Stop the Coronation Street Closure and Beevers Reserve Toilet: Kingsville
The issue
I moved to Kingsville in 2023 with my young family. I attended council's consultation sessions in late 2025. I put my dot on the board. I assumed the results would speak for themselves.
They didn't.
Every claim below is sourced to council's own documents, official meeting transcripts, and published reports. The sources are at the bottom.
Beevers and Bell Reserves are two small neighbourhood parks in Kingsville, in Melbourne's inner west, within the City of Maribyrnong. In April 2026, Maribyrnong City Council voted unanimously to close Coronation Street and install a public toilet at Beevers Reserve, despite clear opposition at their own consultation sessions.
We support better parks for Kingsville.
New play equipment, landscaping and seating are welcome. This petition is about two things council added to that upgrade. Closing Coronation Street. And a public toilet at Beevers Reserve. Most people at council's own sessions opposed both. Both were approved anyway.
The right idea. The wrong place. The wrong way.
Council asked residents. Then ignored what they said.
In November 2025 council held two in-person sessions asking residents about the road closure and the toilet. They set up the boards. They counted the dots.
66% of attendees opposed the road closure.
60% of attendees opposed the toilet.
The residents alongside Beevers Reserve are in the immediate impact zone. Every Wales Street resident who responded opposed the toilet. 24 out of 24.
Across all channels combined, council's own published report shows 52.7% opposed the toilet and 38.3% supported it.
Online and postal channels showed broader support. The strongest opposition came from the people who attended council's own in-person sessions.
At the May 19 2026 council meeting, the Director of Infrastructure described that result as showing "about a 50/50 split."
Their own report shows 52.7% opposed and 38.3% in support. No channel recorded a result anywhere near a 50/50 split.
When asked why council proceeded despite the opposition, Mayor Semra said the sessions "primarily attracted participants with strong views." Council ran those sessions. Council promoted them. The people who attended did exactly what council asked them to do. Having strong views about your own neighbourhood is not a reason to dismiss them.
Source: Maribyrnong Council Engagement Summary Report, January 2026: yourcityyourvoice.com.au/beeversbell
Source: Maribyrnong City Council meeting recording, 19 May 2026: youtube.com/live/Cap4VfGyqHI
One councillor acknowledged the community's concerns. Then voted yes anyway.
Before the April 21 2026 vote, Councillor Tiwari placed this on the official record:
"There were significant concerns raised by residents. A majority of the respondents opposed certain elements such as the public toilets in Beevers Reserve and there was notable opposition to the proposed road closure at Bell Reserve, particularly among nearby residents. I think it's just important that we acknowledge that level of feedback."
The motion passed. All seven councillors voted in favour. Not one dissented.
Source: Maribyrnong City Council meeting recording, 21 April 2026: youtube.com/live/oaBgzWzB_2g
The traffic study was done when the streets were at their quietest.
Council commissioned a traffic study to justify closing Coronation Street.
The traffic was counted in the days immediately before school holidays began. Many families had already left. School excursions had wound down. The streets were at their quietest all year. The report makes no acknowledgment of this. No normal school-term data was collected.
Council's own engineer confirmed the closure increases traffic on Wales Street, Empress Avenue, Shackell Street, and Chirnside Street. Council's conclusion: no adverse impact. That conclusion was based on intersection delays. Not on the safety of children and families walking to the park.
Council wants to expand the reserve and bring more families and children to the area. Those families will walk to the park along the same streets now carrying more traffic. The playground on Wales Street they will walk past is not mentioned once in the entire study.
This is not a problem for one street. It is a problem for every street in this neighbourhood.
"They're not listening to local opinion. It's just ridiculous. These streets are already well used and overcrowded at times."
Fred Maddern Former Mayor of Footscray 1972 and 1983. Kingsville resident his entire life. (Star Weekly, 19 May 2026).
Source: O'Brien Traffic, Traffic Impact Assessment, Coronation Street, October 2024: yourcityyourvoice.com.au/beeversbell
Source: Victorian Department of Education 2024 term dates: education.vic.gov.au
The toilet fails council's own standard. The safety work has not been done.
