Meeting Minutes » 2015 »

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 2nd December 2015

Floral Survey of Indigenous Plants

David gave a comprehensive coverage of the survey which he has completed regarding indigenous plants on Kingston Foreshore. Unfortunately he found that there has been a decline in plants in some areas possibly due to drought and the increasing use of the foreshore by the public. Bronwen suggested that the survey be placed on individual websites. Lewis suggested that this important information would make a good press release. Nina, Liz and Bronwen to liaise to produce a media release in February.

Correspondence

Incoming letter concerning the application for a Memorial Park in Kingston’s Green Wedge. A planning permit will be required before this project can go-ahead however the Planning Minister can make a decision resulting in compulsory acquisition if the application is approved.

Mordialloc Creek

Mordialloc Boat Owners and Fishermen will be delighted now that the Andrew’s Labor Government has agreed to provide funds for the installation of new wave baffles at the mouth of Mordialloc Creek. The announcement was made at a meeting on site in December to which MBCL was invited.

An impressive line up of politicians were present as well as Parks Victoria and Mordialloc Motor Yacht Club people. Politicians present were Mark Dreyfus, Opposition Attorney General, Tim Richardson, Mordialloc MP and Ports Minister, Luke Donnellan. Wave baffles are timber structures placed on both sides of the creek to reduce wave energy flowing upstream during severe storms and thus preventing wreckage of boats moored in the creek.

Green Wedge

The Green Wedge Coalition Metting at RMIT in December was attended by Cr West , W.Grahame and M.Rimington. Incursions into Green Wedges in the western areas especially is concerning as valuable farmland is being covered in concrete as residential development expands. Fortunately the GW Coalition has gained a new member with years of planning experience who is prepared to advise on planning issues when required.

It is now being realised that urban sprawl could eat up Melbourne’s foodbowl and see future generations starved of local produce if governments do not protect agricultural land on the cities fringes and outer suburbs according to an independent report by Foodprint Melboourne, a collaboration between Melbourne University and Victorian Eco Innovation Lab. The report warns that 16% of the farmland in Melbourne’s foodbowl may be lost “if current trends are maintained, including up to 77% in the inner foodbowl.” (Melbourne’s Foodbowl: Now and at seven million)

Timber Yard Development

Nina reports that the development of 68 units has some sustainable features and is an improvement on the original plan which had many more dwellings. Penny reported seeing the latest development on Channel 72 at 11pm. However latest report is that Kingston Council has refused the application which now probably goes to VCAT.

Beaumaris Cliffs and Fossil Site

Another ancient artifact, dating back more than five million years ,has been found at this site. This extremely rare fossil was found adjacent to the Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron and will be placed in the Museum Victoria’s invertebrate collection. The committee involved in reviewing our original submission to have the Beaumaris Cliffs listed as a Heritage site, has completed the review and sent the submission to the appropriate authorities.

Level Cross Removals

Consultation will be required to decide which method is to be used to dispense with boom gates on the Frankston line so that motorists no longer have a long wait at crossings especially at peak hours. Under consideration are two storey high double or triple rail lines from Aspendale to Frankston, or a cut-and-cover method such as at present being constructed at Bentleigh, Ormond and McKinnon stations and has been successfully completed at Nunawading station on the Lilydale line.

While it is claimed that the elevated line is cheaper to build it is likely to be noisier and more obtrusive the cut and cover method. Problems such as access for disabled, elderly ,wheel chairs and prams in the elevated model would surely require large, fast lifts as well as escalators for peak hour public transport users especially.

Mordialloc Life Saving Club Landscaping

At a meeting with council officers in December landscaping when the construction of the LSC is finished was discussed.One issue was the removal, or not, of the pleasant, well-used little path from Beach Road(opposite Owen Street) to the foreshore. If this path is removed to allow re-vegetation it means that pedestrians would have to use the Centreway to Foreshore path through the Scullin Reserve, or a path through the car park at the new LSC, or the path opposite Epsom Road to the foreshore . The existing little path is the most convenient access also for cars parking along Beach Road at that point.

