Correspondence
August has been a busy month with members letter writing and submissions sent to relevant authorities. Nina is seeking support for the retention of the Mordialloc Masonic Hall which is up for sale. Contact made with Kingston’s historian, Graham Whitehead. Nina, Mara , Mary & Wal have written re retention of SE Green Wedge. Submissions have been sent to Economic Development & Infrastructure Committee, Victorian Planning System Ministerial Advisory Committee and Green Fields Exploration in Victoria for coal seam gas mining. Letters also sent to the Leader with mixed success. We miss the Independent and Mike Morris!
Forthcoming Events
Open Day Spring Planting Friends of the Grange September 10 Saturday 10am-noon.
Watch for a possible walk along the foreshore from Carrum to Mordialloc later in the year organized by NRA people. This will be an opportunity to see latest work of the NRA team.
Geelong Environment Council
Geelong Environment Council is seeking support to prevent a coal mine being extended a further 300 ha into the fragile heritage listed heathland. Visit the National Parks Association website to find out how to take action. Or contact Matthew Guy, Minister for Planning, Spring Street, Melbourne and Premier Ted Baillieu at the same address. Coal seam gas mining exploration is scheduled for many Victorian environmental /scenic sites. Watch out.
Waterwatch
Waterwatch has been in abeyance as a result of Kingston Council withdrawing funding. Bronwen has negotiations under control so that water quality will continue in due course.
Bay Trail
Bay trail has been trapped in a web of intrigue as certain councillors try to push for a shared bike path on the Mentone promenade and to remove environmentalists, cyclists and communities preferred option of back-of – kerb using the grass verge on the side of Beach Road (approved by VicRoads) and conforming with the soon to be completed Bayside section of the Bay Trail- a safe bike path for students and others preferring not to ride on Beach Road.
Lobbyists Register
Cr West is to be congratulated on moving in Council, 22 August 2011, that a Lobbyists Register be compiled for councillors, planners and staff as a matter of transparency and accountability. This is especially important in view of the recent report of a lobbyist touting for funds from businesses for Liberal candidates prior to the November State Government election without reporting to Electoral officials or Liberal Party Head office. The motion was modeled on the Victorian Government Lobbyists register and should be supported by concerned citizens.
Mordialloc Creek Master Plan
MBCL and Mordialloc Village Committee support the retention of the Mordialloc Sea Scouts on Lamberts Island. The Sea Scouts are prepared to renovate their building if Council would renew their lease. There have been problems with the creek dredging programme. It seems the polymer that was supposed to glue dredge spoil together prior to transport to a tip didn’t work and in any case several tips refused to accept the dredge spoil because it was too toxic! Walter has sent a letter to the First Bloke suggesting that Pompei’s shed become a “men’s shed”.
Southeast Green Wedge
Alan Hood spoke with great authority at the KCEC meeting describing the scheming behind the scenes as developers try to gouge out land from the green wedge for residential development. The former “Theme Park” land on the corner of Hutton and Springvale Roads is a case in point. Millions have been spent purchasing the land confident of approval of re-zoning in due course. Planning News has articles supporting retaining GW!
The Collins Report
National “tree” Day on Bonbeach resulted in 35 people attending with 1700 plants planted. 26 people planted 2000 species at Mordialloc Creek.
Yammerbook detailed soil testing to assess possible acid sulfate soil was undertaken. Tests available soon.
1200 plants at a planting day in Chicquita Park with another planting in September/October. Manna Gums are sprouting and Cherry Ballarts fruiting.
Future EVC assessments at Bonbeach foreshore between Harding Avenue and Patterson river, Kingston Heath Reserve, Heights Park and Caruana Drive Redgum Reserve.
Horticulture Audit 64 sites assessed, 254 targets, 244 targets achieved . 96.1%
Mordialloc Walking Trail
Johanna compiled an excellent list of sites suitable for inclusion in a walking trail. Unfortunately the trail likely to be produced by council lacks certain features such as remnant racing sites such as stables and owners houses.
Obituary: Mike Morris 25 July 2011.
Formerly a journalist with the Dandenong Examiner and Mordialloc Chelsea Independent. MBCL was always grateful that Mike gave full coverage to issues we submitted and printed our letters in full! Mike gets a mention in Bob Ellis’s book, “Goodbye Jerusalem”. It seems Bob, Mike, Mungo MacCallum and Michael Leunig were part of the team of reporters on Richard Walsh’s paper Nation Review, no longer around sadly. John Hepworth, one of the team, was dying and Ellis reports that “ “the Hepworth Fellowship was gathering. Mungo MacCallum had been in, and Richard Walsh and Mike Morris and the surviving gang from Nation Review….and Leunig and John Hindle (visited) almost daily.”
Blue Wedges Newsletter
Blue Wedges reports that the expensive sand bag wall at Portsea is not working and DSE have now installed a rock wall which hasn’t saved the beach but may prevent further erosion of the dunes.Jenny says “What certainly has changed since channel deepening is Portsea beach and the strength and frequency of ocean swells now able to enter the Bay and pound Portsea shoreline.” Dr Eric Bird’s document “Changes on the Coastline of Port Phillip Bay” gives great coverage of sand movement and erosion around the Bay which he claims is a natural process and will continue – exacerbated, of course, by human intervention.