisis centre is located.
An artist-in-residence program for homeless and disadvantaged people who access the centre was delivered to develop skills and strengthen the health and wellbeing outcomes of the community members.
The artist-in-residency program will be delivered by one part-time community based artist who is experienced in working with people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The team provided project oversight and governance, liaison with key stakeholders, including funding bodies, and help to promote the project outcomes.
It received almost $10,000 in funding.
PaRing gallery
PaRing Gallery aimed to increase awareness and understanding of South East Australian Indigenous culture in Melbourne through art and in so doing help create ‘PaRing’ or pathways between Melbourne’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultures.
To achieve this the PaRing project group, in partnership with the Koorie Heritage Trust, staged four engaging exhibitions of Indigenous art and displayed them in the foyers of some of our major companies in the central business district for approximately four weeks at a time.
Just on $100,000 of art was sold, with all profits going back to the artists and the Koorie Heritage Trust.
The day to day running of PaRing Gallery was transitioned to the Koorie Heritage Trust.
Growing Up
The Growing Up group recognised a need for communication, education and incentive for the construction of green roofs in Melbourne.
The key deliverable of this project was the installation of a fully funded green roof on a CBD building at 131 Queen Street, Melbourne, tin July 2010.
Growing Up ran a successful design competition for both professional architects and students as well as a competition to find the building to receive the fully funded green roof.
The group raised over $350,000 in sponsorship to fund the running of the competition and the construction of the green roof, as well as in-kind assistance in excess of $200,000.
Growing Up also partnered with Melbourne University to successfully secure an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant of over $3m for future green roof research to ensure the ongoing uptake of green roofs.
Discussions were held with the State Government to ensure green roofs are given greater prominence in planning schemes, policy documents and building rating tools.
Some members of the team will remain involved in the research aspect of the project.
Free in the CBD
The aim of this project was for tram travel in the Melbourne CBD and Docklands Precinct to be made free-of-charge to enhance the liveability of the CBD and make it a more enjoyable place to visit, work, learn and live in.
In early 2010 the Free in the CBD submitted a detailed submission for this initiative using the Victorian Government’s own prescribed ‘Investment Lifecycle Guidelines’.
This fully researched document included information gained from consultation with key stakeholders, as well as output from detailed financial and transport modeling, utilising the Melbourne Integrated Transport Model.
The group met with a number of key Government advisors.
Melbourne Open House
Melbourne Open House is a free of charge event giving Melburnians and visitors to the city a rare opportunity to discover the often hidden and hard to access public and private buildings and spaces nestled in and around the city.
The inaugural event was held on 20 July 2008, with more than 30,000 visits to 8 buildings. The second Melbourne Open House, held on 19 July 2009, grew to 32 buildings and almost 51,000 visits. The program in year two also expanded to include a speaker series at Federation Square and a photography competition. The event was held in association with the State of Design Festival.
The 2010 program will run over the weekend of 24-25 July and had over 60 buildings open to the public.
Melbourne Open House is now an incorporated not-for-profit association.
Some members of the group remained on a Board to oversee the continuation of the project.
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