Lord Mayor Robert Doyle welcomes ‘place of reflection’ at the site of Bourke Street tragedy

Lord Mayor Robert Doyle says the council is in talks with the State Government to honour those who died and the heroes in the wake of the Bourke Street tragedy.

Hundreds of flowers and cards have been placed outside the GPO near where the horror unfolded. 

Cr Doyle welcomed the idea from a 3AW caller for a ‘friendship seat’ or a place of reflection, rather than a statue or a memorial.

‘We can’t turn this into fortress Melbourne, we can’t give one of our major civic spaces over to fear or to evil,’ he said.

He said it was too early what the next step was, as Melburnians continue to show their support with tributes at the site.

‘I’m talking to the Premier about that. We are taking some lessons from what happened after Bali and the floral tributes on the steps of Parliament,’ he said.

‘As I say the Premier and I are talking. We will probably come to some agreement by the start of next week about how we handle it.

‘I think it should be something where we provide space for contemplation, reflection, and honouring something more of that nature than a concrete reminder like a statue.’

Cr Doyle said the tragedy had impacted the city.

‘This is something that has touched all of us very deeply. You talk to people there…they are very deeply affected,’ he said.

‘It’s very much a live site of grieving.’

Click PLAY to hear the discussion on 3AW Mornings: