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Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Open Day survives the heat and dodges thunderstorms


On Saturday 19 December, around 200 people braved high temperatures and imminent thunderstorms to attend an Open Day and Open Studio in Wyndham Street, Drysdale.

The event was presented by the Drysdale and Clifton Springs Community Association and Dax BeadArts. It featured a garage sale, a plant sale, a raffle, a Lions BBQ and drinks by Cafe2U.

The Bellarine Ukelele Orchestra
Dax BeadArt’s Glenda MacNaughton opened her studio to browsers and demonstrated glass blowing techniques. Local musicians Sarah Carroll, Narelle Jolley, Tex Miller and Chris Wilson each gave stirring sets; and then friends joined them to form a pop-up Bellarine Ukelele Orchestra!
Chris Wilson

Association President Rick Paradise said, “We’re pleased with the event, which certainly raised the association’s profile. It was a very hot day with threatened thunderstorms, but a steady stream of people dropped by. They picked up bargains at the garage sale and plant sale, watched glass art being made at the Open Studio and heard some great live music.”

Thursday, December 17, 2015

VicRoads update on the Drysdale Bypass

On 17 December 2015, DCSCA received the following update on the Drysdale Bypass from Tim Price, Project Director (Drysdale Bypass) at VicRoads.

As 2015 draws to a close, I would like to thank the local community for providing feedback at our Drysdale Bypass information sessions this year and provide an update on the status of the project.

The community strongly supports the proposed bypass and a review of pedestrian facilities, cycling facilities and intersections along High Street to improve traffic and safety. Feedback from these sessions is being taken into account in planning studies and design development for the proposed Bypass and High Street improvements.

Over the next few months, VicRoads will complete a traffic analysis and a number of studies, including environment management, cultural heritage and social impact.

I want to assure the community that there will be further opportunities to provide feedback about the project next year, including a formal Planning Scheme Amendment process for the Bypass. Under this process, the public will be invited to make written submissions about the proposed Bypass design.

The State Government has committed $3 million to improve traffic and safety through High Street. This is in addition to the $106 million committed to plan and build the Drysdale Bypass. I thank everyone for their input, patience and support for this project and look forward to working further with the community in 2016.

On behalf of VicRoads, I wish everyone a happy and safe holiday on our roads.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Open Day celebrates a new beginning


Drysdale and Clifton Springs Community Association (DCSCA) will run an Open Day on Saturday 19 December between 11.00am and 3.00pm at 164 Wyndham Street, Drysdale.

The Open Day will feature:
* A garage sale, a plant sale, a raffle, a Lions BBQ and coffee by Cafe2U

* Live music by Chris Wilson, Tex Miller, Narelle Jolley (of Sweet Dolores and the Whirling Sprurs) and Sarah Carroll (The Ukelele Queen of the Bellarine!)

* Glass blowing and Open Studio by Dax BeadArt's Glenda MacNaughton.

A new beginning!
The Open Day and Open Studio aims to raise funds for the association, to boost its membership and to invite people to join it in promoting the wellbeing of the community and its environment.

The event also celebrates the end of the year-long controversy over a new service station being built in Drysdale by Milemaker Petroleum. The controversy led to the association being ordered to pay Milemaker legal costs of $5,500, but some months later, the company waived the bill as a gesture of good will to the community.

Association Secretary Patrick Hughes said, “Milemaker’s generous gesture marks a new beginning for the association. We can return reinvigorated to our work, including representing local people’s views to outside organisations, lobbying for increased services and leisure facilities for the area’s expanding population and running the annual Festival of Glass.”

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

DCSCA helps Vic Roads to prepare for the Drysdale bypass

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On 8 December, DCSCA Treasurer Doug Carson discussed progress on the Drysdale Bypass with four independent consultants engaged by Vic Roads.

The consultants were two civil engineers, a lawyer and a project manager; and the aim of the discussion was to ensure that the documentation, analysis, and reporting of the bypass project is thorough and of high quality.

