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ISSUE 74 JUNE –JULY 2022 ¡ Bin changes ¡ Budget highlights ¡ Citizen of the year awardsBayside ward map Beckett Ward Ebden Ward Ivison Ward Boyd Ward Castlefield Ward Bleazby Ward Dendy Ward Inside this issue ISSUE 74 JUNE –JULY 2022 Cover: Residents are preparing for the changes to Bayside's kerbside bin collection. 4 Budget looks to the future 6 Love Bayside: Don’t waste it 8 Let's Talk Planning 10 Thanking Bayside’s best 12 Powerful mural magic 15 What's on in Bayside Customer service commitment We are committed to being easy to deal with, empathetic, effective and trusted. Making a complaint Complaints should be put in writing and can be lodged via Council’s website. You can expect to receive a response within 10 days. How to contact us bayside.vic.gov.au (03) 9599 4444 76 Royal Ave, Sandringham enquiries@bayside.vic.gov.au facebook.com/BaysideCityCouncil twitter.com/BaysideCouncil 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 Alex del Porto Bleazby Ward adelporto@bayside.vic.gov.au 0417 390 641 Deputy Mayor Cr Hanna El Mouallem Dendy Ward helmouallem@bayside.vic.gov.au 0437 859 978 Cr Clarke Martin Beckett Ward cmartin@bayside.vic.gov.au 0466 356 805 Cr Sonia Castelli Ivison Ward scastelli@bayside.vic.gov.au 0466 356 794 Cr Fiona Stitfold Boyd Ward fstitfold@bayside.vic.gov.au 0409 608 419 Cr Jo Samuel-King MBBS Castlefield Ward jsamuel-king@bayside.vic.gov.au 0419 772 291 Cr Laurence Evans OAM Ebden Ward levans@bayside.vic.gov.au 0407 735 993 Let’s Talk Bayside 3 Biodiversity in Bayside MAJOR PROJECT Take a wander through a tranquil oasis replicating the ancient ecological life of our land of drought and flooding rains at Elsternwick Park Nature Reserve Chain of Ponds. The newly completed first stage of the transformation of the former golf course just 10kms from the Melbourne CBD offers an unforgettable adventure through an incredible world of indigenous flora and fauna. Bayside is transforming the site into a biodiversity rich nature reserve with expansive wetlands. Already more than 100 different indigenous plant species (more than 50,000 plants) are growing, attracting an abundance of native wildlife. A chain of ponds, two billabongs and two soaks are the life source of this wonderful reserve, filling and receding through the seasons and creating the rich environment necessary to support the native plants that adapt to the water level changes. A bio retention filter manages water from the Elster Creek Catchment ensuring not just water reuse but reducing the quantity of pollutants going into Port Phillip Bay. As well as substantially enhancing biodiversity, water management and improved water quality flowing into the Bay, Elsternwick Park Nature Reserve has significant benefits for the community. Meandering paths and cross-water stepping stones encourage exploration of this tranquil place, looking for wildlife, listening to the songs of frogs and birds and enjoying the beauty of the indigenous flora. Stage 1 is just the beginning of a total reclamation of this 14-hectare site which will also have new and expanded wetlands, wildflower meadows, woodlands and a conservation island. Council is investing $8 million in the implementation of the masterplan developed through extensive community engagement. The former Australian Government committed $6 million to the project and Council is seeking to realise a $11.7million election pledge by the new Australian Government. Bayside also aims to partner with the Victorian Government on this regionally significant initiative. Find out more o bayside.vic.gov. au\ElsternwickParkNatureReserve Meandering paths and cross-water stepping stones encourage exploration of this tranquil place. FULL OF LIFE The chain of ponds environment provides foraging and breeding habitat for many waterbirds, fish, reptiles, turtles, invertebrates and bats.4 Let’s Talk Bayside4 Let’s Talk Bayside Budget looks to the future COUNCIL The proposed 2022/2023 budget looks to the future by putting trees in the ground, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and expanding our aged care service delivery. It reinforces our action on climate change, protecting the environment and embracing sustainability, as well as making Bayside a more inclusive and accessible place for all. Bayside Mayor Cr Alex del Porto said the $155.6 million 2022/2023 budget supports the Council Plan and aligns with the aspirations of the community as articulated in the Bayside 2050 Community Vision and will go a long way in creating a better Bayside. “This steadfast budget seeks to maintain and improve our services and infrastructure as well as deliver projects that will benefit our community,” Cr del Porto said. “We must continue to look forward to make sure we are laying the foundation for a thriving and vibrant community with prudent financial management leading the way.” Ready, set, deliver In 2022/2023, we invest $69.5 million to update core infrastructure. This includes: • $43.7 million on buildings • $4.4 million on roads • $2.8 million on footpaths and bicycle ways • $4.8 million on drainage • $4.6 million on parks, open space and streetscapes • $2.7 million on foreshores and conservation. Love Bayside: Don’t waste it To continue our action on the Climate Emergency, this budget invests into key projects for our planet including: the continued implementation of our Climate Emergency Action Plan ($100,000), Urban Forest Strategy Implementation ($508,000) and the commencement of Stage Three works at Elsternwick Park Nature Reserve: Wetlands ($545,000). The 2022/2023 budget sees the waste management levy increase by 13.8% or $48 to $395.43. Increasing waste costs are passed directly onto