PORT PHILLIP CONSERVATION COUNCIL INC. Telephone +61393769442, +61429176725                           12 Burton Street, DROMANA VIC 3936 Facsimile 0395891680 warfej@bigpond.com A0020093K Victoria  www.vicnet.net.au/~phillip ABN 46 291 176 191                                                                                                    27th October 2006

Mr Stewart Reid Manager Properties Bayside City Council PO Box 27 SANDRINGHAM VIC 3191 Dear Mr Stewart, Ricketts Point Tea House: Objection to Application for Liquor Licence and Extension of Trading Hours Port Phillip Conservation Council Inc, a federation of 16 conservation organizations around Port Phillip, has considered the proposals outlined in your letter of 18th October on the above subject (File No. SUB25757). As a result of that consideration, PPCC Inc. objects to the proposals for a liquor licence and for an extension of the trading hours. Our Member Organizations support PPCC Inc. Policy Statement No. 7 “Proposed New or Expanded Commercial Operations on Foreshore Reserves”, which opposes extension of commercial facilities on public foreshore reserves around Port Phillip, and is viewable on the PPCC Inc. Web site above. The steady incursion of commercial facilities onto the very margin of Port Phillip in both space and time and in the intensity and elaboration of those facilities represents an undesirable and retrograde blurring of the contrast between the predominantly natural character of the foreshore reserve and the necessarily urban and ubiquitous character of the commercial catering environment. The Trojan Horse that started life under the pretext of being just a “Tea House” is showing every sign of following the pattern of other commercial footholds that have been gained on our public foreshore reserves, and becoming a focus for relentless intensification, with resulting pressures being imposed on the surrounding reserve. It has not gone unnoticed that your letter twice refers to the “Ricketts Point Cafe” when the prevailing usage is the term “Tea House”. A major added cause of concern at Ricketts Point is the fact that the “Tea House” is only a few metres away from the Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary. It is important that the tone and reputation of that significant Sanctuary is in no way lowered by the Sanctuary being associated with and perceived to be affected by increased hours of operation, and even greater non-water-related activity at the commercial structure on its doorstep. PPCC Inc. requests that Bayside City Council inform the lessee that it is not prepared to approve the applications above proceeding any further. Yours sincerely, Ms Jenny Warfe Secretary, Phillip Conservation Council Inc.