Latest articles by Sean Car
Collins Street Precinct in Melbourne-first BID pilot as council backs new funding model
A Melbourne-first trial of a new business-led funding model has been approved by the City of Melbourne, with the Collins Street Precinct emerging as one of the clearest early test cases for how the concept could work in the central city.
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Record December caps strong rebound in Melbourne’s CBD economy
Melbourne’s CBD economy ended 2025 on a high, with December recording the biggest spending month ever captured in the City of Melbourne’s economic data, according to the council’s latest Economy Snapshot.
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Helen Silver appointed new president of State Library Victoria
State Library Victoria will enter its next chapter under new leadership, with respected public sector figure Helen Silver AO appointed as the 25th president of the Library Board of Victoria.
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Queen Victoria Market records strongest visitation in years despite renewal works
Queen Victoria Market has recorded its strongest visitation in years, with a new annual report showing the historic precinct continues to draw growing crowds even as major renewal works reshape the site.
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Why ART still stings, sparkles and lands 30 years on
Some plays arrive, make a splash and fade. Others burrow deeper into theatre culture and refuse to leave. ART, Yasmina Reza’s internationally celebrated three-hander about friendship, taste and the detonating power of one very expensive painting, belongs firmly in the second category.
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Construction begins on major student tower at 570 Little Bourke St
Construction has officially begun on a major new student accommodation tower at 570 Little Bourke St, with project partners marking the milestone at a ground-breaking and time capsule ceremony in the CBD on March 23.
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Multicultural Hub marks one millionth visitor
Melbourne’s Multicultural Hub at 506 Elizabeth St has reached a major milestone, recording its one millionth visitor after 18 years of supporting migrants, refugees, international students and other diverse communities in the heart of the city.
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City’s draft engagement policy draws praise, but calls for more detail before adoption
The City of Melbourne’s new community engagement policy has cleared an initial hurdle at Town Hall, but not before submitters and councillors raised concerns that the draft still needs more detail if it is to deliver the “genuine” consultation it promises.
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Builder appointed for major 623 Collins St redevelopment
A builder has been appointed for the long-awaited 623 Collins St redevelopment, with Sterling Global naming Hacer Group as the preferred builder for the $610 million mixed-use project at a March 18 event in the city.
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Salvos’ Project 614 partners with University of Canberra on new training pathway
The Salvation Army’s Melbourne Project 614 has announced a new partnership with the University of Canberra aimed at strengthening its frontline workforce as demand for community services continues to grow.
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RISING returns with city-wide winter program led by music, dance and spectacle
Melbourne’s signature winter arts festival will return in late May with an expansive 2026 program set to transform the city into a stage for music, dance, performance and public art.
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Donkey Wheel House opens doors for day of culture, creativity and connection
Melburnians stepped inside one of the CBD’s most striking heritage buildings on March 5 as Donkey Wheel House opened its doors for a day-long program celebrating community, culture and creativity.
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Melbourne celebrates Year of the Horse
This year's Chinese Lunar New Year festival, led by the Melbourne Chinatown Business Association, produced yet another amazing day.
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Heritage strategy scrap exposes deep cracks in Melbourne council chamber
What should have been a routine tick-and-flick adoption of the City of Melbourne’s new Heritage Strategy became, on February 17, a 75-minute rolling debate that exposed just how fractured this council chamber has become.
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City of Melbourne touts cleaner streets as graffiti crackdown ramps up
The City of Melbourne says its intensified approach to graffiti management is delivering tangible results, with stronger partnerships, improved reporting systems and a renewed focus on cost recovery forming the backbone of its strategy.
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Councillors approve amended Flinders St tower despite heritage concerns
The City of Melbourne has unanimously approved an amended permit for a new office tower at 376–388 Flinders St, backing a $59 million proposal that will integrate a significant heritage substation while enforcing stricter setback conditions to protect its prominence.
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Chrissy Amphlett’s rock and rage return to Melbourne stage
One of Australia’s most electrifying music stories is set to roar back to Melbourne next month, with Amplified: The Exquisite Rock and Rage of Chrissy Amphlett playing a strictly limited season at the Comedy Theatre from March 19 to 22
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Council backs early years review in push for “fair start” for every Melbourne child
The City of Melbourne will undertake a comprehensive review of its early years services after councillors unanimously backed a notice of motion from Deputy Lord Mayor Roshena Campbell at the February 17 Future Melbourne Committee meeting
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Hidden Secrets: A historic glow returns to Swanston and Collins
Amid the rush of trams, shoppers and office workers at the corner of Swanston and Collins streets, a small but significant piece of Melbourne’s past has quietly been brought back to life.
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Swamp everlasting crowned Melbourne’s new floral emblem
Melbourne’s new official floral emblem has been decided, with the swamp everlasting (Xerochrysum palustre) narrowly claiming victory in one of the City of Melbourne’s most popular ever community engagement exercises.
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