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League Inc

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 4th November 2015

Correspondence

Nina has compiled submissions to Council re Henwood Cottage due to be further developed. This is one of Mordialloc’s oldest buildings formerly a fishermans’s cottage. Nina has also responded to the proposed 64 unit development of timber yard land in Albert Street, Mordialloc. The public has been invited to comment on Plan Melbourne Refresh.A submission has been sent from MBCL. While there appear to be improvements in some areas these are countradicted further on. For example while councils have to decide where Residential Growth Zones are to be located councils also have to protect existing dwellings in these areas. Difficult to achieve in high density activity centres surely.

Victorian Environmental Assessment Council

VEAC is inviting submissions for a Draft Proposals Paper for an Historic Places Investigation. Subs close 22 December. An opportunity to learn more about this investigation on December 10 at the Royal College of Surgeons, 240-290 Spring Street, Melbourne . Ph 1800 134 803.

Sustainability Fund-Priority Statement

Use of Victoria’s Landfill Levies – what will we invest in they ask . One possibility would be to spend the levies on restoring the green wedge land in preparation for the GW to become the long awaited Chain of Parks in the sandbelt area.

Green Wedge Coalition Meeting

Green Wedge Coalition Meeting recently at RMIT was attended by two MBCL members. Unfortunately the wedges are being nibbled away in the Northern areas particularly but also in the South East around Cranbourne. Fortunately a new member who has worked as a planner has joined the Coalition. Work continues on Yammerbook Reserve Stage 2B with extension of paths connecting to the Long Beach Trail. Work is to commence in the industrial estate on the northern side of Mordialloc Creek above Wells Road Bridge .This will involve creating wetlands by removing the bank as has been done upstream in Waterways Residential Estate. The Herb-rich Grassy Plains Wetlands will be “mostly saved”but Malelucas further to the east will be lost unfortunately. It has been suggested to Kingston Council previously that a bike path constructed on the south bank of Mordialloc Creek, from Wells Road Bridge to Bowen Road, would be an improvement on the present track which is actually a Melbourne Water maintenance track below the level of the levee bank with views of the back of houses. This track becomes waterlogged in wet weather whereas if the track was constructued on the levee bank itself there would be views to the Dandenongs and bird life in the wetlands.

Further Green Wedge News

Walter reported on a meeting -Peninsula Speaks, where he spoke about the South East section of Green Wedge with different problems to those of the Mornington Peninsula GW. Walter also attended Environment Victora’s AGM and was impressed with the attendance -150 mainly young people, some professional . Also suggested that instead of the Government building the unnecessary Mornington Peninsula Freeway Springvale Road be used if yet another road is required.

Beaumaris Fossil Cliffs

It has been suggested that Victoria should have a fossil as a logo as some other States have. Murray Orr, who has acquired many fossils washed up on Beaumaris sea ledges, is checking to see if local schools would be interested in promoting this scheme. It seems unlikely that the fossil cliffs and sea ledges could be included in the Historic Places investigation currently underway even though the cliffs are on Crown land.

Another attempt at nominating the cliffs for Heritage listing will be made in November.

Port Phillip Conservation Council

AGM had an interesting speaker from Deakin University whose subject was the importance of wetlands, seagrass and mangroves as a means of absorbing blue carbon- more effective apparently than forests of trees. Therefore the destruction of mangroves and seagrass through dredging and filling wetland marshes for development is unwise and wasteful.

Mordialloc Surf Life Saving Club Landscaping

A meeting Thursday 19th November, proved to have a better outcome than anticipated. Two new Council staff were found to be as keen as MBCL to retain as much foreshore vegetation as possible even. An ugly, rusty iron fence around a boardwalk was a disappointment but it may disappear to be replaced with a more sensitive material. A further piece of good news was the decision by council planners to route the final section of Kingston’s Bay Trail back-of-kerb from Bay Street car park to the Scullin Reserve- that is along part of the 1984 shared bicycle/pedestrian path from Renninson Street car park to the Scullin Reserve! This may mean removal of some of the mature trees along this section of the trail unless the path can be split around them.

