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PORT PHILLIP CONSERVATION COUNCIL INC. Telephone +61393769442, Fax 0395891680
warfej@bigpond.com A0020093K Victoria
www.vicnet.net.au/~phillip ABN 46 291 176
191 4th
September 2005 |
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Mr John Nevins Chief
Executive Officer MENTONE VIC 3194 Dear Mr Nevins, Kingston Council’s Harmful Policy on the
Route for a Bicycle Road along its Crown Foreshore Reserve Port Phillip Conservation Council Inc, a federation of 16 conservation
organizations around Port Phillip, is most concerned about Kingston Council,
as the Committee of Management for the above reserve, persisting with it plan
to construct a concrete bicycle road on and through the Kingston
Crown Foreshore Reserve, between Charman Road
and Mordialloc Creek, that would, counting the bicycle road’s cleared
verges, be up to 4.5 m wide, and that would remove a considerable amount of
established indigenous vegetation for that combined width of the bicycle road
pavement, and the cleared verges as sightlines. PPCC Inc. wrote to your
predecessor about this on 11th February 2005. PPCC Inc. considers that this plan needs to be changed, and outlines
its reasons below: Proposed concrete bicycle road to
be routed through the Kingston Crown Foreshore Reserve (a) PPCC Inc.
understands that the 3.5 m wide concrete bicycle road is to be built entirely
on the (b) The
amount of vegetation to be removed, and the area of actual or potential
indigenous vegetation habitat on the foreshore reserve that would be
appropriated for this concrete road is quite excessive. A swathe of foreshore
land right along the entire foreshore between (c)
Further removal of vegetation will be required for access points, and also
for sightlines and cut-outs to improve user safety. (d) The concrete
bicycle road would increase the built environment on the foreshore because of
the proposed sealed surface, bridges built over access roads, and night
lighting, with its associated poles or light fixtures, and areas disturbed by
wiring routes. (d)
Aboriginal middens north of Mordialloc Creek would be disturbed or covered,
and that would be expected to be of concern to aboriginal people, and to
those authorities administering laws protecting aboriginal sites. (e) A PPCC Inc. notes that in 2003 the
Minister for Environment refused consent to an application under the Coastal
Management Act 1995 to a proposed bicycle road through the Seaford
foreshore and Kananook Creek reserves (letter to
Frankston City Council from Mr Doug Miller on 15th July 2003). In 2001 the
Minister for Environment advised that on the Seaford foreshore an
‘existing track is to be maintained with a soft surface’ (letter
from Hon. Sherryl Garbutt MLA to Frankston City
Council on 12th October 2001). PPCC Inc. considers that this
proposal contravenes many of the State Government and Kingston City Council
guidelines for management of the Victorian Coastal Management Act 1995 Section 3. Definitions. (1) “coastal Crown
land” means (a) any land reserved under the (b) any Crown land within 200 metres of high
water mark of—(I) the coastal waters of Division 4—Use and
Development of Coastal Victorian Coastal Strategy 2002 Principle 1. Protection of significant environmental
features. Point 5: Net gain in the quantity and quality of coastal
indigenous vegetation and habitat will be encouraged. Principle 2. Sustainable use of natural coastal resources.
Point 2:
Coastal and marine environments are recognised as long term public assets
which should not be compromised by inappropriate short term decisions or
developments. Point 3: Natural dynamic processes and systems which shape and maintain the
coastline and its living resources must be respected and adverse activities
avoided or minimised. Point 6: Continuous improvement in processes, activities and discharges that
have an adverse impact on coastal values shall be encouraged. Point 7: Coastal catchment planning and management will take account of
coastal values. Point 5: Public understanding and appreciation of coastal values will be
fostered and facilitated over time. Natural onshore environment. Objective 2.1: Protect and improve
the condition of coastal biological diversity. Objective 2.3: Ensure a well managed system of representative coastal
parks and reserves. Objective 2.4: Protect coastal habitats and associated native flora and
fauna. People on the Coast. Objective 3.5: Protect Aboriginal sites and
places from inappropriate development. Siting and Design
Guidelines. 3.3.3 Vegetation (a) Natural vegetation should be
disturbed as little as possible, and (b) Natural
regeneration should be encouraged and extensive planting of indigenous
species should occur around development in urban, suburban and rural areas. Guideline 4: Strategic gaps in indigenous vegetation cover on cliff
tops, cliff faces and dunes to be revegetated using indigenous species in
order to extend and connect the habitat provided by existing indigenous
vegetation. Guideline 5: All revegetation will aim to recreate the structural
elements (eg tree layer, shrub layer, ground layer)
and species mix of the vegetation community(s) that is presumed to have
occurred at the site prior to white settlement. Guideline 9: All confirmed cases of wilful and illegal damage to
foreshore vegetation shall be pursued for a prosecution and sites where
damage has occurred will be revegetated in accordance with the guidelines. Aboriginal archaeological
guidelines: There is a possibility that Aboriginal archaeological sites or
materials may be disturbed and exposed during works that require excavation
of sub-surface deposits. If any material suspected to be Aboriginal in
origin is uncovered all works must cease and the Kulin Nations Cultural
Heritage Organisation be advised. The members of the Kingston City
Council constitute the Committee of Management for the - contribute to a considerable loss of
foreshore reserve and indigenous vegetation; - reduce the biodiversity of foreshore
vegetation and wildlife habitat, and undermine wildlife corridors; - increase weed species, which would
increase threats to the survival of indigenous species; and - create unsustainable and very unacceptable precedents for
Port Phillip Bay and Victorian coastal reserves. We urge the Kingston City Council
to abandon both this bad route for a bicycle road along the Yours sincerely Ms Jenny Warfe Secretary Port Phillip Conservation Council Inc. cc. Mayor
& Councillors, Kingston City Council; Hon. John
Thwaites MLA, Hon. Phil Honeywood
MLA, Mr Noel Pullen MLC, Mr
Chris Strong MLC, Mr Bob Smith MLC, Mr Matt Viney MLC, Ms Janice Munt MLA, Mr Murray Thompson
MLA Ms Jenny Lindell MLA, Mordialloc-Chelsea
Leader, The Age |
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