Coast and Creek Booklet
The layout of the booklet is finally taking shape with the graphic artist keen to view any photos of the creek or the foreshore providing there are clouds in view!
Yammerbook Nature Reserve
Residents do not want an extension to the car park since they feel that there will be antisocial behaviour after hours if the park is extended. Certain councillors are also uncertain about extending this facility mainly favouring parents dropping off and picking up school children. There is a bus stop nearby on Wells Road.
The Sporting Globe
The mediation meeting was held at VCAT in February. No agreement between parties so this development will go to VCAT in March. The only concession made was reduction in the size of the sign on the front of the building.
Mordialloc Creek
During recent heavy rainfall Heatherton Drain overflowed in certain areas of Mordialloc eg Edwards and Macdonald Streets with the water almost up to the front doors of some houses in Edwards Street as some excellent photos taken by Walter clearly shows. This is already an LSIO area and with an increase in impermeable surfaces due to increased residential development in surrounding streets, flooding may become a regular occurrence. Photos and letters have been sent to Melbourne Water, EPA and Kingston Council.
Beach Pollution
This year Mentone beach was the most polluted in Kingston while in past years Mordialloc had a poor reputation as result of pollution in Mordialloc Creek caused by leachates from tipping sites and illegal sewage connections. Increasing population is also making it difficult for authorities to provide the infrastructure required. The major Melbourne Water drain entering the Bay at Mentone parade may have been responsible for the pollution at Mentone Beach.
Neighbourhood Character Study
Council has engaged Planisphere to conduct a study of three areas of Mordialloc in order to prevent any more of the older heritage liveable buildings being demolished to make way for unit developments unsuitable for family living or for older residents when there are stairs or noisy neighbours. Nina has been involved in this study.
Bay Trail
Cr West moved for council to minimise the removal of foreshore vegetation for the Bay Trail by asking the officers to produce a plan to narrow the road lanes to the VicRoads standard of 13.4metres where there is parking in the beach side traffic lane and to 12.7metres in the most environmentally significant areas eg opposite the quaternary sandstone heathland remnants. VicRoads have had a policy that allows for a lane to be narrowed where there are “constraints” in the construction of, for example, a bike lane.
Dents Paddock
Residents abutting these streets are requesting that this block of land not be converted to 14 two storey units thus removing all the remnant vegetation. A wonderful old hollow tea-tree, Banksias and plenty of younger trees and seedlings are found on the site. Edithvale is said to be lacking in open space according to a study being undertaken for Kingston Council who is considering raising the open space contributions being paid by developers. If bought by council this land could be a passive open space reserve. There is only 8800 hectares of Banksia woodland left in the City of Kingston where once Banksias lined the foreshore from Mordialloc to Frankston.
Kingston Parks Quarterly Report by Tony Collins.
Sadly there will be no more Federal funding for the Green Army which does such valuable work in training apprentices in erosion control and revegetation work. Just the sort of scheme needed to give young people a start in life one would think. Recent storms had an impact on local trees it seems which made plenty of work for the Parks team. Lucky Lee is cruising around Australia with his family. Good Luck!
Sad News
The death of Adrian Cerbasi, long term member of Port Phillip Conservation Council and Beaumaris Conservation Society will be sadly missed. Members of MBCL attended his service at Mentone. Julian Bell was well known for her defence of Melbourne’s parklands and was quite a character as was shown by the large crowd of friends and politicians who attended her service. Both conservationists will be sorely missed.