Could "Greening my Geelong" mean destroying threatened species?

The City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) is currently considering an application to destroy a roadside run of native trees that includes members of a threatened species.

The trees are on the eastern side of Grubb Road opposite the Ocean Grove Nature Reserve and the application to destroy them is associated with the construction of the new Kingston estate.

More information about the proposal is available from Ms Bree Lord, Statutory Planning Department, City of Greater Geelong (statplanning@geelongcity.vic.gov.au).

Opposition online
The application has aroused widespread opposition, including an online petition (via change.org) asking Geelong council to retain the trees in Grubb Road. Organisers of the petition hope to gather 1,000 signatures and by 18 August 2016 have gathered 812.

The petition is titled, "Geelong City Council: Stop developers tearing down native trees in Ocean Grove". You can read more and sign the petition here:
https://www.change.org/p/geelong-city-council-stop-developers-tearing-down-native-trees-in-ocean-grove?recruiter=586100525&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive

Opposition in person
If you wish to comment on the proposal, you might like to use DCSCA's objection (see below) as a starting point for your own. Indeed, you might like to just copy DCSCA's objection and submit it under your own name, although personal touches always strengthen objections. If you submit an objection, could you please send a copy to DCSCA (dryclift@bigpond.com), so that we can keep a count.

DCSCA's position

The Drysdale & Clifton Springs Community Association Inc. (DCSCA) objects to this application which, if granted, would lead to the destruction of a significant number of native trees on the eastern side of Grubb Road. Our reasons for objecting are presented below.

1.         Loss of general amenity. Destroying these trees will completely change the character of this entrance to Ocean Grove. The trees are covered by a Significant Vegetation Overlay, because they form a striking entrance to Ocean Grove, enhancing the town’s character and attractiveness and screening an industrial area; destroying these trees would reduce the area from an attractive, semi-rural vista to just another suburban streetscape. However, if the trees were retained, they would actively contribute to the general amenity of the new housing estate.

2.         Loss of amenity at the Ocean Grove Nature Reserve (OGNR). Destroying these trees will isolate the OGNR as an island of indigenous vegetation; and the large car park, together with the road itself, will form a large asphalted zone near the OGNR. This will seriously reduce the amenity of the eastern section of the OGNR, replacing the current view of paddocks and roadside vegetation with a bleak view of a car park. However, if the trees were retained, they would actively improve the area, breaking up and ‘softening’ the view from the OGNR to the new housing estate.

3.         Reduction in environmental health. Geelong council promotes itself with the slogan “Greening my Geelong”, but is considering an application to destroy examples of a threatened species! Many of the trees are Bellarine Yellow Gums (E. leucoxylon ssp bellarinensis), which is listed as a threatened species; and the other large trees are Swamp Gums (E. ovata). Both contribute to the environmental health of the area by providing habitats for many species of birds, invertebrates and small reptiles. These trees effectively act as ‘spillovers’ from the Ocean Grove Nature Reserve, extending its effects without extending its boundaries.

4.         Inadequate justification. The applicant argues that destroying the trees will make way for extra access points onto Grubb Road, as well as the main intersection between Grubb Road and Coastal Boulevard; but gives no clear reasons for creating these extra access points. The aim of destroying all the trees on the eastern side of Grubb Road appears to be to enable the Kingston Estate shopping centre to be built before Grubb Road is widened. However, there is no urgent need for shops to service the estate, given its proximity to the large shopping centre of Ocean Grove.

5.         Undermining the council’s Revised Ocean Grove Structure Plan. At the very least, a decision on the proposed destruction of the trees in Grubb Road should be deferred until after an appropriate urban design/landscape study, informed by community consultation, is undertaken. We agree with the conclusions of a report published in July 2016 by the City of Greater Geelong’s Planning Panel (Greater Geelong Planning Scheme Amendment C346 Ocean Grove Structure Plan and Town Centre Urban Design Framework):

·      An urban design or landscape study, involving consultation with all stakeholders, is required to determine an appropriate treatment for the entry of the town, integration with the new Grubb Road activity centre as well as the rural interfaces.

·      · Community consultation should identify safety and traffic concerns to be addressed in the planning and design phase of the road project.

 

DCSCA comments on town square proposals

-->

DCSCA has lodged a substantial submission with the City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) concerning its proposals to remodel Drysdale's 'town square', including extending the shopping complex.

CoGG’s proposals are in a glossy booklet, copies of which are available at the CoGG Customer Service Centre. The council held an information session at the Senior Citizens' club on the evening of Wednesday 6 July and has invited public comment on the proposals by July 29th.

In its submission, DCSCA congratulated the City of Greater Geelong for the thoroughness of its consultation exercise and the resources it has expended on it. It asked how the council would respond to the submissions, to demonstrate that the consultation was meaningful; and it asked how much the exercise had cost and whether the council had borne the whole cost.

A summary of DCSCA's 4-page submission follows.

Benefits

The proposals offer several benefits. They could refresh the area, enhancing its attractiveness and utility, reinforcing its role as a focal point of the town and boosting connectivity within the town centre. They could also resolve the current mix of gradients, improving access by cyclists and by pedestrians. A small children’s play area should be considered; parents/carers could watch children from the rotunda.

Problems

There are two problems with the proposals: they involve the sale of part of the ‘own square’ to support the extension of the shopping complex; and they add no more parking spaces to accommodate increased custom in the extended shopping complex. (The current car park has less than the regulation number of spaces; extending the complex without adding car parking will worsen an already bad situation.)