The Drysdale bypass has been an issue locally for several years, but interest grew in the lead-up to the 2014 state election. The state seat of Bellarine was a marginal seat and both major parties promised to fund the bypass if elected. The Labor Party was elected and work on the Drysdale bypass has started.

Local views on local issues
Doug Carson’s comments to the consultants drew on the views expressed in recent public consultations about the bypass. “I told the consultants that Drysdale becomes gridlocked during peak hours and peak holiday times”, he said, “And that trucks, school buses and through traffic would not clog up the town if an alternative route was available.”

Carson also told the consultants that there was concern that without thorough planning and modelling, the bypass could create traffic chaos at the existing Jetty Road roundabout and at nearby Peninsula Drive, where upwards of 5,000 students go to school and where a 35-acre site is set to become a massive Sporting Precinct.
 
Balancing the benefits
The consultants suggested that the current plan for a 6kms bypass with five roundabouts could lengthen journey times on the bypass, making it a less attractive option. “A bypass must balance the benefit of a quicker route with the benefit of easy access”, they said; “A ‘true’ bypass has an entrance and an exit, with no junctions in between.”

In his response, Carson said that the current plan was received well in two local consultation sessions; and that altering the plan by removing roundabouts would have significant effects on local traffic. “If the junction of Grubb Road, Jetty Road and Drysdale High Street was reconfigured to include a flyover for east-west traffic”, said Carson, “that would eliminate one roundabout in the bypass. However, removing any of the proposed roundabouts at Princess Street, Murradoc Road and Whitcombes Road would cause problems for local traffic.”

Different means to the same ends?
Finally, Carson told the consultants that some people have suggested upgrading Andersons Road between Grubb road and the Portarlington-Queenscliff Road as an alternative means to ease traffic in central Drysdale. “The upside is that the road exists already, shortening the construction phase” said Carson. “The downsides are that Portarlington residents would have to drive further to the start of this alternative bypass; and that the drive will be even less attractive by the proposed ferry from Portarlington creating more traffic.”

The consultants will present a report to VicRoads at the end of their consultations.

DCSCA proposal is a priority for regional planners


DCSCA has proposed that the City of Greater Geelong should conduct a scoping study into creating a ‘Bellarine Link’ – an extension of the Geelong Ring Road to the Bellarine.

The association made its proposal as part of the council’s annual Community Budget Submission programme, which allows community groups to nominate capital projects (i.e. building work) that they believe the council should undertake.

Pushing an open door
Subsequently, DCSCA has learnt that a Bellarine Link is a priority for the council and is part of the Regional Growth Plan developed by the Geelong Regional Alliance (G21), which brings together government, business and community organisations across the five municipalities of Colac Otway, Golden Plains, Greater Geelong, Queenscliffe and Surf Coast.

The state government has committed $4m for a planning study into the costs, benefits and construction stages of a Bellarine Link. The study is due to report in 2017/18, but VicRoads is trying to get the funding sooner. Vic Roads will drive the study, with officers from the City of Greater Geelong also involved in it.

It’s good to see that at least one of DCSCA’s proposals aligns with the region’s growth plan. Now, where’s that Drysdale swimming pool?!

Monday, December 7, 2015

DCSCA makes a submission to council's electoral review


The Drysdale & Clifton Springs Community Association Inc. (DCSCA) has made a Preliminary Submission to a Review of the City of Greater Geelong Council's structure being conducted by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC).

The VEC's Review originated in a 2012 amendment to the City of Greater Geelong Act (1993). The amendment created the post of directly-elected Mayor of Geelong, resulting in a council of 12 councillors plus the Mayor for the 2012 council election.

The amendment also required the VEC to conduct an Electoral Representation Review before the 2016 council election; and, drawing on that Review, to recommend to the Minister for Local Government the most appropriate electoral structure for the council from the 2016 election onwards. 
The Review should determine the number of councillors (between 4 and 11, plus the Mayor) and how they should be distributed.

