Tag » Mordialloc Creek

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 1st December 2021

Mentone Life Saving Club Precinct Development

DELWP have allowed the removal of a large section of the cliff to allow vehicle access to beach.
We met with coordinator of the project Brad Lewis (Team leader Bushland and Foreshore), he will be attending our February meeting.

Round the table

  • Mordialloc Creek – Litter survey. Due to no fencing policy (Living Links) vegetation has been trampled where the initially installed fencing was. Complaints were made, and fencing has been reinstalled at sensitive areas but not in the Living Links area.
  • People concerned about polluted water pouring into the creek from a drain. Emily Boucher and Melbourne Water were informed. Apparently coming from the pumping station and not a concern.
  • George Woods Reserve. The granitic track has widened and eroded and tree roots exposed probably due to COVID causing increased activity.
  • Need to change Business cards, and to distribute Coast & Creek booklets.
  • Meeting concluded with a presentation to Nina for winning the Victorian Environment Friends Network Best Friends Award 2021.

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League Inc.

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Newsletter – August 2021

Mordialloc Creek Community Meeting

Mordialloc Creek Wetlands work to commence soon.
Project of Parks Victoria for the whole precinct including Pompies Landing and Attenborough Park.

Mordialloc Creek DELWP/GHD urban design for the future use in view of population increase. Comments from boat owners :

  • Important to maintain park lands for public use.
  • Protect the environment including birdlife.
  • The creek should not be widened.
  • Signs needed to alert visitors to the connection of Longbeach trail.

Removal of Level Crossings at Parkers and Warrigal Roads.

Opportunity to comment on Tim Richardson web site and Your Kingston Your Say. You can also register with LXRA for a Community Consultation and Engagement Session.

City of Kingston Walking & Cycling Strategy

Your Kingston Your Say during September & October. Using a shared digital mapping tool you are able to contribute to mapping out a pedestrian and cycling- friendly Kingston.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 1st April 2021

Correspondence

Out – Letter to Minister R. Wynne regarding the protection of Green Wedge.

Pompei Site development.

Second Hearing VCAT. Amenity, noise and vibration concerned not addressed by the developers .
Amended plans rejected.
Concern about an open storm water drain that has been damaged by developers. It is now a Council managed easement.

Peter Scullin Park Plan and Playspace renewal.

Concerns about the vegetation and preservation of understory. And as for the new toilet block to be located near the end of the pier!

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Newsletter – November 2020

Mordialloc Creek Master Plan Update

The 2004 Master Plan was last updated in September 2012. Much of the original upgrading has been completed. In this 2012 version retention of boating and fishing activity on and around the Pompei landing is emphasised. The proposed unit development on the site is not mentioned and will add to a demand for parking. The suggestion is that Attenborough Park be used for boat owner’s parking. An item of concern is the proposal to plant an avenue of Canary Island Palms around the Hazel Pierce Reserve on Beach Road. If anyone is concerned about this please start making enquiries. This was tried once before but the four palms were removed from the site!!

Protection of Westernport Bay

Victorian National Parks Association is appealing for funds for legal and scientific expertise to challenge the weakness of AGL’s claims for a floating gas import facility in the middle of protected wetlands at Crib Point .The entire Westernport Bay is a Ramsar listed wetland. The north arm of the Bay attracts 50,000 waterbirds and this is where AGL is proposing to discharge 47 kilograms of chlorine into the bay each day, if it is not stopped. Even AGL admits that this will exceed safe levels for marine life.

Oysters on the Pier

It seems the experiment to create artificial reefs around Port Phillip Bay to encourage oysters to grow for non-commercial purposes is successful. A recent report mentioned oysters are growing on Mordialloc Pier and on the existing reef to the south of the pier. Will the oysters be affected by the contamination coming out of Mordialloc Creek? Should there be a sign at the mouth of the creek warning the fishermen on the pier not eat the fish or oysters???

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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 – August 2020

Bay Trail

Notification from Council advises of forthcoming works for the final stage of the Bay Trail from Renninson Street to the Nepean Highway. Work is expected to finish in late November.  Last month electronic counters recorded 42,000 people trying out the recently completed Stage 2 Bay Trail Mentone LSC to Renninson Street.

Mordialloc Creek Contamination Report

An official warning has been issued to foreshore residents from Edithvale to Bonbeach warning them not to drink the ground water from their bores because it contains PFAS (poly-fluoroalkyl) an extremely cancerous chemical.

Toilet Block at Mordialloc Foreshore

As part of “improvements” to local parks Council intends to install “new, accessible toilet facilities” at Mordialloc foreshore near the pier and promenade. The design of this large, brick industrial looking building is out of character and will dominate the area.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Newsletter – July 2020

Mordialloc Creek Contamination Report

Prior to beginning dredging of the creek a comprehensive report of water quality was carried out. Metal contamination was recorded at all seven sites and exceeded screening levels for at least one contaminant (zinc). The other contaminants were cadmium, copper, lead, silver, mercury, arsenic and chromium depending on the site. There was no testing for PFAS but the report indicated that it was planned to check for that dangerous chemical at a later date.

