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ISSUE 78 FEBRUARY –MARCH 2023 Changes to cat curfew Save on solar Single use plastics banBayside ward map Beckett Ward Ebden Ward Ivison Ward Boyd Ward Castlefield Ward Bleazby Ward Dendy Ward Inside this issue ISSUE 78 FEBRUARY 2023 –MARCH 2023 3 Cat Curfew 5 Solar Savers 7 Choose to reuse 9 Let’s Talk Planning 11 Bayside Japan Club 14 Billila Mansion artists Cover: Bayside kitty Dandan and owner Cindy are happy at home. Customer service commitment We are committed to being easy to deal with, empathetic, effective and trusted. For more information on any of the items in this magazine, please call us on 9599 4444. Making a complaint or compliment Complaints can be made by phone, in person at our Corporate Centre or online at: bayside.vic.gov.au/feedback How to contact us bayside.vic.gov.au (03) 9599 4444 76 Royal Avenue, Sandringham enquiries@bayside.vic.gov.au /BaysideCityCouncil @BaysideCouncil @BaysideCityCouncil Bayside City Council proudly acknowledges the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land, and we pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging. Your Councillors Councillors have a role in ensuring responsible and accountable governance. As elected community representatives, our councillors are involved in determining priorities and policies and establishing the strategic direction of the city. Mayor Cr Hanna El Mouallem Dendy Ward helmouallem@bayside.vic.gov.au 0437 859 978 Deputy Mayor Cr Jo Samuel-King MBBS Castlefield Ward jsamuel-king@bayside.vic.gov.au 0419 772 291 Cr Sonia Castelli Ivison Ward scastelli@bayside.vic.gov.au 0466 356 794 Cr Alex del Porto Bleazby Ward adelporto@bayside.vic.gov.au 0417 390 641 Cr Laurence Evans OAM Ebden Ward levans@bayside.vic.gov.au 0407 735 993 Cr Clarke Martin Beckett Ward cmartin@bayside.vic.gov.au 0466 356 805 Cr Fiona Stitfold Boyd Ward fstitfold@bayside.vic.gov.au 0409 608 419Cat curfew updates PETS We’re strengthening restrictions for cats to protect both their safety and our native wildlife. The changes are part of our 2022-26 Domestic Animal Management Plan and update Bayside’s existing cat curfew which has been in place since 2011. From 2023, during daylight savings, the cat curfew is between 9pm-6am and cats must be confined to their owner’s property. During non-daylight savings periods, cats must be confined to their owner’s property between 6pm-6am. The earlier curfew time means Bayside’s moggies are tucked up for earlier sunsets in the cooler months. The curfew changes are aimed at longer, healthier lives for cats, reducing the risk of car-related death or injury, fights with other animals, or fatal diseases such as feline AIDS. “Essentially, it’s going to help protect our cats,” said Dr Felicity Smither, Vet Director, Greencross Vet Sandringham. “They’re not going to be hit by a car, which is the number one cause of death for cats under three years of age.” Dr. Smither makes an important point about the kind of confinement required under the curfew. “It’s important to understand that it’s not necessarily about confining your cat indoors, but rather to your property,” she said. There are a number of companies that offer a range of portable and effective guards and safety nets to ensure cats remain contained, yet gain crucial outdoor access. The strengthened restrictions are also designed to protect our natural environment. “The curfew will help prevent cats from injuring or killing wildlife,” said Michele Phillips from the Southern Oakleigh Wildlife Shelter. “A pinprick from a cat is a death sentence to any wildlife. It is also better for the cats, as they can get killed by cars, fight with other cats, or go missing.” The introduction of extended cat curfew hours is the first step towards transitioning to 24-hour cat containment in 2025/26, which will require cats to be kept on their owners’ properties at all times. Bayside’s Domestic Animal Management Plan is a four-year plan that aims to improve and encourage responsible pet ownership. Find out more bayside.vic.gov.au/Cats HOME SWEET HOME Cats must be confined to their owner’s property between 9pm-6am during daylight savings and 6pm- 6am during non daylight savings Michele Phillips from the Southern Oakleigh Wildlife Shelter said baby possums are often the victims of roaming cats4 Let’s Talk Bayside Keeping Bayside beautiful COMMUNITY Many hands make light work when it comes to responsible waste disposal. Council is working to keep Bayside beautiful, but everyone can play their part. We need the community to work together to keep our idyllic area clean and free from waste. Step one is simple: put your rubbish in the bin. Cleaning up our streets is a matter of picking up and depositing rubbish responsibly — even if it’s not yours. Convenor and founder of Friends of Bayside Roads Derek Jones said his group has noticed an increase in litter along roadsides. “What our 40 volunteers, who cover about 80 kilometres of roadside in Bayside do, is clean litter from our streets and open spaces caused by irresponsible litter disposal. “We found 15 bags worth in just one bush recently; it’s a serious problem,” Mr Jones said. Volunteers each patrol 2kms of roadside once or twice a week. They also report vandalism, graffiti and illegally dumped rubbish to Council. Friends of Bayside Roads, Hampton Beach Patrol and Love our Streets 3187 (Hampton) are just some of the volunteer groups working hard to help keep Bayside beautiful. Keep Bayside Beautiful Pop your rubbish in the bin Keep Bayside Beautiful Pop your rubbish in the bin PLEASE DON’T LITTER Dispose of rubbish responsibly. Cleaning up our streets is a matter of picking up and depositing rubbish responsibly — even if it’s not yours. Find out more bayside.vic.gov.au/ VolunteerNow National clean-up day starts at home Cleaning up our nation can happen every day of the year, with the official Clean Up Australia Day scheduled for 5 March 2023. Last year’s event attracted 908,437 nationwide volunteers, including 228 councils, across 13,031 sites and $794,210 in donations. Organisers are aiming to beat this in 2023. Checkout our website for more details bayside.vic.gov.au/CUADKeep Bayside Beautiful Pop your rubbish in the bin Keep Bayside Beautiful Pop your rubbish in the bin 3545_2022 Keep Bayside Beautiful_Decal_Boxes_500x500_PRINT.indd 1 30/11/2022 5:42 pm Harnessing the power of solar ENVIRONMENT As part of our Climate Emergency action plan, we’re encouraging Baysiders to switch to zero carbon energy. Almost 7,000 homes in Bayside have already seen the light — with their properties powered by solar panels. But with more than 43,000 residences in the Bayside community, there’s still a long way to go. Homeowners, renters, and rental property owners located in Bayside can access trustworthy quotes, affordable rates, and free advice about solar and government rebates with Solar Savers. Local government initiative Solar Savers is making it easy to install an affordable and quality solar system in your home or business. By installing through Solar Savers, you’ll have peace of mind — knowing that your installers have been independently evaluated on their safety, product and warranty quality, and value for money. Installing solar panels can reduce energy bills, future-proof against increasing energy costs, and support a transition to cleaner, renewable energy. We’re holding information sessions throughout February and March if you want to learn more about the Solar Savers program. Grant success Council also supports Bayside community clubs and organisations to develop successful grant applications to reduce carbon emissions and save money. Most recently, six Bayside community projects were successful in obtaining grants as part of the Victorian Government’s Community Climate Change and Energy Action program — made available through Sustainability Victoria. Black Rock Yacht Club received $19,683 for installation of a 40kW Solar PV system. This will support the reduction of energy bills, allow the system to pay for itself in five years, and offset 42 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year. Community organisations can apply for up to $5,000 funding through the Bayside Climate Emergency Grants. Find out more Learn more about the Solar Savers program: bayside.vic.gov.au/ SolarSavers Learn more about Climate Emergency Grants: bayside.vic.gov.au/ ClimateEmergencyGrants 9599 4495 brighter@bayside.vic.gov.au. CLEAN ENERGY Manager Black Rock Yacht Club Paul Morgan with the newly installed solar panels. Bayside Home Energy Efficiency Expo Join us on Saturday 18 March, 10am to 2pm at Brighton Town Hall for a free Home Energy Efficiency Expo presented by Bayside City Council in partnership with Zoe Daniel MP for Goldstein. Explore induction cooking, heating and cooling systems, insulation and draught proofing, solar, batteries and more to help your home become cleaner and more energy efficient. Find out more bayside.vic.gov.au/HomeEnergyEfficiencyExpo Let’s Talk Bayside 56 Let’s Talk Bayside Successful start to school SERVICE Whether it’s a seasoned student or those heading off for the first time, the return to school can lead to a mix of excitement and nerves for both children and parents. Going to school means navigating classroom learning, making new friends, recess, lunch, sports, excursions and more. Child psychologist and author, Deirdre Brandner shared some of her top tips on how to get off to a successful start to school. Know your school “For first-timers, it can be useful to take your child for a drive past their school, get out, peer through or over the fence so they can get a sense of the landmarks,” Deirdre said. “For older children, accompany them on the walk, train, bus or tram trip to their school and familiarise the route they will taking.” “A common concern for both littlies and teens is making friends and dealing with ‘big kids’.” “As parents, try not to put pressure on our children with regard to making friends. Refrain from saying things like ‘I bet you will have lots of great friends at your new school’, ‘you know you will make lots of friends’ and ‘you’ll have heaps of mates’. “Your child has no evidence of this and the idea that there is this expectation can be overwhelming.” “Conversations should focus on the idea of starting to meet new kids, getting to play different games or learning what interests classmates may have.” Schoolwork “Children starting primary and secondary school will often have unhelpful thinking about expectations of school work.” “Remind them that everyone in the class is starting new and no-one is expected to know everything. That’s the point! It’s actually the job of the school and teachers to facilitate the learning.” SLOW DOWN Speed limits around schools drop to 40km/h between 8- 9:30am and 2:30- 4pm on school days. Positive Parenting sessions Deirdre Brandner is presenting four webinars on raising children as part of Bayside’s Positive Parenting Series in 2023. Register for the series and get access to pre-recorded sessions. Find out more bayside.vic.gov.au/ PositiveParenting The return to school can lead to a mix of excitement and nerves for both children and parents.Let’s Talk Bayside 7 Choose to reuse ENVIRONMENT From 1 February 2023, the Victorian Government is banning the sale and supply of single-use plastic items such as drinking straws, cutlery, plates, drink-stirrers, expanded polystyrene food and drink containers and cotton bud sticks. Many single-use plastic items are difficult and economically nonviable to recycle