Correspondence
Nina, Stephen, Mary – Objections to deviation of Bay Trail off the gravel verge onto foreshore Crown land at Mentone Lifesaving club to provide parking for MLSC patrons.
Wal and Megan – letters to the Chelsea, Mordialloc Mentone News re proposal to have land rezoned land for residential development in Kingston’s Green Wedge. The Government may not deliver a decision until after the State Election.
Meetings Galore
With an election in 100 days groups have been formed to highlight important environmental issues. Frankston rail line will be severely disadvantaged if the Liberal Govt’s Metro plan is approved. Trains will run from South Yarra to Spencer Street rather than around the loop.STOP, Victoria First, Get Up and Environment Victoria have all been active in the South East electorates.
Mordialloc Masonic Hall
Lengthy discussion about possible profitable uses for the hall . The upper level could be divided into smaller spaces for meeting rooms, leaving the ground floor for more displays, craft markets, U3A or musical activities.
Meeting with Member for Mordialloc
A small group of MBCL members met with the member to acquaint her with concerns about retention of the Green Wedge as intended as open space, the Bay Trail, Beaumaris Fossil Cliffs and Sea Ledges, Frankston Trail Line and Kingston’s Coastal Management Strategy Review which has a clause inserted to pacify residents living on the foreshore that no tree are to be planted on the foreshore to protect “their” views. General feeling was that the Member was non-committal.
Water Use on Sports Grounds
According to the Collin’s Report the City of Kingston has a policy of reducing water use for irrigation of sports grounds by planting warm season grass which creates long term savings of potable water by approximately 2/3s of previous use. The irrigation season has finished for 2013/14 and the final metre readings have been taken. This year the sports grounds used 98.742 megalitres which equates to 2.1 meg per hectare. This is well under the 3 meg per ha guidelines from South East Water. With the installation of flow metres and weather stations this winter it is anticipated to reduce water use even more over coming years.
Wells Road Rain Garden
This project has been completed and will be ready to supply additional reused storm water for watering Council’s street trees as well as irrigating the turf wicket on Jack Grut Reserve next summer.
Long Beach Trail Shared Bicycle and Pedestrian Track
Site preparation is taking place prior to planting 1500 indigenous trees as replacement for trees removed two years ago as part of Melbourne Waters drainage works. Planting will commence early to mid September and will involve the local community and schools.
Yammerbook Saltwater Wetlands
Tony presented plans of a project to be completed by the end of August. Works will include paths, wheel accessibility, furphy foundry Woodgrove bench seating and picnic setting. Existing trees to be maintained and understorey planting to be added.
Beaumaris Fossil Cliffs
Members of Beaumaris Conservation Society were invited by the Age to meet reporter and photographer on site of the Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron. Meeting was reported in local papers but not in the Age as yet. Judy plans to check the submission before forwarding it to the relevant authorities. Dr Prager and members of the Sandringham Foreshore Group are also taking an interest in preserving the fossil cliffs and sea ledges from the massive expansion of the BMYS.
Port Phillip Conservation Council
Port Phillip Conservation Council has made submissions objecting to the section of the Kingston Bay Trail which has Council approval to deviate onto the foreshore to provide parking for lifesaving club patrons . PPCC has also objected to the BMYS development. The PPCC secretary has been invited by a number of schools and Unis to present her excellent power point presentation highlighting the important features of Port Phillip and Westernport Bay and the damage to both bays if the Hastings and Bay West port expansion go ahead. Environmental harmful dredging will be required in both cases. Some shipping experts are now acknowledging that because Melbourne is at the end of the shipping lanes massive container vessels may bypass Melbourne even if either of these ports were constructed.
Bushland Playgrounds
Interesting to see a number of articles in the Age and VPNA magazine recently extolling the virtue of bushland playgrounds for children who are being deprived of backyards to play in due to the massive over- development of middle suburbs house blocks. With trees, gardens and open space lost to developer greed where do children learn to appreciate the importance of trees, birds and animals who live in local bushland settings such as Mordialloc Creek? It seems that local Councils are terrified of being sued by parents if the style of playground functioning on a suburban block in St Kilda since 1981 and consisting of tyres, wood offcuts, a rope flying fox and chooks was adopted. Hence we see a proliferation of plastic playgrounds dotted along the foreshore.
Vandalism
Vandalism continues along the foreshore as residents poison Banksias to protect “their” views. Vandals have to be caught in the act before they can be prosecuted but it seems pretty obvious when a Banksia directly opposite a house on Beach Road, Mordialloc has died’. Council staff report more episodes of poisoning are occurring elsewhere along the foreshore.