Irate supporters of the dumped Yarraville Pop-up Park are staging a last-ditch campaign for its return this summer.
Hundreds of residents and traders attended a passionate protest in front of the Sun Theatre on Friday, demanding Maribyrnong council return the park for a third year.
The protest follows a decision at last week’s council meeting to reject a call by Yarraville ward councillor Michael Clarke to spend $115,000 on once more setting up the popular park in Ballarat Street.
PICTURE GALLERY: Yarraville Pop-up Park protest
Fiery speeches at the protest were followed by a mass rendition of All I Want for Christmas is a Pop-up Park.
Sun Theatre owner Michael Smith said there was wide support for the return of the park to Yarraville, despite pockets of dissent.
“With thousands of us saying yes, we want the council to say the same, because they represent us,” he said.
Cr Martin Zakharov said the park was built on community effort.
“It’s now been copied in quite a few places around Australia. Cr Clarke and I are still puzzling over why the decision was made,” he said. “To put the park back in this summer will cost 0.1 per cent of council’s budget. There is no reason why we can’t afford to do it again this year.”
Yarraville resident Michael Habir said the park was one of the council’s most popular community initiatives.
“It’s really well utilised,” he said. “I just don’t understand why they would want to can this when it’s been so popular.”
The council has undertaken extensive consultation with Yarraville traders over the pop-up park, with a majority in support.
People opposed to the park argue it draws customers away and unfairly benefits traders located nearby.
Mayor Grant Miles said he wanted to see the park return as a permanent fixture in Yarraville but didn’t support a temporary return this summer.
He instead backs the council’s three-year program to roll out pop-up parks across Maribyrnong, starting with a ‘parklet’ for Barkly Street in West Footscray from next month until March.
An online Change.org petition supporting the park’s return to Yarraville has attracted almost 1500 signatures.