Broken Hill Runs Out of Water

Sunday Age 22 November reports that very soon the outback town will run out of fresh water from the nearby lakes for the first time in any-one’s memory. With rain unlikely in late January the last water that can be treated conventionally will run out . After that the town will need to switch to bore water.

When full the seven lakes that comprise the Menindee Lake System –ephemeral natural lakes hold three times more than Sydney Harbour. Now they are virtually running on empty. Cotton farmers further north are being blamed by some locals- others blame the Murray-Darling Basin Authority. The Darling River is now a muddy trickle also and the only sign of water in Lake Menindee- one of the largest lakes is a mirage.The public also believe that at one stage the NSW Government was planning for Broken Hill to move from surface water to bore water. It is possible that with so much fracking occurring in NSW is also depleting the lake, rivers and bore water -something that Victoria will have to watch if fracking begins in this State.

Well Folks We’ve Come to the End of Another Busy Year

Try to have a restful break over the holiday period without too much stress so that you can come back next year invigorated ready to done the armour and battle the foe- I.m sure there’ll be one to battle.

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League Inc

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 2nd September 2015

Canterbury Road Industrial Estate

Plans are underway to commence a Melbourne Water wetland in the Industrial Estate on the North Bank of Mordialloc creek above Wells Road bridge. Revised plans for the proposed wetland are designed to preserve a significant remnant of Herb-Rich Plains Grassy Wetlands. A Living Links tour of Long Beach Trail/Centre Swamp Drain showed highlighted Melbourne Waters recent plantings between Yammerbook Reserve and the Aspendale Gardens Oval.

Green Wedge

The Green Wedge is once again under threat –this time the arable market garden land could become a Memorial Park/cemetery. Letters have been sent to the Age and local newspapers deploring the latest attempt to disrupt plans for the long awaited Sandbelt Open Spaces Parkland for this section of the South East Green Wedge.

Bay Trail

With the first section of Kingston’s Round the Bay trail bike track completed- Charman Road to Mentone Lifesaving Club-it was felt that MBCL should seek consultation with Council officers involved with completion of the trail to Mordialloc Creek. This will involve siting the trail in a difficult section -MLSC to Mentone Parade – containing remnant vegetation i.e. Nodding Greenhoods. Approval was given by the OIC for a discussion of areas of concern along the route with the officer overseeing the work and a fruitful discussion took place in September. At least seven bus stops and numerous light poles make this a difficult stretch and may require some back-of -kerb sections and some sections on existing granitic shared paths.

Melrose Street, Mordialloc

Mordialloc – A Middle Ring Suburb is under attack with Melrose Street residents faced with further development of Parkdale Plaza. The oldest dwelling in Mordialloc,- heritage listed Henwood Cottage in Park Street, is to have additional development likely to receive approval. The old Timber Yard in Albert Street has changed hands again, now seemingly owned by enthusiastic young Asians ,who claim to have sold 39 of the 68 apartments in Casa Del Mar , yet to receive Council approval. Interesting to note that six heritage homes, lovingly renovated in Barkly Street ,have not yet been demolished although approved for multiple unit development.

Beaumaris Fossil Cliffs and Ledges 

Another attempt is being made to have the cliffs and sea ledges selected for the Victorian Heritage list. Date due for submission is November. Members of supporting groups, including MBCL, were invited to Government House in August in recognition of the work of volunteers in Landcare throughout Victoria. Judy represented MBCL and enjoyed the experience immensely.

Rare Win!

Environment minister, Lisa Neville has ordered Kingston Council to remove any reference to “protecting private bay views from its coastal management plan and to ensure it continued to plant a variety of trees” including over storey species i.e. Banksias and She-oaks. Council can now support natural regeneration of existing coastal banksia and black she-oak. New plantings will be promoted in cases of environmental vandalism.

Against the Grain

Former president/secretary of Kingston Conservation & Environment Coalition, Bill Hampel has written a book, Against the Grain, in which he introduces 14 Victorian farmers and describes how they are restoring their land while responding to the threat of climate change.

