Barbara Leavesley’s President’s Report for 2007
As usual this has been a busy year for AIDA, with the dominant feature being roads and drains. Both Fairhaven and Aireys Inlet roads are still works in progress.
Fairhaven
Due to an unavoidable delay, the second part of the Fairhaven Roads and drainage VCAT case had to be rescheduled. This has allowed an opportunity, for further possible further discussions with the Council and the Fairhaven rcsidcnts for a better “outcome”.
lf not, then the VCAT Hearing will be held on Jan 29th 2008 for 2 to 3 days.
Guy ‘Tuddenham and other Fairhaven objectors and Ian Godfrey on behalf of AIDA, have toiled long hours (and much cost to the objcctors) on this issue – and yet there is the potential for, in AIDA’s view, a less than st.isfactory outcome, where if all the roads are sealed, there will be a dramatic change in the neighbourhood charactcr of Fairhavcn for ever.
Aireys lnlet
In contrast, the process for the Aireys Inlet Roads and Drainage scheme looks much lcss advcrsarial. The Council and the Infrastructure Dcpartmcnt are to be congratulated on realising the divisive nature of the Fairhaven scheme and the inability of the Community Reference panel to reach a unanimous decision when they came up with the idea of using the Citizens Jury method of finding out what the community wantcd/needed for their roads and drains. The use of this method by the Council is a first for Local Government in Victoria.
Planning
The ever present planning issues arose this year, including the VCAT case of 10 Federal St in January when the applicant’s appeal to the Tribunal failed to reinstate his tennis court, that had been removed by one of the Shire conditions.
Details of the individual applications have been dealt with in your Newslettcrs, but one point I would like to make is that if we want to try to retain the informal coastal village character of our wonderful District, we all need to be vigilant and persistent.
If you receive notification 0r see a planning application on a site y0u are concerned about, it is important to follow it up, by looking at the detailed plans at the Shirc offices which if you don’t understand ask the planner t0 explain, if you are
concerned, tell other people, also consider talking to the applicant, particularly if thcy are local. I thank thosc peoplc who contacted AIDA to check whether we are aware of specific plans, because try as we might, we do miss some. However AIDA cannot obviously look into all applications. We try to concentrate on those that have a community aspect to them. A recent application in point is the site behind the Storc and Post Office, which particularly has car parking problems.
Another associated planning issue that is constantly arising is that of enforcement.
I{ 3rou .sr:c actions likc trce rcrt*val, a },:uilding or slructnres not c*nl*rseing lo its plares or *tht:r iik:gatr actions – pii:iasi: Lake action” Llheck your t”acls, rnaki: enquiries *r phone tire Shire to repr:rt what ycu have seen. whcn and where. The Shirr: will ernploy 2 plan- ning r:nfrrrcx:rnent of{ir:crs in 20t}8, one frrll time and ofto psrt lirni:” i:uL obr.,i*usiy the Shirc caut’t be cvcry- wl:erc arirl stc cver3rthing.,,Ulvays fcr:l fri:c to contact AIIIA if you think it is rclevant, but be prcparcri to act yaurself its r,!’e are n*t available all the timr:
Barwon Water
At the beginrring otr- last year, rnemi:ers will rerliclxt- ber ttiat. thc issue of LJarwon Waler allowing cartage of lviltcr froln thr: Painkalac Dam to otlir:r parts of the area came to light for some at least. queslionaJ:le uses such as car x.ashes anri srvirnrnilg pools. trtrre also querir:d i.i,he:thel”,{ire.vs h:let sh+uld bcl on some hvel of w#.tcr restrictions” It sui:sr:qucntly ht:c;trne cli:ar that lhe main rlifficult”v was corltlllurticalion qrith llarwan }tr’ater. ilhe-v riid n*t. seem t* rcalise hcw an.gr-),’thr:. clxumuriiry was anrl that il w;:.s importi:.nt for the people to kn*w what tXre *rr:ts *-ere” A{ler ser,. r:ral allr:mpts anii ii fileeti*g arranged l:-v Cr l,ibh;,
h,’tears r,i,ith them and solru,: cornmunity rtotttbers, inchiding AlilA, thr: infurrnation llorv improveri, Itric stilI bi’lirvc that rnorc c*mrnunity riiscussion is rc- rluired around such issues as what in fact po*rble water shoilld hr: used fr:r in view of cbvi*us clirnatt change and the trig.qer pcints at which restrictions are broughl ir.
