10 November: State election candidates forum

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.

DCSCA's Cost Appeal - getting the word out!

On November 2, the Drysdale and Clifton Springs Community Association (DCSCA) issued a media release* to 17 local and regional media outlets, announcing the formal launch of its Cost Appeal to raise $5,500.

So far in its Appeal, the Association has written individually to 53 present and recent DCSCA members, to 34 local community groups and organisations and to the 13 City of Greater Geelong councillors, explaining the reason for the Cost Appeal, inviting them to contribute to it and asking them to pass-on the information to anyone whom they think might be interested.

Why an Appeal?
The reason for the Cost Appeal goes back to May, when DCSCA asked the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) to overturn planning permission granted to Milemaker Petroleum to build a service station at the junction of Jetty Road and High Street Drysdale. VCAT dismissed DCSCA's case and ordered it to $5,500 in legal costs to Milemaker.

If DCSCA can't pay the $5,500, it faces further legal proceedings that could close it down, ending its years of community-building work.

DCSCA has invited each City of Greater Geelong councillor to contribute to its Cost Appeal, despite the fact that the association incurred the $5,500 legal bill as a result of trying to overturn planning permission granted by the council. However, as the association's letter to each councillor states:
"You may have voted in 2014 to grant planning permission to Milemaker, but this needn’t imply that you believe that DCSCA should pay Milemaker’s legal costs. This was certainly the position of Councillor Rod Macdonald who - together with local federal MPs Richard Marles and Sarah Henderson, local state MP Lisa Neville and 349 people who signed an online petition - supported DCSCA’s request to VCAT not to make it pay Milemaker’s legal costs. (Thanks, Rod!)"

* To read the media release, see "Cost Appeal media release" on this blog (2 November 2015).

Cost Appeal media release - 2 November

On Monday 2 November, the Drysdale & Clifton Springs Community Association issued the following media release about its Cost campaign.

MEDIA RELEASE: 2 NOVEMBER 2016

Community Association makes a desperate bid to survive

Today, the Drysdale & Clifton Springs Community Association officially launches a Cost Appeal to raise $5,500 in legal costs awarded against it in August by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).

If the association fails to raise the money, it faces further legal action, which would close it down. The Cost Appeal is a last desperate attempt to stop that happening.

The association had asked VCAT to stop Caltex franchisee Milemaker Petroleum building a service station at the junction of Jetty Road and High Street, Drysdale. Hundreds of residents had objected to the service station, but VCAT dismissed the case, ordering the association to pay Milemaker $5,500 in legal costs by 7 December.

One chance left

“The association has just this one chance to raise the money”, said association Secretary Patrick Hughes. “We asked VCAT not to make us pay Milemaker’s legal costs, supported by local federal MPs Richard Marles and Sarah Henderson, local state MP and Environment Minister Lisa Neville and councillor Rod Macdonald; and an online petition of 349 signatures. Still, VCAT awarded costs against us.”

“We wrote to Milemaker”, he said, “asking it to forgo the costs as a gesture of good will to the local community, as did Lisa Neville. Neither of us has received a reply.”

Association Treasurer Doug Carson said, “Closing the association would end its community-building work. Drysdale is growing rapidly and we’ve lobbied for a bypass for the increased traffic and leisure facilities for the increased population, such as a sports precinct and fishing platform. We also run the popular Festival of Glass.”

Contribute to the Cost Appeal

·      Online. Our account at Bendigo Bank: BSB 633000, Acc 1497-62791, Ref MM.

·      By mail. DCSCA, P.O. Box 581, Drysdale 3222. Please mark envelope “MM”.

·      In person (i). At SpringDale Neighbourhood Centre, Drysdale High Street.

·      In person (ii) Join the association just $5, payable online or by mail (see above).

Please include your email or address with your donation; if Milemaker belatedly waives the legal costs, the association intends to return all contributions

MORE INFORMATION:

Doug Carson, Drysdale and Clifton Springs Community Association: 0418 371 308

Patrick Hughes, Drysdale and Clifton Springs Community Association 5251 3394

For background, see DCSCA’s blog: http//:drycliftdays.blogspot.com

A new sports precinct - a new approach?