Bill devotes much of the book to giving a context for climate change, sets out the science underpinning climate change and discusses Australia’s response to it in terms of the media and politics. Published by Rosenberg Publishing 2015, soft cover, 280 pages RRP $29.95. Sounds like a good read.

Cheetham Salt Field

Geelong Envirornment Council is appealing for assistance because the Moolap Wetlands Park may be threatened with development. This wetland is a unique foreshore site consisting of 465 hectares of coastal saltmarsh and wetland habitat with significant environmental, archaeological and social values. The Moorlap wetland habitat supports migratory and non- migratory shorebirds and although not yet listed under the RAMSAR Convention, it has a crucial function on the western side of Port Phillip Bay, Lake Connewarre & Swan Bay in the survival of shorebirds and waterbirds already facing the loss of habitat along their migratory paths. Coastal Saltmarsh (Ecological Vegetation Class 9) provides critical habitat for the EPBC Act 1999 listed Orange-bellied Parrot. Coastal Saltmarsh is present in the wetland and adjacent Point Henry sites and is of high significance as it is endangered in the Otway Plains Bioregion Smaller closed areas of Submerged Herbfields dominated by beaded Glasswort. Development will affect tidal and hydrological patterns and vegetation growth patterns.

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League Inc

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 5th August 2015

At The End of A Busy Year

Special thanks to committed environmentalists who support, not only our group, but keep us informed about conservation work by other groups. Walter and Nina perform a valuable role here by attending meetings and or/working bees and reporting back to MBCL. Judy, our President, has been instrumental in alerting us to the significance of the Beaumaris fossil cliffs and sea ledges and linking up with Sandringham /Beaumaris residents seeking to protect the cliffs from further marina development. Penny is a member of a local committee working to protect Heritage features such as the Mentone Station Gardens. Stephen, our measurement man, is invaluable in checking work on the Bay Trail and has found that there has been deviation from plans leading to encroachment into a much used park near Charman Road.Tony Collins kindly attends alternate MBCL meetings to keep us up to date with the valuable work which Council undertakes in sports grounds and Parks. Last, but certainly not least, grateful thanks to our most efficient Treasurer and especially to Fiona, IT specialist extraordionaire,without whom this newsletter would not have appeared this month!

Victoria National Park Association

AGM Tuesday 6th October ground floor meeting room 60 Leicester Street Carlton, 7pm. Nibbles and drinks provided.

Mordialloc Creek

MBCL made a submission to Melbourne Water’s Draft Flood Management Strategy for both Port Phillip and Westernport Catchments. Mordialloc Creek has been the centre of flood events since European settlement – major floods occurring in 1934 and 1952 and more recently in 1994. Kingston Council has been carrying out major drainage work which may help alleviate local flooding in future, however the fact that approval is still being given for developments on flood prone land in the Mordialloc Creek catchment means that run-off from increasing hard surface areas means that flash flooding will continue and probably increase locally. Check the attachment for a report on a working bee in the Mordialloc Creek reserve.

Legal Liability for Damages Following Approval of Development on Unstable Land

This matter was in response to a Notion of Motion presented by Kingston’s Councillor Cr West – a request for an assessment from lawyers of what Kingston Council’s (i.e Councillors and rate payers ) legal liability would be if Kingston Council staff and Councillors approve developments on known flood plain or unstable ground and damage occurs. Advice from lawyers was in part that Council should liasise with Melbourne Water Corporation in relation to the adequacy of the existing identification and mapping of flood plains within the municipality.

Port Phillip Conservation Council

Speaker at the PPCC AGM 7pm Monday 19th October at Long Beach Place, Chelsea Road, Chelsea. Guest Speaker will be Carolyn Ewers, Marine and Coastal Ecologist and doctoral candidate at Deakin University’s Centre for Integrative Ecology. Topic :- Blue carbon hotspots: Distribution and abundance of blue carbon in Victoria and focuses on understanding the dynamics of carbon sequestration in saltmarshes, mangroves and seagrasses to maximise carbon gains in coastal ecosystem restoration projects. Anyone interested in this topic is welcome to attend.