*+cr+atio* ir Aireys lnlet
‘lhc Aix:ys inlet lte*rr,:alion Infrastructure Plan Llorn- rnunity ltefererence {iroup nlct st:r,,t:ratr tirncs t}ris yea:’anrl was ilrlvised hy Ci:orn}:s C*nsultaerLs that Lhc tiilbert St site wiis unsuikrble for a clenrerl recrr:aticln $pa{c
Th*,’Consultaflts did a cr:murunity surve.v to find <;ut rvhat p,:ople lerlt rryas nr,:ederl/wantcd fcr recrcation irt thc riistrir:t.
$tagc 2 of tht: pr$cc.c.s is no,,r, unrli,:rway t* k:r:k ilt twu upiions.
,{trI},\ has }:r:cn invCIlvr:d in disrxlssions with {hr: Con- sultants about the passihilitir:s for an indrior iacility for activitics such as gyln, aerr:bic fitness, relaxatioir classi:s” sporls such as nr:thali and baskelbail anrl an alternative option for an opcn recri,raLirinal sp;lcc at Lht: northern end of the Painkalar: Yallc”v. AIDA r:xg:resserl con{:er{l }silh thr'” siting of any recreation rescrv{: in the tr’;rlle.3,, being a\,vare ihat in altr *f our surr,’eys con- ducted, our rnembcr.s havc consisLtxrtl-v expresscd concern ovcr any rlcvcloprnctrt in the !’a}le”v. AIIIA w*r”rld corsidcr discu.ssions on a silc in the fi*rthcrrt end r:f the Yalle;, with certain rrstrictior:s involved.
Tl:e Consultant.s Reportwilicorne t* t}:e L-ornu:unily Itsfercncr: {,}rou{: wh* will hirve a chance lo comment l:efcre pil.ssing on to Ci:urtcii. I r.vould likc lo lhank
Jason LlulLon for rcprc$cnting AiilA *n this Group.
Ligtrth*use Precinct
I vrould like to r:*ngratulate Frieda trtrrachsnlan* and othrr li:cal resirlrmt.s of ttrr: lighthouse }lrr:cinct on tilking thr: irritiativr lo form a ltiencl.q r:f ttrr: I]rrlcittct group. ilhis {iroup plus AII}A atd r:thcr c*rn*tunitSr groups wcre rcprescnlcd *n a Split Point Adr.,isi:ry Cc*:mittee sr:l. up b3, fte Lireat Oce;xt R*arl Coastal C*mmitte:r: ({;01{CC) and the Surf LroastSirire.Their task was to trSr lrl scive the prr:blerns i* this incrr:as- ingl-v- p*pulilr tourist arca. Ilccausi: tlds is onr,: of thc few areas in ,A,ustralia whrrc a ligh*lou-tc is situated in a residcntiai ;lrea, thc prr:bierrl.s arc largely man- agcruent of vehicular traffir:. {;ORLlLl }ras respcnsibi}- iry fcr the L-oastal Reserve incluiling’the Step trJr:nch car park and the Surf Ll*ast Shirc il:r tlle rest of thc’ Precinct.. ilJrc,{dvisor y l-i o*rrn ittr: c’s suggc ste rl .qolu- tions now havc to bc rliscusserl u,vith thc Sirirc’s Infra- structure I) cpartrnent.
AIIIA helievr:s this is ;:. wr:r:der^fuI opportunity kr den:onslrate how sustainabk: touris:n can rea11yrvork. It is not sustain;rh1e to alkrw r*ore and rnorr: traffic ints this resislential arca- kr partieular, AIDA}:elieves buses anri cars with caravan.q ;lfld o$x:r large vehiclc.q shoulrl he strongly anrl i:iearly rii.scouraged tiour go- ing up into the lig’hthouse arr:a. :rith the exception of emergency and delivery vr:hick:s.
All the represr:ntatiyes *n the Spiit Pcir:t Advisory Cornmitti:c bclieve ttrc $katcpark car park mniil l:r: sa{cfur developcil to i*clutle parking for lr:ng vithiclcs a.s wt:ll as cars and this has tc br: coorrlinatcd with the plarrned alteratir;ns tr.r the parking at thr: lJ*llom shups”
General
ln arklition to our inv*lvc*tenl in all lht:-sc flarticular issur,:s, AIDA also has input int* Grany othr:r arcas in which we berlieve the cornu:unity has intr::rests. \trte havr: reprcsr:ntatives on several comuritter:s anil I must thank all these people who regularly allend Lhcse rrlr:ctimgs – {or instancc llm {iibsort anri l}cnnis tr;:avcslc3i aro on two lrlailkalac Cre1:k cornrnittc6:s.
