DCSCA meets Cr. Rod Macdonald (8)

On 3 February, DCSCA Committee members met Councillor Rod Macdonald in Drysdale. This was the latest of the quarterly meetings that DCSCA has initiated with the two City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) Councillors whose wards coincide with DCSCA's area - the other is Councillor John Doull.

Transport issues on the Bellarine
(i) Jetty Road. Cr. Macdonald said that Jake McMinn - CoGG's 'cycling supremo' - will work with DCSCA's Neil McGuinness concerning current and planned bike lanes on Jetty Road, especially in light of the current road works at the junction with Wyndham Street.

(ii) Drysdale High Street. VicRoads recognizes that the rail trail cycle/pedestrian crossing on the bend in Drysdale High Street is 'high risk' and are seeking the best way to make it safer. Next, we asked whether the traffic lights in Drysdale High Street could be fitted with a 'flashing amber' signal (like those in Ryrie Street) as a way to reduce traffic delays. Cr. Macdonald said that according to CoGG's City Services & VicRoads, the High Street lights have motion detection cameras fitted, so including 'flashing amber' wouldn't reduce traffic delays.

(iii) Drysdale bypass. Cr. Macdonald urged DCSCA to continue to press for a Drysdale bypass including, perhaps, forming a special sub-committee for the purpose. He offered to work with Council, state government and other organisations to have the bypass built sooner rather than later.

Open Spaces
(i) The foreshore. We told Cr. Macdonald that the Commonwealth government has given DCSCA funds (through its 'Caring for Country' grants programme) to revegetate the area around the new lookout and signage at The Dell. We said that DCSCA has called a meeting (including a site visit) of interested parties on 9 February to discuss how best to use the money. Cr. Macdonald believes that there are other government grants available for foreshore activities and will give us more information about these grants.

We expressed our concern that the groynes that were constructed at Clifton Springs to prevent continuing erosion of the cliffs appear to be having no effect. That section of the foreshore is in Cr. Doull's ward and we have raised our concerns with him. However, we raised the issue with Cr. Macdonald because the problem of erosion along the foreshore isn't limited to just one ward.

(ii) Lake Lorne. We raised the continuing absence of any work on the walking/cycling track around Lake Lorne, first raised by DCSCA many years ago. Cr. Macdonald said that in 2012, work will begin on Stage One (mostly fencing and general track alignment) and that work on Stage Two will begin in 2013.

(iii) Spring Street. We asked how to ensure that CoGG's 2012/2013 budget includes money for trees at Spring Street. Cr. Macdonald said that officers have put in a 'budget bid' of $15,000 for this project.

2012 Clean Up Australia Day (Sunday 4 March)
We said that we were looking at Lake Lorne and McLeod's Waterholes as target sites and that we will need a CoGG rubbish bin. More information will follow closer to the date.


DCSCA's next quarterly meeting with Cr. Macdonald will be on Friday 4 May 2012 at 9.30 am (to be confirmed). Any residents of the Drysdale/Clifton Springs area are welcome to ask DCSCA to raise any issue of concern with Cr. Macdonald.