Latest articles by Sean Car
Premier’s public rebuke over work-from-home misses the mark
Premier Jacinta Allan’s decision to publicly release and promote her letter rebuking the City of Melbourne over its position on mandated work-from-home rights has added heat, but little light, to an already nuanced policy debate.
Read MoreAustralia’s largest Antarctic art exhibition opens at RMIT
A sweeping new exhibition exploring more than a century of Australian artistic engagement with Antarctica has opened across two major Melbourne venues.
Read MoreThousands rally in CBD during Israeli President’s Melbourne visit
Tens of thousands of protesters filled Melbourne’s CBD on February 12 as Israeli President Isaac Herzog concluded his official visit to Australia, with large crowds gathering outside Flinders Street Station before marching to State Parliament.
Read MoreCohealth appoints new chair as GP review looms over future of inner-city clinics
Community health provider cohealth has appointed former Scope chief executive Kate MacRae as its new board chair, as an independent review into the organisation’s general practice model and finances continues amid uncertainty over the long-term future of several Melbourne clinics.
Read MoreCouncillors back expanded Safe City Camera policy after lengthy debate
Melbourne councillors have endorsed the City of Melbourne’s draft Safe City Camera policy following a protracted and at times tense debate that stretched for more than an hour at the Future Melbourne Committee meeting on December 2.
Read MoreCouncil divided as City of Melbourne reverses support for CBD injecting room
A heated and deeply polarising debate erupted at Melbourne Town Hall on November 25 last year as councillors voted to overturn the City of Melbourne’s long-standing support for a medically supervised injecting service (MSIS) in the CBD.
Read MoreShangri-La Melbourne fit-out stalls as 2026 opening looks increasingly unlikely
The long-vacant Shangri-La hotel tower in Melbourne’s east end appears no closer to opening, casting fresh doubt over previous expectations the five-star venue would welcome guests in 2026.
Read MoreGarden State Hotel to add 300-seat rooftop garden above Flinders Lane
One of Melbourne CBD’s busiest pubs is set to grow upwards, with Garden State Hotel unveiling plans for a new two-level rooftop venue overlooking the city.
Read MoreBird’s Basement marks a decade of world-class jazz in Melbourne’s CBD
Hidden down Singer’s Lane just off La Trobe St, Bird’s Basement has spent the past decade quietly shaping Melbourne’s live music landscape.
Read MoreMelbourne CBD transformed into Manhattan for filming of Empire City
Melbourne has been turned into New York this week as Hollywood blockbuster Empire City filming across the CBD, with entire streets transformed into scenes straight out of Manhattan – including NYPD patrol cars, New York-style traffic lights, US postal boxes and swapped-out street signage.
Read MoreFinal days of State Library Victoria’s summer kids’ festival promise stories, games and creativity
Families have just a few days left to enjoy State Library Victoria’s lively Library on the Lawn Kids Festival, with the final instalment running this week from January 13 to 15 on the Swanston Street forecourt.
Read MoreSaturday Night Fever set to light up Melbourne with reimagined disco classic
Collins St is preparing to sparkle this summer as a major new production of Saturday Night Fever brings the heat of 1970s disco to Melbourne’s historic Athenaeum Theatre.
Read MoreHypetap moves into historic Swann House on Flinders Lane
One of Australia’s fastest-growing creative agencies is set to make its new home in one of Melbourne’s most historically significant CBD buildings, with Hypetap signing on as the inaugural tenant at the newly refurbished Swann House on Flinders Lane.
Read MoreMini waste compactors prove a big win for Melbourne’s laneways
A world-first waste collection system trialled in some of Melbourne’s smallest laneways is already delivering major improvements to cleanliness, recycling and amenity in the CBD, with the City of Melbourne confirming strong results from its new network of mini garbage compactors.
Read MoreCBD bubble tea chain Top Tea fined for banned plastic straws at Swanston St store
Bubble tea retailer Top Tea has become the first business in Victoria to be fined for breaching the state’s single-use plastics ban, after EPA Victoria found prohibited plastic straws and stirrers being offered to customers at its Swanston St store.
Read MoreMelbourne to “sparkle” as 500,000 revellers expected in the city for New Year’s Eve
Melbourne is preparing to welcome more than half a million people into the CBD for New Year’s Eve, with the City of Melbourne unveiling its biggest program yet featuring rooftop fireworks, laser shows, live entertainment and four major Celebration Zones across the city.
Read MoreGreenline milestone: first stage opens at Birrarung Marr as the city’s signature river project edges forward
The City of Melbourne has reached a landmark moment in its decade-long effort to transform the Yarra River’s north bank, officially completing Stage One of the Greenline Project at Birrarung Marr – the signature initiative of former Lord Mayor Sally Capp.
Read MoreFive councillors forced to exit Comedy Theatre tower debate over donation conflicts
Five City of Melbourne councillors were forced to leave the chamber ahead of deliberations on a major redevelopment above the Comedy Theatre after declaring campaign donation conflicts.
Read MoreLord Mayor calls for urgent overhaul of developer bonuses as $495m Queen St tower wins council backing
A $495 million mixed-use tower overlooking Queen Victoria Market has won unanimous backing at Town Hall, but only after Lord Mayor Nick Reece used the decision to call for an urgent overhaul of Melbourne’s developer “bonus” system for office space.
Read MoreCity Square roars back to life with surprise ALWAYS LIVE concerts
After eight years behind construction hoardings, Melbourne’s City Square made its long-awaited return – and it did so in true Melbourne style, with a surprise rock-and-roll performance that drew hundreds into the freshly upgraded precinct.
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