-->

Local sports clubs have told DCSCA that they can’t cope with the continuing expansion of demand for their facilities and are frustrated at the lack of progress on the long-awaited Regional Sports Precinct planned for Drysdale.

 

Theyu argues that existing sports facilities were never meant to serve the expanding local population and their inadequacy affects not just Drysdale & Clifton Springs but the whole of the North Bellarine.

Making the case
In response, DCSCA convened a meeting on September 16 of all local sports clubs, together with local councillor Rod Macdonald and relevant officers from the City of Greater Geelong (CoGG). Cr Macdonald and the officers said that while CoGG has adopted a Master Plan for the $40m precinct in 2011, the project needed state government funds to proceed.

CoGG's 2011 Master Plan for the proposed Sports Precinct shares the cost between the council and the state government, so when the state government refused to provide its share of the funding, the project had to be postponed indefinitely. Consequently, everyone at the September 16 meeting agreed that during the November 2014 state elections, each club and club member should ask each local candidate what they would do, if elected, to make the planned Sports Precinct a reality.

Meanwhile, clubs and individuals should ask local councillors and state & federal MPs to convince the state government to pay its share of the cost of the Sports Precinct. Here are their contact details:

·    Cr Rod Macdonald, Cheetham ward: rmacdonald@geelongcity.vic.gov.au

·    Cr Lindsay Ellis, Coryule ward:  LEllis@geelongcity.vic.gov.au

·    Ms Lisa Neville, MP for Bellarine (state parliament): lisa.neville@parliament.vic.gov.au

·    Mr Richard Marles, MP for Corio (federal parliament): richard.marles.mp@aph.gov.au

What? No Plan B?!

Faced with the state government's refusal to pay its share of the cost of the Sports Precinct, CoGG has no '(Master) Plan B' and shows no sign of even looking for one. As a result, people on the North Bellarine must cope indefinitely as local population growth - planned, of course, by CoGG - renders local sports facilities increasingly inadequate.

Rather than wishing and hoping that a future state government will provide the cash for a Sports Precinct in Drysdale, CoGG should be planning and dreaming of a different model for the project that would enable it to proceed. For example, instead of relying exclusively on public money to pay for the Precinct, CoGG could examine ways to mix various forms of public money with various forms of private money.

One approach would be to create a Public Trust to build, maintain and manage the Sports Precinct. The Trust would invite investment by public financial institutions (e.g. pension and superannuation funds), private financial institutions (e.g. banks) and individuals.

As a community facility, the Precinct shouldn't be run purely as a profit-making business at the expense of accessibility. Instead, investors would receive an annual dividend, only after the annual costs of building, maintaining and managing the Precinct (including contributing to a contingency fund for emergencies) were paid; and the legal documents establishing the Public Trust could include clauses to limit the dividend while retaining its attractiveness.

More work needed!

Schemes featuring public-private collaboration have had very chequered results, both here and elsewhere. Therefore, a lot of work will be needed to avoid their worst aspects, such as private investors profiting quickly from a scheme and then withdrawing, leaving the public sector to deal with long-term management and maintenance costs. 

Such a Public Trust is but one suggestion to overcome inadequate funding and it may be an inappropriate for the area. However, its underlying assumption will remain valid - the North Bellarine needs a Regional Sports Precinct, it is the council's responsibility to provide it and the council should actively seek ways to overcome the current stalemate.

 

Bypass campaign not short on advice!

Local politicians have been generous with their advice to DCSCA about the campaign for a Drysdale bypass.

DCSCA Committee members met recently with  Mr. Richard Marles MP (federal, Corio), Cr. Rod Macdonald (Cheetham Ward) and Cr. John Doull (Coryule Ward) to ask for their advice about how best to campign for the bypass. Each of them had helpful suggestions, that we've distilled into a 'campaign manual' with three major sections.