Omissions

There are several omissions from the proposals. These include the future of the rotunda, the library and the customer service centre; the traffic implications of the proposed new offices in Hancock Street; the relations with the forthcoming upgrades to Drysdale High Street; and any consideration of how the proposals could provide an ‘energy dividend’, e.g. by increasing energy efficiency in lighting, heating and cooling systems.

DCSCA drafts a strategy for landfill advisory group

DCSCA is a member of a Community Consultation Group created by the City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) to advise it on the management of the Drysdale Landfill site (aka 'the tip'!).

CoGG launched the group at a public meeting in Drysdale on 7 June 2016 and DCSCA intends to be an active member. To that end, it has drafted a Waste Management Strategy, which it intends to present at the Group's next meeting in August.
DCSCA's draft strategy follows.

1.      Aims

Operations at the Drysdale Landfill site should accord with the Barwon Region Waste Management Plan, which should aim to provide the Barwon Region with a best practice Waste Management Plan meeting community expectations; and to promote sustainable built and natural environments.

The Barwon Region Waste Management Plan should meet its aims through four inter-related strategies: minimise the waste dumped at landfill sites; minimise the cost and maximise the convenience of dumping waste at landfill sites; minimise the social, environmental and health-related dangers of illegal dumping of waste; recycle as much as possible of the waste dumped at landfill sites.

Each of those four strategies should have a measurable target and success in meeting each target should be published each year, to promote continuous improvement. E.g.: 70% of customers ‘Satisfied’ or ‘Very Satisfied’ with waste disposal in the region; 10% of litter, odour and run-off from the site.

DCSCA Questions. 1. Does the Barwon Region Waste Management Plan and the Drysdale Landfill site each have its own Objectives Statement? If so .... 2. Can the Consultative Group propose amendments to either Objectives Statement?

2.      Specific objectives

Operations at the Drysdale Landfill site should meet the following objectives:

2.1 Reduce waste. Set annual targets and publishing the results. E. g. phase out single use plastic bottles and plastic bags; teach people a) to reduce the waste they generate and b) to dispose of it selectively into the yellow, green and purple bins; encourage manufacturers a) to reduce their packaging and b) to make their products more easily disposable.

2.2 Re-use waste. Set annual targets and publish the results. E. g. increase the efficiency of material separation and recycling at recycling and waste disposal centres; create a clean site for waste disposal within a 20 mt. drive of each resident of the Barwon Region.

2.3 Recycle waste. Set annual targets and publish the results. E. g. encourage shops to have bins for returning packaging (e.g. bottles, boxes) to manufacturers. Institute an annual award for best performing shop; encourage manufacturers to use the trucks that collect and deliver their goods to shops to carry returned packaging (especially packaging that combines plastic, cardboard and foam) on their return journeys. Institute an annual award for best performing manufacturer. (The manufacturers create the waste, councils and private recycling companies shouldn’t have to clear it up.)

2.4 Generate income from waste to offset costs. Set annual targets and publish the results. E. g. recover precious metals from computers and mobile phones and sell as ‘raw materials’ to local industry to promote the local economy; separate metal, plastic, rubber, paper/cardboard (others?) and sell as 'raw materials' to local industry to promote the local economy; generate power with gases 'harvested' from waste and through high temperature incineration of toxic material; generate wood chips and mulch from 'green waste' and sell to the public.
2.5 Treat waste more efficiently and effectively. Set annual targets and publish the results.

2.6 Dispose of waste more efficiently and effectively. Set annual targets and publish the results. E.g. make disposal easier through providing bins dedicated to product types (e.g., batteries, scrap metal, computers/phones, furniture, beds & bedding); dispose of asbestos separately from general waste; seal it in non-permeable material and burry it in marked sites, to minimise health risks. (At present, asbestos waste is mixed-in with general waste at the tip face.); dispose of paint, chemicals, etc. separately from general waste, to minimise a) health risks and b) illegal dumping.

2.7 Work towards ‘Zero Waste’. Publish progress each year.

DCSCA Questions. 1. What can be done to reduce the cost of a trip to the tip? Illegal dumping is increasing in the Barwon Region, largely due to the high cost and difficulty of a trip to the tip. This could entail a 2 hour round trip, an outlay of over $60, a difficult reversing manoeuver with a trailer and unloading potentially hazardous objects from a trailer. It could also result in a muddy car and trailer.

2. Why is there a charge to dump green waste? Other councils make no charge for green waste. Why does CoGG charge to dump green waste AND mulch and sell it? (A ‘double dip’ at the tip!)

Let's talk rubbish!

DCSCA has been invited to join a Community Consultation Group for the Drysdale Landfill site.

The Group was launched officially at a public meeting on 7 June 2016 at the SpringDale Neighbourhood Centre. The City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) manages the Drysdale Landfill site (aka the Drysdale tip!) and called this public meeting.

People at the meeting agreed that local people should be able to have their say about the landfill site through formal and informal channels – regular meetings of a formal Consultation Group and informal occasions when people can talk to Council staff about waste related issues. Occasionally, guests could be invited to discuss how the Drysdale site fits into broader waste management issues, such as:

·      the Barwon South West Regional Resource Recovery group, which produces a rolling Plan that informs operations at local landfill sites between Portland and Geelong

·      the Regional Waste Forum and its Reference Group.

CoGG manages the site and, as such, will take decisions about it. The role of the Community Consultation Group will be to inform the council’s decisions. It remains to be seen just what influence the Community Consultation Group can have.

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

-->

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 4^th place!)

-->

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.

-->

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.

-->

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.

-->

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.

-->

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.

-->

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.

-->

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.

-->

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.