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Fair Access Policy Council elections Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve ISSUE 87 AUGUST - SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2024Yalukit Willam..................p4 Fair Access Policy..........p6 Third Street .....................p7 Suburban Rail Loop.......p8 Library Home Service..p10 Deliberative Panel.........p12 Beckett Ward Ebden Ward Ivison Ward Boyd Ward Castlefield Ward Bleazby Ward Dendy Ward Marriage Rd Fewster Rd Willis St Hampton St Railway Cummins Rd Bluff Rd Dendy St Bay Rd Weatherall Rd Reserve Rd Keating St Balcome Rd Glen Huntly Rd Head St S a n d r i n g h a m R a i l w a y L i n e Edward St Red Bluff St North Rd Charman Rd Thomas St Nepean Hwy Frankston Railway Line 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 Fiona Stitfold Boyd Ward fstitfold@bayside.vic.gov.au 0409 608 419 Deputy Mayor Cr Alex del Porto Bleazby Ward adelporto@bayside.vic.gov.au 0417 390 641 Cr Sonia Castelli Ivison Ward scastelli@bayside.vic.gov.au 0466 356 794 Cr Hanna El Mouallem Dendy Ward helmouallem@bayside.vic.gov.au 0437 859 978 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 Jo Samuel-King MBBS Castlefield Ward jsamuel-king@bayside.vic.gov.au 0419 772 291 Inside this issue bayside.vic.gov.au (03) 9599 4444 76 Royal Avenue, Sandringham enquiries@bayside.vic.gov.au /BaysideCityCouncil @BaysideCouncil @BaysideCityCouncil 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 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. Cover: Aisha, Alison and Abby from Hampton Cricket Club. How to contact us Look up your ward Enter your address to see your ward and Councillor. bayside.vic.gov.au/ councilwardsYour vote counts COUNCIL Council elections are not far away, giving voters the chance to have a say on who will lead Bayside for the next four years. This year’s elections are via postal vote only, with packs to be mailed out between 7 and 10 October. Voting is compulsory for Australian citizens aged 18 years and older. To ensure your vote counts, head to the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) website and ensure your details are up to date or enrol if you are eligible. Council elections come around every four years so this is your opportunity to have a seat at the decision-making table. If you are passionate about Bayside and feel you can represent your Ward – Dendy, Bleazby, Castlefield, Boyd, Ivison, Ebden or Beckett – in the best interests of your community, this may be your year to stand for Council. Bayside Mayor, Councillor Fiona Stitfold was elected in 2020 and hopes more women will stand this year. “Diversity on Council is very important,” Cr Stitfold said. “It is our strong desire to ensure our Council is reflective of the demographics of our community and this includes representation that promotes equity.” “It is important that we have a diverse range of lived experiences on Council so we can make well-informed decisions.” Training for Council candidates is mandatory before formally nominating. This is run by Local Government Victoria (LGV). In partnership with local councils in the Inner Metropolitan South-East region, the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) are hosting a candidate information session at Port Phillip City Council on 31 July. We will also be hosting information sessions for candidates, run by the VEC, at the Bayside Corporate Centre in Sandringham on 4 September to provide a realistic perspective of this important community-focused role. Council will be in caretaker period from 12:00pm on 17 September until the new Council is elected. Find out more bayside.vic.gov.au/elections 4 SeptemberLocal information sessions, run by the VEC, at 3:00pm and 6:00pm 9 SeptemberCouncil candidate nominations open 17 SeptemberCouncil candidate nominations close at 12:00pm 7-10 October VEC mail out of ballot packs 26 October Election Day: voting closes at 6:00pm Find out more bayside.vic.gov.au/elections KEY DATES Let’s Talk Bayside 3 It is important that we have a diverse range of lived experiences on Council4 Let’s Talk Bayside Wild about wildflowers ENVIRONMENT FREE AS A BIRD Native fauna are flocking back to Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve. A grassy wildflower meadow that will introduce endangered habitat and encourage colourful seasonal changes has been sown at Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve. Designed and planted in collaboration with the University of Melbourne’s School of Design and Ecosystem Sciences, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, the wildflower meadow lies adjacent to the reserve’s community edge precinct. More than 18 wildflower and 20 indigenous grassland species have been directly seeded, delivering ecological, social, and economic benefits to an inner urban landscape. University of Melbourne Research Assistant in Seed Ecology, Sophia Blosfelds, said it was exciting to get the project to this point. “Selecting species for this very special and unique urban wildflower meadow is backed by science with a complex final design that brought a lot of information together,” she said. “This incredible wildflower meadow delivers ecological benefits including the restoration of species like threatened endangered grasses. It also provides education and beautification of the area that the community can enjoy, while a perennial