Forthcoming Events
Land & biodiversity at a time of Climate Change workshop Melbourne Friday 30 May. Details DSE Website. Important to send a submission . Refer to annexure with MBCL newsletter. Planting on the Scullin Reserve 9am -1pm May 10th
Correspondence
Letters have been sent to Mayor & Councillors City of Dandenong and the Environmental Defenders Office regarding a sculpture on Eastlink known as ‘Hotel’ . querying the need for a permit for 20 metre structure. Submissions have been sent to Moorabbin to Mordialloc Integrated Framework Plan.
MBCL Web Site
Thanks to Johanna who worked innumerable hours to upgrade the web site
You may access it @ www-vicnet.net.au/~mbcl Thanks also to Paul who dealt with the secretary’s printer problems! You may however notice a change in layout which your secretary has not yet mastered!!!
Mordialloc Creek
Letters to be written to ARCUE re concerns at some councillors claims that Phragmites (reeds)should be removed from Mordialloc Creek to provide watercraft access. Suggestions that the island, currently a wildlife refuge, should also be removed for the same reason. The creek is to be dredged to 1.5 metres below sea level to allow salt water to flow upstream. Will this effect the ecology of the proposed freshwater wetlands?
Attenborough Park
Bollards have been placed in Attenborough Park to prevent Doyles customers parking in the park on the grassed areas under the Monterey Cypresses. A metre of the park has been taken for road works after the Mordialloc Creek bridge work is completed. Groves Reserve future use is uncertain at this time.BRADSHAW PARK March working bee Friends cleared hut gutters,bagged litter, weeded, lined walking tracks with logs and branches to confine visitors to tracks. A memorial plaque to Peter Bunning has been prepared.
Bay Trail
Stages 1a and 1b have been completed up to Parkdale Yacht Club car park.Because the car park is so narrow it would make sense to continue the bike track back- of- kerb on the road verge offered by VicRoads. Vegetation along the foreshore has been affected by the drought so council’s excuse that too much vegetation would be removed if the back- of- kerb option was adopted is no longer valid.
Peter Scullin Reserve
The barbecues on the reserve have been painted a sand colour which has softened the harsh concrete blocks so out of character with the 1920/30s buildings. Council’s previous policy was that all structures should conform to that character.
Judy raised these issues with Stephen at the Village Committee meeting and was given a copy of the planting list for the Reserve (Note the planting day May 10th 9am to 1pm)
Once again the tea-trees are surviving drought conditions better than she-oaks, Banksias and eucalypts.
Waterwatch Project
A date is still to be decided to commence the water quality monitoring . Middle of May now looks promising for initial testing upstream of Wells road bridge. Mary has volunteered to assist Judy if support is required while others are away.
NQR Mediation Meeting
was held 8th April attended by 20 people. Residents were appalled by the plan to have exit/entry only from Epsom Road. This would include delivery trucks, resident vehicles, customers, rubbish removal and staff vehicles. Semi trailers delivering to NQR have trouble backing into the site at present. Vehicles travel at speed down Epsom Road after negotiating the roundabout making this a heavily trafficked dangerous corner. Johanna presented some excellent modifications to the proposal which is planning 40 units on two of the three storey development plus an Aldi supermarket.
New Residential Zones for Victoria
KRAMMED president has prepared an scathing critique of the State Government’s latest scheme to cram a million more people into Melbourne. This involves three and four storey developments in existing low rise suburban streets. Pressure for higher density development in our suburbs overlooks overloaded drainage systems, flood prone land, sea level rise affecting development on low -lying foreshore areas and loss of open space and parkland. Lack of water resources should give cause for politicians to consider a reduction in population increase. Dr Katherine Betts, Australian Population Sociologist will be speaking at the North Melbourne Library Saturday 10th May at 2pm. Dr Betts will look at Statistics and Politics-Changes in collection and definition of Australian immigration statistics over the past 10 years.
Channel Deepening
As you are probably aware dredging is soon to commence in the Yarra River. Toxic dredge sludge will be dumped in the specially constructed bund 16 kms off Mordialloc. The Greens have gained the support of Independent and Liberal State Government politicians to convene a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration to inquire into the contract between Boskalis, the dredging company and POMC.The Brumby Labor Government has extended the time for submissions to the Inquiry until May 7th . Blue Wedges are recommending The story of STUFF : http://www.stroryofstuff.org/ This is about STUFF –where it comes from, why we buy it, and where it ends up.
Land and Biodiversity
Please find time to read fill in the proforma included . The Victorian Government has given up without ever having invested enough money into ensuring the survival of our species.Please note also the Age article about a developer operating locally.