Dents Paddock
Waiting for options about renaming of park. Lee James will be starting a Friends Group
Groves Reserve (SCOPE)
Regarding the large scale removal of trees from the site. Adrian Hyland looked into it. This is Crown Land under lease. Council will be issuing an infringement notice as no permit was given for removal of trees. Will they be required to replace 3 for each one lost?
Some good news for a change! VicRoads didn’t approve of the use of this land for a new SES facility so this organisation will have to look elsewhere to build. Perhaps Council can promote this great little piece of Banksia Woodland for public use.
Planning Scheme Amendment C163 Submission close May 1″ for anyone wanting to encourage Council to use developer’s contributions to purchase this land for open space in an area of Edithvale/Chelsea lacking of passive open space.
Council is proposing to remove to remove native vegetation from this environmentally significant Coastal Banksia Woodland park to make way for two netball courts. There are alternative site for netball courts. A garden created in memory of a great conservationist, Jack Cuthbertson, is also under threat of removal should these netball courts be built in this park.
We were fortunate to have two speakers in attendance at this meeting. Bruce Cutts, representing Environment Victoria who is working with Bayside Climate Action group leading up to the Victorian State Election. Their issues are Renewable Energy and loss of green space. EV are considering leasing a vacant shop in Mordialloc to be used by environment groups for their campaigns prior to the election. MBCL members agreed to support this initiative. The second speaker was Jim Walker representing Friends of the Earth who have 15 groups involved in a Forest campaign attempting to reduce logging in the Central Highlands and Strezlecki Ranges, two of the areas under threat. Species in decline are the Baw Baw frogs, Spotted Quolls and Leadbeaters Possum. The Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) lease is coming up for review shortly. The CFMEU supports logging and unfortunately the local Labor member supports the CFMEU on this issue.
The Bay Trail has become an election issue with one of the sitting councillors using this for his election campaign with support from noisy opponents of the plan for the Bay Trail approved by Kingston Council, Bicycle Network Victoria and the Labor Government. Environment groups have been long term supporters of this safe, off-road bicycle track part of the State Government’s Round Port Phillip Bay Bike Path, also a long term policy. The next step seems to be VCAT for the noisy minority and if so, it will delay construction of the track. Should there be a change of Government the track will then not go ahead as planned to protect foreshore vegetation.
Mordialloc Creek and surrounding wetlands could be under threat from two developments being planned. The Mordialloc Bypass will cross the creek from Governor Road to Bowen Road (on four at present, possibly six later) elevated traffic lanes. Building this feature will disturb acid sulphate soil and affect the flow of groundwater into wetlands at Woodlands, Braeside Park, Waterways and even Edithvale wetlands. While the wetlands depend on surface water they are also fed by ground water. The Bonbeach and Edithvale rail lines are to be placed in deep trenches as part of the level crossing removal project. Construction of walls and barriers to prevent the rail lines flooding could prevent mature Banksia tree roots receiving the water they require to survive on the foreshore at Bonbeach.“ living in close proximity to the foreshore along the Frankston line, dependent on bore water for gardens, may also lose this supply if water, as at Bonbeach, is diverted to Patterson River.
Three MBCL members met with the Local Member to discuss the potential threat to the Banksia Woodland as a result of the SES being offered use of the site for a replacement depot. The current Scope building is situated on Crown land. Both VicRail and VicRoad own strips of land on either side of this building. It is thought that the building could be reconfigured to accommodate both the Scope building and the SES. There may be a scar three on Groves Reserve.
VCAT was not happy with the extent of vegetation which would be removed if the development of 14 units went ahead on this lovely little piece of bushland at Edithvale – a suburb short of open space. Land is in limbo at present Local residents would like Council to buy the land for open space as has been done where two house blocks were bought for that purpose.
Five members of VicRoads attended the October meeting plus two members of the Braeside Park Committee.This commenced at 3pm and was a robust discussion. The 9km stretch of four lane freeway (with provision for two extra lanes later) runs adjacent to the Braeside Park boundary and encroaches on the South West corner of the park before crossing Governor Road and entering the wetlands to an elevated road. There is significant vegetation in this section. Passing in close proximity to the Waterways Residential estate as an elevated roadway will create noise issues requiring sound barriers adding to the visual impact. The elevated road will cross the Mordialloc Creek and passover Aspendale Gardens homes before joining Springvale Road.
The meeting concluded at 4pm. Since then there has been an invitation to walk a section of the route with the VicRoads people at a date still to be decided.
The Coast and Creek booklet has been printed and copies have been placed at the front desk of the Council Chambers with Kingston Council’s approval. It is planned to place some in the Parkdale Library and in some schools if they are interested. There is some concern about the Mornington Peninsula Freeway crossing Mordialloc Creek because of disturbance of acid sulphate soil that will occur during construction work with pollution entering the creek.
The booklet has been printed and is available for perusal! It is Planned ot place some booklets in the local library and with Council. We are indebted to the graphic artist who took some marvellous photos of plants and bird life along the foreshore and Mordialloc Creek. We are also indebted to Melbourne Water whose earlier grants helped to cover the cost of printing.
