Seal draws crowd and ‘unwelcome’ attention
Boatworks heritage hearing date set
It may have been the calamari for breakfast or just the chance to nab a spot in the sun near the water’s edge. Whatever the impulse to come ashore, the New Zealand fur seal lying on the beach at Dromana quickly began to draw a crowd. Some sat on the seawall to get a view of the seal, which obligingly lolled about, waving its flippers in the air. But it was the woman out for a swim that caused the most concern for volunteer seal monitor James Clemens. Not content with swimming past, the woman came ashore and tried to shoo the seal back into the water. Mr Clemens called out to her, warning that seals can bite if threatened. Undeterred, the woman waved her arms around a bit more before giving up and returning to the sea herself. Minutes later more volunteers arrived with posts and tapes to rope off an area for the seal. Mr Clemens is often first on the scene when a seal is reported as coming ashore and usually must explain the laws about not approaching too close to resting seals. Saturday’s incident was just more of the same. The Department of Environment Lands Water and Planning says seals often raise their flippers to keep cool. “People sometimes mistake this as a seal in distress. Seals holding flippers in the air should be left alone,” the DELWP states on its website. “Seals see us as predators, and they may hurt themselves or their young trying to flee. Seals will be on land for a reason, such as to rest or molt.” It also provides the following “rules”: Do not approach within 30 metres of a seal on land, whether you are also on land or in the water. Dogs are not permitted within 50 metres of a seal on land. Do not approach within five metres of a seal on a boat ramp, pier or other man-made structure. Dogs must not enter the water within 150 metres of a dolphin, 300 metres of a whale or 50 metres of a seal. It is illegal to touch or feed a seal. Call DELWP on 136 186 or Wildlife Victoria on 1300 094 535 for any seals that appear to need help. Words and pictures Keith Platt
A HERITAGE Council hearing on the heritage status of the Pompei boatworks in Mordialloc will be heard on 27 February, after being postponed at the request of the developer. The boatyard is situated on crown land which was sold in December 2017 for $2.85 million. Council now has an application before it for a four storey apartment building with 13 units on the site. Second rounds of submissions in reply to first round submissions must be lodged by tonight (13 February) An application was made last year to have the area heritage listed by the Heritage Council of Victoria, but a recommendation report from executive director Steven Avery recommended
that “the place NOT be included in the Victorian Heritage Register” (“Heritage push for Pompei”, The News, 12/9/18).
‘Spare no expense’ to make track safe OVER 25 years have passed since Natalie Russell was tragically murdered walking home from school. The track she was taken from in Frankston North was subsequently renamed to Nat’s Track in her memory, and nearly three decades on from the tragic event has started to fall into disrepair. The track backs onto Monterey Secondary College, and Frankston councillor Kris Bolam said that the school principal had been in touch with him to report that students had begun to experience “anti-social behaviour on the track”. Cr Bolam said he is pushing to include funds to upgrade the track in
Frankston Council’s upcoming budget. Those upgrades would include lighting, new fencing, a bicycle path, a CCTV camera, new trees and plants, a new vigil plaque for Ms Russell, and public art at both entrances. “Nat’s Track is actually a really important connection as it bridges Frankston North with Karingal which is otherwise landlocked,” Cr Bolam said. “It is unacceptable that people in 2019 still encounter anti-social behaviour on this track” Cr Bolam said that council should “spare no expense” to upgrade the track, which “should be becoming of both Natalie and the immediate area” .
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Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
13 February 2019
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