Bradshaw Park
With the help of the Grant money work is proceeding to gradually remove exotic trees. Council has installed a watering system which makes this task much easier. Friends of Braeside were involved with the Snapper Festival on Sunday November 14th. Plants were sold and the bus tour group were given an insight into the specialised nature of the work involved in maintaining indigenous plants in the park. Mr David Bainbridge and the Friends group are to be congratulated on the excellent work carried out so far.
Braeside Park
The Snapper Festival tour group were given a barbecue luncheon and a guided tour of the park by the rangers on Sunday 14th November. Land to the west of the freeway reservation is to be sold and sub-divided for an industrial estate. The freeway reservation will not be changed despite an undertaking given by Mr Mark Birrel when Shadow Minister for Conservation that this would be done when the Liberal Government was elected.
Mentone Lifesaving Club Extension
Objections have been lodged to the construction of tea rooms on this site because of the possibility of extension of the car park in the future to cater for beachgoers as well as tearoom customers. This will create further pressure on the fragile foreshore environment.
Carpark / Dixon Street Toilet Block
Following an on-site inspection with the City Engineer, 15th December, a compromise decision was reached in which tea-tree would be removed near the toilet block but the banksias and casuarinas would remain. Tea tree along the Beach Road fence would not be removed. The Engineer gave an undertaking that tea tree on the beach /cliff top side of the path would not be clipped to reduce their height.
Heritage Listing of Beaumaris Park
C. King will write a submission recommending that Beaumaris Park should receive Heritage listing.
Agnew Report
Glen once again presented a comprehensive report on Parkdale Research activities. A dive flag with batteries has been donated by Patterson River Primary School. A computer has been purchased to assist with collating reports.
Diving activities include:- Collection of specimens and measurement of siltation. Mussels collected from the Horse Paddock Reef for analysis have revealed arsenic levels double the recommended levels. This is perhaps not surprising when a recent CSIRO report states that 400 kls of arsenic comes out of Mordialloc Creek each year. Further, Patterson River and Mordialloc Creek are the major contributors to heavy metals entering Port Phillip Bay.
Carrum Edithvale Wetlands
David Allen attended the meeting at Braeside park and reported to the meeting. It is hoped that the League can maintain links with this group to enable us to keep abreast of developments which may affect the creek wetlands scheme.
Council Mergers
It is regrettable that this issue has arisen again. The League policy is that whilst preferring the City of Mordialloc to stand alone, if amalgamations are enforced by the State Government then Mordialloc Council should become part of either Sandringham or Chelsea (or both) since these three councils have. successful co-operative initiatives to protect the bayside environment.