Tag » Kingston Council

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Newsletter – October 2020

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.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Newsletter – June 2020

Kingston Housing Strategy & Neighbourhood Character Strategy

Kingston Housing Strategy & Neighbourhood Character Strategy will involve higher density housing meaning loss of trees and gardens. This appears to conflict with Creating a Cool Kingston- Urban Cooling Strategy which stresses the importance of trees in developments to reduce the heat island effect. The higher density housing strategy will also impinge on the Mordialloc Heritage Overlay. A submission has been presented to Council requesting that   heritage housing in Ormond Street and surrounding streets be considered for an extended heritage overlay.

Governor Road Car Park and Pontoons

Better Boating, a State Government project will see the upgrade of the Governor Road boat pontoons in Mordialloc Creek as well as a pontoon south of the highway bridge for disability access.

There may also be a one metre boundary increase around the car park in Governor Road.

Toilet Pier Road, Mordialloc

This tall, silo shaped building will dominate the Art Deco lamps along the promenade and Art Deco buildings on the Peter Scullin Reserve. Request for information from council resulted in a noncommittal response.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 4th December 2019

Bay Trail

It is disappointing to find that the Level Crossing Removal people have offered to complete the Kingston Section of the Bay Trail by routing the bike path along Station Street alongside the rail line instead of along the Long Beach Trail. The reason is said to be Government’s intention to encourage cyclists to use public transport. This will require parking for bikes as well as cars in the limited space available along narrow two lane Station Street

Braeside Park

Parks Victoria is conducting a survey into future uses and activities in Braeside Park. Some of the uses suggested are possibly allowing dogs in the park. permitting group camping, commercial activities, shops and cafes, markets, festivals perhaps with amplified music, night lighting, a commercial hub and extra car parking to cater for these activities if approved. Most areas of public land restrict certain activities in some way. For example Churchill National Park rules are:- camping, dogs, horses and trail bikes are not permitted. Cyclists can use all tracks except those for walkers only. It should remembered that the Sandbelt Open Space Project, May 1994, was formed to accommodate high impact noisy activities such as war games, trail bikes and games played on sporting fields.

PFAS in Dunlops Drain

PFAS was found in the West Gate Tunnel.Work stopped because of the danger to worker’s health.PFAS is being linked to risks of cancer and liver damage. There is also a problem with the disposal of contaminated spoil. The Mordialloc Creek Meeting is not until March. We haven’t heard from the EPA about the PFAS found in Dunlop’s Drain during the Mordialloc Freeway work. A letter was sent to the EPA October 2019.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 3rd July 2019

Review of Ward Boundaries

Discussion re possible changes to ward boundaries as a result of the State Government’s proposal for changes for no ward boundaries at all, but with for example, for Kingston as of now, nine councillors. However council’s are not keen on this idea and neither are many residents. Apparently Bayside have just finished their review and they have continued with 3 wards with 3,2,3 councillors in the 3 Wards.

Mordialloc 5th Sea Scouts Rehousing

A suggestion at the Mordialloc Creek Community meeting that the Sea Scouts want to have the scout hall on the George Woods Reserve extended so that both 4* and 5 scouts could use this building. However that will mean yet another building occupying limited open space at that site. The alternative is for the Sea Scouts to relocate to the Mordialloc Sailing Club building at Aspendale. The yacht club member spoken to seemed to think that this would be a good idea. Chelsea Yacht Club shares its building on the foreshore with other boating activities.

National Tree Planting Day Sunday 28″ July

The NRA team were delighted with the number of residents and Scouts who turned out to help plant 1800 plants on this lovely sunny Sunday on Mordialloc Creek bank. It is great to note how well trees lining the banks of the creek have grown over the years. Water birds noted were ducks. cormorants. water hens and a Nankeen night heron. Unfortunately also noted were long strips of plastic in the reeds on the creek bank.

Heritage Listing Pompei Site

No response from Kingston Council re local Heritage listing for part of the Pompei site, or for Mordialloc Creek boating area around the Island and Doyle’s hotel -all part of the early settlement around Port Phillip Bay.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 5th June 2019

Mordialloc Creek Community Meeting

Travis reports on the number of plastic bottles found in the creek as well polystyrene which is a problem because it breaks into little pieces. Clare refers to a kit available to log rubbish and identify its source as it flows from drains into the creek and Bay

Dent’s Paddock

Clare reported that a developer wants to build 9 units on this site which will mean if the development proceeds only 20 trees will remain on the site where there are now approx 180 trees. The developer will need a permit to cut down 180 trees.

Greening Kingston

Greening Kingston with urban forests is one of Kingston Council’s policies. Unfortunately as more suburban houses and gardens are destroyed to make way for development trees are. A wonderful Eucalypt in Chelsea Heights growing in the nature strip is likely to be cut down because residents are afraid branches may fall although it is a healthy tree.

Banksia Boulevarde Beach Road Mordialloc

Still some indecision concerning what sort of tree to plant along Beach Road after the Bay Trail is completed. Vic Roads is not happy about Banksias and a small number of Beach Road residents noisily claim that they want views and not trees.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 7th June 2017

Level Crossing Removal

The Edithvale Wetlands may be at risk according to two consultants reports. Chosen to review the Government’s preferred option in the level crossing removal programme the report states that trenching required for the rail line may cause groundwater to build up. This will have to be disposed of by Melbourne Water pumping water to the Ramsar listed wetlands, or elsewhere, which in turn could alter water levels causing detriment to vegetation used by birds for nesting or if the water becomes acidic or saline this could also harm bird life.