A toilet block in a small residential park creates a hidden corner at any hour. During the day, 50% of those who opposed the toilet cited antisocial behaviour as their primary concern. At night, a locked door does not remove the structure or the shadow it creates.
When residents raised these concerns at council's own consultation sessions, the response was that the area would rely on "peer surveillance." This means residents themselves would be expected to watch and manage the area.
Council's own website says this toilet must be in a visible, high-traffic area. Their chosen comparison is Harris Reserve in Seddon, with retail directly opposite, steady foot traffic day and evening. Beevers Reserve is surrounded by homes on quiet residential streets. After dark the streets are quiet and unlit. Council's own standard is not met.
The safety assessment has not been completed.
The Director of Infrastructure confirmed this at the May 19 meeting across questions from three separate residents. It happens after the concept is approved. Not before.
On 19 May 2026, the Star Weekly published Mayor Semra's comment that council "had offered to meet with concerned residents." That same evening, when residents raised their concerns during public question time at the council meeting, his Director of Infrastructure told them further consultation would be "premature."
Same day. Conflicting responses. Both on the public record.
Source: Maribyrnong City Council YCYV project page: yourcityyourvoice.com.au/beeversbell
Source: Star Weekly, 19 May 2026: maribyrnonghobsonsbay.starweekly.com.au
Source: Maribyrnong City Council meeting recording, 19 May 2026: youtube.com/live/Cap4VfGyqHI
This petition does not ask council to abandon the park upgrades. It asks for four specific things.
1. Road closure
Do not proceed unless an independent traffic assessment conducted during normal school term conditions confirms no increase in vehicle movements on Wales Street, Empress Avenue, Shackell Street, and Chirnside Street. If traffic increases on these streets, the closure must not proceed. Imposing speed humps or traffic calming on streets bearing the consequence of a decision they opposed is not an acceptable outcome.
2. Toilet
Suspend the endorsement until a full independent safety assessment is completed and publicly released. Any revised location requires direct engagement with affected residents before endorsement.
3. Double standard
In March 2026, one month before this vote, council committed to comprehensive traffic monitoring, segregated resident feedback, and public reporting for a temporary pop-up park trial on Austin Street. A temporary trial received more rigorous process than a permanent road closure.
On the same evening as the Beevers vote, the same council voted unanimously to commission a comprehensive traffic study for another Maribyrnong suburb, specifically including school safety and pedestrian impacts. That standard was not applied to Kingsville.
Explain in writing why these different standards were applied to comparable decisions in the same period.
4. Safety evidence
The traffic assessment confirms increased vehicle movements on Wales Street, Empress Avenue, Shackell Street, and Chirnside Street, conducted when local streets were at their quietest. Provide documentation showing how the safety of residents and pedestrians on all four streets was assessed under normal conditions. If none exists, confirm this in writing.
This can be reversed.
The Coronation Street closure requires a formal Section 223 process under the Local Government Act, giving every resident the legal right to make a submission before any final decision. That process is still to come.
Every signature tells council this community is watching.
Sign and share this petition with anyone who lives in Kingsville, uses these parks, or cares about how their council makes decisions. This could happen in any neighbourhood.
Chris Walton
Kingsville resident and ratepayer
beeversbell@gmail.com
Sources:
1. Maribyrnong Council Engagement Summary Report, January 2026: yourcityyourvoice.com.au/beeversbell
2. O'Brien Traffic, Traffic Impact Assessment, October 2024: yourcityyourvoice.com.au/beeversbell
3. Maribyrnong City Council meeting, 21 April 2026: youtube.com/live/oaBgzWzB_2g
4. Maribyrnong City Council meeting, 19 May 2026: youtube.com/live/Cap4VfGyqHI
5. Victorian Department of Education 2024 term dates: education.vic.gov.au
6. Star Weekly, 19 May 2026: maribyrnonghobsonsbay.starweekly.com.au
7. Maribyrnong City Council YCYV project page: yourcityyourvoice.com.au/beeversbell
364
The issue
I moved to Kingsville in 2023 with my young family. I attended council's consultation sessions in late 2025. I put my dot on the board. I assumed the results would speak for themselves.
