Let the campaigns begin!

Contact details for all the candidates in the forthcoming elections to the City of Greater Geelong council have just been published by the Victorian Electoral Commission, which is running the elections.

The Drysdale and Clifton Springs area is split between two Wards:
1. CHEETHAM WARD (Leopold and parts of Drysdale).
Two candidates:
Anne Brackley (03) 5253 1960 (b/h); 0407 529 205 (m); AnneBrackley@gmail.com
Rod Macdonald 0488 509 994 (m); council@rodmacdonald.com.au

2. CORYULE WARD (parts of Drysdale and Clifton Springs, Portarlington, Indented Head).
Five candidates:
Lindsay Ellis (03) 5259 2984 (b/h); 0438 535 164 (m); lindsay@portarlingtonoz.com
Tom O'Connor 0458 293 695 (m); tom.oconnor@mail.com
Dean Kennedy (03) 5259 3828; dean@vote1kennedy.com
Monica Hayes (03) 5259 2032 (b/h); jenwills@vtown.com.au
Judith Baldacchino 0407 518 243 (m); judithmbaldacchino@gmail.com

For the first time, voters in the City of Greater Geelong can elect the Mayor of Geelong. (Previously, each new batch of councillors elected one among them to be Mayor.)
MAYOR OF GEELONG
Nine candidates:
Sue Bull 0458 747 726 (m); miteus1@hotmail.com
Ron Watt 0418 390 648; rwatt@geelongcats.com.au
Frank Rozpara 0402 052 571; frozpara@bigpond.com
Stephanie Asher 0412 853 471; stephasher1@gmail.com
John Smith (No details available 27 September 2012)
John Mitchell 0428 314 472; mayor@geelongcity.vic.gov.au
Keith Fagg 0408 593 699; bfagg@faggs.com.au
Bernadette Uzelac 0419 581 735; buzelac3@bigpond.com
Graeme Robin (03) 5255 3435; gmfrobin@gmail.com

DCSCA congratulates each candidate on their nomination and wishes them all the best in their campaigns.

For more information on the elections, go to the Victorian Electoral Commission web site:
www.vec.vic.gov.au 

Dell Project survives storms, landslips!

The Lookout at The Dell

A DCSCA-led consortium that was formed to revegetate the land near The Dell's new Lookout has announced a new plan for the area.

The original revegetation project featured a Community Involvement Day intended to teach around 130 local primary school students (plus parents and teachers!) about environmental stewardship and sustainability. Scheduled originally for June 22, bad weather forced its postponement to August 24 and then, days before the re-scheduled Community Involvement Day, a land slip in the slopes that make up the amphitheatre of The Dell opened cracks in the cliff-edge above The Dell. It appears that the land slip is associated with recent heavy rain.

The City of Greater Geelong decided that the land slip threatened the safety of anyone below it and cordoned-off sections of The Dell. The DCSCA-led consortium decided that the risk to anyone working in the vicinity of the Lookout was too great and postponed the Community Involvement Day until May 2013.

DCSCA President Doug Carson said, 'The schools and community involved have naturally expressed disappointment at having the project's Community Involvement Day cancelled, but there has been full understanding and support for us cancelling the day because of the possible danger. We have now identified an alternative site at the Dell, some 200 metres east of the original work site, where similar work can take place. Our original application was for money to remove '3B weeds' (Boneseed, Boxthorn and Broom) and to prepare the site for planting propagated local indigenous plants. Our new plan is to have the weeds killed and removed and the site mulched and readied for a Community Involvement Day in May 2013, to be followed immediately by some serious re-vegetation.'

The DCSCA-led consortium received $15,000 from the Commonwealth Government's Caring for our Country Community Action Grants program to plan and execute the revegetation. Consortium members include the Dept. of Sustainability & Environment, Landcare, Bellarine Catchment Network, & City of Greater Geelong.

Council elections a focus for bypass campaign

Forthcoming elections for the City of Greater Geelong council and - for the first time - for the mayor of Geelong are a focus of the campaign for a Drysdale bypass.

The elections will happen by post on October 26 2012. DCSCA is organising an Election Forum featuring candidates for election to our local wards - Cheetham and Coryule - at which supporters of a Drysdale bypass can ask candidates whether and how they will support the campaign. The Drysdale bypass will be built if sufficient public pressure is placed on the relevant decision-makers.

The Election Forum happens on October 17 at 7.00 p.m. at SpringDale Neighbourhood Centre, Drysdale High Street. It will be part of DCSCA's 2012 Annual General Meeting.

Vic Roads to study bypass costs/benefits

Vic Roads recently started a study into the costs and benefits of a Drysdale bypass, which should be complete by the end of 2012. As part of its study, Vic Roads will ask the City of Greater Geelong where the bypass sits on the council's list of priorities. Consequently, the campaign for a Drysdale bypass is asking supporters to contact their local CoGG councillor to repeat the case for a bypass and ask them to ensure that the council makes that case vigorously to Vic Roads.

DCSCA AGM to feature Election Forum

DCSCA's 2012 Annual General Meeting (AGM) at 7.00 pm on October 17 2012 will feature an Election Forum, open to anyone to attend.

October 26 2012 is the date of elections for the City of Greater Geelong council and - for the first time - for the mayor of Geelong. Drysdale and Clifton Springs are in Coryule and Cheetham wards, so  DCSCA will invite each candidate for Coryule ward and for Cheetham ward to attend the Election Forum and answer questions. We will also invite each mayoral candidate to the Election Forum to hear local issues and to talk to local people informally afterwards.

The Election Forum will start at 7.00 pm at SpringDale Neighbourhood Centre. It will be the first item on the agenda of DCSCA's AGM, which will then move on to the formal business of the AGM. Everyone is welcome to attend the AGM, but only DCSCA members can vote on resolutions and in the elections.

Our big night!

DCSCA's AGM is its most important event of the year. It's where the DCSCA Committee tells DCSCA members about its work in the past year and invites their responses. In 2011/12, we saw success (at last!) in our campaigns to improve access to Lake Lorne and to upgrade The Dell's Lookout; we ran the second Festival of Glass (6,500 visitors); we revived the campaign for a Drysdale pool and campaigned for a bypass.

We also campaigned for improved walking/cycling paths in Jetty Road and against the bridge in Bayshore Avenue; and we contributed to public discussions about the future of Drysdale town centre, Beacon Point and McLeod's Waterholes.

The DCSCA Committee

DCSCA's AGM is also when DCSCA members elect a new Committee to run the association for the next year. The Committee consists of four officers (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary/Public Officer) and ten members.

At its monthly meetings, the DCSCA Committee discusses and responds to local events and issues. Committee members can also be part of DCSCA's programs - our Open Spaces Network, Going Green on the Bellarine, the Festival of Glass and (in collaboration with Springdale) the Local Economic Development project and From Streetwork to Artwork - promoting local public art.