Festival news - March 2010

The 2011 Drysdale Festival of Glass organising group held its second meeting on March 30 at Drysdale's SpringDale Neighbourhood Centre. The general idea of the Festival is now clear in people's minds, so the main business of the meeting was practicalities.

Some possible locations have been listed and contacts initiated. Some members of the group are investigating the availability of such things as stages, tables, trestles, bunting, and a P.A. system; others are investigating sources of funds, including commissions, grants and sponsorships; while still others are organising the formal launch, together with services associated with the Festival such as entertainment, refreshments, car parking, etc.

A crucial decision, of course, is when to hold the Festival! At this stage, a Saturday in mid to late February 2011 is the preferred option, but the group is going to list other events scheduled for February to try to avoid clashes. Assuming that the Festival will happen some time in February 2011, the group have started to list possible participants - including glass artisans, artists, companies, wholesalers - with a view to inviting them formally once the date and venue/s are decided.

It was a busy meeting, in which a lot of jobs were allocated! There is, however, plenty to do, so if you would like to join the group or offer your help in some way, do please get in touch.

The group's next meeting will be on Tuesday 13 April at 7.00 p.m. at SpringDale Neighbourhood Centre, Drysdale High Street. Not everyone can come to these sorts of meetings because, e.g., they have to care for family members. If this is the case for you, but you would like to be involved in the Festival, drop us a line and we'll make something happen.

CONTACT: Drysdale Festival of Glass, c/o Drysdale & Clifton Springs Community Association
Mail: P.O. Box 581, Drysdale 3222
E-mail: dryclift@ bigpond.com

Rezoning Drysdale & Clifton Springs (4)

At its meeting on March 23, the City of Greater Geelong voted to refer two proposals to rezone various parts of Drysdale & Clifton Springs to a Planning Panel to be appointed by State Planning Minister Justin Madden.


These proposals are in the form of two Amendments - C103 and C194 - to the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme. Between them, the two Amendments generated over fifty submissions to the Council, opposing the rezoning proposals overwhelmingly.

The two Amendments include a proposal to build a housing estate on one of the few remaining stretches of public open space in the Springs Street area of Clifton Springs. DCSCA members and friends have convinced the City of Greater Geelong to abandon the proposal. DCSCA officers helped local residents to challenge the proposal and over 180 local people signed a petition opposing it. As a result, the Council withdrew the proposal before even discussing it! Good news indeed and a great result for local people.

However, residents and property owners in other areas will face significant increases in their rates if the Planning Panels recommend that the Council adopts the rest of Amendments C103 and C194:

• Residents of the area bounded by Drysdale's High, Eversley and Princess Streets are opposing Council plans (in Amendment C194) to rezone their area from 'Residential' to 'Business', causing a significant rise in rates bills. Many residents have lived there for decades and they believe that this proposal threatens their future.
• Residents of the area near Drysdale's Potato Shed are opposing Council plans (in Amendment C194) to develop the area as a recreational 'hub', fearing increases in traffic volume and speed.
• Residents adjacent to the area behind the shops and workshops on the southern side of Drysdale's Murradoc Road are opposing Council plans (in Amendment C103) to rezone the area from 'Farming' and 'Low Density Residential' to 'Residential 1' (i.e. high density housing), causing a significant rise in rates bills

DCSCA made a formal submission concerning each Amendment (see 'Rezoning Drysdale 3' on this blog). DCSCA's full analysis of the submissions will be posted on this blog shortly.

Where do they get these ideas from?
Amendment C103 generated 19 submissions , only one of which supported it. This submission came from Melbourne-based Urban Land Development p/l (ULD), which has bought land on the southern side of Drysdale's Murradoc Road.

ULD wants to build a housing estate on their Murradoc Road property and asked CoGG for the land to be rezoned. However, ULD did more than just ask. It collaborated with Council officers to write part of Amendment C103! The part in question is the 'Development Plan Overlay', which specifies how a particular parcel of land should be developed. In its submission to the Council regarding Amendment C103, ULD says:

'ULD and Council have had a substantial amount of dialogue regarding the wording of the DPO (Development Plan Overlay). As a result, ULD is broadly satisfied with the DPO and again congratulate Council on striking the right balance between providing certainty as to what the Development Plan should contain without being to (sic) prescriptive.'

The next step: a Planning Panel
Due to the opposition to Amendments C103 and C194, the Council has referred each one to a Planning Panel to be appointed by State Planning Minister Justin Madden. Anyone who made a submission concerning one or both of these Amendments should have received a formal letter from the Council advising them of this.

Would you like information or advice about Planning Panels? Would you like assistance to present your arguments to the Panel? If so, please contact DCSCA:
By mail: P.O. Box 581, Drysdale, Vic. 3222
By E-mail: dryclift@bigpond.com

Calling all glass enthusiasts!

A lot of 'behind the scenes' work on the Drysdale Festival of Glass is continuing and it's time now to invite anyone and everyone who would like to help make the Festival a success to get involved!

There is a wide range of ways you can become involved.

• Perhaps you'd like to be part of the organising group - for example, running the finances, organising publicity, arranging for stalls, organising an exhibition or running a competition.
• Or maybe you'd like to just participate in the Festival on the day itself. For example, would you like to run a stall, judge a competition, give lessons or presenting a display?

There are all sorts of jobs involved in organising a Festival like this, so if you'd like to get involved but you're not sure what you'd like to do, or what you'd be good at, don't worry - you'll find a place!

DCSCA invites anyone interested - in any way - in the Drysdale Festival of Glass to come to a meeting to set-up a group to organise the Festival:

TUESDAY 16 MARCH 7.00 p.m.
SPRINGDALE NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE
DRYSDALE HIGH STREET

We understand that this time won't be convenient for everyone, so if you can't come to the meeting, but want to be involved, do please contact us:
By mail: P.O. Box 581, Drysdale 3222
By e-mail: dryclift@bigpond.com

We look forward to seeing you on the night or to hearing from you; and do please tell your friends and neighbours about the Festival and about the meeting on 16 March.