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 February 2007

Forthcoming Events

EDO Native Vegetation & Policy Workshop Saturday 3rd March 10am-4pm at Mordialloc Neighbourhood House. BYO lunch.
Friends Seminar 2007. How to Win Friends & Satisfy People,Saturday,14 April 2007, 9.00am- -4pm The Green Building,60 Leicester Street, Carlton. Lunch will be provided by the Port Phillip And Westernport Catchment Management Authority. Phone 770 0996 for further info.

Francis Charles Rimington

Sincere thanks for the many messages of condolences, flowers & letters on the occasion of Francis Charles Rimington’s recent death. Frank supported MBCL during our meetings and on community days when he was a super salesman selling indigenous plants. He was also part of a Public Involvement Group with Shirley Straker and others who were responsible for planting Banksias at the Dixon Street car park at Parkdale foreshore in the 1980s. Sadly missed.

Coast and Creek Scenic Walks

We have been advised that we are eligible to receive a Melbourne Water Grant to assist with newsletters, advertising and hopefully, revising our brochure and booklet, Coast and Creek, containing Scenic Walks along the foreshore and Mordialloc Creek banks which have been wonderfully revegetated by the Natural Resource Crew and Mordialloc Creek Friends Group. Perhaps our way out of date web site could also be upgraded-who knows?

Kingston Round the Bay Bike Trail

G..Goode organized a meeting of reps. from PPCC,KCEC,MBCL and Beaumaris Conservation Society to meet with Janice Munt to check the state of play now that Parliament has resumed. It seems that Kingston planners and the odd councillor had also been to see the MP and issued threats along the lines of “If the bike path can’t be built where we want it on the cliff tops/dune area we won’t build it at all!” The usual arguments were produced by the council crew such as “It will be too dangerous to build the path alongside Beach Road” similar to the Bayside model and the shared pedestrian bike path in Mordialloc from Rennison Street, Parkdale to Mordialloc Creek which has functioned safely alongside Beach Road since 1984. Council intends to” consult the wider community” about the routé for the bike path despite both KCEC and Janice Munt having conducted surveys which proved convincingly that the community wish to retain the soft walking surfaces on the cliff tops under the trees which provides a sheltered attractive path similar to the Art Trail and walking track in Beaumaris Rod will reply to the Minister for Roads letter which also contains the usual reasons for refusing to consider KCEC options.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 1st November 2006

Environment Defenders Office

Native Vegetation Law Workshop Following discussion with Verity who is organizing the workshops it was decided to hold over the workshop until February 2007. EDO staff are prepared to conduct the workshop all day Saturday because they believe best value can be obtained over a longer period

Forthcoming Events

Friends of Bradshaw Park Working Bee will be held 10 am Saturday 16th December- weeding followed by a Christmas break-up BBQ!
Coast Action Coast Care Community Seminar 6th December 7pm-9pm at the Port Phillip Eco Centre, St Kilda – if you have the energy after the MBCL meeting!

Peter Scullin Reserve

It is obvious that the dry weather has played havoc with the revegetation program on the Scullin Reserve. Most of the metre tall she-oaks have died and groundcover plants are missing from their plastic shelters. The vandalized she- oaks, cut down Easter 2006 have not been replaced .The excuse given is that trees planted elsewhere on the Reserve compensate for vandalized trees. Council officer responsible claims that groundcover and trees are watered fortnightly. Clearly that’s not enough plus the fact that the shelter belt of coast wattle is no longer surrounding the Reserve to offer protection.

Parkdale Plaza

Judy reported on the residents meeting to deal with issues resulting from semi-trailers now exiting into Melrose Street and turning right into White Street thereby causing congestion in this busy arterial road. VCAT gave permission for the traffic movement despite Council’s objections.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 5th May 2004

Guest Speaker – Tony Collins

Guest Speaker Tony Collins presented a comprehensive report on the work of the NRA team commencing with the loss of Rob Jones to Bayside Council and his replacement with Lee James. A Green Corp Project, a training scheme for ten 17-18 year old students on work experience aims to fence the spinifex area at Bay Street. Work continues on the south bank of Mordialloc Creek with funding provided by Melbourne Water. Mordialloc College Years 9/10 students are involved in this project supervised by the NRA team. Plans include extending the riparian zone. Friends of Mordialloc Creek will assist with a planting day 5th June. Friends of Chicquita Park met with Tony Collins, David Digby and Jeff Yugovic as part of the community consultation to cost a vegetation management plan for the park. Concern at a statement made at an open council meeting that, “there should be a councillor on the committee who is opposed to the retention of the park in order to provide balance!” There is also reluctance to including the 2.4ha per 1000 people ARCUE measurement in the Open Space Review to give an accurate estimate of the lack of open space in Kingston. Met with Catherine Costello from Biosis on site to plan for the hand over of Epsom’s Herb Rich Grassy wetlands in January. 8000 plants per year are planted on the foreshore from Carrum to Mentone. A trial with geo-textile sand bags is planned to attempt to arrest erosion at Bonbeach. Still concern at the vandalism of foreshore vegetation in Kingston and Bayside. Request to write to Council asking for signs to be erected at the scene of tree vandalism. Discussed the siting of the Bay Trail Bicycle Path. This will involve a consultation process June 7th at Brindisi Street. Thank Tony for keeping us informed of the valuable work of the NRA team.
VCAT Hearing re four town houses in an Incremental Change Area in Chelsea. KRAMMED was an objector on behalf of residents. This development is 800 metres from Chelsea Station.

541 Main Street

1259 proformas collected during the campaign opposing the 5 storey development were sent to Mary Delahunty and presented to council by Nina and Brian. The architect /developer of 541 didn’t waste any time, the precedent having been set. A similar application is now before council for 334-337 Station Street, Chelsea. None of the three State Government reps. have shown any interest in preventing inappropriate development in either Mordialloc or Chelsea. The June edition of the VLGA Bulletin asks a pertinent question. “Do we want activity centres or congestion centres? Certainly traffic congestion will be increased both in Mordialloc and Chelsea shopping strips if these developments proceed with 21 apartments and four retail outlets proposed for Chelsea and 16 apartments in Mordialloc.

Pitrones Retirement Village

Pitrones Retirement Village in a Green Wedge was supported by Council’s Strategic Planner but opposed by Councillors so will now go to VCAT.

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