Booklets, Brochures, Web Site, Etc.
Work is continuing to upgrade these items and include Yammerbook ,work on Mordialloc Creek and bike path in this material.
Beaumaris Cliff and Sea Ledge Fossil Sites
Bayside Councillor, Heather Stewart, was contacted by Judy to see if Bayside Council would add support to MBCL nomination of the cliffs for the National Estate Register. Suggested meeting of Dr Fitzgerald with local politicians to add weight to the nomination was also mooted.
Environmental Victoria Campaign
Environmental Victoria now has 11,000 signatures on a petition urging the Napthine government to protect national parks rather than open them up for ecotourism and privatisation. This government has brought the wind industry to a standstill making it more expensive for families to install solar hot water and panels, pursued highly polluting brown coal exports and cut environment spending, programs and protection. EV is continuing their campaign and will be in Mordialloc Saturday July 20 from 10.00am to 3pm .EV Continues to meet with Coalition politicians to alert them to the community concern about their broken pre-election promises. MBCL/KCEC met with a local member Friday 21st July.
Dingley Bypass
VicRoads has applied to have the VCAT appeal upgraded to a major project meaning that they now have to bear costs ($3000 per day)– not the objectors! Our expert witness will still have to be paid as well as an increased fee to lodge an application. Hearing fees for some cases will be more than $1400 per day making it impossible for community groups to lodge an objection about an inappropriate development. Friends of the Earth and Environment Defenders Office all claim that higher fees will mean less scrutiny of planning matters. Mediation 18 July @ VCAT 10am. Hearing 29/30 August for two days 10am at VCAT.
Ecotourism in National Parks
Queensland, NSW and now Victoria wants to allow grazing, shooting and logging in national parks. Federal Environment Minister, Tony Burke, has had to back down in his attempt to extend federal powers over national parks after cabinet rejected the move when mining and gas lobby groups said ,”it would restrict coal seam gas and other projects near the boundaries of national parks.” Resources Minister, Gary Gray, led the push against changes in the cabinet. (Age 19 June 2013)
Mordialloc Creek
Melbourne Water and Parks Victoria are meeting to decide on management of the creek up to Wells Road. It is understood that Melbourne Water is responsible for flood prevention and drainage issues. Parks Victoria ?
Yammerbook
City of Kingston Engineer, Alan West, has drawn up a contour map for 1:10 year flood levels. This map will guide placement of features in Stage 2 of the concept design for paths, viewing platforms, picnic area and disabled access.
June – A Busy Month
With the opening of the refurbished and restored Laura & Charles Ferguson Museum in Old Bakery Lane Mentone ,12 June – more space for the historical society’s items and documents. Also Mordialloc Masonic Hall Open House 12 June and again June 19 when the public was invited to check out the space and offer suggestions for future community use. U3A and Art groups have expressed interest, community meeting space was a popular suggestion, space for men to play chess,etc, and a reading room since Mordialloc doesn’t have a library.
Canary Island Palm Trees to be Lit Up?
Mordialloc Traders want the palm trees to have lights costing $200,000. Lighting trees raises questions about energy use and the impact on nesting birds. There is a family of Sulfur Crested Cockatoos in the trees and recently the lovely Rainbow Lorikeets have driven out starlings and made the trees their home. Which is the greatest attraction- lights only seen at night or the Australian bird life- a swirl of colour and chattering in the trees?
Groundwater and Environment Protection Laws
Free EDO seminar , 3 July 2013, Carlton. Groundwater has an important role in the environment supporting surface water systems and its own eco-systems. Unfortunately at present there is over-extraction and contamination from mines and coal seam gas projects.
Farmland Trust – An Idea For The Green Wedge?
- Engage the community:- provide education service, facilitate understanding of farmland policy.
- Ownership : offer secure lease holding, facilitate cooperative ownership, manage crowd funding initiatives.
- Benefits : increasing sustainable food production, increasing regional food security , providing greater urban liveability, preserving community heritage, building resilient regional economies, strengthening communities.
Further Ideas – Green Wedge Projects
- Walking and cycling connectivity
- Old Dandenong Road streetscape improvement
- Establish a Green Wedge care group
- Neighbourhood garden blitz
- Horse trail.
- Wetlands feasibility project .
- Elder Street South open space development project.
These projects aim to provide for a diversity of projects that will allow interested members of the community to work in partnership with Council to improve the presentation of the Kingston Green Wedge. Food for thought?
Climate Change
There is more discussion recently in the media about the need to reduce green house emissions. See an article by Tim Colebatch “Climate change: Abbott must get off the fence” in the Age, June 25, 2013. In the June edition of the Monthly magazine, “The burning truth about coal” by Bill McKibben. He states that “Australia’s coal has to stay in the ground , along with Canada’s oil, and the huge reserves of gas in the US….If that carbon is poured into the atmosphere …the planet will overheat disastrously.” Tim Flannery in the Quarterly Essay, “After the future : Australia’s new extinction crisis” Issue 48 ,2012. This article deals with Queensland and NSW ‘s weakening protection of national and marine parks. NSW’s government’s first action when elected, was to pass legislation, proposed by the Shooters and Fishers Party, to ban the creation of new marine parks and extensions to marine sanctuaries for five years. The former Baillieu government’s attempt to change the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act so that the Secretary of the DSE can exempt logging interests from the need to survey for endangered species in logging coupes. The present State government is planning to open national parks to ecotourism – shooting deer in national parks already takes place. In Western Australia national parks and A-class nature reserves can be resumed for mining. If coal mining is approved in the Galilee Basin, Qld, the Brimblebox nature reserve and three threatened bird species will not survive.
Environment Victoria’s campaign to protect national parks is timely.