ratepayers in accordance with our user-pays policy. This increase reflects the current economic reality of surging costs for processing, transportation and disposal of waste. We’re working hard to help Baysiders minimise these increases in the future by switching our bin collection schedule to weekly food and green waste and fortnightly general waste. We’re also making the investment to bring our bins in line with the State Government requirement to have a standardised bin system across Victoria by 2027. This budget invests into key projects for our planet including: the continued implementation of our Climate Emergency Action Plan. LOOKING FORWARD Council will continue to provide core services to our community. Let’s Talk Bayside 5 BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS The 2022/2023 budget delivers some long-awaited new community facilities: ¡ Dendy Street Beach Pavilion construction $4.13 million ¡ Beaumaris Arts Studio $1.016 million ¡ Tulip Street Basketball Courts extension $6.3 million Rates The budget will be funded by a rate increase of 1.75%. in line with the Victorian Government’s rate cap. We deliver a broad range of fundamental services to the community. In Bayside, 73% of Council’s income comes through rates with the remainder from fees, grants and subsidies. Mayor Cr del Porto said rate capping puts pressure on Council while delivering an extensive range of infrastructure improvements and services. “Council’s strong and effective financial management means that Bayside is relatively well placed to handle the impacts of rate capping in the short term,” Cr del Porto said. The average Bayside ratepayer will see a $81.50 increase on their rates notice. Any ratepayer experiencing financial hardship can contact our Revenue Services Team on 9599 4444 to discuss their payment options. Find out more o bayside.vic.gov.au/news/budget Artist’s impression of Tulip Street basketball stadium. HELPING HANDS Council’s aged care staff are fundamental to the health and wellbeing of our older community members. PLANTING SEASON Mayor Cr Alex del Porto visits one of Bayside's many newly planted trees.6 Let’s Talk Bayside Love Bayside: Don’t waste it ENVIRONMENT From Monday 4 July 2022, we’re switching how often we empty your bins. Please put your food and green waste bin out weekly and general waste and recycling bins out fortnightly. We know this change may be a challenge for some households and it might take time to adjust, but it’s an important next step to reduce our waste. Are you ready for the switch? We’re here to help - visit our website or call us to: • Check your bin day • Order a food and green waste bin if you don’t have one already • Learn ways to reduce your general waste – more than half of the contents of an average Bayside general waste bin can be recycled via food and green waste, recycling or soft plastics • Change your bin sizes. Unavoidable waste needs Eligible households can request a free larger or additional general waste bin if they need it. This includes households with: • six or more members • two or more children in nappies • a person (or a carer of a person) living with a chronic illness or disability. Want to find out more? For information, support and advice chat to us at: Face to face pop-ups throughout Bayside Drop-in sessions at libraries and farmers markets. Online information sessions: Tuesday 14 June, 12noon – 1.30pm Thursday 16 June, 7pm – 8.30pm Wednesday 22 June, 5.30pm – 7pm Register at bayside.vic.gov.au/ BinChanges or scan the QR code. Did you receive your waste services change information in the mail? This package includes a booklet about the switch and a new waste calendar. Visit o bayside. vic.gov.au/BinChanges to view the booklet online or call/email us and we'll send a printed copy to you. Taking the next step to reduce our waste LOVE BAYSIDE DON’T WASTE IT From Monday 4 July 2022, we’ll be: Emptying food and green waste bins weekly Emptying general waste bins fortnightly. There are no changes to recycling or hard waste collections. ✔ ✔ Register today for an online information session BIN COLLECTION SWITCH From Monday 4 July 2022, we'll be emptying your food and green waste weekly and your general waste bin fortnightly. What does the switch mean for you? Anna and her housemates rent Anna and her three housemates generate a lot of recycling and food waste but still have a fair amount of general waste. They already have a 240-litre food and green waste bin which they ordered direct from Council, and have spoken to their landlord who has agreed to order a larger general waste bin for them (as property owners pay for this bin through their rates). Thomas’s medical condition means he generates extra waste Thomas has a food and green waste bin and is good at recycling but has unavoidable medical waste needs. He is eligible for a free larger or additional general waste bin, so he calls Council to request one. Holly has a large, young family Holly and her partner have four children, two are still in nappies. They put their 240-litre food and green waste bin and recycling bin to good use, but still generate a lot of general waste. They are eligible for a free larger or additional general waste bin, so they request one online. Simon lives in an apartment Simon’s building receives Council’s kerbside waste service. Each apartment has its own 80-litre general waste bin (the smallest size available) but share recycling and food and green waste bins. Simon and his neighbours are talking to Council about how many food and green waste bins they might need. Dan and his family don’t have a food and green waste bin Dan and his partner have two children, aged 5 and 11. They have ordered a new food and green waste