Newsletter
Newsletter
NEWSLETTER – December 22
Hopefully, this Newsletter finds you all in good health.
• Coastal and Marine Management Plans.
• Township plans.
• Planning Scheme Amendment C219morn which is recommending changes to residential zones to ensure growth occurs near activity centres, with new controls on building height, landscaping and fencing the design of new houses fits with the character of our neighbourhoods, while simplifying building controls.
• MPSC Amendment C286 which affects Sorrento and proposes changes in building heights and setbacks.
Many of these matters will require our continuing attention in 2023.
Richard Doery joined our Committee after the AGM as a representative from Blairgowrie. Richard is the driver behind Blairgowrie’s very successful C3942 group and is a very welcome addition to the Committee.
Most of our Mornington Peninsula beaches are managed by Parks Victoria or the Department of Environ-ment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP). This includes from the Quarantine Station on Port Phillip Bay in Point Nepean National Park along the back beaches of Mornington Peninsula National Park to Flinders Ocean Beach. The Mornington Peninsula Shire (MPS) manages most of the Port Phillip Bay beaches and foreshore re-serves.
Coastal Advisory Groups (CAGs) consisting of community members, advise and assist Council in the use or development, planning, management, protecting and enhancing the MPS coastlines. In the Nepean Ward we have CAGs for Rye, Sorrento and Portsea. These CAGs will continue to provide advice until June 2023, after which time the future of CAGs is uncertain. The NRA has representation on each of these Groups.
The Blairgowrie front beach reserve was managed by the WhiteCliffs to Cameron Bight Foreshore Reserve Committee of Management (voluntary community members) on behalf of DELWP.
DELWP has decided to change the management arrangements for the Reserve and the Committee will be replaced by a Board. An Interim Transition Committee has been appointed to oversee the transition to the Board. This will be in place until such time as the board is appointed. The management and funding of this foreshore reserve is completely independent of MPS and Parks Victoria. It operates as a not-for-profit organisation with most of its revenue generated by the operation of foreshore camping.
Coastal and Marine Management Plans Relevant to the Nepean Ward
There are Coastal and Marine Management Plans in place for Sorrento, Portsea (draft for new plan is currently available for comment until 15 January 2023) and Rye (currently incorporated in the Rye Township Plan with MPS developing a new Rye Foreshore Masterplan, which covers the section of foreshore from the Lime Kiln to the Rye Yacht Club along Point Nepean Road).
These Plans provide strategic direction and management objectives for our coast. Sorrento Coastal and Marine Management Plan 2018As components of Sorrento Coastal and Marine Management Plan 2018, draft Concept Plans have been developed for Sullivan Bay Car Park, Sorrento Foreshore, Websters Corner and the Western Sister. These plans can be viewed at Sorrento Foreshore | Shape our Future (mornpen.vic.gov.au). Community consultation has closed, feedback will be reviewed by MPS, and final plans referred to Councillors for endorsement in 2023. It is important to look out for these final plans to ensure that they remain consistent with the Sorrento Coastal and Marine Management Plan 2018 and reflect what the community wants for these areas.
Recent letters to the Minister from the Solicitors acting on behalf of the Portsea Beach Campaign have been unsuccessful in gaining any commitment from the Government to take action to restore the beach. Campaign leaders will reassess the situation and determine future action in the new year.
The MPS is increasingly relying on online feedback to satisfy its community consultation requirements for policy and project development. This means that you need to be a regular visitor to the MPS website to see what is happening in the Shire and what community consultation is going on.
We are aware that MPS decisions are being made, based on very limited responses to online requests for public comment. We believe this has the potential to lead to poor outcomes for much of the community. To ensure that decisions are made based on significant community feedback we need more people to be proactive and access the MPS community engagement platform ‘Shape our Future’ at Have your say - Mornington Peninsula Shire (mornpen.vic.gov.au) to find out about projects and contribute to the MPS consultation process.
We have experienced some extremely wild and wet weather this year which has caused extensive damage across the Peninsula and rapid growth of grasses and weeds. The MPS are clearly unable to keep up with the necessary repairs to roads; unblocking drains; removal of damaged trees; mowing and maintenance of parks, gardens and road reserves. This means that there are lots of unsafe areas around the Peninsula.If you see a problem that is potentially a safety risk, please contact MPS as soon as possible. Don’t assume someone else will report it.The most effective way of getting MPS to repair a problem at the moment is by using the Snap, Send Solve App. Instructions for downloading this App can be found on the MPS website at Snap, Send, Solve - Mornington Peninsula Shire (mornpen.vic.gov.au) NRA Website
Yours sincerely
Colin Watson
President
We strongly encourage you to become involved with the group in your area.
Camerons Bight
Engaging the Nepean Ward in supporting a sustainable community
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