Neighbourhood Character Study
May has certainly been a busy month with meetings and workshops and now the Neighbourhood Character Study to unravel. Consultants Curry and Brown claim that Kingston is managing to cope with housing demand and doesn’t require changes, however Ethos Consultants, presenting the current study, are claiming that there must be higher density housing around the Activity Centres in Kingston on the Frankston line. This three storey development should extend for 800 metres walking distance from the stations. Residents have made it clear that they want gardens and trees, and definitely do not want two storey buildings in the back yards of houses when development is taking place. In other words they want Mordialloc to retain the family friendly atmosphere for which it is famous.
It was pleasing to learn that “old Mordialloc” retains its Heritage listing and that Ormond Street has been able to have at least two lovely little Edwardian cottages Heritage listed. Unfortunately two Edwardian houses in Barkly street are to be sold so will probably be demolished and replaced with three storey characterless blocks of units.
Mordialloc Creek Community Meeting
Mordialloc Creek Community Meeting discussed dredging the creek from the mouth up as far as the rail bridge. The contaminated dredge spoil will not be pumped onto Aspendale beach as happens when the creek mouth is dredged. This spoil will have to be either deposited in landfill or into the dredge spoil grounds in Port Phillip Bay where the Yarra spoil is deposited. Whichever it is it will be expensive.
5th Mordialloc Sea Scouts
5th Mordialloc Sea Scouts are looking for a new home and an extension to the 4th Mordialloc building on George Woods Reserve was mentioned. However a better idea would be for the 5th Sea Scouts to move in with the Mordialloc Sailing Club at Aspendale Beach where they could store their own boats or use the club boats. When discussed with a Sailing Club member he seemed quite pleased. Mentone Girl Guides have use of Parkdale Yacht Club. Multiple use of buildings would reduce the expense for Council who has to keep providing venues for various sporting groups and then having to maintain them.
Mordialloc Creek
A query to Melbourne Water re the PFAS in Dunlops Drain flowing into Mordialloc Creek was answered with a phone call from Melbourne Water’s maintenance department who are responsible for cleaning out the drain.. It was known that PFAS was present in the drain and it was planned to remove the contaminated silt possibly in July and deposited in landfill. It was also stated that many waterways and wetlands have these contaminants in them as a result of fighting bushfires.
Kayak Cleaners
Local residents concerned about rubbish lining the banks of Mordialloc Creek used their kayaks to collect the rubbish and deposit in it containers to be collected by Council. Well done, them!
Pompei Heritage Listing
The Heritage listing of Pompei’s boat shed was not agreed to unfortunately. The committee suggested seeking local heritage listing from Kingston Council.
Coastal Management Study
Coastal Management Study at Seaford lifesaving Club was attended by members of MBCL, Port Phillip Conservation Council, Frankston Council coastal staff amongst others. This was intended to encourage volunteers to monitor their beaches and exchange ideas. 13-14 June the 2019 Victorian Marine and Coastal Forum will take place at the Crown Centre Southbank. This forum aims to bring together coastal and marine managers, researchers and volunteers.
Parkdale Yacht Club
Parkdale Yacht Club is being protected by truck loads of sand trucked from Mordialloc Beach to replenish their beach,however with the present wild weather. the sand might end up back on the Mordialloc beach!
Beach Road Boulevarde
It seems Vic Roads doesn’t want Banksias planted along Beach Road Bay Trail as part of the Bouelvarde considering them to be dangerous. However there are Banksias all the way along Beach Road Bay Trail through Beaumaris.
Election After Thoughts
What a pity that the Labor Party didn’t at least mention water shortage when campaigning recently. Towns in outback NSW don’t have any water, the Menindee Lakes and Darling River are dry, Queensland farmers are concerned that the their Premier has given Adani an unlimited supply of groundwater for 60 years. Apparently politicians have been reassuring people that the Great Anesian Basin water can be replaced, but the former Dean of Monash University,Prof Swan, “said the world’s groundwater is being mined to exhaustion and the hydrologist’s promise that it can be replaced by seasonal rain is fatally flawed”. His book “AVoyage of Discovery“ provides evidence that we are on the edge of a huge, little understood catastrophe.” Groundwater water is finite fed from subterranean water from deep inside the earth. Mound springs are already drying up. The information can be found by Googling Adani