Politics » Council Affairs
Work-from-home laws reignite fight over Melbourne’s CBD recovery
The Victorian Government’s move to legislate a right to work from home has reignited a bitter debate over Melbourne’s post-pandemic recovery, with the City of Melbourne, business groups and the housing industry warning the policy will add red tape, weaken city activity and create new uncertainty for employers.
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Council backs AI push, framing moment as Melbourne’s “fork in the road”
The City of Melbourne has backed a new push to prepare the city for the workforce disruption and economic opportunities created by generative AI, after councillors supported a motion from Cr Andrew Rowse at the Future Melbourne Committee on May 5.
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ATET legal mess lays bare major questions for the City of Melbourne
The $7 million Supreme Court fight over Docklands floating events space ATET has now reached the point where the City of Melbourne can no longer plausibly present it as just another difficult regulatory dispute.
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CBD budget doubles down on safety, support and a more walkable city
The City of Melbourne’s latest budget makes clear that, for the CBD, safety and street-level confidence remain the council’s central political and civic priority.
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Council moves to make graffiti vandals pay
The City of Melbourne is stepping up its crackdown on graffiti, with councillors set to back compensation orders against taggers being prosecuted by Victoria Police in what the council says is the next step in its “You Spray, You Pay” policy.
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Prudent on paper: what Melbourne’s draft budget really says
The City of Melbourne’s 2026-27 draft budget, released for public consultation on March 31, is a more disciplined and defensible document than some may have expected in the current climate.
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Council plans $2 million push to light up city laneways
The City of Melbourne is planning a major new investment to brighten some of the CBD’s best-known streets and laneways, with a record $2 million allocation for decorative lighting proposed in its draft 2026-27 budget.
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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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Granita and governance cited in grant dispute for Pellegrini’s documentary
Despite finding themselves in furious agreement about the significance of Pellegrini’s to the city and the value of a documentary about it, some councillors disagreed about approving a grant to its filmmakers at a recent council meeting.
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Council 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.
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Parking woes and delivery access at Little Bourke St on council agenda
Concerns over the “security” and “fairness” of the electoral roll
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