Correspondence
Letter received re a Community Farm Project from Bayside Permaculture Group. Submissions have been sent re Kingston Bicycle Integration Strategy, Options for the Management of Personal Water Craft (Jet Skis) on Port Phillip Bay and Westernport (Parks Victoria), Marine & Coastal Final Report outlining Marine Parks location and areas suitable for aquaculture.
Bradshaw Park
Friends of Bradshaw Park have sent a letter to Serco stating that the Friends groups should not necessarily be expected to undertake work that Serco hasn’t completed or that has not been written into Serco’s contract. At present Serco does some weeding or spraying of weeds and planting according to the Management Plan.
Beach Road
The City of Kingston has continued to insist that they have no alternative to classifying Beach Road as RDZ1 following a Ministerial Directive. The officers claim that this is purely a planning issue and won’t necessarily mean an increase in freight traffic when Webb Dock extensions are completed. However if a planned widening of Governor Road to four lanes to complete an East/West link to Nepean Highway goes ahead, it will encourage HCV’s to continue to use Beach Road.
Bicycle Path Beach Road
Thank you to all those who have made submissions re the proposed bicycle path extension from Charman Road to Mordialloc creek. No decision has been made as yet but we hope that common sense prevails and that no attempt will be made to site the bike path through the sensitive foreshore area on the cliff top.
ARUP Transport Plan
The Transport Options & Accessibility Strategy Study for the City of Kingston has been released and submissions are being accepted. A major problem for Mordialloc is the Vic Roads intention to provide a link from Governor Road to the highway. The options would impact on the limited open space around the creek west of Wells Road bridge or on the Long Beach Bike Trail, residential areas in Aspendale and the Mordialloc Chelsea High School. Public Transport (or the lack of it) is also discussed in the Study. There will be a special review of traffic congestion in the Mordialloc shopping and residential areas.
Victorian Coastal Strategy
The Victorian Coastal Strategy has been released by the Minister for Conservation & Land Management. As expected the concentration is in favour of development of the foreshore around the bays and coastline. Mordialloc has been declared an Activity Node with the intention of encouraging tourism.
4.1 e.g. “Criteria will be developed to provide clear guidance for appropriate private investment along the coast. and
“A legislative review will be implemented to provide opportunity for establishment of extended leases of Crown Land for appropriate major developments dependent on a coastal location.”
In the Activity Nodes:-
4.2 “New seaside food and recreational activities will be encouraged within Activity nodes…”
Residential Development and Wetlands on the Hains Property
A meeting with personnel at Melbourne Water, 5-11-97, who outlined the extensive wetlands drainage system which would be required for the proposed 700 house development on the site, was informative.
2 million cubic metres of earth will have to be moved to provide fill for the residential section of the site. The hole left will become the “lake” which will have to be clay lined to prevent the upwell of saline groundwater. Sulphide soils will also be a problem. The now supposedly “clean” Dingley Drain will feed into the “lake” system and then back into Mordialloc creek. The saline water from the “lakes” in the Woodland Industrial Estate will feed into Settlement Drain and then directly into Mordialloc Creek rather than enter the wetlands. According to reports, Melbourne Water have advised that as of Christmas 1997 the flow shared between Patterson River and Mordialloc Creek will be adjusted to a 2:1 ratio.. This means that future low flows in Mordialloc Creek downstream of Pillars Crossing will usually be in a range from 10 to 15 ML/day. The reduced flow will impact on boating activity in the creek downstream of the wetlands.
A Charter for Planning
The Town & Country Planning Association & Hands off our parks (HOOP) have finalised their Charter for Planning. This is an excellent document which TCPA are hoping organisations and groups will encourage Local Government Planning Authorities to adopt in order to safeguard our increasingly threatened public open space. If anyone would like a copy of this document please don’t hesitate to call MBCL on 9 580 2706 and we will forward you the material.
Well, folks, that’s all for this very busy year! Thank you for your support which is very much appreciated. We hope you’ll be back in 1998 refreshed, reinvigorated and ready for the challenges that await us! In the meantime :-
A Very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year