LETTERS
Letters to the editor can be sent to The News, PO Box 588, Hastings 3915 or emailed to: team@baysidenews.com.au Name, address and a daytime phone number are required for verification purposes.
Green Wedge ‘productive’ Agricultural land use dominates the green wedge areas of Melbourne and provides the rural open landscape so important to the liveability of the city. The vision for the green wedges was driven by the Minister for Local Government Richard Hamer, based on the highly treasured British planning tradition of urban green belts and this was incorporated into the planning for metropolitan Melbourne in 1971. Agricultural land use in the green wedge areas of this city today has a total production value of $8 billion. The proposal to therefore sacrifice a thriving horticultural business and its workers in Kingston’s Green Wedge and replace it with an 130-hectare memorial park (‘Cemetery plot for Green Wedge’, The News 16/9/15) reveals a failure to appreciate that a sensible planning system should protect productive land as a precious natural resource for sustainable food production close to urban Melbourne at a time when the population is increasing as is climate change which will require careful management of land and water resources. While some of the uses in the Green Wedge involve buildings they are mostly required to be used in conjunction with agriculture or horticulture as is the case with the nursery in question, or for food production e.g. mushrooms and tomatoes. However and equally important purpose for Melbourne’s green wedges is the protection, conservation and enhancement of the open, rural and scenic non-urban landscape for the enjoyment of future generations. Mary Rimington, Mordialloc
Tree saga drags on The recent front page article and some letters seem to be keeping the “saga of the foreshore trees” alive and ongoing without the benefit of addressing the real issues. Moreover, based on the article with its emotive simplifications, some people, are not willing to trust Kingston Council to do its job as the responsible natural
Lungs of the city: Debate over the future of Melbourne’s green wedges, including Kingston’s Green Wedge, rolls on. Picture: Gary Sissons
resource manager i.e. ensure the necessary and sufficient environmental conditions are met and to take appropriate account of factors such as fire hazard, public safety, views, pest and weed control , etc. As a beachside resident I have watched this saga continue for over nine years with largely superficial environmental arguments and simplistic, one assumption fits all approach to motives and actions of residents. My understanding is as follows, and I think it is relevant in the essential facts, which unfortunately need to be revisited to cut through the emotive fog: The original Coastal Management Plan of Kingston Council stated that where the foreshore was 50 metres or more wide the first 40 metres from the high water mark should be planted by low growing shrubs trees and grasses. The remaining strip of land to the properties could be used for tall trees with sea glimpses/views and casuarina type trees depicted. This approach is environmentally sound in that the low growing shrubs and grasses are the main ecological work horses for this environment. It appears that planting of tall growing coastal banksia, with or without, regrowth has extended well into the designated “low
zone” with significant consequences. In addition there has been an overall nett increase in trees and shrubs with the excess provision of coastal banksia being promoted to the role of the principle defender of the foreshore ecology. This is not correct, overall structure, vegetative diversity, shrubs and grasses are just as, or more important for a truly sustainable outcome. Kingston Council, with substantial consultation over several years, has sought to properly resolve the conformance to the intent of the original Coastal Management Plan. A recent revised plan was proposing that future planting among other things be limited to low growing shrubs and grasses which seems entirely environmentally satisfactory. The proposal as far as can be ascertained would have met more than sufficient environmental needs and enshrine “no net loss of vegetation”. In other words, the council proposal met all necessary and sufficient environmental needs. The council appears to substantially have got it right and should have been endorsed to get on with the job of natural resource management without continual comment based on emotive over simplification of the issues. Are we doomed to another decade of intermittent
debate focused on one single aspect of what should be a holistic approach to good natural resource management? Good management is about biodiversity and considering whole ecological systems not just single aspects. How it is resolved is an important precedent for future environmental debates. In summary it appears the last stage of the Environment Minister’s review of the environmental needs has been affected by limited facts and assumptions to unnecessarily over rule a responsible council, enshrine excess coastal banksia and set a precedent that undermines proper environmental management in to the future. This last stage has also done an injustice to those residents who tried to do the right thing and used reasoned argument in an open process. Roger Payne, Bonbeach
Comments ‘astounding’
I am staggered by the comments attributed to local MP Tim Richardson on the front page of The News (‘Tree Change for Coast Plan’, The News 16/9/15). Tim evidently claims that he has never had any inquiries regarding vegetation and its impact on bay views. I have lived in this area for nearly 20 years and I believe that this issue has been one of the biggest sources of conflict between local residents. The current Kingston Council should be commended for the changes that they made to the Kingston Coastal Management Plan to ensure that the plan considered the points of view of all residents. The statements made by uninformed groups that coastal stabilisation is achieved by planting trees such as coastal banksia and black she-oak trees needs to be challenged. Even a Google search quickly identifies that coastal stabilisation is achieved by the planting of specific low and medium height vegetation. Not by the planting of large trees. Why can’t we implement solutions which are both technically sound and satisfy the interests of all parties? Rob Barnett, Parkdale
Delayed Bay Trail opens ahead of summer time
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without controversy. Community groups the Kingston Residents Association, the Mordialloc-Beaumaris Conservation League and the Kingston Conservation & Environment Coalition argued at VCAT in April that council was removing too much vegetation to build the 3-metre wide pathway between Charman Rd and the lifesaving club. The tribunal ruled Kingston Council could proceed with the plan to build the section of the Bay Trail. Kingston councillors now await a report on building the next section of the Bay Trail to link the path from Mentone to Mordialloc. Neil Walker
UN
THE long-awaited section of the Bay Trail from Charman Rd to the Mentone Lifesaving Club was officially opened last Wednesday (7 October). Kingston mayor Cr Geoff Gledhill welcomed the opening of the pathway for cyclists and walkers along the foreshore before the warmer summer weather arrives. “The Bay Trail project is an important link to promote cycling and walking around Port Phillip Bay and will be a fantastic community asset,” Cr Gledhill said. The new 600-metre section of the Bay Trail, a further step towards a single continuous bike path around Port Phillip Bay, has not been built
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Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News 14 October 2015
It’s official: The Mentone section of the Bay Trail opened to cyclists and walkers last week. Picture: Yanni
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