They didn't.
Every claim below is sourced to council's own documents, official meeting transcripts, and published reports. The sources are at the bottom.
Beevers and Bell Reserves are two small neighbourhood parks in Kingsville, in Melbourne's inner west, within the City of Maribyrnong. In April 2026, Maribyrnong City Council voted unanimously to close Coronation Street and install a public toilet at Beevers Reserve, despite clear opposition at their own consultation sessions.
We support better parks for Kingsville.
New play equipment, landscaping and seating are welcome. This petition is about two things council added to that upgrade. Closing Coronation Street. And a public toilet at Beevers Reserve. Most people at council's own sessions opposed both. Both were approved anyway.
The right idea. The wrong place. The wrong way.
Council asked residents. Then ignored what they said.
In November 2025 council held two in-person sessions asking residents about the road closure and the toilet. They set up the boards. They counted the dots.
66% of attendees opposed the road closure.
60% of attendees opposed the toilet.
The residents alongside Beevers Reserve are in the immediate impact zone. Every Wales Street resident who responded opposed the toilet. 24 out of 24.
Across all channels combined, council's own published report shows 52.7% opposed the toilet and 38.3% supported it.
Online and postal channels showed broader support. The strongest opposition came from the people who attended council's own in-person sessions.
At the May 19 2026 council meeting, the Director of Infrastructure described that result as showing "about a 50/50 split."
Their own report shows 52.7% opposed and 38.3% in support. No channel recorded a result anywhere near a 50/50 split.
When asked why council proceeded despite the opposition, Mayor Semra said the sessions "primarily attracted participants with strong views." Council ran those sessions. Council promoted them. The people who attended did exactly what council asked them to do. Having strong views about your own neighbourhood is not a reason to dismiss them.
Source: Maribyrnong Council Engagement Summary Report, January 2026: yourcityyourvoice.com.au/beeversbell
Source: Maribyrnong City Council meeting recording, 19 May 2026: youtube.com/live/Cap4VfGyqHI
One councillor acknowledged the community's concerns. Then voted yes anyway.
Before the April 21 2026 vote, Councillor Tiwari placed this on the official record:
"There were significant concerns raised by residents. A majority of the respondents opposed certain elements such as the public toilets in Beevers Reserve and there was notable opposition to the proposed road closure at Bell Reserve, particularly among nearby residents. I think it's just important that we acknowledge that level of feedback."
The motion passed. All seven councillors voted in favour. Not one dissented.
Source: Maribyrnong City Council meeting recording, 21 April 2026: youtube.com/live/oaBgzWzB_2g
The traffic study was done when the streets were at their quietest.
Council commissioned a traffic study to justify closing Coronation Street.
The traffic was counted in the days immediately before school holidays began. Many families had already left. School excursions had wound down. The streets were at their quietest all year. The report makes no acknowledgment of this. No normal school-term data was collected.
Council's own engineer confirmed the closure increases traffic on Wales Street, Empress Avenue, Shackell Street, and Chirnside Street. Council's conclusion: no adverse impact. That conclusion was based on intersection delays. Not on the safety of children and families walking to the park.
Council wants to expand the reserve and bring more families and children to the area. Those families will walk to the park along the same streets now carrying more traffic. The playground on Wales Street they will walk past is not mentioned once in the entire study.
This is not a problem for one street. It is a problem for every street in this neighbourhood.
"They're not listening to local opinion. It's just ridiculous. These streets are already well used and overcrowded at times."
Fred Maddern Former Mayor of Footscray 1972 and 1983. Kingsville resident his entire life. (Star Weekly, 19 May 2026).
Source: O'Brien Traffic, Traffic Impact Assessment, Coronation Street, October 2024: yourcityyourvoice.com.au/beeversbell
Source: Victorian Department of Education 2024 term dates: education.vic.gov.au
The toilet fails council's own standard. The safety work has not been done.