Key dates in the Review
11 November 2015     Preliminary public submissions open
9 December 2015        (5.00pm) Closing date for preliminary public submissions
20 January 2016         Preliminary Report published; response submissions open
17 February 2016       (5.00pm) Closing date for response submissions
24 February 2016       Public hearing: 7.00 pm Council Chamber, City Hall
16 March 2016           Final Report published.

Making submission to the Review
Submissions to the VEC Electoral Representation Review can be made via:
·      VEC’s online submission form at vec.vic.gov.au
·      Post to VEC, Level 11, 530 Collins St., Melbourne 3000

All submissions will be published on the VEC website at vec.vic.gov.au and made available for inspection at the VEC office (Level 11, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne).

The Final Report will be available from the VEC (vec.vic.gov.au or 131 832) and will also be available for inspection at Council offices.

DCSCA'S SUBMISSION TO THE VICTORIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION'S ELECTORAL REPRESENTATION REVIEW

The Drysdale & Clifton Springs Community Association Inc. (DCSCA) was created in 1996. Since then, its relationships – good and bad – with the City of Greater Geelong have led it to believe that:
·      the northern part of the Bellarine Peninsula (Drysdale, Clifton Springs and Curlewis) is, broadly speaking, a single, geographically defined ‘community of interest’ within the City of Greater Geelong
·      dividing the task of representing this single community of interest between two councillors in two wards – Cheetham and Coryule - has prevented this single community from speaking with a single voice about its views, interests and aspirations
·      the absence of a single voice for this community of interest has led to it receiving an inequitable share of council resources.

More broadly, DCSCA’s relationships with the City of Greater Geelong have led it to believe that:
·      the council’s current structure makes it is impossible for a ward constituency to hold its councillor to account for her/his actions (or lack of them)
·      relying on 4-yearly elections to make a councillor accountable enables them – if they wish - to misrepresent their constituency during their 4-year term of office, which may lead to outcomes (e.g. rezoning, building approvals) that cannot be undone, even if they fail to be re-elected.




Sunday, November 29, 2015

DCSCA Open Day celebrates a new beginning

Drysdale & Clifton Springs Community Association (DCSCA) will hold an Open Day on Saturday December 19, 11.00am - 3.00pm at 164 Wyndham Street, Drysdale.

The Open Day will include a garage sale, a plant sale, live music, a Lions BBQ and a raffle. Drysdale glass artist Glenda MacNaughton will demonstrate glass-blowing and beadweaving, as part of an "Open Studio".

Members of the DCSCA Committee and of its Festival of Glass sub-committee will introduce the association and its work to visitors and hope to sign up some new members.

-->DCSCA President Rick Paradise said, "I'd like to thank the association's committee for organising the Open Day. Now, we need to get out and promote the Open Day through posters, media and talking to friends."

Association Secretary, Patrick Hughes, called the reprieve a new beginning for the association. "It means that we can return reinvigorated to representing local people’s views", he said, "as well as lobbying for increased local facilities and working with local organisations and the council to promote the well-being of local people and their environment."

The association invites contributions to the Open Day's garage sale; they can be left at the venue on the afternoon of Friday 18 December.  

A project conceived under pressure!
The Open Day was planned originally as a fund-raiser, at the time when DCSCA faced a potentially ruinous bill for $5,500 in legal costs - the result of an action at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).

The association had asked VCAT to overturn the planning permission granted to Caltex franchisee Milemaker Petroleum to build a service station at the junction of High Street and Jetty Road, Drysdale. VCAT dismissed DCSCA's application and ordered it to pay $5,500 legal costs to Milemaker by 7 December.

Fortunately, on November 6, Milemaker decided to waive the bill, relieving the financial pressure on DCSCA. By then, planning for the Open Day was well underway and the DCSCA Committee decided to turn it into a celebration of its reprieve and a drive for new members.

Thursday, November 26, 2015

DCSCA submits further proposals to council's budget program


The Drysdale & Clifton Springs Community Association Inc. (DCSCA) has lodged a further six project proposals with the City of Greater Geelong’s Community Budget Submissions program.
Somewhere .....