Mordialloc Bypass

Mordialloc Bypass will not only affect housing in Waterways and Aspendale Gardens but is intruding into and removing a section of Braeside Park. Residents in Dingley are concerned about this development as are Moorabbin residents because of the impact that the proposed freeway will have on the already heavily congested South Road where it enters the Nepean Highway in Moorabbin.

Bay Trail

Plans for the trail went to Council once again, Monday 16th June. Due to the interference of the Member for Mordialloc who claimed that he had not been consulted about the bike track, and his appeal to the Roads Minister, further council consultation was undertaken thereby giving Mentone Beach Road residents the opportunity to “snow” VicRoads who then wrote to Kingston CEO, 26 April, implying that “the majority of correspondence received from the community (guess who) relates to to loss of parking on Beach Road versus vegetation retention.” The result is that Council planners have provided a compromise which involves providing 76 parking spaces between Mentone Lifesaving and Mentone Parade – unfortunately the section of foreshore with the most significant vegetation. The Traffix Group study states that “based on our site inspection there will be a significant level of vegetation clearing and earthworks to achieve the proposed 4.2m wide envelope from the proposed kerb line. However should the vegetation be required to be retained, the proposed 2.7m path would provide for the minimum operating envelopes.”.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 2nd April 2014

Correspondence

Suggested that MBCL buy the DVD Australian Coasts based on Neil Oliver’s English BBC Coasts program. Oliver actually filmed Beaumaris fossil cliffs and parts of Brighton Beach with Dr Tim Flannery. A Coastal Guide to the nature and history of Port Phillip Bay has been published and may also be worthwhile purchasing.

Meetings Attended

STOP Transport Group continues to highlight issues on the Frankston line in conjunction with the PTUA. Southland Station is to be built between Cheltenham and Highett stations, but in a limited format- no toilets, shelters or parking. Of concern is the advertising on train carriages completely covering windows. This obscures clear vision on trains, trams and buses and adds to the advertising blight around stations and rail lines. A letter has been written to the Metro company currently running the trains about this matter.

Port Phillip Conservation Council

Port Phillip Conservation Council met at Longbeach Centre Chelsea, 28 April. Developments on the coast line around the Bay are threatening Arthur’s Seat, Rosebud, Blairgowrie, Rye, Frankston and Brighton Beach. A chair lift and trail bike track on Arthur’s Sea, a swimming pool on the foreshore at Rosebud, a marina at Blairgowrie, a yacht club with a restaurant and retail premises on the foreshore at Frankston without adequate parking and a bike track on the sand at Brighton beach. Should Hastings Port go ahead there will destruction of the seagrass beds and mangroves as well as pollution from oil spills. Beaumaris Yacht Club is seeking an upper storey on the building when concrete cancer is removed. It is proposed that the building can then accommodate a Marine Research Centre – something similar to what is proposed for the Mordialloc Surf Lifesaving Club when it is rebuilt on the primary dune on Mordialloc foreshore.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 5th February 2014

Correspondence

Kelvin Thomson’s invitation to join Victoria First. Issues to do with population policy. Joining fee $10.

Walter presented a ten page essay dealing with important political issues currently being debated in the community.

Beaumaris Fossils and Sea Ledge

Nomination for Heritage Listing. Letter received from Canberra advising that MBCL nomination did not meet Cultural and Heritage criteria . We believe the nomination did deal with these issues and asked for clarification especially relating to Aboriginal occupation of the foreshore. Celeste Ward, in her research, dealt with sand drifts and tidal flows in Beaumaris Bay and its effects on the Rickett’s Point Marine Sanctuary . Celeste has given Judy approval to use her material when an application is made for the Beaumaris Cliffs to be included on the Victorian Heritage. Neil Oliver’s Australian version of the BBC program Coasts featured Beaumaris Cliffs!

Public Transport

A new group, STOP, plans to publicise transport issues on the Frankston Line. Concern is that the enormous cost of the east west tunnel, if it is built, will deprive suburban trains, trams and buses of funds to address existing problems such as grade separation at rail crossings or extending train services to Tullamarine, Doncaster or Rowville. STOP plans to lobby passengers at stations and street stalls with information about the cost of the east west tunnel as well as damage to the river environment, Royal Park and Zoo animals. Volunteers are invited to join STOP and assist with lobbying Sandbelt politicians. (Sandbelt Transport Options . STOP)

Friends of the ABC

Friends of the ABC is a group that meets at Café Black Parkdale monthly. The Friends also plan to lobby politicians to prevent privatisation of the ABC, cutting funding and programs. The Abbott Government plans to sell the ABC’s Asia Network which operates on a policy of ‘soft diplomacy’ which aims to show neighbouring countries something of Australian lifestyle and culture.

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Mentone Foreshore Bicycle Trail (video)

As has been discussed time and again, the Kingston Council’s plan to build the foreshore bicycle trail on the cliff top is contrary to messages being brought forward by concerned residents and environmentalists.

Created by Rod Bryant of the Sandringham Bicycle Users Group.
Special thanks for Stephen for uploading.