Fitzroyalty

Hyperlocal news about Melbourne's first suburb: Fitzroy 3065

Archive for the category: Business

I predict that you will LOL

24 May 2013 | 0 comments

Futurism and futurology is the practice of rationally trying to predict the future, particularly in terms of human civilisation. It’s often about science and technology but can equally be about psychology and the evolution of social relations.

A Fitzroy based business called People Futurist has been promoting its services with flyers pasted on light posts. If I understand the almost impenetrable jargon on its website, they seem to be selling change management services to corporates and new age personal development services to individuals using the framework of ‘academic futurist thinking’ to imply a sense of legitimacy.…

the results of yesterday’s City of Yarra meeting about food truck policy

22 May 2013 | 0 comments

Subject to some relatively minor amendments, the City of Yarra last night voted to approve their revised policy for food trucks, which will allow for greater flexibility for operators. Read the 21 May agenda (197kb .pdf) and the food truck attachment (165kb .pdf).

Trucks will be allowed into residential areas (subject to council approval) and if approved will trade for a 3 month trial period that will be reviewed before an annual licence for the area is granted.…

lunch at the new Birmingham hotel on Smith St

20 May 2013 | 1 Comment

The Birmingham hotel has had a poor recent past. Live music has come and gone, a campaign proclaiming ‘it’s not shit anymore‘ a few years ago didn’t last and it slipped into irrelevance before closing. Now it has reopened after a complete refurbishment featuring a vintage industrial theme based on the industrial heritage of its namesake city.

The interior walls have been stripped back to bare brick and the floors to bare timber, and there’s a pressed tin lined bar with stools and table with chairs and high tables with stools throughout.…

the City of Yarra’s unreasonable expectations of food trucks operating from private property

18 May 2013 | 0 comments

The following information is fresh in via email from a reader who says he made an enquiry to the City of Yarra about what food trucks need to do to operate from private property. I’ll quote the email verbatim:

I’ve been reading your post regarding MFV’s operating on private land in the City of Yarra and just wanted to relay my experience with the council on this matter.

I inquired about MFV’s trading from private land and was informed that a planning permit must be applied for, for a change of use of the property along with a building permit.

…

social media mob rule and the Astor cinema building public relations war

17 May 2013 | 15 Comments

This post is about the circumstances that resulted in a school buying, then unexpectedly selling, a cinema building within a few years, with the sale apparently driven primarily by negative public opinion expressed through social media. Like my previous posts about the business and psychology of social media, this one examines the power of social media and the perils faced by those who ignore it.

As usual, there is a disclaimer. I was working at St Michael’s Grammar School when the Astor saga occurred, developing its new website, and it would have been a conflict of interest for me to write about it at the time. …

a response from the City of Yarra about food trucks trading from private property

16 May 2013 | 0 comments

I received a response to the questions I asked the City of Yarra that were included in my previous post about the issue of the legality of food trucks trading to the public from provate property.

First, the City of Yarra says that no planning permits have been issued to allow food trucks to trade on private property. I actually asked if any had been applied for, but never mind. I am sure none have been applied for because no one has been advised to do so as this advice is not in council’s documentation.…

City of Yarra admits food trucks are trading without permission on private property in Fitzroy

14 May 2013 | 0 comments

The consultation period for people to comment on the new draft rules for food trucks in Yarra has closed. The City of Yarra website article on the issue has not been updated with details on which forthcoming meeting will have the issue on its agenda, so the issue has an indefinite future. If you need a refresher on the issue read my April post.

First, the council staffer collecting the submissions replied to my emailed submission by denying any knowledge of the submission I made to council in person at the March meeting (as documented in my April post).…

Woolworths Fitzroy breaches Australian consumer law by refusing to offer a refund for faulty goods

8 May 2013 | 3 Comments

Some time ago, perhaps a year or a bit more, I bought 4 Woolworths ‘essentials’ brand AAA 800mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries, made in China, from Woolworths on Smith St in Fitzroy. They recently failed to charge and are dead.

NiMH rechargeable batteries are supposed to be capable of dozens, if not hundreds, of recharge cycles, and should have a life of several years. I would have recharged these batteries only about 5 or 6 times. They can be reasonably considered to be faulty and unfit for purpose.…

an open letter to Sky Sports from an Australian F1 fan

25 April 2013 | 13 Comments

I am an Australian who loves F1. I attend the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne each year and am there for every minute of every session. Practice 1 on Friday is my favourite session of the year. As the Australian Grand Prix has been the first race of the season for many years, I get to see the new driver / team combinations for the first time live, rather than on tv, which is very exciting.…