Focus
•    The campaign should have the next state election (November 2014) as its focus, because the state government will pay (via Vic Roads) for a bypass.
•    Highlight the 'negative' reasons for a bypass, including local concerns about existing traffic hazards (N.B. the run-down in traffic associated with the nearby quarry means that there should be no overall increase in truck numbers going through Drysdale) and the likely increase in traffic hazards with increasing local population.
•    Highlight the 'positive' reasons for a bypass, including the potential social, economic & environmental benefits to the town and the easier access to a Portarlington ferry.

Actions
•    Be patient! It could take years to create the complete bypass.
•    Do the research! Collect evidence about current traffic flows through central Drysdale from (e.g.) Vic Roads and CoGG; ensure that this evidence is updated regularly; and commission projected traffic flows to match the area's planned population increases.
•    Show that it's feasible. Commission a 'draft project plan' from a local engineer and then ask a reputable engineering firm to endorse it.
•    Don't 'go for broke'. Break-up the bypass into sections that are cheaper and easier to manage than the whole bypass; be prepared to campaign for one section at a time (which sets a precedent for the bypass as a whole) - perhaps concentrating on the land that Vic Roads has bought already
•    Use the local media, social networking media and occasional 'stalls' in shopping centres (not just in Drysdale) to generate local interest in both the 'negatives' and the 'positives' and to invite people to participate (in some way - see below) in the campaign.

Targets
•    State politicians. The state will pay for the bypass. Concentrate on the sitting member (Ms Lisa Neville) and likely candidates for the seat of Bellarine; but ensure that all state politicians are aware of the issue. N.B. There's never a guarantee that a sitting member will be re-elected, so keep all options open.
•    Local councillors. Lobby them to pressure state politicians - in particular, showing how the bypass fits-in with broader local transport strategies.
•    Local tourism associations. Explain to them how a bypass will increase the north Bellarine's attractiveness as a destination by improving traffic flow and 'releasing' Drysdale town centre for more leisurely movement. Encourage each one to contact councillors and state politicians.
•    Local businesses. Explain to them how a bypass can benefit them (be specific) and encourage each one to contact councillors and state politicians.
•    Local community and recreational groups. Explain to them how a bypass can benefit them (be specific - e.g. easier access to local events) and encourage each one to contact councillors and state politicians.
•    Local schools. Explain to them how a bypass can benefit them (again, be specific - e.g. safety) and encourage each one to contact councillors and state politicians.
•    Local residents. Explain to them how a bypass can benefit them (the closer to town they live, the more specific the benefits will be) and encourage each one to contact councillors and state politicians.

This is just the first draft of our 'campaign manual'. It will grow and change as more people join the campaign and bring more ideas with them.  drycliftdays readers are warmly invited to join in by commenting on this post.

DCSCA meets Richard Marles MP

On 3 April, DCSCA Committee members met local MP Richard Marles to discuss a range of local issues. Richard is the federal member for Corio and Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs.

Transport issues on the Bellarine
(i) A Drysdale bypass. We told Mr. Marles about DCSCA's campaign for a bypass road around Drysdale town centre and asked if he had any ideas. He advised us to highlight the problems through the local media and occasional 'stalls' in shopping centres; and to generate local interest by involving people actively in the campaign. He advised against a petition, because a lot of work is needed to create a petition sufficiently large to be effective. He also advised us to make local state politicians aware of local concerns about traffic and safety and of the social and economic benefits that a bypass can bring to the town

(ii) The Rail Trail. We told Mr. Marles that DCSCA was concerned for the safety of people on the rail trail who wish to cross the main road at Drysdale Station. He said that he will write to the City of Greater Geelong about the issue and invited DCSCA to send him anything that will support the case for a safer crossing.

(iii) A Portarlington-Melbourne ferry service. We said that the success of a Portarlington-Melbourne ferry service will depend partly on the construction of a Drysdale bypass! We believe that three events should happen consecutively: construct the Drysdale bypass, construct a 'safe harbour' at Portarlington, then initiate the ferry service. Without the bypass, the ferry will be a less attractive option, because vehicles heading to and from the ferry will have to negotiate the congestion in Drysdale High Street and, of course, will add to it.

