Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 4th May 2016

Best Wishes

Best wishes to Cr West , one of the hardest working Kingston Councillors, who is seriously ill in St Vincent’ hospitals. She has always been a stalwart defender of the environment and is sadly missed in that capacity in Council.

Level Cross Removals

Walter has been sounding out local politicians about sky rail for the Frankston Line and has been told that there is “no set policy as yet”, This seems to be borne out by the Premier on John Faine’s program 24 May when he acknowledged that there was a water problem on this line but there would be consultation and that there could be different solutions for different section of the line.

Walter was also relieved after speaking to the Minister for Transport, Luke Donellan that he supports an inland rail freight line. PPCC have compiled and presented a report on this project.

Panel Hearing New Residential Zones

Bruce Duffy, Vice President KRA, M.Rimington MBCL and Dorothy Booth, Mentone Station Gardens spoke at the NRZ Panel Hearings for the Kingston region on May 5th. Mary Drost dropped in briefly and said that all community presenters were presenting the same arguments opposing over development of the suburbs.

Mordialloc Bypass

Walter will visit local politicians re the MPF. A news item in the Age claimed that this freeway will not be built for many years. Low on the list of priorities with so many other projects underway.

Landfills Sites

Something we may have thought we’d heard the last of-old tipping sites have come back to haunt us! 8th May in the Age, Mark Wakeham of Environment Victoria, believes that the EPA should spend some of the $400 collected from the landfill levy should be spent on cleaning up creeks and rivers and stop decommissioned rubbish tips polluting water ways including Mordialloc Creek. The Age, 23 May, states that City of Kingston has 11 legacy landfill sites that are capable of leaching into the creek and Port Phillip Bay.

Canterbury Road

Saltview development went to VCAT over removal of Plains Grassy Wetland remnants. Case was lost and the remnant vegetation is to be moved -and if it survives, planted in Mordialloc Creek catchment. Revegetation project is continuing by contractors at Yammerbook.

Friends of Bradshaw Bushland Reserve

The members of this group are pleased that Kingston General Manager has an arrangement with rail authorities to care for remnant vegetation on the rail line outside the reserve’s fence. Unfortunately vandals have created trail bike jumps in the reserve’s prime ecological area. Local laws have been alerted. The Reserve brochure has been revised.

Timber Yard Development

The Timber Yard development in Albert Street (68 townhouses) has been refused by Council for design, surveillance faults, car parking and roof deck modification.

30 three storey units in Barkly Street will put enormous pressure on parking with a school, two churches and a funeral parlour abutting this development.

Kingston Coastal Management Plan

2014 has been released and is a great improvement on the draft document which contained a proposal to prevent trees being planted on the foreshore. The 2014 Plan is built on the 2009 model, also a fine example which quotes at 3.3 “Objectives and actions for protection of coastal vegetation and biodiversity outlined in several state and local strategies and policies ” and “it is important to retain vegetation for future generations to enjoy and provide habitat and food sources for local and migration of fauna to enjoy.”

Kingston Historic Tree Register

Clare wanted to know why certain councillors claimed “that there isn’t a need for an increase in the number of historic trees. The only historic trees should be on a golf course.” Members suggested that Clare ask that question at a council meeting. Clare also believes that there should be a 3000square metre vegetation audit prior to building in Trewella Road where there could be significant vegetation at risk.

Mordialloc Life Saving Club

This monstrosity now has its concrete slabs towering above the tree line of the foreshore – something that is frowned upon by the Port Phillip Authority report “Siting & Guidelines for Structures on the Port Phillip Coast.” where it states “when built form,colour and texture do not relate to surrounding natural character” redesign the building. Apparently this blot on the landscape will require so much electricity that United Energy proposes to install two tall poles and wires with a box attached either in Epsom Road (where there is already a similar pole) or in Beach Road where the wires would distract attention from views to the Bay. The third alternative is to plant a 5metre/5metre substation on the foreshore between High Street and Epsom Road. While it is claimed that vegetation won’t have to be removed for the substation, it is yet another built structure on the foreshore that could be placed elsewhere – for example why not within the building itself since it will be using the electricity – or on a corner of the tennis court car park which would be much closer to the building than the site on the Beach Road foreshore.

Playground on George Woods Reserve

The playground has also re-emerged. Watch this space.

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League Inc

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