The association had lodged its ‘Top 6’ project proposals already with the program, which invites community groups and organisations to submit proposals for the council’s 2016-17 budget. (See “DCSCA submits ‘Top 6’ proposals to council’s budget program” [19 November 2015] on this blog.)

To be considered in the Community Budget Submissions program, projects must consist of capital works on council assets, although no explanation is given for this requirement.

On the public agenda
Most of DCSCA’s submissions – especially its “Top 6” - meet that criterion. However, there are plenty of projects that don’t involve capital works on council assets, but would improve the wellbeing of the Drysdale & Clifton Springs community, often at little cost. Consequently, DCSCA has lodged proposals for these projects in order to keep them on the public agenda.

DCSCA's latest six submissions are listed in summary below.

1. Signage and Seating for “Springs Street Reserve” (approaching The Dell)
The council should install attractive signage and seating identifying the Reserve, to complement its recent beautification of this council owned land and to promote the area as a place of recreation. Little additional maintenance would be required, as the Council mows and maintains the area already.

Project objective:
* To enhance community wellbeing by continuing to beautify the Reserve and by promoting it as a place of passive recreation, where people can watch native birds and enjoy the ecosystem of the Reserve, The Dell and the foreshore.

Cost: $2,000.00
DCSCA has conducted community planting days to re-vegetate The Dell and would be happy to assist in any way with this project.

2. Toilets at the Jetty Road Reserve (Clifton Springs)
The council should provide toilets (for men, women and people with disabilities) at the Jetty Road Reserve, Clifton Springs. They would serve the Reserve and the nearby Curlewis shopping centre and would be an amenity for travelers along Jetty Road and walkers on the foreshore.

Project objectives:
* To encourage recreation at the Reserve by improving its amenities.
* To increasing the Reserve’s appeal to children by complementing the forthcoming play equipment.

Cost: $100,000.00

3. Scoping Study: Spring Water Dispensing Feature on the Clifton Springs foreshore
The council should reclaim the beach at the site of the historic mineral springs, as part of its current work to combat erosion and land slippage along the Clifton Springs Foreshore. While such reclamation is underway, the council should initiate a Scoping Study to investigate the practicalities and costs of installing a Spring Water Dispensing Feature at the site of the historic mineral springs on the Clifton Springs foreshore.

The Scoping Study should determine the cost of the project and recommend potential funding sources. Scoping Study personnel should include representatives of federal, state and local government, Tourism Geelong and the Bellarine and the Bellarine Historical Society, plus local community groups; and the study should invite input by appropriate experts and artists. Once the relevant stretch of beach has been reclaimed, the findings of the Scoping Study should direct the installation of a Spring Water Dispensing Feature. DCSCA understands that the spring water has been tested and declared safe to drink.

A Spring Water Dispensing Feature would be a significant contribution to the preservation of the mineral springs, which played a significant role in the development of Clifton Springs. If this feature was accompanied by a designated and signed Clifton Springs Foreshore Walk, it would attract locals and tourists alike, growing the local economy.

Project objective:
* To determine the practicalities and costs of installing a Spring Water Dispensing Feature on the Clifton Springs foreshore.

Cost: $25,000.00
DCSCA has conducted community planting days to re-vegetate The Dell and would be happy to assist in any way with the Scoping Study.


4. A Scenic Route for the Bellarine Peninsula
The council should designate a coastal route around the Bellarine Peninsula, from Geelong through Queenscliffe to Torquay and linking to the Great Ocean Road. DCSCA believes that the many scenic routes in Geelong and the Bellarine could make the region an internationally recognized destination for recreational walkers and cyclists. Designating and promoting these scenic trails will attract more visitors to the region, growing its economy.

The route should be called “Wathaurong Way”, to acknowledge the area’s original and continuing residents - the Wathaurong people. The council and tourism authorities should promote Wathaurong Way, using the promotion of the Great Ocean Road as a model, i.e. through roadside signage, print and electronic advertising and a booklet at Tourist Information centres.

Project objectives:
* To promote and encourage walking and cycling in the region, thus improving community health and well-being, reducing obesity and, therefore, health costs.
* To grow the local economy and increase local employment by increasing the region’s attraction to tourists – especially recreational walkers and cyclists.

