Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 6th August 2014

Correspondence

Nina, Stephen, Mary – Objections to deviation of Bay Trail off the gravel verge onto foreshore Crown land at Mentone Lifesaving club to provide parking for MLSC patrons.

Wal and Megan – letters to the Chelsea, Mordialloc Mentone News re proposal to have land rezoned land for residential development in Kingston’s Green Wedge. The Government may not deliver a decision until after the State Election.

Meetings Galore

With an election in 100 days groups have been formed to highlight important environmental issues. Frankston rail line will be severely disadvantaged if the Liberal Govt’s Metro plan is approved. Trains will run from South Yarra to Spencer Street rather than around the loop.STOP, Victoria First, Get Up and Environment Victoria have all been active in the South East electorates.

Mordialloc Masonic Hall

Lengthy discussion about possible profitable uses for the hall . The upper level could be divided into smaller spaces for meeting rooms, leaving the ground floor for more displays, craft markets, U3A or musical activities.

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Submission: Inquiry to EES Process in Victoria

Submission to:

Executive Officer
Environmental & Natural Resources Committee,
Parliament House,
Spring Street,
East Melbourne. VIC 3002

Dear Sir,

In responding to the invitation to make a submission to the Inquiry into the Environmental Effects Statement process in Victoria it is proposed to use as an example of a successful inquiry of an Environment Effects Statement – the Port Phillip Bay Channel Deepening Environmental Effects Statement 2004. The rigorous six weeks inquiry was conducted by an expert panel consisting of a skilled chairman and three members with years of scientific backgrounds and experience in marine and coastal management.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 2nd May 2007

Forthcoming Events

An Urgent Public Meeting organized by the Southern Victoria Community Action Group to hear from key speakers the many social, economic and environmental impacts about the proposed 8,750 acre Hastings Port expansion of land use and Transport Strategy involving 16 x 1.2km long Freight Trains along Frankston lines per day but mostly at night. Monday 4th June at 7.30pm at Chelsea Function Centre Cnr Station St & Thames Promenade Chelsea.

Good News Department

Recent high winds did one good turn when it blew down the controversial THREE storey structure which the developer of Chicquita Park was planning to use as a display home!!
Second Good News story- St Kilda Football Club might decide to relocate from Linton Street Park to another site having been denied an increase in poker machines. Cranbourne Council are very keen to have the club in that city.
And Thirdly- Kingston Council had an unexpected victory at VCAT when the former Baguly flower cultivation concern in the green wedge was refused a permit for sand extraction in the eight hectare site on the corner of Heatherton and Clayton Roads. Barry Ross appeared for the Southern Green Wedge Coalition and must be pleased with the outcome.
Thanks to Tony, Nina and Brian for suggesting that MBCL would be interested in the Waterwatch program, funding permitting.

Living Links Seminar

April 2007 was attended by four MBCL members who reported favourably on the Living Links proposal which is a master plan for a web of living parks, wetlands, pathways and open spaces along waterways and habitat corridors. Three MBCL members have also attended Waterwatch training sessions to become part of the scheme which has schools and volunteers already testing water quality in Mordialloc Creek.Funding the equipment needed to begin the study is still being investigated. It is proposed to test upstream of Wells Road bridge and at the spot where Waterways wetlands re enters the Mordialloc Main Drain. Mordialloc Creek depends on stormwater run off from major drains to provide water for the creek. Drains such as Settlement and Dunlops Drain flow through industrial areas and waste disposal sites. Kingston Council’s stormwater management plan has identified run off from some industrial sites as being a threat to the health of Mordialloc Creek and Port Phillip Bay. Thanks to Judy Fields who is undertaking research into Mordialloc Creek water quality reports.