meadow is more resilient and requires little maintenance.” A large volume of the seed used was collected by the volunteers of the Yalukit Willam Nature Association. Their work included harvesting and cleaning over 20 wildflower forbes and 10 species of grasses, totalling up to around 2kg of cleaned seed. Now the meadow has been sown, the seeded areas will remain fenced off to minimise the impact of foot traffic. If you are visiting the site, please enjoy the space and remain on the paths. This will ensure the seed has the best chance of growing into a beautiful wildflower meadow. Find out more bayside.vic.gov.au/ywnrOur much-loved playground at Donald MacDonald Reserve in Beaumaris has re-opened with new equipment and amenities that improve safety while boosting the fun. A flying fox and an inground trampoline have been added along with multiple swings, climbing frames and slides for different accessibility levels. A balance board and spinner will keep adventurous minds entertained while younger visitors will enjoy the spring rocker and sand digger. Rubber matting makes it easy to move around and additional trees provide great shading. Following community feedback on the playground’s condition, we identified equipment in poor condition that urgently required upgrading. This redevelopment is part of the Playground Improvement Plan 2015-25, with the target of upgrading all 61 playgrounds in Bayside. Find out more bayside.vic.gov.au/projects Swing into fun INFRASTRUCTURE Let’s Talk Bayside 5 BIG SMILES Kids are loving our new playground at Donald MacDonald Reserve. Customers come first COMMUNITY We spoke to over 700 households to better understand important issues for residents and gauge how Council is performing. The key findings from this year’s Community Satisfaction Survey include: •kerbside and hard rubbish collections received the highest satisfaction scores of all rated services and facilities •youth services and aged care were ranked as excellent •libraries were once again rated as a valuable service •maintaining our parks, gardens and reserves also received high ratings. Residents are most concerned about parking, road maintenance, building, planning, housing and development, safety, policing and crime. Council is responding to these issues, including delivering a 10-year parking strategy, by working with Victoria Police to improve community safety and advocating for better planning outcomes from Victorian Government projects. Satisfaction with Council’s overall performance remains at a “good” level, with an average rating of 7 out of 10. Overall, Council services were rated as “very good”. Find out more bayside.vic.gov.au/communitysatisfaction6 Let’s Talk Bayside Having that access and support is important as it allows girls to feel included. Encouraging female engagement in cricket has been a goal for Hampton Cricket Club for years. The proud Bayside club fielded five girls teams last season and are looking to expand that number for the upcoming season. Hampton CC Girls Co-ordinator Julia Farquharson hopes early opportunities for participation will allow girls to continue playing cricket well into adulthood. “The girls teams are developing and have been very successful. We’ve got lots of new girls coming through the U12 and U14, and we’ve got girls who played representative cricket and attend the Shane Warne Academy,” said Julia. “We don’t currently have a women’s team but that’s something I would like to establish at the club as it would create a pathway for our young girls and also encourage women in the community to participate.” Creating greater access Council recently introduced it’s new Fair Access Policy and Action Plan which aligns to the Victorian Government’s Fair Access Policy Roadmap. The policy aims to improve opportunities for women, girls, and other groups to participate in community sports and recreation activities, provide equitable access to facilities, and encourage involvement by coaches and volunteers. Council will provide sport and active recreation clubs with training and development, resources and education that will help them complete self- assessments and develop tailored action plans to enhance gender equity. Julia says the policy will go a long way to enhancing girls’ engagement in sport across Bayside. “Having that access and support is important as it allows girls to feel included, and the ability to feel part of the community but have their own space as well.” Council has committed over $50 million to upgrading sporting pavilions and sports grounds in Bayside to ensure they are fit for purpose and inclusive for all. Find out more bayside.vic.gov.au/fairaccess Levelling the playing field SPORT FOUR RUNS Women, girls and other groups will be given more support to participate in sport across Bayside.Black Rock Life Saving Club are enjoying the view from their new fit-for-purpose pavilion. The much-needed redevelopment provides better viewing areas for patrols to increase public safety, improved amenities, and enhanced inclusivity and accessibility that includes gender-neutral changerooms and public toilets. Club Vice-President Cath McGrath said the committee was proud of the new facility, which came to life after a comprehensive community consultation process. “We worked with Council to ensure the building met operational needs while creating an accessible space for all. This has been achieved, and our