June 18, 2026 — 5:00amA plan to scrap permits and install permanent infrastructure on the grassy parkland surrounding the Melbourne Cricket Ground has sparked a row with local residents about the purpose of Yarra Park.The Melbourne Cricket Club’s newly published 15-year master plan will no longer require permits for “well-managed events” and wants to embed permanent fixtures, including underground water and power facilities, to reduce the reliance on ad hoc solutions, as well as more public facilities.Elisabeth Vodicka, who visits Yarra Park daily to walk her dog, is concerned about the MCC’s proposed master plan for the area.Justin McManus“This approach would reduce the reliance on temporary generators and improve the efficiency of event set-up and pack-down, while also limiting noise and disruption for surrounding communities,” the plan says, noting that there is just one public toilet within the Yarra Park precinct.Having long served as an overflow space for annual events such as the AFL grand final and Boxing Day Test, the park also hosts thousands of revellers during major tours, as well as one-off events requiring infrastructure to be assembled and disassembled, often damaging the grounds in the process.Despite the park being located within the City of Melbourne, the MCC is responsible for its day-to-day management, and the state government is responsible for signing off on the master plan.While the MCC and City of Melbourne council insist the proposed upgrades will balance the area’s role as a significant gathering place for Victorians and a green space for locals, some residents are concerned the grassy parkland is at risk of being privatised by stealth.Elisabeth Vodicka, who walks her dog in the area every day, said that for some residents within the City of Melbourne and the neighbouring City of Yarra, the park was one of the few green open spaces available.“Unlike the Fitzroy Gardens, it’s not looked after as a heritage park,” she said. “It just facilitates car parking and events, and the master plan will put in place less oversight, so community will not be able to have any say in what events take place for the next 15 years.”Vodicka said the plan “allows the MCC to activate the park more, which is a concern because if you come to the park any time when an activation is in place, it looks pretty terrible. There are cars all over it and everything gets muddy and bogged up.”The 2026 master plan replaces the 2020 master plan and is awaiting approval from Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny.A spokeswoman for the MCC declined to comment on whether more events would be staged should the plan be approved, but the master plan states the area will be retained as the park that residents, visitors, sports fans and tourists “know and love”, and the proposed changes are aimed at making the space more functional.“Yarra Park is unique in the way that it has two corresponding environments – event days and non-event days,” the master plan states.Jason Romney, of community group the East Melbourne Group, said thousands of families used Yarra Park every week and that while events were welcome at the park, this plan would change its character.“None of us are against the MCG or the major events,” he said. “The Boxing Day Test, grand final week and the big concerts are part of what makes Melbourne Melbourne. The worry is a separate thing – what the plan does to the parkland around the stadium, turning public open space into a semi-permanent commercial event space by stealth.”Yarra Park on AFL grand final day in 2024. via Getty ImagesCity of Yarra Mayor Stephen Jolly has requested an emergency meeting with Kilkenny over the master plan. He said the City of Melbourne had been “asleep at the wheel” over the potential encroachment into public space.He said the proposed underground works would result in the park being “used as a full-time sports and concert space”, arguing that the plan “drops almost all restrictions on commercial use of the park”.“Locals and their dogs will be pushed out,” he said. “The authorities know this will be unpopular, so they’ve taken away appeal rights for residents.”In a letter to residents provided to this masthead, City of Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece said the amendment was being led by the state government.“The City of Melbourne will continue to advocate for an outcome that balances Yarra Park’s role as a major event destination with its function as an everyday open space for the community,” the letter states.A spokesman for the City of Melbourne said the park served as a major activation site for Australian sporting events, and would soon host a carnival-like atmosphere when the Los Angeles Rams took on the San Francisco 49ers for the NFL’s first regular season game in Australia.“Yarra Park is first and foremost a public park for the community, but it is also a place for major Melbourne events,” he said.A spokesman for the Victorian government said the master plan had been developed in consultation with key stakeholders across government, traditional owners, the council and the community, including the East Melbourne Group.“Any proposal will be considered on its merits. As this project is currently under assessment, it would be inappropriate to comment further,” he said.Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.More:City lifeFor subscribersLocal councilRichmondEast MelbourneCity of Melbourne Nick ReeceSonya KilkennyFrom our partners