Greenfields Industrial Development

Greenfields Industrial Development is taking place in Dandenong on the site of the former Dandenong and Springvale Sewerage Treatment Plant on the banks of Dandenong Creek. This plant was decommissioned in 1996. Melbourne Water is now undertaking remediation work to rid the site of contaminants. Dioxin was found at the plant in the 1990s causing concern down stream because at that stage Dandenong Creek water fed into Mordialloc Creek and Port Phillip Bay.
SARA LEE CREEK Cr West reported on plans to discuss with Melbourne Water a means of preventing the creek from becoming a barrel drain. Friends of Heatherton Park want the creek revegetated.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 4th April 2007

Forthcoming Events

A coalition of concerned residents have organized a meeting at Northbrook House, High Street, Malvern, Sunday 6th May. 2.30pm to hear Guest Speaker, – Professor Kevin O’Connor of Melbourne University delivering a lecture on “An Alternative Approach to Melbourne Planning”
Can Melbourne Be Saved? Getting off the carousel of growth madness! Hear Mark O’Connor, Saturday, May 26th, 2.pm at North Melbourne Library, 66 Errol Street, North Melbourne. 3051. SPA AGM.

Living Links

The Living Links project sponsored by Port Phillip & Westernport Catchment Management Authority was well attended by MBCL members 20th April. Initial reports were that the seminar was well worth attending. A full report is anticipated at Wednesday’s meeting. The prospect of bike path linkages along Mordialloc Creek and Patterson River to Dandenong Creek is an exciting prospect as part of the aim of linking the ranges to the Bay..

Review of Coast and Creek Booklet and Brochure

Any ideas?? Bring them along and let’s hear them!

Friends of Mordialloc Creek

Friends of Mordialloc Creek held a working bee 14th April while Yammerbook Nature Reserve Friends Group and Aspendale Gardens Primary School took part in Waterwatch training in March. Virginia from DSE checked with EPA and advised that while the black anaerobic dredge spoil from Mordialloc Creek looks and smells unpleasant the environmental impacts are minimal.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 7th March 2007

Forthcoming Events

State of the Dandenong Catchment Friday 20 April at Hemisphere Conference Centre 488 South Road. Moorabbin. Commences 9.00am. RSVP 12 April. North Aspendale Erosion Control Works Information Evening 3rd April Council’s Cheltenham Office Commences 5.30pm. Contact Rebecca Cohen for Further information Phone 9581 4388.

Dredging the Shipping Channels in Port Phillip Bay

It’s on again, folks! Dredging the Shipping Channels in Port Phillip Bay and dumping contaminated dredge spoil from the Yarra River in the extended dredged material grounds (DMG) off Mordialloc! You can find out more about the impact on the Bay from the complete set of volumes of the EES report in the Council’s offices Brindisi Street, Mentone. The reason for dumping highly toxic dredge spoil material from the Yarra in the Bay is because “it will be too expensive to treat it on land!”

Port of Hastings Land Use

While dredging the shipping channels in Port Phillip Bay is back on the agenda a scheme to resurrect the development of Hastings as a major transport/ shipping hub is also being actively canvassed. According to the summary document it is envisaged that there will be 3,410 truck movements per day when the port is working and 44 train movements per day On the Frankston Line. There is discussion of a third Frankston rail line to cater for this traffic In the meantime it would be advisable not purchase a home anywhere near the Frankston rail line!

Kingston Planning Scheme Amendment C52 Mordialloc Activity Centre

The Panel report has been released and received a favourable response from Council who felt that most of their concerns and wish list had been addressed, There maybe problems however where the Panel felt there could be more flexible height limits in some parts of the study area. The Report now goes to the Minister for Planning for approval.

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Submission to the Channel Deepening Project for Port Phillip Bay

Author: Mary Rimington

Victoria’s coasts are precious and locations like Port Phillip Bay are an intensively used environment. Activity and processes on the coast, inland in the catchment, and off shore in the ocean, have an influence on the health and sustainability of the coastal environment.

In view of the well documented evidence of sea level rise, the availability of alternatives, and the adverse environmental impact, we are opposed to the deepening of the Rip and dredging of the South Channel to allow larger container vessels entry to Port Phillip Bay.

Our objection to the deepening of the Rip is based on the fact that there is now sound evidence of sea level rise as a result of climate change, and that even a 1-2 cm rise in tide levels will intensify the beach erosion and flooding already occurring on the eastern, most vulnerable side of Port Phillip Bay.

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