Forthcoming Events
An Urgent Public Meeting organized by the Southern Victoria Community Action Group to hear from key speakers the many social, economic and environmental impacts about the proposed 8,750 acre Hastings Port expansion of land use and Transport Strategy involving 16 x 1.2km long Freight Trains along Frankston lines per day but mostly at night. Monday 4th June at 7.30pm at Chelsea Function Centre Cnr Station St & Thames Promenade Chelsea.
Good News Department
Recent high winds did one good turn when it blew down the controversial THREE storey structure which the developer of Chicquita Park was planning to use as a display home!!
Second Good News story- St Kilda Football Club might decide to relocate from Linton Street Park to another site having been denied an increase in poker machines. Cranbourne Council are very keen to have the club in that city.
And Thirdly- Kingston Council had an unexpected victory at VCAT when the former Baguly flower cultivation concern in the green wedge was refused a permit for sand extraction in the eight hectare site on the corner of Heatherton and Clayton Roads. Barry Ross appeared for the Southern Green Wedge Coalition and must be pleased with the outcome.
Thanks to Tony, Nina and Brian for suggesting that MBCL would be interested in the Waterwatch program, funding permitting.
Living Links Seminar
April 2007 was attended by four MBCL members who reported favourably on the Living Links proposal which is a master plan for a web of living parks, wetlands, pathways and open spaces along waterways and habitat corridors. Three MBCL members have also attended Waterwatch training sessions to become part of the scheme which has schools and volunteers already testing water quality in Mordialloc Creek.Funding the equipment needed to begin the study is still being investigated. It is proposed to test upstream of Wells Road bridge and at the spot where Waterways wetlands re enters the Mordialloc Main Drain. Mordialloc Creek depends on stormwater run off from major drains to provide water for the creek. Drains such as Settlement and Dunlops Drain flow through industrial areas and waste disposal sites. Kingston Council’s stormwater management plan has identified run off from some industrial sites as being a threat to the health of Mordialloc Creek and Port Phillip Bay. Thanks to Judy Fields who is undertaking research into Mordialloc Creek water quality reports.
Greenfields Industrial Development
Greenfields Industrial Development is taking place in Dandenong on the site of the former Dandenong and Springvale Sewerage Treatment Plant on the banks of Dandenong Creek. This plant was decommissioned in 1996. Melbourne Water is now undertaking remediation work to rid the site of contaminants. Dioxin was found at the plant in the 1990s causing concern down stream because at that stage Dandenong Creek water fed into Mordialloc Creek and Port Phillip Bay.
SARA LEE CREEK Cr West reported on plans to discuss with Melbourne Water a means of preventing the creek from becoming a barrel drain. Friends of Heatherton Park want the creek revegetated.
Hastings Port Expansion
Welcomed the opportunity to hear Catherine describe the massive impact the expansion will have on the environment and liveability of the area if the development goes ahead. It is believed that there is a proposal to build a bitumen plant at Crib point also. This will be a highly polluting industry in a Ramsar listed area. Implications for planners in suburbs abutting the Frankston (and Dandenong) rail lines with 16 1.2km long trains using the lines throughout the day and night. Should proposed residential developments abutting the rail line in Mordialloc now be permitted even though M2030 policies is for high density development around railway stations? MBCL has signed the SVAG Charter in order to be kept in informed of the proposed port expansion.
Round the Bay Bicycle Trail
Janice Munt spoke in parliament about VicRoads decision to allow the bike path to utilize the verge of Beach Road as Bayside Council have done. However Kingston Council maintains its preference for the cliff top route. DSE has previously stated that the bike path need not go on the foreshore at all and quotes the Frankston example. Matt Slavin has confirmed DSEs comment on not using the foreshore for the bike path. Many thanks to those people who wrote letters to politicians, Ministers and VicRoads asking for support for the verge of road (if road narrowing was not acceptable) option for bike path.
Planning Backlash Groups
Planning Backlash Groups met at Northbrook House, Malvern May 6th to hear Prof. Kevin O’Connor lecture on urban planning. A resolution was passed at the meeting requesting that six community members be included in the committee formed by the Minister for Planning to review Melbourne 2030 . The Minister has also agreed to meet regularly with a delegation from the Backlash Group. Hopefully some of the major flaws with Melbourne 2030 can be sorted.