(iv) The Geelong Ring Road. We discussed the proposed extension of the Ring Road to connect with the Bellarine Highway and the precise status of the road (e.g. infrastructure such as traffic lights). The general feeling was that the extension will happen, but no-one knows just when it will happen.

National Broadband Network
We told Mr. Marles that we were surprised that the NBN's first-stage roll-out in 2015 will bypass Drysdale & Clifton Springs - indeed, it will bypass most of the Bellarine Peninsula. Drysdale & Clifton Springs has poor telecommunications services, with several phone 'black spots' and slow internet access. He replied that the NBN roll-out is occurring first in areas requiring the least work (e.g. digging pits, laying cables). He suggested that we make a submission to the NBN annual review, arguing that Drysdale & Clifton Springs should be moved up its list of priorities. (For more on the NBN first-stage roll out and the Bellarine: 'NBN roll-out a set-back for Bellarine communities' on this blog, April 4 2012.)

Erosion at Clifton Springs
We told Mr. Marles about the continuing destruction of the historic mineral springs site at Clifton Springs, due to erosion of the cliff face. He said that he will raise the issue in parliament and invited DCSCA to send him anything that will support the case for action to be taken.

Shadow Minister invites bridge protesters to Parliament

Victorian Shadow Planning Minister Brian Tee has invited supporters of the 'No Bayshore Avenue bridge' campaign to meet him at state Parliament.

The Clifton Springs Independent Ratepayers Group (CSIRG) is heading the campaign against the proposed 'no limits' bridge in Bayshore Avenue, supported by the Drysdale & Clifton Springs Community Association. CSIRG had asked Mr. Tee for his support and in his reply, Mr Tee invited CSIRG to a rally that he is staging on the steps of Parliament House on 12 October at 1.00 p.m. At the rally, community groups will call on Planning Minister Matthew Guy to respond to their concerns about inappropriate development in their area, as he did recently at Philip Island.

Mr Guy said that he had stopped development at Phillip Island because the local community opposed it so strongly; and he has also that infrastructure should be built before houses, not the reverse. Could Clifton Springs be another Philip Island? In Clifton Springs, the local community is certainly opposing the proposed 'no limits' bridge in Bayshore Avenue very strongly (an 864-strong petition to Matthew Guy, a public meeting of more than 150 households and a rally of more than 200 people); and the proposed bridge will enable construction crews to build houses at the northern end of the Jetty Road Growth Area long before roads are constructed.

Of course, Ms. Miley Cyrus isn't Tweeting for Clifton Springs as she did for Philip Island! However, CSIRG believes that it has logic and ethics on its side. It continues to argue that the proposed bridge is bad planning policy and has bad outcomes for everyone in the area; and that the City of Greater Geelong should examine two positive alternatives to the bridge - a north-south road running the length of the Growth Area or a road from the west of the Growth Area into its northern end. (see 'Bridge protesters accentuate the positive' [4 October 2011] on this blog.)

Packed hall says 'No' to bridge

Over one hundred and twenty people packed Drysdale's SpringDale Hall last night (8 September) and made it very clear that they don't want the 'unlimited load' bridge proposed for nearby Bayshore Avenue in Clifton Springs.

Clifton Springs Independent Ratepayers Group spokesperson Gary Dean told the standing-room-only audience that property company Bisinella wants to build the bridge so that heavy construction vehicles can access its land at the northern end of the Jetty Road Urban Growth Area (see photo below), where it intends to build a high-end housing estate.

Dean said that the City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) is supporting the proposed 'unlimited load' bridge, despite the fact that its planners and engineers have said consistently that such a bridge should carry only local traffic only, not construction vehicles.

To wide applause, Gary Dean said that the developers would leave the area after a couple of years, but the effects of the proposed bridge on the local area would be disastrous - 'If we don't do something now, we'll have to live with it forever', he said.

Audience members said that they couldn't believe that CoGG was allowing Bisinella to start building its estate before a major road running north-south into its land is built; and that rather than make the developers build such a road, the council was supporting Bisinella's proposed bridge. Several speakers said that the local council - and local councillors - should be representing the wishes of local people instead of bowing to developers' wishes.