Cost: $50,000.00. Some or all of the cost could be met through sponsorship. This is the type of activity with which federal and state governments would wish to be associated, as would commercial enterprises and community service groups.

For the last couple of years, DCSCA has actively promoted the region’s scenic trails. As a result, some are now identified in the REMA Tourist Information Map and in the North Bellarine Business & Services Directory. DCSCA has volunteer insurance and members would be happy to assist in any way with this project.

5. Promoting the region’s scenic walking and cycling trails
The council should designate and promote the region’s scenic routes by creating roadside signage and a booklet of maps to be available at Tourist Information Centres. DCSCA believes that the many scenic routes in Geelong and the Bellarine could make the region an internationally recognized destination for recreational walkers and cyclists. Designating and promoting these scenic trails will attract more visitors to the region, growing its economy.

Project objectives:
* To make the Bellarine more attractive to tourists, thus growing its economy and increasing local employment.
* To promote and encourage walking and cycling, thus improving community health and well-being, reducing obesity and, therefore, health costs.

Cost: $50,000.00. Some or all of the cost could be met through sponsorship. This is the type of activity with which federal and state governments would wish to be associated, as would commercial enterprises and community service groups.

DCSCA has been actively promoting scenic trails in the region for some time. As a result, some are now identified in the REMA Tourist Information Map and in the North Bellarine Business & Services Directory. DCSCA has volunteer insurance and members would be happy to assist in any way with this project.


6. Scoping Study: Extending the Geelong Ring Road to the Bellarine Peninsula
The council should initiate a Scoping Study to identify the needs, costs and benefits (safety, economic and environmental) of extending the Geelong Ring Road to the Bellarine Peninsula and recommend potential funding sources. The Study should also determine the relative benefits of constructing the Ring Road extension entirely or partially as a freeway. The Scoping Study personnel should include representatives of federal, state and local government, Tourism Geelong and local community groups.

Project objectives:
* To reduce traffic congestion in Central Geelong, improving its ambience and safety, reducing its chemical and noise pollution and increasing its attraction to tourists
* To reduce traffic through Geelong’s suburbs and through townships on the Bellarine Peninsula, increasing the Bellarine Peninsula’s attraction as a tourist destination
* To improve access to the Geelong Ring Road, particularly for traffic from Armstrong Creek, Moolap and the Bellarine Peninsula.
* To hasten travel between the Bellarine Peninsula and Melbourne or regional Victoria, compared with travelling through Geelong.

Cost: $50,000 – $80,000.
For several years, DCSCA has lobbied for the Geelong Ring Road to be extended to the Bellarine Peninsula. DCSCA has volunteer insurance and members would be happy to assist the Scoping Study in any way. 


Thursday, November 19, 2015

DCSCA submits "Top 6" proposals to council's budget program

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The Drysdale & Clifton Springs Community Association Inc. (DCSCA) has today lodged its “Top 6” projects with the City of Greater Geelong’s Community Budget Submissions program.
Oh really?

The program invites community groups and organisations to submit proposals for consideration as the council prepares its 2016-17 budget.

Eligible projects would consist of capital works on council assets, but there is plenty of opportunity for local ‘in kind’ contributions by local communities. For example, DCSCA has good links with local clubs, groups and schools; and it would be happy to assist in collecting information for scoping studies and in disseminating their results for public comment.

Below are abbreviated versions of DCSCA’s Top 6 projects. (It was meant to be “Top 5”, but three projects tied for 4th place!)

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1. A Swimming Pool at the Drysdale Sports Precinct
The council should create an indoor/outdoor swimming pool and related facilities as part of the Drysdale Sport Precinct, to service the central Bellarine. Council officers have said that the population of Drysdale and Clifton Springs needs be 45,000 to justify a pool; but this figure is based on a recommendation from 2008 – six  years ago – since when the advice and recommendations of health and leisure professionals has changed significantly. For instance, in March 2012, Parks and Leisure Australia (PLA) recommended that a 25m pool should be provided for a population of 30,000 people (http://www.parksleisure.com.au/documents/item/1280).

