City's 'Lungs' Paved Over

"About 60 hectares of Melbourne's five most prominent parks - almost 30 times the size of the MCG's playing area - have been lost to such developments in the past 25 years."

"A Sunday Age investigation has found that huge tracts of inner city parkland, set aside for essential public space when Melbourne was mapped out more than 150 years ago, have been concreted over for projects such as the Commonwealth Games Village, the National Tennis Centre, Melbourne Museum and Vodafone Arena."

"Carlton Gardens, Yarra Park, Albert Park, Royal Park and Melbourne Park have all lost significant space from their original boundaries. And critics sheet home the blame to successive sports-mad State Governments and acquiescent city councils."