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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 6th December 2017

Bay Trail

On the 24th January, Council approved completion of the Bay Trail as planned. VicRoads and Bicycle Network Victoria supported the plan, as did Kingston’s five intelligent councillors who have had so much to put up with from noisy minority.

Neighbourhood Character Study for Ormond Street?

Residents are attempting to save some of this small street of original dwellings. In this area, Collacott and Abrkly Street some of the houses had stables for rac horses in the back yard. The last of these in Collacott street was still being used as such in the 1990s when it was considered environmentally harmful to have waste from the stables flowing into drains and ultimately into the creek and Bay.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 1st November 2017

Groves Reserve

Three MBCL members met with the Local Member to discuss the potential threat to the Banksia Woodland as a result of the SES being offered use of the site for a replacement depot. The current Scope building is situated on Crown land. Both VicRail and VicRoad own strips of land on either side of this building. It is thought that the building could be reconfigured to accommodate both the Scope building and the SES. There may be a scar three on Groves Reserve.

Dent’s Paddock

VCAT was not happy with the extent of vegetation which would be removed if the development of 14 units went ahead on this lovely little piece of bushland at Edithvale – a suburb short of open space. Land is in limbo at present Local residents would like Council to buy the land for open space as has been done where two house blocks were bought for that purpose.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 4th October 2017

Mordialloc Bypass

Five members of VicRoads attended the October meeting plus two members of the Braeside Park Committee.This commenced at 3pm and was a robust discussion. The 9km stretch of four lane freeway (with provision for two extra lanes later) runs adjacent to the Braeside Park boundary and encroaches on the South West corner of the park before crossing Governor Road and entering the wetlands to an elevated road. There is significant vegetation in this section. Passing in close proximity to the Waterways Residential estate as an elevated roadway will create noise issues requiring sound barriers adding to the visual impact. The elevated road will cross the Mordialloc Creek and passover Aspendale Gardens homes before joining Springvale Road.

The meeting concluded at 4pm. Since then there has been an invitation to walk a section of the route with the VicRoads people at a date still to be decided.

Coast and Creek Booklet

The Coast and Creek booklet has been printed and copies have been placed at the front desk of the Council Chambers with Kingston Council’s approval. It is planned to place some in the Parkdale Library and in some schools if they are interested. There is some concern about the Mornington Peninsula Freeway crossing Mordialloc Creek because of disturbance of acid sulphate soil that will occur during construction work with pollution entering the creek.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 6th September 2017

Coast and Creek Booklet

The booklet has been printed and is available for perusal! It is Planned ot place some booklets in the local library and with Council. We are indebted to the graphic artist who took some marvellous photos of plants and bird life along the foreshore and Mordialloc Creek. We are also indebted to Melbourne Water whose earlier grants helped to cover the cost of printing.

Bay Trail

Bicycle Network have approved the compromise proposal for the Bay Trail. There will be areas where Beach Road lanes will be narrowed to protect significant vegetation. From Mentone Parade to Peter Scullin Reserve, Mordialloc the lanes will be narrowed where there are bus stops or difficult parking problems on the narrow foreshore such as at Parkdale Yacht Club.

Kingswood Golf Club

The Kingswood Golf Club is under treat from developers. The Kingswood Golf Club is facing residential development rather than open space which is what the Dingley residents were hoping for. A certain person mentioned at the lobster luncheon at Beaumaris is seeking permission to develop land in the green wedge in Keysborough. The large cemetery is still a threat hanging over this section of the South East Green Wedge.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 3rd August 2017

Coast and Creek Booklet

The coast and creek booklet may finally be at the printers thanks to the terrific work of Mick and eagle-eyed editors! There was some discussion about asking for a gold coin donation for the booklet. There were differing opinions but on some occasions such as street stalls or community events this might be appropriate.

Bay Trail

The new newspaper on the block, the Mordialloc Chronicle, features tree pages of “advertisements” of the disinformation about the next section of the Bay Trail from the Mentone Lifesaving Club to Peter Scullin Reserve. For example the ad claims that Beach Road will be narrowed from Renninson Street to the Scullin Reserve. Not True.

