Meetings
Cheltenham Community Centre, 2-12 Chesterville Road ,6.30pm . Melbourne talks about the future – a discussion paper prepared by the Ministerial Advisory Committee for the Metropolitan Planning Strategy for Melbourne. Nine principles are identified to align Planning Minister Guy’s proposed zoning reforms, including the need to protect housing change and established retail outlets.(shopping strips). Importantly also is emphasis on environmental risk associated with anticipated sea level rise due to climate change and floodplain management. RSVP 9583 0095
Environment Victoria
Barbecue at Peter Scullin Reserve 12-2pm March 23 .This is part of EV’s Campaign to highlight the Baillieau’s government’s destruction of environment protection of parks, forests, marine reserves. Farmland is also under threat as result of mining exploration in all of Victoria’s most significant parks.
Bradshaw Park
Friends have applied to council for a name change for the park to be called Bradshaw Bushland Reserve to correctly reflect the nature of the reserve. The murals on the hut have been graffitied and cannot be removed. So Council proposed to rep-paint murals with a graffiti-proof paint featuring local flora and fauna . Original murals were painted by St Bede’s students 1999-2010 Artists work can be seen at Cheltenham.
Parkdale War Memorial
Disappointing to find an enlarged garden bed featuring non-indigenous flowering plants and palms around the memorial as well as a large expanse of dark grey concrete placed between two sections of the granitic sand bike path. Sand coloured bike paths blend with the foreshore environment and have been placed around the Peter Scullin Reserve and Mordialloc Pier.Unfortunately an even larger slab of dark grey concrete now covers a section of the Mundy Street car park and connects with a section of the granitic sand bike path. DSE policy states that locally indigenous plants are to be used on Crown land around Port Phillip Bay.
Mordialloc Creek Friends Group
Mordialloc Creek Friends Group have received a grant of $9000 to revegetate the north and south banks of Mordialloc Creek between Wells Road Bridge and the Chute Street boat ramp.
Mordialloc Creek
Melbourne Water staff have contacted Bronwen re the creek water monitoring program. The program had been halted because of a health and safety issue . We are indebted to Bron for her involvement in this scheme.
Mordialloc Creek Advisory Committee
Mordialloc Creek Adivsory Committee met to discuss outstanding issues following the completion of creek dredging. Further work is required replacing mooring poles. Smaller boats will have to moor closer to the bridge where the creek is narrow with larger boats mooring closer to the mouth of the creek. The Pompeii Site also came under discussion as leases are due for renewal. A small artists’ colony is ensconced in one of the smaller sheds along the rail line. The Creek Advisory Committee (February 26) were happy to have a group helping to keep alive the fishing village/boat building atmosphere of the area.. It was suggested that a Men’s Shed would fit quite well in this area also allowing boat owners and fishermen a place to relax and repair equipment.
Beaumaris Cliffs Fossil Site
Judy and Mara are preparing a submission to be sent to Federal Environment Minister Burke requesting that the internationally renowned Beaumaris cliffs be restored to the National Estate Register. If not the National Estate then possibly the Victorian Register although it is understood that the Victorian Government doesn’t show much enthusiasm for protecting sites of significance.
Herb-Rich Plants Wetlands / Woodlands and related EVCS
Aree under threat at the proposed Mordialloc Creek wetland upstream of Wells Road Bridge, and also where the Dingley Bypass connects with Westall Road. The 2008 consultant’s report was peer reviewed by Dr Yugovich this year. More plants were found at both sites possibly due to the recent wet season. A presentation to council on both issues has resulted in Melbourne Water deferring construction and further consultation with both MW and VicRoads in an attempt to save the rare plants from destruction.
Chelsea Heights 44 first Avenue
A proposal to permit a subdivision with 25 houses on a floodway zone is being opposed by Kingston Residents Association and a coalition of environment groups – KCEC and MBCL. The development borders the edge of the RAMSAR listed wetlands. The impact on these wetlands includes: disruption of acid sulfate soil and possible contamination of water quality int he wetlands because of the potential for flooding. The proposal is to excise 1.3 hectares from an urban flood zone formerly the Carrum Carrum Swamp which flooded regularly. 1934, 1952, 1969, 1994 etc. Insures are warning that thousands of Australians are facing soaring insurance premiums for flood coverage. Melbourne Water told the 8th Victorian Flood Conference that Melbourne, Port Phillip and the Westernport Region face significant flood challenges. The City of Kingston has 11,000 flood prone properties .. 44 first avenue is one of them.
Bay Trail
The final section of the Bayside Bay Trail is now under construction back of kerb! At the Council meeting Februrary 15th, Cr Gledhill successfully moved that Kingston’s section of the Bay Trail, Charman Road to Mordialloc Creek, should also be back-of-curb. At last! it might be pushing our luck but a Melbourne Water officer was asked to consider formalising the bike path on the south levee bank of Mordialloc Creek from Wells Road Bridge to Bowen Road. This would create a safe off-road bike track from Braeside park to Mordialloc Foreshore and/or a round trip off-road to Patterson Lakes. If the track was on the raised levee bank it would be possible to view the hills, wetlands and Braeside park instead of a dirt bank and back of houses. Here’s hoping!
Kingston’s Biodiversity Strategy Review
The review is now underway. It would be reassuring if the following guidelines were included in the revised version of the strategy:- Increase the quantity and protection of native vegetation including cliff tops and dunes; improve connectivity of habitat corridors across Crown Land; recreate structural elements (e.g. tree layers, shrub layers and ground layers) to aid rehabilitation of communities that occurred at the site prior to white settlement; use only indigenous coastal plant stock propagated from local gene pools from progeny from remnant populations from Kingston, Bayside or Frankston; use indigenous vegetation to soften the visual impact (as viewed from the beach and other public places) of hard landscape elements such as houses, and other buildings, cars (parked or otherwise) car parks, roads, paths, toilet blocks, etc; provide additional shade by planting indigenous trees; with regard to structures on the Victorian coast, be sympathetic to coastal character and pay attention to the effect of extreme coastal weather on the built environment.
Banksia Backlash
Banksia Backlash has again broken out at Bonbeach where a gentleman looks over his fence at a sand dune and salt bush and whines that ‘his view’ has ‘been dramatically reduced’. Most houses along the foreshore strip are two storey hence he could see over the dune- or else he could open his gate and walk to the water.