members are looking forward to summer,” she said. “We will host events and look forward to welcoming the local community. We have already enjoyed sunsets from the balcony.” The multipurpose space, kitchen, bar and deck area are available for community hire. Council invested $5 million, the Victorian Government funded $2 million and Black Rock Life Saving Club contributed $250,000 toward the construction. Find out more bayside.vic.gov.au/brlsc Safety and sunsets INFRASTRUCTURE Works to prevent localised flooding in Third Street, Black Rock are currently in the construction phase. These works involve a significant upgrade of our stormwater discharge network, meaning our system will be able to remove water from the area faster when intense rainfall occurs. The new stormwater storage system has a capacity of 855,000 litres. This means rainwater can be discharged in a controlled manner to our existing drainage network. Bayside Mayor, Councillor Fiona Stitfold thanked residents for their patience during this comprehensive upgrade. “We reviewed a number of drainage design options in response to resident feedback and chose to embark on a comprehensive program of works that will help protect homes in the event of severe weather,” Cr Stitfold said. “We know construction on your doorstep can be disruptive and appreciate our residents’ cooperation.” Drainage upgrade works are continuing, with completion expected by late October, weather permitting. Find out more bayside.vic.gov.au/thirdstreet Third Street drainage upgrade INFRASTRUCTURE Let’s Talk Bayside 7 BETWEEN THE FLAGS Black Rock Life Saving Club are delighted with the new facility.8 Let’s Talk Bayside Raising concerns on SRL PLANNING We have outlined our concerns to the Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) in response to its Draft Precinct Key Directions for SRL East (Cheltenham Precinct). The key directions will be used to inform the SRL Draft Precinct Structure Plan for the area, which is expected to be released later this year for community feedback. We have now provided feedback as to what on-the-ground actions should be undertaken to deliver the best possible outcomes for our community. Bayside Mayor, Councillor Fiona Stitfold said while Council supports the intent of the draft key directions, we remain concerned about the lack of genuine engagement with Council and the community. “Council understands that we are currently in a housing crisis, but we must develop considered and thoughtful solutions that factor in community needs,” said Cr Stitfold. “The SRLA’s plans produce more questions than they answer and we will be dealing with the consequences for many years. “There is also a lack of consideration for the amenity of existing communities, and the liveability of these communities in the future.” We have also prepared a draft Position Paper outlining our views on built form, open space, access and movement, and the development of Bay Road. Our response submission and Position Paper capture feedback from last year’s community engagement. We continue to meet with our community to receive feedback, which informs our ongoing engagement with State and Federal MPs, ministers and other councils impacted by SRL. The key points of our feedback will help shape future discussions with SRLA and the Independent Advisory Committee when it convenes in 2025 Find out more yoursay.bayside.vic.gov.au/srl There is a lack of consideration for the amenity of existing communities, and the liveability of communities in the future TRAFFIC JAM The SRL’s Precinct Key Directions will likely see an increase in congestion on Bay Road.Built Form, Diversity and Density •Reduce the proposed height and density which will have a significant impact on existing communities. •Stop the proposal to override the approved development plan for our former CSIRO site by Council. •Greater social and affordable housing outcomes, especially on the Victorian Government owned Dunkley Fox Housing estate. Sustainability •At a minimum, enforce Environmentally Sustainable Development requirements as part of new developments, and the provision of incentives to achieve them. •Put in place tree canopy targets. •Undergrounding of powerlines to optimise the ability to green both the public and private realm. Boosting Economy •Increase the current building height controls within the Bayside Business District to create an intensified and vibrant employment hub. Connectivity •Stop narrowing of Bay Road to single lanes for a cycle path, and instead ask that Bay Road be expanded. •Cycling corridors accommodated on alternative streets within the precinct (Wickham, Tulip and Park Road), which lead towards Highett, Southland and SRL stations. •Increase the elevation of the rail bridge above Bay Road to ensure it can continue to function as an arterial road. •Create a shared user path under the elevated rail corridor as part of the level crossing removal at Highett. Community Infrastructure •Explain how the Victorian Government will fund necessary community infrastructure for our increasing population. •Identify opportunities for more community facilities including existing facility upgrades and public realm improvements. •Provide opportunities to create additional open space to replace what is being lost at Sir William Fry Reserve, and to service the increased population. Our feedback to the SRLA on their Precinct Key DirectionsNext >