Level Crossing Removal

There will be 8 community sessions to decide on work to remove the rail crossings, Edithvale to Seaford. Seaford residents are angry about the closure of Ell Race Road when it is claimed that there are feasible alternatives to the closure. There is also the threat to groundwater and the wetlands should the trench method be adopted for this section of the Frankston line.

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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 – 3rd May 2017

Bay Trail

As a result of the Member for Mordialloc’s complaint that there had been insufficient consultation about the trail, two MBCL members had a meeting with the member who could not be convinced that there had been sufficient consultation. Council organised two more drop in meetings about the Bay Trail in May. Meanwhile inflammatory misinformation about lane narrowing was still being disseminated by certain residents.
Latest plans for the Bay Trail were presented at the Public Places and Environment meeting in May and were impressive. The bicycle lane, back of kerb, will only be 2.5m wide, similar to the Bayside Bay Trail. VicRoads have approved narrowing the road lane where necessary such at bus stops.

Stormwater Management

Kingston Council has prepared Amendment C152 to introduce a policy for developments that deals with stormwater – residential or non-residential. This may be necessary because an article in The AGE 23 May, reports that climate change flood risks has doubled in new modelling which states that “Coastal council are at the forefront of dealing with the impacts especially councils such as Seaford, Carrum, Bonbeach and Aspendale”.

Level Crossing Removal

Edithvale rail under road. This option has been approved. Residents opposed to elevated rail option. Unfortunately the high water table will have to be dealt with. A Preliminary Impact Assessment: Groundwater-Rail Under Road AECOM-GHD has identified potential groundwater impacts on the Ramsar listed Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands as a result of the rail under road approach adopted for Edithvale and Bonbeach level crossing removals.

Some of these imparts are:

  • Long term groundwater level impacts (drawdown, mounding, and water logging)
  • Subsidence impacts
  • ASS acid sulphate activation
  • Saline intrusion

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 5th April 2017

Coast and Creek Booklet

Mordialloc Creek features in the Coast and Creek booklet which is developing in an interesting manner. It is hoped that the graphic artist will be able to attend the May meeting of MBCL. Furthermore an attendee at the April meeting is a keen bird watcher so he might be able to add further info in that area.

Level Crossing Removal

There is an official report around which claims that the Edithvale-Seaford Wetland’s groundwater will be badly affected if the trench method of removing rail crossings is adopted for the Frankston line south of Aspendale. This would mean trenches for Edithvale and Bonbeach stations and a bridge over Patterson River for Carrum plus a relocation of the Carrum Station further along the line.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 8th March 2017

Coast and Creek Booklet

The layout of the booklet is finally taking shape with the graphic artist keen to view any photos of the creek or the foreshore providing there are clouds in view!

Yammerbook Nature Reserve

Residents do not want an extension to the car park since they feel that there will be antisocial behaviour after hours if the park is extended. Certain councillors are also uncertain about extending this facility mainly favouring parents dropping off and picking up school children. There is a bus stop nearby on Wells Road.

The Sporting Globe

The mediation meeting was held at VCAT in February. No agreement between parties so this development will go to VCAT in March. The only concession made was reduction in the size of the sign on the front of the building.

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Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League – Minutes – 1st February 2017

Mordialloc Creek

Interestingly after heavy rain beaches around Port Phillip Bay were polluted particularly Mentone beach and not so much Mordialloc beach – the usual culprit. Mordialloc creek carries drainage from industrial areas in Braeside and the old tipping sites from which leachates can enter the drainage system and flow into the creek. On this occasion perhaps the large Melbourne Water drain outlet at Mentone Parade may have contributed to beach pollution with drainage entering the Bay at this point and flowing northwards to Mentone beach.

Mordialloc Lifesaving Club

Had a quick inspection of the new LSC and found that there is more concrete surrounding the building than expected. Apparently this is to provide entry and parking for the large surf boats that will be stored in the building- one of the main reasons for the size of the building occupying limited foreshore open space. The large rusty looking iron ramp construction will require removal of more foreshore vegetation early in the New Year when it is to be delivered and placed in position. Fortunately the south end of the building has been left unconcreted and hopefully will remain a pleasant grassed area for public use. The nicest aspect of the inspection was seeing a little family of blue wrens hopping around in the dry grassy area!

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