Gary Dean thanked the Drysdale and Clifton Springs Community Association for its support and assistance, encouraged people to contact their parliamentary and council representatives and the media and urged everyone to attend the rally and ribbon-tying ceremony at the western end of Bayshore Avenue on Sunday 11 September at 10.30 a.m.

Meeting the Minister

On 20 July, DCSCA and other members of the nine-strong Affiliation of Bellarine Community Associations (ABCA) sent representatives to central Geelong to meet state Planning Minister Matthew Guy.

The meeting - arranged some months ago - was at the Gheringhap Street office of David Koch (MLC). ABCA had asked to talk to Minister Guy about the proposal in the Liberal/National Coalition's election manifesto to create a series of 'Planning Statements', including one for the Bellarine Peninsula. In particular, ABCA wanted to know whether the creation of the Bellarine 'Planning Statement' would feature input from local communities and the Minister confirmed that there would be.

The ABCA representatives then explained the ABCA's particular significance as the only democratically elected and accountable body representing all the communities on the Bellarine. They highlighted the lack of such democratic accountability in other local 'community groups' and emphasised the positive role that ABCA could play as a conduit (alongside City of Greater Geelong Councillors) for the exchange of information and ideas between the state government and local people.

The Minister thanked the ABCA representatives for their time and for their views. He said that his office would be in touch at the time when the Planning Statement for the Bellarine Peninsula was being written, but he didn't know just when that would be.

Contacting local MPs

As the federal election draws near, local drycliftdays readers may wish to contact the politicians standing for election. Their details are as follows:

CORANGAMITE Darren Cheeseman MP (Labor), Member for Corangamite
Visit: Shop 3A, 195 – 203 Colac Road, Waurn Ponds
Phone: 5243 2400
Email: Darren.Cheeseman.mp@aph.gov.au

Sarah Henderson, Liberal Candidate for Corangamite
Visit: Suite 3, 165 High Street, Belmont
Phone: 5243 2862
Email: Sarah.Henderson@vic.liberal.org.au

Mike Lawrence, Greens Candidate for Corangamite
Email: Mike.Lawrence@vic.greens.org.au

CORIO Richard Marles MP (Labor), Member for Corio
Visit: 17A Yarra Street, Geelong
Phone: 5221 3033
Email: Richard.Marles.mp@aph.gov.au

Don Gibson, Liberal Candidate for Corio
Phone: 5243 2862
Email: Don.Gibson@vic.liberal.org.au

Gavin Brown, Greens Candidate for Corio
Email: Gavin.Brown@vic.greens.org.au

Richard Marles MP - an update

Now that the 2010 federal election has been decided, here is updated information on Richard Marles, MP, who represents the seat of Corio, which includes Drysdale & Clifton Springs.

The Hon Richard Marles MP
Member for Corio (Vic)
Contact
PO Box 6022, House of Representatives
Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600
Tel: (02) 6277 4330; Fax: (02) 6277 8488
Electorate Office
17A Yarra Street, Geelong Vic 3220
Tel: (03) 5221 3033; Fax: (03) 5222 4505

Parliamentary Service
2010, 2007: Elected to the House of Representatives for Corio, Victoria.

Ministerial appointments

• From 14/9/10: Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs
• From 9/6/09 to 14/9/10: Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation and Industry.

Committee Service
House of Representatives Standing Committees:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (19/2/08 to 15/6/09. Chair from 13/3/08.)
• Economics (19/2/08 to 15/6/09)
• Employment and Workplace Relations (19/2/08 to 15/6/09).

Party positions

• 2004 and 2007: Delegate, ALP National Conference.
• From 2006: Member, ALP International Projects.

Personal
Born 13 July 1967, Melbourne, Vic.
Married.
Qualifications: BSc, LLB (Hons) (Melb).

Previous employment
2000 - 2007: Assistant Secretary, Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU)
1998 - 2000: Federal Assistant Secretary, Transport Workers' Union of Australia
1994 - 1998: Federal Legal Officer, Transport Workers' Union of Australia
1993 - 1994: Solicitor.