Bay Trail

In addition to the loss of 9 metres of parkland during the construction of the northern end of the Bay Trail (noted by Stephen), during the replacement of toilets and rejuvenation of Dixon Street and Antibes car parks the proposed route of back-of-kerb bike path seems to have been ignored by placement of the toilet blocks, new kerbing and revegetation by council foreshore staff. There has been a total lack of public consultation (as opposed to discussion with a carefully selected few) over the progress of the Bay Trail construction.

Green Wedge

At the last meeting of the Biodiversity and Climate Change Committee a progress report was given on planned uses in the GW. Certain Kingston Councillor weren’t happy with a previous report supporting retention of green wedge boundaries and uses and voted for Meinhardt consultants to review the previous report. Fortunately Meinhardt consultants supports Kingston’s Green Wedge Plan 2012 :preferred land uses environmental and natural resources.

Melrose Street, Mordialloc

In the State Government’s most recent residential planning schemes, Parkdale Plaza, abutting Melrose Street is the only area in Melbourne that is requesting that a section of the Plaza change from commercial to residential. While this is strongly supported by the residents, the tenants of shops in the Plaza are not in favour. Residents living in close proximity, (virtually across a narrow street from the back of the businesses) will have even greater aggravation from increased noise and traffic, Council supports the change but the State Government is dragging its feet over the outcome. A Panel Hearing is to hear the application next month.

Indian Temple

Somewhat of a Surprise to find that an Indian temple has been operating for a couple of years in what, from the Frankston railway line, appears to be a galvanised iron, vandalised and graffited shed! However the interior has apparently been refurbished to the required standards. The area is primarily a boat building, launching and maintenance site for small boat owners and is to remain so according to the City of Mordialloc (now Kingston) Structure Plan in order to retain Mordialloc’s fishing village atmosphere. During King tides, southwesterly gales and high rainfall in the catchment the creek overflows its banks and the area is flooded.

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League Inc

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservaton League – Minutes – 7th July 2015

Draft Flood Management Strategy

Melbourne Water invited submissions for their Draft Flood Management Strategy –Port Phillip and Westernport. Infrastructure upgrades are planned to minimise flood risk especially on the vulnerable eastern side of Port Phillip Bay which has been subject to severe storm surges and flooding since European settlement. Climate change and increased urban development in middle ring suburbs of Kingston has put greater pressure on drainage systems. MBCL has prepared and forwarded a submission the MW Land Development Team.

Green Wedge Land

Once again defenders of the South East Green Wedge are indebted to Barry Ross for his professional defence and success at VCAT. An application for rezoning land to provide for horse agistment, if approved, could have resulted in future subdivision of the blocks for residential development. The Defenders are anxiously awaiting the Planning Minister, Richard Wynne’s,decision on Alex Fraser’s application for a further fifteen year lease for the concrete crusher works on Heatherton Road. This win will provide a valuable precedent for other VCAT Hearing in future.

Union of Australian Women

The speaker at a recent meeting of the Southern Branch of the UAW was the former member for Mordialloc, Janice Munt, now working for a Minister whose portfolio is dealing with family violence. Disturbing facts and figures were presented to demonstrate the increase in the community of this problem. Details can be found in the UAW (Vic) , August 15, newsletter presented by Mairi Neil.

Next meeting of the UAW at Mordialloc Neighbourhood House will be August 15th @ 2pm. Speaker will be Pauline Brown, Labor for Refugees.

National Heritage Places

Deakin University Researcher , Dr Paul Carnell, a Marine and Freshwater Ecologist, will be speaking at Rickett’s Point 22nd August. Matter under discussion is making a plan for managing a National Heritage Place such as Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention and Australian Heritage Council Act 2003.

