Waking up in Geelong

For many years street kiosks have been scattered around the Melbourne CBD, selling newspapers, cigarettes, soft drinks, and snacks.

Flowers.

And even fruit.

Tracking down the kiosks

These kiosks are permanent structures designed, built, owned and maintained by the City of Melbourne, and fall into four categories.

Flower kiosks:

• Swanston Street, outside the Melbourne Town Hall
• Collins Street, outside the AXA building between Market and William Streets

Newspaper kiosks:

North west corner of Collins and Elizabeth Street.
• South east corner of Elizabeth and Little Bourke Streets.
• South east corner of Elizabeth and Latrobe Streets.
• North east corner of Bourke and Queen Streets.
• Collins Kiosk – north east corner of Collins and King Streets.
• South east corner of Elizabeth and Franklin Streets.
• North east corner of William & Bourke Streets.
• North west corner of Bourke & Swanston Streets.
• Bourke Street, between Swanston and Russell Streets.
• Swanston Street outside Melbourne Central.
• 21 Swanston Street, outside Commonwealth Bank.
• South east corner of Collins and Queen Streets.
• South west Corner of Spring and Collins Streets.
• Bourke Street corner of Harbour Esplanade, Docklands (outside NAB)

Fruit kiosks:

• Swanston Street – corner Collins Street
• Elizabeth Street – corner Bourke Street (outside GPO)
• Collins Street – west of Queen Street
• Elizabeth Street – south of Collins Street
• Bourke Street – west of Elizabeth Street
• corner Collins and Spencer streets – outside the Rialto building.

And newspaper cylinders:

• 260 Collins Street
• 461 Bourke Street
• 205 William Street
• 459 Collins Street
• Spencer Street, opposite Bourke Street

Death

But given that newspapers printed on dead trees are also dying, there is little use for newsstands any more.

Many kiosks looking run down.

Or boarded up.

And so in 2019 the City of Melbourne decided to reclaim the footpath space, and remove nine of the kiosks.

Melbourne nine CBD footpath kiosks will be scrapped before the end of the year.

Two of the kiosks are already gone, and another seven will not have their leases renewed in November.

Councillor Nicolas Frances-Gilley, council transport chairman for the City of Melbourne, told Ross and John the kiosks are being removed due to overcrowding in the city.

“We just really need the space,” he said.

There are nearly a million people using CBD footpaths everyday and that figure is expected to rise to 1.5 million people in 15 years.

“When you put something quite big on the pavement people walk around it and it’s getting people walking in the curb or onto the road and that’s really unsafe,” Cr Frances-Gilley said.

Saying their time was past.

The council’s Street Trading Team Leader Hugh Kilgower said the kiosks, which sell newspapers and small items, had become anachronistic.

“When I was a kid, newspapers were sold at street corners. Council assisted newsagents back in the day with putting structures in place,” he said.

“Over time, the city has changed and evolved and there’s a lot more businesses around – 7-Elevens and supermarkets. The need for those kiosks has changed.”

Mr Kilgower said when the kiosks were installed 30 years ago the city was less active, but now they were creating “bottle necks” for foot traffic. He said this congestion was also a reason for the decision.

Council transport chairman Nicolas Frances Gilley told the Herald Sun the kiosks initially helped activate the city.

“We have great respect for the historical and cultural value of the kiosks, so we have begun reaching out for find new homes for the structures once they are removed,” he said.

Leaving behind fresh patches of asphalt, like this one at Bourke and Queen Street.

Or this concrete plinth at Swanston and Bourke Street.

But one kiosk I’m definitely glad to see gone is the one at Elizabeth and La Trobe Street, which blocked the entrance to Melbourne Central Station.

Today a fence still blocks access to the neighbouring tram stop, but at least the footpath is wider.

And rebirth

But for other kiosks, the City of Melbourne has expanded the range of uses, selecting tenants based on “uniqueness, diversity, experience, capability, past performance track record, customer service, visual presentation, financial, social and environmental sustainability”

This one on Elizabeth Street sells baked goods.

Over on Swanston Street crepes are being freshly cooked.

And down the street hot chocolates are for sale.

While a handful of cylinders have been designed for “pop-up” retail use, like this one selling pot plants.

These five pop-up locations being:

• Adjacent to 236 Swanston Street
• Adjacent to 461 Bourke Street
• Adjacent to 156 Elizabeth Street
• Adjacent to 60 Elizabeth Street
• Spencer Street, west of Bourke Street

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