If a pool in Drysdale were to open tomorrow, it would serve a population of over 35,000 (i.e. well over the PLA recommendation), with summer holiday-makers increasing the figure to approximately 55,000. However, Drysdale is a designated Growth Area, which means that its population will increase to approximately 40,000 by 2019; with summer holiday-makers increasing the figure to approximately 65,000. At the same time, the pressure on Ocean Grove's already overcrowded pool will continue to grow independently, as it, too, is a designated Growth Area; and the imminent closure of the privately owned pool in Portarlington will only make a bad situation even worse.

The project should be in four stages:
1: A scoping study to determine community support; to forecast needs, patronage, benefits and, therefore, design; and to estimate costs.
2: Construct the swimming pool.
3: Construct a Wellness Centre (Hydrotherapy, Gym, Spa, Sauna).
4: Construct waterslides, a diving pool and a competition pool.

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Objectives of the project
·      To provide long-term, water-based sporting, health, educational and social benefits to people of the central Bellarine Peninsula, especially the 3,500 students at 3 local kindergartens and 6 local schools.
·      To reduce the costs and the 'carbon footprint' of travel to and from existing pools (e.g. Ocean Grove - over-subscribed already)
·      To increase and diversify local employment and career opportunities.
·      To provide a new attraction to potential tourists.
·      To create economies of scale (infrastructure and staff) by locating it in the Sports Precinct.

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2. A lookout tower on Murradoc Hill, Drysdale
The council should design and build a lookout tower on Murradoc Hill, in Drysdale. This is the highest point of the Bellarine Peninsula and it offers panoramic views around the peninsula and over Port Philip Bay to the Mornington Peninsula. A lookout tower at this location would be a ‘must see’ destination – not just for tourists but for Bellarine residents, too. Its attraction would increase traffic in Murradoc Road, offering businesses increasing custom; and the commissioning process could favour local architects and builders, while still seeking value for money.

The project should be in 3 stages:
1: A scoping study to determine community support; to forecast patronage and benefits; to determine site ownership and management; and to set design parameters.
2. Invite proposals (including costs) by competitive tender, actively encouraging local architects and builders to apply, and put them on display for public comment and voting.
3. Commission the construction of the tower and any associated infrastructure.

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Objectives of the project:

·      To provide the Bellarine Peninsula with an iconic tourist attraction
·      To increase custom in the  businesses on Murradoc Road
·      To emphasise the tower’s ‘localness’ by actively involving local architects and builders in its design and construction.

3. A Railway Museum at Drysdale Station
The council should collaborate with Bellarine Railway to design and build a Railway Museum at Drysdale Station, as part of Bellarine Railway’s continuing program of renovating and upgrading its sites and rolling stock. The project is likely to attract funds from state and federal governments’ regional funding and from historical and/or rail societies. It is also very likely to attract ‘crowd funding’ (fund-raising online) from rail enthusiasts across the state.

The Museum should be run by a Trust; the council would have no responsibility for its maintenance.

The project should be in 3 stages:
1: A scoping study to determine community support; to forecast patronage and benefits; to determine site ownership and management; to investigate possible sources of Museum contents; and to set design parameters.
2. Invite proposals (including costs) by competitive tender, actively encouraging local architects and builders to apply, and put them on display for public comment and voting.
3. Commission the construction of the Museum.

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Objectives of the project:

·      To enhance the attractiveness and social/historical standing of the Bellarine Railway
·      To add to the Bellarine Historical Society’s status as a portal to the region’s history
·      To offer visitors to the area an added incentive to travel on the Bellarine Railway and/or to walk or cycle on the Bellarine Rail Trail.

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4. An artificial reef for the Clifton Springs fishing jetty
The council should design and build an artificial reef for the Clifton Springs fishing jetty, as part of its continuing program of improving the stability, access and attractiveness of the Clifton Springs foreshore. The reef will increase fish numbers by offering a relatively safe environment, making the area more attractive to recreational fishers. If practicable, the reef should be made partly or wholly of glass, contributing to the area’s growing reputation as a centre of glass-related activity.