Bay Trail Rennison Street to Mordialloc Creek

Tenders have gone out for this section of the trail due to commence September or October 2020.

Tree Planting Plan

Quarterly Report from Kingston Council outlines a proposed Street Tree Planting Plan. Council has worked with a consultant in the development of the plan which will provide a consistent approach to strategically prioritise tree planting and replacement based on a key criteria. This will include tree population, heat islands, population density, current tree cover and location in relation to remnant vegetation/habitat areas.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 6th November 2019

PFAS in Dunlops Drain

PFAS in Dunlops Drain which flows into Mordialloc Creek. Letter has been sent to the EPA. EPA first contacted August 28. No response for eight weeks so a letter sent- still no response. The matter raised again at the Mordialloc Creek Community Meeting December 2011. Reports on the large amount of plastic entering the creek via local drains in the industrial area.

Golf Clubs

Golf clubs are under threat from developers seeking to extend housing development into the Green Wedge. Residents are concerned about Kingswood although still used as a golf course, severe pruning of grass is causing concern as a walk with Jeff Yugovich and residents indicated.

LXRA Tree Planting

Crossing removals on the Frankston Line has resulted in removal of all the indigenous vegetation around the line and stations as work is carried out. It was alarming to find in the Council Agenda a report on LXRA work, an artist’s impression of a completed station surrounded by palm trees which are not indigenous to the Bayside suburbs. A letter has been sent to Head of LXRA, Kevin Devlin and Sonya Kilkenny, local ALP member requesting that any future planting around stations be indigenous trees only. No response from either party’s corresponded with.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 4th September 2019

MBCL 50th Anniversary

MBCL 50th anniversary was attended by 30 former and current members. It was great to see some of the original members who had established MBCL in 1969 and later Port Phillip Conservation Council with a view to protecting the foreshore around Port Phillip Bay and the creeks that flow into it. When some of the original meeting reports were checked for display it was found that in a 1972 report the EPA was concerned about pollution in Mordialloc Creek and debated whether the creek banks should be concrete lined. When the Dandenong Valley Authority decided to do just that MBCL president, Dr Len Warren and secretary,Mara Hayler where able to convince Mordialloc Council to oppose that option. The Metropolitan Board of Works then stepped in, retained the earthern banks, phragmitie reeds to clean the water and the indigenous Maleluccas on the creek banks banks. This area has become a popular bird habitat.

Mordialloc Creek

While it was interesting to re-read the 1972 Environment Protection Authority (EPA) report on the creek it is concerning that there is still pollution problems with drains flowing into the creek. For instance PFAS has been found in Dunlop Drain. This drain flows close to the Moorabbin airport which would have this highly polluting substance stored on hand since it is used for fighting fires. Expanding industrial businesses at Braeside have been found responsible for, and fined, for depositing plastic in either Heatherton or Settlement Drain which flows into the creek.

Dent’s Paddock

This is the last remaining block of remnant coastal vegetation in Chelsea . The proposal to develop will cause the removal of most of the vegetation and thus destroy the ecological value of the site. This lovely green space will be lost when only 23 trees out of 203 existing trees will be retained if the development proceeds. Development is causing the loss of trees and gardens throughout Kingston. It is claimed that all metropolitan suburbs should have at least 30% tree coverage to ameliorate climate crisis however the City of Kingston has only 14% coverage and continues to lose more trees through level crossing removals…30 lovely red flowering gums along the rail line between Mentone and Parkdale stations were removed to provide car parking spaces.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 7th August 2019

Mordialloc Freeway

A tour of the route of the proposed freeway was organised for the Member of the Victorian State Government Upper House. Clifford Hayas his personal adviser.Kelvin Thompson and two members of the anti Freeway Committee in August. Susan Ley, Federal Environment Minister, will present the decision of the EPBC when it is available. This will be the deciding factor for the approval of the freeway.

Tree Removals

Tragically 30 red flowering gums along side the rail line between Mentone and Parkdale stations have been removed and replaced with concrete. This is to provide parking for vehicles that can no longer be accommodated at the Mentone car park due to work on the removal of the rail crossing.

Affordable Housing

Affordable housing is badly needed in Mordialloc. Evidence of people sleeping on the bank of the creek near the pedestrian bridge was noted earlier this month. People were moved on but piles of plastic and other bits and pieces were left for Council to remove.

National Tree Planting Day

Three planting on National Tree Planting Day was successfully carried out by the NRA team and over a 100 volunteers at the George Woods Reserve. 1800 plants were installed near the pedestrian bridge and the boat ramp. It is pleasing to note how well trees are now growing along the Heatherton Drain outlet and further along the creek. A Nankeen Night Heron was noted perched on a tall tree with Cormorants nearby

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