bin online for a one-off $99 fee. They’re hoping to eventually reduce the size of their general waste bin to save money on their rates. Sally and her family of five are reducing their waste Sally and her family have already been preparing for the switch by placing all food scraps in the food and green waste bin, recycling all recyclables via the blue recycling bin, and returning their soft plastics to the supermarket. Their general waste bin is now less than half full each week. They are ready for the switch. Find out more bayside.vic.gov.au/BinChanges binchanges@bayside.vic.gov.au 9599 44448 Let’s Talk Bayside Population growth and liveability LET’S TALK PLANNING How can we grow and still maintain our cherished Bayside lifestyle? This edition we look at the competing challenges for space. Where can I park my car? Baysiders have some of the highest rates of car ownership in metropolitan Melbourne, averaging 1.8 cars per household (52% of homes have two or more cars), but we are one of the smallest municipalities. Historically our cities were designed to prioritise the car, but with a projected 7,500 extra households in Bayside by 2036 the maths is clear – soon more cars just will not fit. Already, demand for on-street parking often outweighs supply, particularly in shopping precincts, the foreshore, and around schools… and frustration levels are high. What can be done? Councils can manage parking by: • Influencing the supply of off-street parking for new development through the planning system • Applying parking restrictions and parking permit systems • Managing parking compliance through inspectors or sensor technology. However, it requires balancing multiple, often competing, community needs. Bayside regularly conducts local traffic studies to identify the parking needs of a selected area, but it’s not a sustainable solution. In the long term, we can all play a part in reducing the pressures on parking (and reducing our environmental impact) by making greater use of sustainable transport like public transport, car share, walking and cycling. We are developing a 10-year Parking Strategy to help manage parking availability. I need some fresh air! Bayside has 416.21 hectares of public open space, across 138 sites. Of this space, 30% is parks and recreation reserves, 28% is public golf course, 24% is foreshore and 18% is conservation reserve. We can all play a part in reducing the pressures on parking by making greater use of sustainable transport like public transport, car share, walking and cycling. HEALTHY OUTDOORS Being outside in nature can improve your health and wellbeing.Let’s Talk Bayside 9 CONSIDER THESE PERSPECTIVES ¡ Mary struggles to get out of her driveway with cars parked on either side and wants greater enforcement, fewer permits, and tighter parking restrictions. ¡ Alistair and Shae have two cars and one car space but are not eligible for a parking permit due to the requirements of the planning permit for their building. ¡ Suzanne’s business is very popular, but her customers can struggle to find a park – she wants reduced time limits to encourage parking turnover. ¡ Petro often has to park a distance from his home – he thinks cars could easily park on both sides of the street and doesn’t know why council doesn’t allow it. Overall, we have a good allocation of open space per capita of population compared to other middle and inner suburbs. Recent experience shows that the physical and mental health and wellbeing benefits of open space cannot be overstated. While we are lucky to enjoy such a large stretch of foreshore, our open space isn’t evenly spread across our suburbs. As our population grows and changes and the way we use open space changes with that, access to open space becomes increasingly important for residents. What is Council doing? Council has a twenty year Open Space Strategy which identifies open space across Bayside’s suburbs. Guided by the Strategy, Council manages the provision of open space to support our growing population and local biodiversity through a range of means including: • maintaining spaces that can support multiple uses, are well planned and maintained, easily accessed and well connected • strategically changing open space to meet the community’s needs, such as the former golf course which is now Elsternwick Park Nature Reserve • establishing spaces for outdoor dining in our shopping strips (another challenge for parking) • identifying land to repurpose for open space such as pocket parks where possible (cost to purchase is often prohibitive). The Open Space Strategy will be reviewed in 2023. Council’s first Urban Forest Strategy set ambitious plans to increase tree canopy from 16% to 30% by 2040 to green our streets, neighbourhoods and open spaces. What can you do? • Subscribe to have your say on the new Parking Strategy. Visit yoursay. bayside.vic.gov.au • Report any parking, maintenance or repair issues to Council • Participate in planting days, clean up days or join a local ‘friends of’ group • Consider other users of our roads and open space. Find out more o bayside.vic.gov. au/LetsTalkPlanning Can’t we just stop population growth? Council does not have the power to stop population growth. State Government policy (called Plan Melbourne) says that every council area, particularly inner Melbourne, must take its share. Bayside is not alone. Find out more o bayside.vic. gov.au/LetsTalkPlanning Join the Let’s Talk Planning conversation ¡ Ask questions about parking, open space or anything to do with growth and development and view previous Q&As ¡ Learn about growth and how planning rules and made and applied ¡ Sign-up for Let’s Talk Planning E-newsletter, visit o bayside. vic.gov.au/LetsTalkPlanningNext >