Bicycle Network have approved the compromise proposal for the Bay Trail. There will be areas where Beach Road lanes will be narrowed to protect significant vegetation. From Mentone Parade to Peter Scullin Reserve, Mordialloc the lanes will be narrowed where there are bus stops or difficult parking problems on the narrow foreshore such as at Parkdale Yacht Club.
The Kingswood Golf Club is under treat from developers. The Kingswood Golf Club is facing residential development rather than open space which is what the Dingley residents were hoping for. A certain person mentioned at the lobster luncheon at Beaumaris is seeking permission to develop land in the green wedge in Keysborough. The large cemetery is still a threat hanging over this section of the South East Green Wedge.
Introduction to Environmental Law Workshop (EDO) Saturday 19 April 2008 9.30pm – 4.00pm South Yarra Senior Citizens Centre 65 Toorak Road West, South Yarra. Course Entitled Tilting at Windmills? Kingston’s Growing the Foreshore’s Future Planting Days Saturday 7th June 10am – 1pm Chelsea Pier and Sunday 22nd June 10am – 1pm The Glade Bonbeach foreshore.VCAT Planning Consultative Forums 13 October 4.30pm – 6.00pm 55 King Street, Melbourne. This session is for Community Groups and may be interesting since under the proposed New Residential Zones for Victoria residents will be denied to opportunity to take their objections to VCAT in most instances. See Janelle House KRAMMED President Letter in the Independent 25 March. 2008.
To Nina and Johanna for attending the council meeting to discuss an historic walking trail for Mordialloc, thanks also to Johanna for attending the mediation meeting at Parkdale Yacht Club re extension of liquor licensing hours. Nina, Johanna and Mary raised an issue, in differing but relevant quarters, concerning patrons of a hotel parking illegally on Attenborough Park. Bollards have now been installed to prevent parking on the grassed areas under the cypress trees but are still parking alongside the creek – an area of parking supposed to be for boat owners servicing their boats moored in the creek Finally, Many Thanks to members who generously donated to Blue Wedges campaign fighting fund.
Nina reports that Melanie has the water quality testing kit and anticipates that testing could commence in late April. MBCL members have been allocated an area between Bowen Road and Wells Road bridge.
Kingston Council and Melbourne Water propose to spend $8 million dollars dredging and widening the creek to Wells Road bridge to provide access for small boats according to the Leader 25 March. This would involve removing the little island now a bird habitat and refuge and removing the phragmites regarded by some proponents of the scheme as “weeds”. Dredging would inevitably destroy much of the revegetation work carried out by the NRA team, Friends groups, school groups and funded by Alinta and Exon over many years.
Please read the letter from KRAMMED carefully and make a submission to the discussion paper by April 18th. It is likely that in the near future we will all have three or four storey developments next door to us and won’t be able to object since the rights of residents will also be removed by the Minister for Planning , Justin Madden MLC
Mark Dreyfus contributed to discussion about the proposal to dredge the creek to provide access for small boats ( larger boats inevitably) up to Waterways since there is also a proposal for Melbourne Water to continue the wetlands from Waterways residential estate to Wells Road. Deals are being done with owners of industrial land adjacent to the creek to create the wetlands. Dredging upstream of the bridge will deepen this section of the Main Drain to 1.6 metres to allow salt water to move upstream and will mean that boats will be able to row, paddle, motor or jet ski up to Waterways. Will there be a change in the ecology?
Barry reported on this case. Alex Fraser is trying again to establish a concrete crushing plant in the green wedge. The Minister called in this application two years ago and should do so again since there are health implications from the dust from the plant. A school is situated across the road from the proposed site.Hearing 23rd June 2008 at King Street.
Nina reported on the meeting but was disappointed that the consultants weren’t prepared to accept environmental sites for the trail – Aboriginal and buildings only to be included. Nor will there be any plaques to commemorate buildings lost to development. Eg the Coffee Palace and picture theatre, etc There will be a bronze horse erected in the horse paddock in recognition of the race horses who were taken to swim in the sea opposite Bay Street. There will also be a bronze boat on the Pompei site.
Who owns it? This Banksia woodland should be protected from rabid developers and kept in memory of a councillor, State politician and a firm believer that every boy should have a trade. As a Minister Groves fought to have at least one technical school in the area from Frankston to Caulfield. Caulfield Technical School opened in 1922. There is a Frank Groves wing in Caulfield Institute of Technology ( now Monash University) a fitting memorial to Frank Groves.
Penny reports that the tip workers are coming closer to the feral fence but have agreed to move 30 metres away to prevent damage to the fence Rowan Woodlands is now a sub-committee of Dingley Village Association. Smart move! Braeside Park held a star gazing 6th March Waterways Estate A meeting will be held at the Nest on Water café April 5th 10.30-12.30pm!
The dredge will commence dredging at the Heads in April. Re-reading notes from the SEES the POMC expert witness, Don Raisbeck admits that rock fall from hydro-hammering in the Great Ship Channel will continue scouring the floor of the channel for 30 years and in so doing will deepen the channel thus allowing more water into the Bay on each tide.The effect of higher tides will be to alter the hydrology of the Great Sands and erode beaches on the peninsula. POMC who are doing their own monitoring announce that they are not exceeding environmental constraints. They would say that, wouldn’t they?