and often they end up contaminating our recycling. Avoiding single use plastic or switching to reusable items where possible will help to support our local hospitality businesses through this transition. Single-use plastic straws will remain available for people who need them due to a disability or for medical reasons. Soft plastics REDcycle has hit pause on their soft plastics collection program. This means you can no longer drop off your soft plastics at local supermarkets, Council’s Corporate Centre or Beaumaris library. For now, soft plastics will need to go in your general waste bin. Try to avoid soft plastics where possible. Use reusable shopping bags, put fruit and vegetables in a reusable sack and use reusable food coverings instead of cling film. Find out more bayside.vic.gov.au/ SingleUsePlasticBan GreenMoney The GreenMoney program rewards residents for taking everyday green actions. Take challenges, make pledges, or complete quizzes toearn points for your everyday sustainable actions. Then use those points to get discounts and rewards at local businesses. •Do your bit for the environment. •Get rewarded for your actions. •Use rewards to support local small businesses. Participating reward partners include HOYTS, Melbourne Aquarium, local cafes and online eco-stores. Find out more bayside.vic.gov.au/ GreenMoney 2023 Bayside Youth Ambassadors applications are now open. We’re looking for young people aged 12 – 25 years with big ideas and a passion for community to join our Bayside Youth Ambassadors program. The committee is open to young people who have a connection to the City of Bayside and are eager to have their voices heard. If you or a young person you know would like to find out more and get involved, visit bayside.vic.gov.au/ BaysideYouthAmbassadors8 Let’s Talk Bayside Census shows how we are changing LET’S TALK PLANNING What does the most recent Census data tell us about growth and change Bayside? Our Let’s Talk Planning series takes a look at some key insights. Census snapshot Bayside’s population is the second oldest across Melbourne, our median age increased from 44 years to 45 years from 2016-21. ‘Couples without children’ and ‘people living alone’ were the highest growing household types, and the large majority of these were older age groups. This trend of less people per household will continue. However, there are more families with young children in Hampton East, Highett and Cheltenham. Between 2016-21 there were 2,017 new homes built in Bayside, approximately 50% were apartments or town houses and 50% were separate houses. However, over this same time, there were over twice as many four bedroom homes created (new and renovated) than one or two bedroom homes. Overall, high density apartments make up 9.3% of all homes in Bayside and most homes (60%) are separate houses. Bayside is the second most financially advantaged community across Melbourne, with more outright home owners (40%) and fewer renters (22%). For households with a middle range income (between $800-$3,000 per week) such as teachers, nurses, hospitality and emergency services workers, less than 8% of homes in Bayside are affordable to buy, and around 48% are affordable to rent (predominantly 1-2 bedroom homes). This is significantly lower for people on low incomes (1.6% and 12.1% respectively). Around 30% of people have a long- term health condition, which is slightly higher than the Melbourne average, with the main conditions linked with our older population. How do we use this information? Census data is used to inform services, facilities, strategies and policies across all areas of Council. It is a key input along with expert advice, research Let’s Talk Bayside 9 and community consultation. For example, it has influenced Council’s decision to build a Warm Water Pool to support community health and wellbeing, and to locate the pool in Brighton where there is a high number of older residents who it could benefit. Key planning projects underway for 2023 Affordable Housing – we’re waiting for the Minister for Planning to approve proposed changes to the local planning rules (Planning Scheme Amendment C184bays). The changes will help encourage the supply of more affordable housing and ensure our local planning rules align with our Affordable Housing Strategy adopted in June 2021. Environmentally Sustainable Design – we are proposing changes to the planning rules (Planning Scheme Amendment C187bays) to ensure that future development achieves best practice in environmental sustainability, from design to construction and operation. We’ve received submissions on the draft and the next step is for the Minister for Planning to appoint an Independent Planning Panel. Greening Bayside – In 2022, Council adopted an Urban Forest Strategy and committed to planting 2,200 new trees every year (among other important actions). This will be done on a precinct/ suburb basis. We consulted on the plan for Beaumaris in November 2022, with the seven other precincts across Bayside to come this year. Many other projects are planned or underway to protect significant heritage, shape neighbourhood character, manage parking and enhance our open space network. Find out more For more details on our population, suburbs, households, how we travel, where we work and more bayside.vic.gov.au/ who-lives-bayside For more on how we planning for population growth, planning and development bayside.vic.gov.au/ LetsTalkPlanning The impact of COVID Bayside’s population decreased in 2020-21 by 2,544 people. This effectively balanced out the previous four years of steady growth, so our population has remained at around 102,300 people in August 2021). Population growth is expected to return to about 0.6% over the next five years, or around 3,500 people by 2026.Next >