\drc also Fut ifi suhmissio*s tei clratl d*cuntent.s, rvritr Ietlers *f support io a wirle raxlge of subjects. 1&-e at tend inforu:ation days, seminars an<j {rrurns to rnakr sure A{tr}A stays infurn:ed.
AIDA has always valucd our rr*atiorrship wilh thc Shirc Councilltrs anrl the stafl anrl altirough thi.c yi:ar thcrc: havr: l:<tcn rlilfurcnccs *f opirei*c. wc *rank them for iheir w.illingness t* ]isien and thr:ir courtesy. In partir:ular, I r,voukl like to thank C:” i-ibhy Mr-‘ars who in spite oi farnily illnr:ss al*-ays n:;:naged to find a rnornr:rrt lo talk or havr: a <1uick cofice”
As with al1 organisaLions, t.herr: is *re rlay tr; day cr:n- tinuum of adrninistration, rricrnhi:rsiiilrs, srinr”rtes elc. l”his als* inrlurlcs the in:prirtant productio* of our Hewsk:tters” lvhich is the main 1!-ay *-e kr:*p,voel, our memhers inicrrneri. I must thallk llot l-eslie I’trr the vi:r3r pr*fessi*nail compiling of lhc Newslrtter.
I thanlq all mr*r}:er.q o{ thc Comrnittcc, particularl-v’ *ur hard working sccrctar-y “lania, and thc C*ntact group, whictr inciurir:s pccplc wh* havc l:een on lhc: Comrnittec in the past.anrl have invalua[:]e knowlcdg’c to c*nt.ril:ute. I partir:ularly thank thr:se pe*pk: who took th*: extra l*arl wher: my hushand Dennis had an nnrxpected hcart attack. Last but ni;L least I rlust *rank llennis for all his suppurt in my erfhrrts. hr has guidcri fiI5r trut *Urton li”om a computer Ludrlitc t{} po$t- r:omputer Lurlrlite!
Conclusicsr
I-ookirig ahead, I’m surc that rmany AIDA ilirfirbcr.s ar”€ conccrnerl al:out ?r*w climate changr and peal< oil will af{cct tht: luturr: ir i;ur small ci:ru*runity, on thc coast. To this eild, wr-‘ have askr:d Llr l.ihby I,'{r:ars as Chairman of the Yictorian Lloastal Council, ro talk tr; Nhe Draft \”ictorian Coas*rl $trateg.v whir:h is current 1y out iol cornrnent – ile par”ticular how r:lirnater change rnight affcct {ir.1r own back3rarri.
Alsr: inne havc takcn the advanlage i;I nolv having *ur *wn Al {-iore speaker in cur c{:urmr:nit3., hy asking I}r Tinr {-iihson from frairhaven. r,vho has haitr a career in clirnatol<;gy ;rnd who recr:ntly;ittendr:d an Ai {iorr training weekcnrl Lo i:rierg us up to datc *lr climate: char:ge and ottrcr rr:lati:d issr,u,:s. ‘i’his will be in this irall orr lrrida3, January l8th at 7″li{.}pn. Pleasc cn- courag’e as lra{llr per:pk: as possi[:k: tri r*:ne.
I;st. of all, { would like m say, I will he steppin.g dow.n ;rs Presidr:nl., as I agre*:d t* do it icr *nly onar -\iea]:, whilc scvcral ncr,v inelnbcrs nf thc Cornmi$cr lbund their fer:ll I r,vil} remain on the Cornmitlt:e anri lor thi.q nr:xi ycar will continui:: to or,rilrsec tlec plarning issues ior onr: more ycar, but I anrl the L-ornmittee are }ook- ing for s$xneone w-hc’) nauld he interested in keeping an eyc i:n the rirvelci:rncnts that arr,’proposeri rl{lich appcar to he out.qirb Alll.{s Airns arirl G}:jectives. You don’t tect:ssanily neerl cxpertisr, a$ lve haye sr:veral rncrn?:ers of AIIIA lhal iravct particular t.alcnts. i:ut you d* neeri a pr:rsistenr:e and a passicnatr: riesirr-‘ tcl try 1r: protei:t our llistl”ict against lhe worst cxcLrsses of over development.