The project is likely to attract funds from state and federal governments’ regional funding. It is also likely to attract ‘crowd funding’ (fund-raising online) from fishing enthusiasts in the region.

The project should have 3 stages:
1: A scoping study to determine community support; to forecast the effects on the usage of the fishing jetty; to determine management of the reef; and to set design parameters.
2. Invite proposals (including costs) by competitive tender and put them on display for public comment and voting. Actively encourage local businesses and glass artists to apply, while still seeking value for money.
3. Commission the construction of the reef.

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Objectives of the project:

·      To ensure that fishing at the jetty is sustainable by increasing fish numbers
·      To promote the work of relevant local businesses and glass artists.

4. An artificial reef for The Dell, Clifton Springs
The council should design and build an artificial reef for The Dell at Clifton Springs, as part of its continuing program of improving the stability, access and attractiveness of the Clifton Springs foreshore. The reef will increase the area’s attraction – especially to snorkellers - because it will increase fish numbers by offering a relatively safe environment. Also, it will offer a picturesque view from The Dell lookout. If practicable, the reef should be made partly or wholly of glass, contributing to the area’s growing reputation as a centre of glass-related activity.

The project is likely to attract funds from state and federal governments’ regional funding. It is also likely to attract ‘crowd funding’ (fund-raising online) from snorkelling enthusiasts in the region.

The project should be in 3 stages:
1: A scoping study to determine community support; to forecast the effects on patronage of The Dell; to determine management of the reef; and to set design parameters.

2. Invite proposals (including costs) by competitive tender and put them on display for public comment and voting. Actively encourage local businesses and glass artists to apply, while still seeking value for money.
3. Commission the construction of the reef.

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Objectives of the project:

·      To enhance The Dell’s attractiveness a) by increasing fish numbers to encourage snorkelling and b) by offering a picturesque view from The Dell lookout
·      To promote the work of relevant local businesses and glass artists.

 4. Improved access to the Clifton Springs foreshore at Beacon Point
The council should create a new easy and safe access to the foreshore at Beacon Point, as part of its continuing program of improving safety and access at the Clifton Springs foreshore. Easy access and signage should encourage residents and visitors to walk east and west along the Clifton Springs foreshore – perhaps even to take the 2-hour scenic foreshore walk to Portarlington.

The project should have 3 stages:
1: A scoping study to determine community support; to forecast the effects on the foreshore and its infrastructure; and to set design parameters.
2. Invite proposals (including costs) by competitive tender and put them on display for public comment and voting. Actively encourage local businesses to apply, while still seeking value for money.
3. Commission the construction of the new access point.

Objectives of the project:
·      To encourage greater use of the Clifton Springs foreshore for health & recreation.
·      To promote the work of local businesses involved in the project.



Signage for Scenic Trails in Drysdale and Clifton Springs (also submitted)
The council should provide signage at strategic points to identify existing scenic trails for walkers and cyclists. The trails link points of interest and scenic locations around Drysdale and Clifton Springs, such as The Dell Lookout, Lake Lorne, McLeod’s Waterholes and Griggs Creek.

Identifying and promoting these scenic trails will attract more visitors to Geelong and the Bellarine, which DCSCA believes could become an internationally-recognized destination for recreational walkers and cyclists. DCSCA has actively promoted scenic trails in Drysdale, Clifton Springs and the Bellarine Peninsula more broadly. As a result, some are identified in the REMA Tourist Information Map and in the 2014 North Bellarine Business and Services Directory.

The project could start with four signs: at Drysdale Station, the Boat Harbour, The Dell lookout and a location on the Rail Trail.

The project is likely to attract sponsorship, because State and Federal Governments, businesses and service groups would be glad to be associated with it.

Objectives of the project
·      To promote the central Bellarine to potential tourists, especially recreational walkers and cyclists.
·      To reduce health costs by improving community health and well-being through active recreation and social activity.