Melbourne’s proposed $1.2 million Little India precinct may be scrapped after the controversial plan was overwhelmingly rejected by the local community.
A special City of Melbourne Council meeting on Tuesday night heard that the majority of 129 public submissions received so far on the proposal have been negative, and councillors said feedback needed to improve for the precinct to go ahead.
The budget proposal for a Little India in Docklands was announced in March, and council said at the time it hoped it would become a “leading cultural precinct” along with Chinatown, Koreatown and Little Italy, but the proposal sparked anger from residents who said the city already had Indian-dominated areas.
Documents from the meeting noted the opposing submissions cited “poor timing during cost-of-living crisis”, “risk of division and community tension”, “lack of consultation”, “threat to Docklands identity and liveability”, and “preference for spending on safety, cleaning, public transport, green space”.
Docklands resident Henry Macedo spoke out against the proposal at the meeting, calling it a “branding exercise”, but Federation of Indian Associations Victoria President Vasan Srinivasan called for it go to ahead with funding increased to $5-10 million, Indian Link reported.
“This is about creating a permanent cultural, tourism, business and community destinations that will benefit all Australians,” he said.
“I call upon Indian community leaders, organisations and business groups to write respectfully to their local members to encourage them to support this initiative.”
Council decided to seek more feedback from the Indian community, and City of Melbourne Creative and Arts portfolio head Councillor Philip Le Liu said “the Indian community needs to step up” to help get the project off the ground.
“We need to hear from the Docklands residents, from the Indian community and others. If majority of the feedback from residents and the community came back and said we don’t want it in Docklands, it might be fair for us to say, okay, maybe we need to put it back on the drawing board,” he said.
Mr Le Liu also admitted that lack of community consultation may have contributed to the majority negative reaction.
“A lot of Docklands residents have said, ‘why did we get picked? We didn’t get a say’. We should probably have gone out a bit more to [consult with the community],” he said.
Public submissions included concerns about cleanliness, property values, changes to the “vibe” of the area, complaints that India was chosen over other foreign countries, and fears it would result in a backlash against Indians.
“I have a serious concern about establishing a Little India precinct in Docklands due to the evidence that demonstrates that a Little India precinct deteriorates the areas where is placed impacting negatively the quality of life of the residents as well as the property prices,” one local wrote.
“Precincts with similar concepts in Singapore and Hong Kong struggle to be maintained and cleaned, significantly deteriorating the area and putting more pressure on maintenance budget.”
“Little India precinct? Have none of you been to Tarneit, Wyndham Vale or Truganina in Melbourne’s west? Not good for a society that already feels like it has been downgraded by excess multiculturalism,” wrote another.
“Please absolutely NO to a little India…[redacted] Please leave Melbourne as Melbourne,” another submission read.
“Why prioritise on budget making a Little India precinct in Docklands? How about for Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore or other countries?” asked another local.
“Docklands is a multicultural suburb, and it should not be designated to one single culture. I hope the City of Melbourne reconsider its plan and spending,” said another.
Others supported the idea, with one local offering their services.
“I would like to suggest paintings of Indian art on walls like Bharatnatyam’s, Indian musical instruments like sitar or tabla, Indian famous food dishes like samosa etc to be added. I would also like to be part of the project and contribute as a drawing/painting artist or volunteer at the transformation too,” they wrote.
“I am fully supportive of Little India precinct in Docklands which is necessary for great Indian community which calls Melbourne a home and it will help boost the economy in Docklands,” wrote another.
Header image: Left, Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece at a Diwali event (CoM). Right, a Melbourne Diwali performance (Facebook).
