Congratulations to Janelle
Three lucky breaks in June persuading Council to buy a Fowler Street property for a much needed park in Chelsea, a win at VCAT and a baby boy on the 30th of June! What a girl!
Mordialloc Creek Water Quality
Mordialloc Creek has degraded water quality due to the polluted low flow from Dandenong Creek and from major residential developments upstream. MBCL has asked that monitoring should commence at the entrance to Waterways wetlands and again before the flow re-enters the Mordialloc Main Drain. Theoretically there should be an improvement in water quality as a result of its passage through the designer wetlands. Nina reports a very successful working bee Saturday 5th June with Green Corps assisting with plantings on the north bank of Mordialloc Creek. Concern however over increasing amounts of litter along the banks. Mordialloc Secondary College is conducting an anti-litter campaign in an attempt to deal with the problem.
Beach Erosion
Gale force winds June 18-20 created havoc along the 13kms foreshore with paths undermined, dunes badly eroded and the Carrum Motor Yacht club building once again exposed and in danger of collapse through beach erosion. Valuable re-vegetation work on the foreshore was damaged
Round the Bay Bicycle Trail
Stephen, Penny and Mary are attending meetings to decide on the principles for this section of the trail from Charman Road, Mentone to Mordialloc creek. This section is the most suitable on which to commence construction (when funds are available) because of the path already on the verge of Beach Road from Rennison Street. This section could be widened more easily and require less damage to vegetation. Work has commenenced on the tennis court conversion to a car park. Sufficient space has been left to allow for the proposed bike path to be widened if need be.
Drills Land Meeting
June 1st was presented with a Concept & Design plan by Thompson and Birrell. The water body is very saline, almost as much as sea water therefore only two thirds of the plant species will grow in or near water (plants that normally grow on the foreshore) Given the salinity and Melbourne Water’s problems, only terrestrial planting can be done 10-15 metres from the water. While the saltmarsh concept in unlikely, council officers met with Louise Kerford (Melbourne Water) and hope for some co-operation. The endorsed design includes 30 trees near water, although originally trees were kept away from water because this site provides raptor habitat. The committee wants $120,000 spent and something done. Works will be tendered and may start in July. David and Sophie were congratulated on their efforts
Recreation Open Space Review
Recreation Open Space Review was presented by Kingston’s Strategic Planner to the Kingston Environment Group Network. Members disputed the claim in the report that e.g Mirvac’s development around Kingston Aged Care Centre resulted in an “increase” in open space with the provision of pocket handkerchief parklets replacing hectares of open space and mature trees surrounding the centre!
Open Space Development Contribution Fund
Suggestion to write to the Minister pointing out that Kingston has no policy indicating the amount of the DCF being spent on providing open space. Request that the Minister require “Every Council to show how much of the development fund is being spent on providing open space and furthermore that 75% of the DCF be allocated to providing open space.”
Objections
Objections to the rezoning of 101 Argyle Street, Chelsea from a Public Use Zone to Res 1 to be sold for development. Suggest that this park be purchased with DFCs. Objections also to the proposed sale of a Linton Street children’s playground as an asset stripping measure. Two further applications for 4-5 storey high rise developments have emerged following the precedent set by VCAT approval for a 4 storey development in Main Street, Mordialloc. Letter boxing and proformas have resulted in over 100 signatures objecting to over development leading to loss of residential and environmental amenity in low-rise bayside suburbs. Proposed 4 storeys for 334-337 Station Street, Chelsea and McDonald Street.
Liquor Outlet
Liquor Outlet affects residents in Melrose Street because semi-trailers are delivering to a Dan Murphy’s outlet in the Parkdale Plaza. The proprietor is seeking access from White and Melrose Streets thereby creating a traffic hazard, especially in White Street. Mara has written to VicRoads and the Minister for Transport with copies to local members.
Pitrones site
Pitrones site is going to VCAT seeking approval for a retirement village on heavily used Spring vale Road, likely to be widened. The land was ‘inadvertently’ zoned Public Use but should have been in a Special Use Zone and is part of Kingston’s Green Wedge.
Channel Deepening
Dr Graham Harris CSIRO Fellow has released his Peer Review of the consultants study into channel deepening to this point. His findings are that there are a “number of severe shortcomings in the present EES on the proposed Channel Deepening project; in particular aspects of the interactions within and between water movement and coastal processes, ecological process and nutrient cycling and biodiversity and habitat.” Bayside residents who experienced the north westerly gales June 18-20 will certainly be hoping that the POMC consultants do their home work on ‘coastal processes’ after the damage that was caused on the vulnerable coastline of Port Phillip Bay. Developers expecting to make a killing from projects like that at Safety Beach should take note!