bcs2003b

At the March 2003 Bayside City Council elections the overall
numbers
of conservation-minded councillors increased somewhat. BCS Inc. members
helped that trend by working for the successful re-election of Cr
Ken Beadle for Moysey
Ward and the replacement of former councillor Simon Russell by a
new
councillor, Cr Derek Wilson, for Ebden
Ward. The policies of both those councillors, who together cover
the
Beaumaris area and are both members of BCS Inc., showed strong support
for planning and environmental issues. The new Council has elected Cr
Ken
Beadle as the new Mayor of Bayside. 

Committee members of BCS Inc. attended a recent meeting of Save
Our Suburbs Inc. and heard comments from representatives of like
organizations
that discontent over planning issues continues throughout
Melbourne. 

BCS Inc. has made representations to Bayside
City Council on a number of issues, the main ones being:- 

1. Foreshore fires:
People lighting
them for fun, often in the cooler months, destroy foreshore vegetation
to keep them going. Young fire lighters might not understand how
serious
the damage is. Police know of the problem. Remember, ring 000
on a mobile or other phone to report the site of a fire as soon as you
see it, so that fire fighters or police can attend promptly. 

2. Foreshore weed control: 
Friends Groups carry out some of this work in conjunction with
Council’s
Bushland crews. It is pleasing to know that the Council has approved
the
use of an extra crew again for this year. See the BCS Inc. list of the
species and location of foreshore weeds, and indigenous plants, at www.vicnet.net.au/~phillip/listbays.htm

Members know the Federal Government intends to sell 85
hectares of Commonwealth
land to the State Government or, failing that, to put it on the
open
market. We urge all members to write to the Hon Dr David Kemp MHR, our
local Federal MP, to oppose any of this splendid national open space
treasure
leaving public ownership. 

Email to  D.Kemp.MP@aph.gov.au 
or write to him at 

368 Centre Rd. BENTLEIGH VIC 3204 or fax to 95572906. This land belongs
to all of us, and our interests will be best served by there being no
private
sale of it. 

The approach of VCAT to
planning and
in particular to neighbourhood character is still regarded by BCS Inc.
and similar organizations as not giving proper recognition to local
Council
planning decisions and guidelines. Also the delay by the Planning
Minister,
Hon. Mary Delahunty MLA, in handing down a decision on the Bayside C2
amendment
to Rescode is hard to understand. 

Amendment C2 is the Residential Neighbourhood Amendment to
planning
provisions for residential development in Bayside, mainly concerning
density,
height limitations and a vegetation overlay to preserve urban character
and amenity. It seems that Amendment C2 is not in accord with the
Melbourne
2030 Strategy, but it does not appear that formal discussions have been
published. 

Three members of the BCS Inc. Committee, Adrian Cerbasi, Keith
Holmes
and Ted Pearce, recently met with Noel Pullen, MLC for Higinbotham, to
express our frustration over VCAT and Amendment C2, especially in the
light
of the State Government’s pre-election pledges. We received a
sympathetic
hearing, and we await feedback after Mr Pullen has forwarded our views
to the Minister.

About 23% of existing BCS Inc. memberships are those for the
year 2002-03
that are still unpaid. Those memberships will be deleted from our
Membership
Register on 1st July 2003 unless payment is received before that date,
and the members involved will need to re-apply to rejoin the Society.
Please
pay before then to: 

The Treasurer, Beaumaris Conservation Society Inc., 

P.O. BOX 7016, BEAUMARIS VIC 3193. 

Individual Membership is $6.00, Family $10.00 You may wish to
pay 2003-2004
fees at the same time. It is vital that BCS Inc. has a strong
membership
base when making representations and submissions to local bodies. 

The President, Adrian Cerbasi, and two other BCS Inc.
Committee members
attended a consultation meeting at Bayside Council offices to discuss
with
Council staff and Cr Ken Beadle of Moysey Ward the details of plans for
works planned at this foreshore
site opposite the Beaumaris Hotel at Bodley Street. 

BCS Inc. stated that the mown area around the stone cairn and
remnant
very old pine trees has long been a memorial to the original pioneers
of
Beaumaris, the Moysey family, after whom Moysey Ward is named. 

We stressed the need to ensure that the materials, bulk and
appearance
of new installations there were as unobtrusive as possible in keeping
with
the historic and surviving natural features of the site. We also
considered
that far too much of the budget was for work other than the removal of
the very extensive infestations of weeds and pest plants in that area,
and replanting with indigenous species. 

 

A celebration luncheon for all members of BCS Inc. to mark our
continuous
existence since our founding in 1953 as the Beaumaris Tree Preservation
Society will be held on Sunday 5th October 2003 at 12:30 p.m., at a
venue
in Beaumaris to be advised. 

Members are asked to mark this date in their diaries now, and
to book
a place as soon as possible by contacting Adrian Cerbasi (Tel, Fax 9589
5194) or Geoffrey Goode (ggd@netspace.net.au 
0429176725). 

The luncheon will be catered for by former President, Ron
Hayton, and
a donation to defray costs is requested when booking, please. 

 

The following natural areas in the Beaumaris area would
greatly benefit
from your help in controlling weeds and establishing new plants, of
species
known to be indigenous to the particular area involved. 

This is a marvellous way of becoming acquainted with our
natural areas.
It only takes 2 hours a month, with no experience required – only
enthusiasm
in seeing our natural areas thrive. 

Just come along at the times shown below and introduce
yourself to other
“Friends of Bayside”: