Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 5th March 2008

Forthcoming Events

Introduction to Environmental Law Workshop (EDO) Saturday 19 April 2008 9.30pm – 4.00pm South Yarra Senior Citizens Centre 65 Toorak Road West, South Yarra. Course Entitled Tilting at Windmills? Kingston’s Growing the Foreshore’s Future Planting Days Saturday 7th June 10am – 1pm Chelsea Pier and Sunday 22nd June 10am – 1pm The Glade Bonbeach foreshore.VCAT Planning Consultative Forums 13 October 4.30pm – 6.00pm 55 King Street, Melbourne. This session is for Community Groups and may be interesting since under the proposed New Residential Zones for Victoria residents will be denied to opportunity to take their objections to VCAT in most instances. See Janelle House KRAMMED President Letter in the Independent 25 March. 2008.

Thanks

To Nina and Johanna for attending the council meeting to discuss an historic walking trail for Mordialloc, thanks also to Johanna for attending the mediation meeting at Parkdale Yacht Club re extension of liquor licensing hours. Nina, Johanna and Mary raised an issue, in differing but relevant quarters, concerning patrons of a hotel parking illegally on Attenborough Park. Bollards have now been installed to prevent parking on the grassed areas under the cypress trees but are still parking alongside the creek – an area of parking supposed to be for boat owners servicing their boats moored in the creek Finally, Many Thanks to members who generously donated to Blue Wedges campaign fighting fund.

Waterwatch

Nina reports that Melanie has the water quality testing kit and anticipates that testing could commence in late April. MBCL members have been allocated an area between Bowen Road and Wells Road bridge.

Mordialloc Creek’s $8 Million Splash

Kingston Council and Melbourne Water propose to spend $8 million dollars dredging and widening the creek to Wells Road bridge to provide access for small boats according to the Leader 25 March. This would involve removing the little island now a bird habitat and refuge and removing the phragmites regarded by some proponents of the scheme as “weeds”. Dredging would inevitably destroy much of the revegetation work carried out by the NRA team, Friends groups, school groups and funded by Alinta and Exon over many years.

New Zones to Speed Up Development

Please read the letter from KRAMMED carefully and make a submission to the discussion paper by April 18th. It is likely that in the near future we will all have three or four storey developments next door to us and won’t be able to object since the rights of residents will also be removed by the Minister for Planning , Justin Madden MLC

Federal Member for Isaacs

Mark Dreyfus contributed to discussion about the proposal to dredge the creek to provide access for small boats ( larger boats inevitably) up to Waterways since there is also a proposal for Melbourne Water to continue the wetlands from Waterways residential estate to Wells Road. Deals are being done with owners of industrial land adjacent to the creek to create the wetlands. Dredging upstream of the bridge will deepen this section of the Main Drain to 1.6 metres to allow salt water to move upstream and will mean that boats will be able to row, paddle, motor or jet ski up to Waterways. Will there be a change in the ecology?

VCAT Hearing for South East Melbourne Recycling, Kingston Road Clarinda

Barry reported on this case. Alex Fraser is trying again to establish a concrete crushing plant in the green wedge. The Minister called in this application two years ago and should do so again since there are health implications from the dust from the plant. A school is situated across the road from the proposed site.Hearing 23rd June 2008 at King Street.

Mordialloc Historic Walking Trail

Nina reported on the meeting but was disappointed that the consultants weren’t prepared to accept environmental sites for the trail – Aboriginal and buildings only to be included. Nor will there be any plaques to commemorate buildings lost to development. Eg the Coffee Palace and picture theatre, etc There will be a bronze horse erected in the horse paddock in recognition of the race horses who were taken to swim in the sea opposite Bay Street. There will also be a bronze boat on the Pompei site.

Groves Reserve

Who owns it? This Banksia woodland should be protected from rabid developers and kept in memory of a councillor, State politician and a firm believer that every boy should have a trade. As a Minister Groves fought to have at least one technical school in the area from Frankston to Caulfield. Caulfield Technical School opened in 1922. There is a Frank Groves wing in Caulfield Institute of Technology ( now Monash University) a fitting memorial to Frank Groves.

The Grange

Penny reports that the tip workers are coming closer to the feral fence but have agreed to move 30 metres away to prevent damage to the fence Rowan Woodlands is now a sub-committee of Dingley Village Association. Smart move! Braeside Park held a star gazing 6th March Waterways Estate A meeting will be held at the Nest on Water café April 5th 10.30-12.30pm!

Channel Deepening

The dredge will commence dredging at the Heads in April. Re-reading notes from the SEES the POMC expert witness, Don Raisbeck admits that rock fall from hydro-hammering in the Great Ship Channel will continue scouring the floor of the channel for 30 years and in so doing will deepen the channel thus allowing more water into the Bay on each tide.The effect of higher tides will be to alter the hydrology of the Great Sands and erode beaches on the peninsula. POMC who are doing their own monitoring announce that they are not exceeding environmental constraints. They would say that, wouldn’t they?

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League Inc.

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