Panel Hearings on the Kingston Municipal Strategic Statement
Panel hearings will be heard at the Kingston Council Chambers, Moorabbin, from March 16 to 22 April 1998. These hearings are open to the public and should prove a valuable insight to possible planning changes in the municipality.
MBCL will be presenting our submission to the panel on Wednesday 18 between 12noon – 12.30pm.
Submissions will include representations about the rezoning of Beach Road to RDZ1.
The Parks
Braeside Park is under extreme pressure as the number of rangers have been reduced by three. There are now only five rangers available, therefore a number of activities have been curtailed. For example guides are no longer provided for school groups. Instead kits are sent to schools so that teachers can conduct their own tours! There will be no more train rides. Water quality analysis of the Dingley Drain, formerly a major source of leachate pollution in the Park, will not be carried out by rangers. Therefore there will be no monitoring of this drain. Weeds from the non-urban areas south of Mordialloc Main Drain and on the Hains property, are invading the Park- The most serious noxious weed is Pattersons Curse.
There is concern about the health of the river red gums which may be affected by the rising water table, an excess of fertiliser, cattle compaction or a virus.
On the positive side a new car park has been installed, as well as rabbit proof fencing. The plant propagation program has been so successful that there are many plants for sale to councils if they are interested.
Karkarook Park was officially opened by Marie Tehan, Minister for Conservation. No expense was spared although the hard working committee wasn’t invited!! Thousands of small recently planted trees were burnt. An expensive post and rail fence has been moved to allow a car park to be built for Hardware House next door to the park. The Park will lose 30 metres of parkland to enable the car park to be built!
Acid Sulphate Soil at Braeside
It was discovered recently that acidic soil from the City Link tunnels and Coode Island has been dumped as fill for industrial development south of the Woodlands Industrial Estate adjacent to Settlement drain which flows into Mordialloc Creek. The EPA is carrying out tests on the soil.
Mordialloc Foreshore / Coastal Action Plan
As a result of an MBCL petition circulated for 3 hours on Australia Day at the Scullin Reserve and sent to State politicians, MBCL reps have been invited to meet Mr Maclellan, Minister for Local Government & Planning on March 5 at Nauru House. The petition opposes high rise development along the foreshore around the Bay. Consultants have been engaged by Kingston Council to develop a Coastal Action Plan for Mordialloc’s Activity Node There will be some community consultation with one or two KCEC reps on the committee.
Wetlands on the Hain’s Property
KCEC reps met with Kingston’s Strategic Planner to discuss the concerns about the proposed 700-800 housing development in the Green Wedge on the Hain’s property. On 10-2-98,KCEC reps met Stephen Hains and consultants at Portland House, Collins Street Concerns were again expressed about over development of the site and doubts about some aspects of the effectiveness of the proposed wetland system. Despite not having specific details about this proposal, Kingston Councillors voted 5-2 to allow the amendment to change the zoning to proceed (at the Council meeting 24-2-98.)
Save our Suburbs
MBCL was represented at standing room only meetings at the Beaumaris Community Centre 19-2-98, and at the Hawthorn Town Hall 24-2-98,of the Save Our Suburbs groups coalition of similar groups throughout the City. Kingston Residents for Responsible Development is active in our municipality. Already the Minister for Planning has announced some changes to the Good Design Guide. The enclosed pro-forma letter may be sent to which ever Minister you choose.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you any queries or would like to have input into any of these issues.