A toilet block in a small residential park creates a hidden corner at any hour. During the day, 50% of those who opposed the toilet cited antisocial behaviour as their primary concern. At night, a locked door does not remove the structure or the shadow it creates.
When residents raised these concerns at council's own consultation sessions, the response was that the area would rely on "peer surveillance." This means residents themselves would be expected to watch and manage the area.
Council's own website says this toilet must be in a visible, high-traffic area. Their chosen comparison is Harris Reserve in Seddon, with retail directly opposite, steady foot traffic day and evening. Beevers Reserve is surrounded by homes on quiet residential streets. After dark the streets are quiet and unlit. Council's own standard is not met.
The safety assessment has not been completed.
The Director of Infrastructure confirmed this at the May 19 meeting across questions from three separate residents. It happens after the concept is approved. Not before.
On 19 May 2026, the Star Weekly published Mayor Semra's comment that council "had offered to meet with concerned residents." That same evening, when residents raised their concerns during public question time at the council meeting, his Director of Infrastructure told them further consultation would be "premature."
Same day. Conflicting responses. Both on the public record.
Source: Maribyrnong City Council YCYV project page: yourcityyourvoice.com.au/beeversbell
Source: Star Weekly, 19 May 2026: maribyrnonghobsonsbay.starweekly.com.au
Source: Maribyrnong City Council meeting recording, 19 May 2026: youtube.com/live/Cap4VfGyqHI
This petition does not ask council to abandon the park upgrades. It asks for four specific things.
1. Road closure
Do not proceed unless an independent traffic assessment conducted during normal school term conditions confirms no increase in vehicle movements on Wales Street, Empress Avenue, Shackell Street, and Chirnside Street. If traffic increases on these streets, the closure must not proceed. Imposing speed humps or traffic calming on streets bearing the consequence of a decision they opposed is not an acceptable outcome.
2. Toilet
Suspend the endorsement until a full independent safety assessment is completed and publicly released. Any revised location requires direct engagement with affected residents before endorsement.
3. Double standard
In March 2026, one month before this vote, council committed to comprehensive traffic monitoring, segregated resident feedback, and public reporting for a temporary pop-up park trial on Austin Street. A temporary trial received more rigorous process than a permanent road closure.
On the same evening as the Beevers vote, the same council voted unanimously to commission a comprehensive traffic study for another Maribyrnong suburb, specifically including school safety and pedestrian impacts. That standard was not applied to Kingsville.
Explain in writing why these different standards were applied to comparable decisions in the same period.
4. Safety evidence
The traffic assessment confirms increased vehicle movements on Wales Street, Empress Avenue, Shackell Street, and Chirnside Street, conducted when local streets were at their quietest. Provide documentation showing how the safety of residents and pedestrians on all four streets was assessed under normal conditions. If none exists, confirm this in writing.
This can be reversed.
The Coronation Street closure requires a formal Section 223 process under the Local Government Act, giving every resident the legal right to make a submission before any final decision. That process is still to come.
Every signature tells council this community is watching.
Sign and share this petition with anyone who lives in Kingsville, uses these parks, or cares about how their council makes decisions. This could happen in any neighbourhood.
Chris Walton
Kingsville resident and ratepayer
beeversbell@gmail.com
Sources:
1. Maribyrnong Council Engagement Summary Report, January 2026: yourcityyourvoice.com.au/beeversbell
2. O'Brien Traffic, Traffic Impact Assessment, October 2024: yourcityyourvoice.com.au/beeversbell
3. Maribyrnong City Council meeting, 21 April 2026: youtube.com/live/oaBgzWzB_2g
4. Maribyrnong City Council meeting, 19 May 2026: youtube.com/live/Cap4VfGyqHI
5. Victorian Department of Education 2024 term dates: education.vic.gov.au
6. Star Weekly, 19 May 2026: maribyrnonghobsonsbay.starweekly.com.au
7. Maribyrnong City Council YCYV project page: yourcityyourvoice.com.au/beeversbell
The Decision Makers
Supporter voices
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on 21 May 2026