Thanks!
A vote of thanks to our hard-working President and members for their continuing commitment to the protection of all aspects of our environment for the enjoyment of future generations. Special thanks to Brian for the comprehensive and generous comments in his Presidential Report 2004.
Correspondence
A letter of congratulations was sent to Kaye Proudley for the Land Care Award she received recently. Kaye is a member of Bradshaw Park, Edithvale Seaford Wetlands and a number of other environmental Groups A well deserved award for an incredibly
dedicated environmentalists.
Nina, Brian and MBCL have sent submissions to council re the Kingston Traffic Study. While attempts are to be made to alleviate traffic in White Street, a VicRoads proposal to The connection from South widen Nepean Highway south of the creek is more controversial.
Road across Warrigal Road to Boundary Road is also proposed.
Mordialloc Creek Water Quality
No response as yet from Melbourne Water (Graham Daff) as to request for monitoring of water entering Waterways wetlands at Springvale Road and re-entering the Creek after leaving the wetlands, to check whether the wetlands do actually have any effect on polluted water from the Dandenong Creek flowing into Mordialloc Creek and the Bay. A litter trap is being placed on Settlement drain outlet at Wells Road, while a commendable effort, this doesn’t deal with water quality.
Channel Deepening
Submissions and appeals to be heard at the Panel Hearing, September 21, have now closed. Mary Delahunty advises that matters that are not within the Panel’s Terms of Reference include: alternatives to channel deepening of the shipping channels, land-side port development, upgrading of transport infrastructure, relocation of infra- structure services (gas, sewage, water, telecommunications, electricity, etc), financing the Port Phillip channel deepening proposal. It needs to be asked why these matters are not within the Panels terms of reference and how can decisions be made without consideration and costing. Furthermore EES studies in some areas are incomplete. The EES process is deeply flawed e.g the six weeks given to prepare submissions and study seven technical volumes (over 498 pages) of additional material while the consultants have taken two years to compile the documents with studies still incomplete. Stephen’s letter to the local papers was excellent and got coverage in the Frankston paper as well.
Peter Scullin Reserve
An on site meeting with Sophie Beesley and MBCL members stressed the need to retain the understorey of foreshore vegetation when work commences to link the foreshore with the grassed Reserve. In this area subject to gales, the close plantings has meant that not only is shelter provided, but the more fragile, taller trees are supported. Work has commenced on turning the tennis court into a carpark hopefully with sufficient space left for the Bayside Bike Trail to be constructed on the verge of Beach Road in that location.
Mordialloc Structure Plan
Mordialloc Structure Plan has been released for public comment (Subs due Sept. 16) While this version is an improvement on the last one it still contains some disturbing features. For example four storeys will be permitted on several sites including the woodyard, the Pompei site, if it is sold, although some attempt will be made to retain a working boat component along the creek bank. Unfortunately more cafes are mooted along the creek banks also Four storeys will occur on the public housing site on Beach Road if the Office of Housing continues its policy of selling off its assets. There are proposals to “consolidate” sites in that location if possible to allow for presumable up-market apartments. Of concern, both the State and Federal Government want to remove the right of third parties to object to inappropriate developments in Activity Centres. Mordialloc, Mentone, Highett, Chelsea are Activity Centres and will all suffer from this top-down, totalitarian planning regime imposed by so-called democratic consultative, open and transparent governments. Moved that KRAMMED attempt to have Chelsea’s structure plan commenced as soon as possible in order to forestall high rise development in its Activity Centre.
Kingston’s Draft Open Space Review
Kingston’s Draft Open Space Review is under way with 1500 letters sent to survey residents. It is important for groups and individuals to have input into the Strategy since the Council policy allows for sale of small parks with funds used to provide maintenance of existing large parks. Environment groups maintain that with 9600 extra dwellings proposed for Kingston it is imperative that all open space/parkland be retained The Open Space Review overlaps with several Council studies also out for public comment. These include: Mordialloc Structure Plan, Appropriate and Affordable Housing, Early Childhood Development Workshop at the Kingston Arts Centre. The last two studies mention the need for open space so there is the opportunity for input into these strategies.
KRAMMED AGM
KRAMMED AGM was attended by members of MBCL who listened with interest to Mary Drost from the Boroondara Residents Action Group describe her recent visit to London where similar ‘totalitarian development’ is taking place. After disastrous flash flooding in that city when raw sewage had to be diverted into the Thames. City fathers have appealed to residents not to concrete their front gardens for car parks because it removes permeable When will our city ‘fathers and mothers ‘realise that covering surfaces to absorb stormwater. gardens with concrete in a city with 11,200 flood prone properties is not a smart thing to do especially when the shipping channels are about to be deepened and sea levels are rising!
ORF OVERSEAS! Dr and Mrs Earl have jetted orf to the UK and Cyprus for seven weeks while Mara and Judith are about to leave for Poland visiting Eastern Comrades? Go, girls!