State Environment Protection Policy (Water) Review

A discussion paper State Environment Protection Policy (Water) Review included SEPP Waters of Victoria and Groundwater of Victoria. MBCL’s submission concentrated on the importance of protecting groundwater. For example in 1991 of Victoria’s 69,000 bores, over 24,000 were in use supplying sixty Victorian towns totally dependent on groundwater for domestic supplies. Today large potato and carrot producers near Murrayville and Kaniva are relying on groundwater drawn 24/7 from aquifers fed from the Murray Darling Basin. The demand for water in the South Eastern province will continue to grow as the Berwick/Pakenham Growth Corridor develops and future intensification of production, possibly from large foreign owned properties, will increase the demand for groundwater.

Groundwater from the Fyansford-Brighton Group Aquifers in the Southeast Province is considered to be a significant source of water to wetlands particularly to the Carrum Seaford wetlands and is therefore an important beneficial use worthy of protection. Groundwater is subject to the dynamics of underground flow from recharge to discharge areas and to chemical,physical and biological interaction with surface and subsurface environment. The rate of aquifer discharge depends on factors such as climate,vegetation cover and human activities, for example adding waste water contaminants from coal seam gas mining to the rivers and aquifers as is happening to Queensland Rivers and the Great Artesian Basin as a result of fracking. Resource depletion occurs when there is over pumping resulting in confined and unconfined aquifers allowing intrusion of inferior quality groundwater from another aquifer, lake or sea.

REFERENCES FOR GROUNDWATER AND AQUIFERS

  1. “Foolish planning forgets about food.” Age Editorial 25 May 2012
  2. Leonard,John. Port Phillip Region Groundwater Resources- Future Use and Management

Department of Water Resources, Victoria p.250

  1. Great Artesian Coal Seam Gas Risk in the Australian 7 November 2011

Port Phillip Conservation Council

AGM at LongBeach Community Centre Speaker will discuss the importance of wetlands as a means of absorbing carbon. Watch for date of this important event MBCL members would be welcome as we are also members of PPCC!

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League Inc.

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservaton League – Minutes – 3rd June 2015

Green Wedge

There appears to have been some light at the end of the tunnel with the report from Barry Ross, Secretary, defenders of the Green Wedge after a deputation to see the Planning Minister, Richard Wynne.  Sustainability Victoria has now acknowledged that the Kingston/Dingley Waste Hub should be located in an industrial area.  However the Minister is still considering the Alex Fraser lease application for a further 15 years for the concrete crushing business to remain on Heatherton Road.

Bay Trail

Will certainly cause headaches for builders further down the track.  Nice new concrete curbing at the Antibes car park will have to be removed when the Bay Trail reaches that point it seems!

Continue reading »

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservaton League – Minutes – 1st April 2015

Mordialloc Creek Catchment

Four Friends of Mordialloc Creek Catchment and two Council rangers attended a working bee Saturday 11th April planting the north-western perimeter of the Epsom Wetland with Water Ribbons for frog habitat, Swamp Goodenia groundcover and Swamp Melaleuca. A dead Murray River Short-necked Turtle was found with its head bitten possibly by a dog,domestic cat, feral cat or fox. Query raised about ensuring that tall shrubby vegetation being kept well back from wetland edges to reduce predation on birds and water creatures.

Bradshaw Bushland Reserve

Ecological burn was conducted, 31 March in the centre of the reserve without incident, to stimulate the germination of local native plants, some of which may not have been seen for many years. Railway fencing replacement will start soon.

Native Vegetation Clearing Regulations

Nina Springle, Greens MLC for SE Region, Victorian Greens Ellen Sandell ,environment portfolio, and Samantha Dunn, local Government portfolio will work together towards achieving better native vegetation protection.

Special Meeting on Public Transport Issues 

Wednesday, 20 May , 7pm at Mordialloc Neighbourhood House, 457 Main Street , Mordialloc. Hosted by local environment groups, KCEC and KRA in association with Public Transport Not Traffic (STOP)  Discussion will include government plans for level crossings in Kingston and how this may affect residents.

