Linton Street Park Sell Off
Sale of Council owned land on the corner of South Road and Linton Street, Moorabbin to St Kilda Football Club for a new poker machine venue. SFC hopes to attract more customers to the poker machine facility however Kingston and Glen Eira Councils previously objected to an increase in poker machines in the hotel, corner of Nepean Highway and South Road. If you wish to support the Friends Group seeking to save their parkland you may care to fill in the Notice of Objection enclosed.
Forthcoming Events
Saturday October 14. Planting and Open Day 9.30am-4pm at The Grange. Tree planting, guided tours and sausage sizzle organised by Friends of the Grange and Heathland Reserve. Friends of Edithvale Seaford Wetlands AGM October 8th 2pm at Duck Inn. Greg Bain from Melbourne Water Guest Speaker. Port Phillip Conservation Council AGM October MBCL has two delegates eligible to attend- Stephen and Mara. KRAMMED’s AGM October 25 at 7.30pm at Rennison Street, Mordialloc.
Submissions
Submissions have been sent to Kingston Council Kingston’s Draft Biodiversity Policy, and Draft Boatshed and Bathing Box Policy. Letter sent to the Minister for Transport asking him to consider the narrowing of Beach Road lanes to accommodate the bike track there rather than intruding into the foreshore.
Local Member, Janice Munt posted out 5000 letters in her electorate in a survey to check community opinion about the location of the bike trail. There was a surprising response with 70% approving the verge of Beach Road option!
Mordialloc Creek
Revegetation work on the north bank of the creek has been completed and was celebrated with a sausage sizzle at the Jack Grut Reserve. The work was funded as a result of the EPA requiring a polluting industry to pay for revegetation work. Melbourne Water’s Corridors of Green and Landcare Victoria were involved in the program. There is now a veritable forest on the creek bank!
Yammerbook Nature Reserve
Opening was held Sunday 10th September. Organised by Nina with her usual efficiency and attended by Jenny Lindell, Member for Carrum, Kingston Mayor and a Ward Councillor as well as volunteers and members of environment groups. The Reserve is an outstanding achievement in collaboration with Melbourne Water and Kingston Council.
Kingston’s Round the Bay Trail
A letter received from the Manager Strategic Planning thanking us for the “time taken to prepare and present on the night September 4th” our preferred option for the bike trail the verge of Beach Road. Council has met with VicRoads to assess their willingness to agree to narrow Beach Road lanes to conform with the lane width in the City of Bayside thus removing the need to intrude into Kingston’s narrow, fragile foreshore. Residents have overwhelmingly shown that they wish to retain the soft grassed and sandy walking tracks on the cliff tops and dune areas at Mordialloc.
Mordialloc Structure Plan
The old police station site is now being offered for sale as an 18 lot subdivision at 541 Main Street, Mordialloc. A proposed development of 17 two storey units at the corner of Bear and Albert Street, Mordialloc with 20 car spaces will add to the congestion already occurring at this busy intersection. The units are opposite the railway station. Minister for Planning, Rob Hulls announced funding for the Rail to Bay project in Mordialloc. The project unfortunately includes steps at the station entrance where at present there is easy, level access. A ramp will have to be provided to cater for wheeled and elderly access.
Draft Multicultural Action Plan
Draft Multicultural Action Plan was attended by 32 people. Penny represented MBCL at the meeting, 12th August, and gave us her impressions of the event. Discussion as to the best means of involving migrants in care of, and knowledge about, the environment. It was felt that it was important for migrant children to attend Government schools where they would be in contact with a wide range of ideas and values. Ken Davidson, The Age journalist, mounts a similar argument; that this is the best way to integrate migrant children into the community.
Parks Reports
The Peter Scullin Reserve revegetation work is to begin in earnest after the Wine and Food carry-on next year according to the Mayor. No trees have been planted next to Beach Road to replace vandalised trees, Canary Island Palm seedlings remain next to Pier Road. Bradshaw Park saw a big turn-out on 19 August when hundreds of grasses, ground- cover and shrubs were planted. There is concern that the survival of Wiry Buttons on the rail way reserve is threatened by weeds. Question whether VicRails can help to prevent loss of this species. Rowan Woodlands Friends Group is to become a sub-committee of the Dingley Association. Penny presented copies of Recline which features photos of fungi growing at the Grange. Penny attended an award ceremony at Federation Square. Aboriginal groups at Healesville won an award by making a frog bog! Chicquita Park developer has not been comply- ing with conditions pertaining to vegetation in the park. Terry Montabello, City of Kingston : legal adviser, provided conditions used for the Villawood development with which the developer must now comply.
Green Wedge
Green Wedge coordinator West attended a meeting with Minister for the Environment’s advisor and department staff and with concerned representatives Environment Victoria and Victorian National Parks Association, to discuss the Government’s back down and weakening of the Native Vegetation Framework. Using the example of DSE’s failure to prevent the destruction of indigenous vegetation on the Scullin Reserve and failure to take a stronger stand over Council’s policy of not planting trees on the 13kms of foreshore for five years-but possibly not at all, since the aim of councillors is provide views for foreshore residents in direct contradiction of DSE’s Coastal Management Policies! The meeting with the Minister was at Sunbury on the site of an environmentally significant green wedge site, the Bundanoon, that local environment and green wedge groups are trying to save from residential subdivision. Concern expressed at Minister Hull’s approval of a marina/residential development at Werribee in the Green Wedge again a contradiction of the Government’s policy of confining coastal development to township boundaries..
Victorian Local Governance Association Transport Group
VLGA Transport Group meeting was attended by Cr West. The topic was bicycle routes through metropolitan Melbourne. It seems Bicycle Victoria came in for some criticism over lack of concern about potential damage to significant vegetation when planning bicycle routes through sensitive environmental areas. Safe commuter paths for cyclists are an important form of alternative transport certainly supported by MBCL. Let’s hope that Kingston Council supports that option rather than their expensive, environmentally damaging, cliff top route.