Mordialloc Creek Bridge Widening
KCEC privileged recipients of a visit from no less than three VicRoads persons to explain what was planned for the bridge. They made it clear that the bridge had passed its used by date and had to be re built. There is much angst amongst the traders who are facing approx. 18 months of traffic congestion.
Waterwatch Program
We are still awaiting advice on means of financing the purchase of the $800 kit for use in water quality testing. Three MBCL members are eager and willing to undertake this project when the kit is available. We believe the most useful place to begin testing is upstream from Wells Road bridge perhaps where the Settlement or Dunlop Drains enter the creek. There was a good turnout at Mordialloc Creek working bee Saturday June 2, when grasses, hop goodemias, swamp melaleuca and red gums were planted on the south bank near Browns Reserve. The NRA team are to promote working bees at Yammerbook Native Reserve utilizing the same plant species.
Peter Scullin Reserve
Organizers of the Wine and Food Festival in March presented attendees with a survey seeking their opinion of the event.Interesting to note that there were 25 references to the lack of wind protection and lack of grass! No doubt the drought and 60,000 people trampling over the reserve had something to do with lack of grass,but there is no excuse for removal of 6 banksias, 3 sheoaks, 10 eucalypts, 94 acacia longifolia, 78 myoporum insulare and 23 teatree for a two day annual event leaving visitors to the park on the other 363 days of the year without shade and shelter The few sheoaks and banksias planted as replacement will take 25 years to reach maturity. 3065 replacement plants are all low growing ground cover.
Mordialloc Structure Plan
Amendement C52. Although interim height controls are currently in place for Mordialloc following the Panel Hearing there was concern that the proposed Moorabbin to Mordialloc Structure Plan may delay the ministers approval of the Mordialloc Structure plan. However a letter received from Janice Munt in response to our request for information, Minister Madden states that Amendement C52 is currently under consideration by the Department. Assessment will not be delayed by the structure planning process being undertaken by Council for the municipality’s Principal and Major Activity Centres. Unfortunately this will not protect Mentone from the proposed six storey development of Le Gym in Mentone which does not have a structure plan in place with interim height controls.
Round the Bay Trail
Stephen wrote to Matt Slavin on behalf of KCEC welcoming the announcement that VicRoads has approved the use of the gravel verge of Beach Road as part of the Round the Bay Trail and so are no longer pursuing the case for narrowing traffic lanes on Beach Road. Unfortunately Council is refusing to seriously consider the verge of road option and is claiming that 140 trees will have to be removed if our option is approved. Stephen was asked to query where council had actually measured the proposed route to arrive at the number of trees to be removed. Only Banksias, sheoaks and manna gums were counted – not the magnificent tea trees which would have to be removed if the track was sited on the cliff tops as council seeks to do.
Parks Report
Attenborough Park is in a derelict state in part due to the widening of Mordialloc Creek bridge works beginning in earnest in August The magnificent Monterey Cypress near the bridge has been destroyed. Traffic snarls are creating loud snarls from drivers. Cr West reported that council had approved the demonstration house on Chiquita Park going ahead after the frame had blown down in a storm. The Grange is drier than ever before. A dead fox was found in the park. Ranges are establishing a series of ponds hoping that frogs will take residence. Friends of Bradshaw Park April Working bee planted grasses and shrubs and removed weeds.
Channel Deepening Panel Hearing
Channel Deepening Panel Hearing commenced June 18 at DSE headquarters 8 Nicholson Street. Unfortunately the three person panel is out of its depth unlike the earlier EES Panel which had people with a scientific background hearing the evidence. Mornington Peninsular Shire presented an excellent submission stressing the uncertainty which still exists despite the scientific and technical evidence presented by POMC consultants. Cr West presented a convincing case for using land bridging rather than deepening shipping channels and subjecting residents to a massive increase in truck traffic through their streets,
Environment groups and individuals will present submissions throughout July.