I live in the area. Picnics aren’t banned, they’re just enforcing the existing rules about not drinking alcohol in public.
Free the Strip! Melburnians fight back against outlawing of much-loved picnic spot
Submitted 2 days ago by Arwu@programming.dev to melbourne@aussie.zone
Comments
budget_biochemist@slrpnk.net 2 days ago
beeng@discuss.tchncs.de 2 days ago
Ah so you’re a resident of the area?
The council was reverting to a former classification of the median strips – which are much wider than a typical nature strip – with the effect that they are no longer treated as park spaces. The council said residents had complained about noise, rubbish and unsafe behaviour.
budget_biochemist@slrpnk.net 1 day ago
Yes. I have lived in Carlton for over 10 years.
From the article, emphasis mine:
A council ban on drinking on the median strip in Canning Street, Carlton …
Nevertheless, Crossland said council staff had gone too far in banning drinking outright.
There is no prohibition on having a picnic in public spaces, unlike what the headline implies. There are council rules that say you can bring drinks to park spaces within certain hours as part of a picnic, and they’ve decided that the wide median strips in Carlton won’t be counted as park spaces for the purpose of that rule, because a minority of people have been getting drunk and disorderly, leaving smashed glass around etc.
You can still have a picnic, you can still buy lunch or a pastry from Brunetti or Filou’s and eat it on the huge median strips as people have for ages. The council has bench seats installed in many of them, they want people to use the community space. They are just reverting to a previously applied rule to ban alcohol. They are not banning “picnics”,. unless you consider picnics to require alcoholic drinks.
Nath@aussie.zone 1 day ago
It’s a real shame that people suck. I used to go down this street on my daily commute from Brunswick East. The houses along there are townhouses and probably don’t have much (maybe a little courtyard?) in the way of outdoor setting. That strip with a couple of folding chairs/table would be a perfect place to hang out on hot evenings with a bit of cheese and wine while hanging with mates.
But people gotta ruin it for everyone. 😞
Taleya@aussie.zone 2 days ago
Mate, they’re banning alcohol, not picnics.
If you’re incapable of having a picnic or even a gathering without alcohol, you’ve got bigger problems than a council ban
hitmyspot@aussie.zone 2 days ago
While I agree people should be able to picnic without alcohol, I don’t think the laws are helping to stop either drinking or public nuisance.
There are lots of oibs where you can still drink. It’s just more expensive and more commercially focused, and you can keep going past what you planned.
Council banning things on a purity basis erodes freedoms. If people become a nuisance, alcohol or not, deal with it then.