The Parks
Bradshaw Park. The Annual General meeting was held 18-9-97.
Braeside Park. The Environment Management Document was completed but out of the $200,000 which will be used for maintenance of roads, playgrounds and grass cutting, there has been no provision for conservation of natural resource areas or fencing to prevent animal intrusion. Spring planting Festival Sunday 5 October 10am 4pm
Karkarook Park Sand mining has commenced. The large holes created will eventually become lakes in the park.
KCEC Report on Wetlands
Negotiations are continuing in an attempt to acquire sufficient land on the north bank of Mordialloc Main Drain to establish a functional series of wetlands. The present draft plan has a large lake occupying the centre of the site with a small series of wetlands (10% of the site) in the WAG easement! This plan would allow residential development to proceed without achieving wetlands large enough to filter stormwater run-off before it enters the creek and Bay.
Dandenong Catchment Implementation Committee (CIC)
The new committee of the Port Phillip Region CIC, met on 3-9-97. B.Hampel (KCEC) and M.Rimington (MBCL) are community representatives for the Dandenong Creek Catchment and Mordialloc Creek. The Committee should be a means of monitoring water quality and works in the Mordialloc Creek Catchment.
Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS)
The League’s submission to the MSS concentrated on Council’s plans to encourage tourist developments on Mordialloc Foreshore around the pier. Although height limits are to be maintained at two storeys (plus a garage underneath) in the residential area along the foreshore, also included is the area around the pier. MBCL concerns are that this will encourage over development of Mordialloc Foreshore and therefore loss of public open space.
Beach Road / B-Doubles / B-Triples
The traffic section of the Kingston MSS claims that Beach Road is an important freight route. The Cities of Bayside and Port Phillip are attempting to have Beach Road. classified as an RDZ2 road (a secondary arterial or scenic boulevard ). Unfortunately the City of Kingston is not co-operating with the other bayside councils. The danger is that when the Webb Dock extension is completed there may be many more HCV’s using Beach Road because B-doubles/B-triples won’t be permitted to use the City Link bridges, freeway or tunnels because of their weight!
Other Business
KCEC and MBCL were represented at the Vision for the Bays seminar at the World Trade Centre. Four speakers warned of the environmental impact on the Bay of population increase, industry and aquaculture. Preservation of the natural environment of the Bay was essential if the economic potential of the area was to be realised.
The Shadow Minister for Conservation, Sheryl Garbutt, was taken on a tour of the wetlands but had specifically asked to meet members of MBCL! We were delighted to meet at the pier and inform her of the League’s areas of interest – public open space, water quality and Beach road..
Please feel free to attend MBCL meetings and discuss your environmental worries! We may be able to help!