Council Elections
Hopefully more information will be provided about who is standing in each of Kingston’s eleven wards with one councillor in each ward. Voting will be postal. There are some important issues for new councillors to consider and hopefully make decisions that are not environmentally harmful. Some of these issues are listed below.
Dent’s Paddock
After a long campaign people were pleased with Council’s decision to buy the land for much needed open space. But it is disturbing to find that a potential councillor is querying that decision, claiming that the money should be spent elsewhere, rather than saving the remnant indigenous plants, trees and open space provided at Tarella Road.
Mordialloc Creek Community Meeting
This was a Zoom meeting which one of our members was able to view and has given us a detailed report on the issues. One of the issues is that spoil from future dredging will be deposited in the dredge spoil grounds in Port Phillip Bay when the POM does their dredging in late 2021. Another topic discussed was the wetlands. They are considered a priority by Melbourne Water but the program still lacks funds. It may start sometime in 2021. The new Mordialloc Creek Master Plan should be released in the next few weeks. More car parking is planned in Attenborough Park to cater for boat owners. However there is no launching ramp on that side of the creek and car parking will be limited on the Pompei site, if the four storey apartment block goes ahead. Two MBCL members continue to attend “virtual” VCAT meetings about the Pompei site.
Construction of new pontoons for Mordialloc Creek upstream and adding a change room facility to the George Woods Reserve are two works estimated to begin in the New Year. Groups of people will be collecting rubbish alongside the creek, as funding was provided to help people laid off work in other areas.
Mature Trees
A member noticed that mature trees were left on a site after a house was demolished near Warren Road, Mordialloc. It is hoped that these trees are to remain when construction begins. Sixty year old trees on an Epsom Road housing block will be lost when the liveable house is demolished for five three storey apartments.
Beach Road Bay Trail
The final section of the Bay Trail is nearing completion – Rennison Street to Peter Scullin Reserve. Beach Road isn’t being changed at all and vegetation removal is minimal, except for the mature she-oaks next to the car park which is sad. The completed section of the Bay trail is being well used by both pedestrians and cyclists.
Mordialloc Creek
PFAS TESTING of Mordialloc Creek will go ahead in the future when the covid-19 restrictions are eased.
Port Phillip Conservation Council
Zoom presentation. I watched Jenny Wharfe’s informative hour long talk and slide show Zoom presentation last Thursday night, on the threats to Port Phillip and Westernport Bays. In Port Phillip Bay the effects of dredging are now evident and continue to cause erosion of beaches and cliffs, particularly at Portsea and Sorrento. She also spoke about the issues container ships are causing in the bay. These ships use dirty fuel oils polluting the air and water, as well as bringing in environmental pests like the Northern Pacific Starfish, via the ballast water. Another point Jenny spoke about was the fact that 1000s of emptied containers are transported back to their original destinations on these ships!! Don’t we have any goods to fill these?? At Westernport Bay the main issue is the proposed AGL gas import ships that will be docked at Crib Point pier, running day and night, causing noise and pollution there!! A great talk thanks Jenny….and my first Zoom experience.