Families with small children gathered in the Gandolfo gardens today for a Teddy Bears and Mad Hatters Tea Party to raise awareness of the threat by Level Crossing Removal Project to use this space as a laydown area for equipment and construction of the elevated rail viaduct.
The event was organised by the Guardians of Gandolfo Gardens (Facebook Group) and attracted about 120 people during the two hours of the event. Live music was provided by local musicians, storytelling for the little children, and lots of fine scones and jam, cake, chocolate biscuits, homegrown mandarins, and tea (of course).
The Upfield Corridor Coalition had the Urban vegetation assessment which identifies all the trees that need to be protected along the Upfield Corridor that the LXRP will be working on. Many families and individuals adopted a tree as it’s protector, and received a certificate to attach to their tree.
Pauline outlined a brief history of the area and the parkland, from its Wurundjeri past before European settlement, the establishment of the Moreland Reserve in 1911 by a community campaign, and it’s importance to carry forward community agitation for these trees and parkland.
Members of the Gandolfo family were present and welcomed as part of the event.
Climate Action Moreland and Upfield Transport Alliance were both in attendance supporting the event.
Tim Read, the Greens MP for Brunswick, attended at the start. Cr Sue Bolton, Cr John Kavanagh and Cr Oscar Yildiz from Moreland Council all attended. The Mayor Cr Abboud and other Green Councillors had given their apologies at the Town Hall meeting being unable to attend the event.
Lizzie Blandthorn, the Labor MP for Pascoe Vale, and Frank McGuire, Labor MP for Broadmeadows failed to attend.
High resolution images of these photos are available on John Englart’s Upfield Corridor Coalition Flickr album.
Upfield Corridor Coalition 