George Woods Reserve

A new kindergarten is being built in this Reserve plus a large playground on the Aboretum, a pleasant, grassed area with a variety of Australian trees. Unfortunately some of these trees have recently been cut down. The suitability of the site for a children’s playground has been raised with Council. It was pointed out that the playground will be concealed behind the kindergarten and the Scout Hall therefore not visible from the road whereas an existing small playground, the other side of the launching ramp car park, is visible from a busy road and close to toilets with ample room for a large playground to be constructed on this site. The new playground will require a new toilet and other facilities.                                                   .

Beaumaris Fossil Site and Sea Ledges

Dr Vicki Karalis reports that a revised version of Judy’s (MBCL) submission to the National Heritage Register with contributions by Dr Tim Flannery, Dr Stephen Fitzgerald and Dr John Buckeridge is being compiled. These gentlemen, plus Professor Michael Buxton, have met with members of the Andrew’s Government to acquaint them with the significance of the fossil site.

Green Wedge

Walter was a member of a group who met with Labor Member for Mordialloc, Tim Richardson. to discuss the importance of retaining the Green Wedge for food production, recreational activities and open space for an expanding population. The group included Jane Stubbs, leader Environment Victoria. The C143 Panel Hearing into the Green Wedge held recently included land owners seeking residential permits for residential development. Barry Ross, an experienced defender of the GW, spoke extremely well, “nailed them on every point!” It is felt that the GW , with a change of Government ,is safe for the moment.

Mordialloc Bypass

Walter has alerted Get Up, Environment Victoria and Tim Richardson,ALP of the Napthine Government’s pre-election support for yet another freeway to the Mornington Peninsula. Construction of this freeway would require an overpass over Governor Road, Waterways wetlands, Mordialloc Creek and in close proximity to residential development on the other side of the creek. The alternative to a freeway is to divert addition traffic to Springvale Road.

Bay Trail

Work has commenced at the northern, Charman Road end of the Bay Trail. Vegetation is being removed with gusto. It was disappointing that Stephen’s detailed measurements of the traffic lanes and gravel verge were not used at the Panel Hearing ,as evidence that additional seasonal parking which Council is kindly providing for the Mentone Lifesaving Club, is unnecessary. In fact, is in contradiction of Council’s Coastal Management Plan.

Mordialloc Life Saving Surf Club Development

Despite reassuring noises made when MBCL raised concerns about possible loss of mature vegetation in front of the new LSC building, our modest suggestion of realigning one of two wide lanes leading to the beach to protect vegetation, it was claimed that it was not possible. Wide lanes and vegetation removal is required for observation purposes. This despite the fact that this two storey building will be built on the highest point of the foreshore, a pleasant, sheltered , grassy sand dune popular with visitors as a sheltered picnic spot.

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League Inc.

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 4th March 2015

Removal of Vegetation on Mordialloc Foreshore

Nina and Mary attended the Council Planning meeting Wednesday 18th February where the issue of the removal of locally indigenous vegetation is to be removed prior to the construction of a large, two storey lifesaving building on the elevated primary dune. Because of the elevated site of the replacement building, it does not seem necessary to remove so much vegetation.  MBCL’s position is that, at very least, a stand of six Casuarinas could be retained if a path is realigned.  This foreshore vegetation was planted by Mordialloc Council approx 40 years ago and has struggled to survive in the sandy soil and harsh salt wind environment, now when the trees have reached maximum (medium) height they are to be removed to provide large surf boats with a path to the water.

Continue reading »

Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 4th February 2015

Communities for Nature Funding

In contrast to Kingston foreshore residents who have had inserted into Kingston’s coastal Management Plan that “Council will cease planting the tree species, Coast Banksia and Black She-oak, on the foreshore to reduce any future impact on private bay views” two Somers groups have received funding for a program designed to “support local environmental projects that protect and support native plants and animals.” A display of photos was on display telling the story of five years of hard work undertaken by the Friends restoring the Coastal Banksia Woodland and remnant dune scrub of the Reserve.  (Somers Paper Nautilus, Issue 55, Nov 2014 – Jan 2015)

Continue reading »