Rouse St

and

Rouse St doesn't look like much at the moment.

Slowing traffic and getting some trees into the street are the main objectives of the works.

The trees to be planted are Eucalyptus Scoparia (White Gum).

Increasing the curb extensions will make it easier for people to cross Rouse St to the foreshore and back again.

In addition, the granitic sand surface allows stormwater to penetrate, rather than rush into the stormwater system and into the bay.

This is part of a wider plan to make the Rouse St a place for living rather than a major through road. Rouse St will change from its industrial look and feel to be more attractive and walkable.

I'll come back to this one in a month or so to see how its looking.

Julier Reserve

Julier Reserve is tucked away between Howe Parade and the Boulevard down at Sandridge. It is an incredible place to have children or a dog. Young trees are becoming established. The clubrooms are used for boxing.

The grass was looking lush when I rode past today with Yarra's Edge providing an interesting backdrop.

Three generations of Juliers have played football for Port Melbourne. When Ray Julier died last year, half of his coffin was draped in the Port Melbourne flag and the other half in the Tigers flag.

Brad Julier plays football for the Port Melbourne Colts.

Raglan Ingles Pocket Park

Residents of the Raglan Ingles estate always wanted the corner of Ingles and Crockford Streets to become a park. Instead, it has a permit for a childcare centre.

A neglected open space and bit of discontinued road has been transformed to create a new park. There is a free barbecue and the lawn is green. The indigenous plants have established well, and the new trees are thriving.

I support greater care and attention for the small parks which are often neglected compared to the larger parks.

Princes Pier up in the air (1)

While work is well underway to restore the deck of Princes Pier - the first stage of works - funding for future stages of the project is uncertain.

There is no funding to restore the Gatehouse, or do any work beyond restoring the deck.

If Princes Pier is to be a place people want to walk to from Station Pier, it needs more work.

This project is with Major Projects Victoria.

Trugo

Port Melbourne has two Trugo Club: Port Melbourne and Sandridge. This year, Sandridge won the premiership and a barbecue was held on a perfect day in celebration.

Although some members are experiencing ill health with advancing years, new members are joining in at Sandridge, including a passer by who went in once looking for a toilet and now crosses town to be part of their activities.

Trugo was invented in the railway repair workshops of Newport in the 1920's. The aim of the game is to score goals by hitting a rubber disc with a mallet through a pair of goal posts. The player's opponent collects the wheel in a canvas bag attached to a long pole once the wheel has passed the goal line.

Find out more about the game at http://home.vicnet.net.au/~vtrugo/title.htm

If you would like to play, go in when next you pass. One of the members will show you how. The whole venue can be hired for parties and is well suited for children as it has a grassed area and a fence. More social players are also sought.

Port of Melbourne

Port Melbourne and the Port of Melbourne have been tied up with each other since the earliest days of white settlement. Port Melbourne people worked on the wharves as do some of their children today. The Port of Melbourne is our neighbour. Cross Todd Road and you're in the Port of Melbourne.
The Port of Melbourne Corporation intends to use Webb Dock in the future as a container port.
This will mean a great increase in truck traffic. That is why we are working

• to ensure there is an adequate buffer between the port and residents in Garden City
• to keep the effort up to create a Dockside Road inside the port to keep port traffic away from residents
• to keep up the commitment to develop a rail link from Webb Dock to the Dynon precinc
  
  It is a concern that the Eddington Report (East West Link Needs Assessment) finds the present target to get 30% of port freight on rail by 2010 cannot be met and the Webb Dock Rail link is not even mentioned.

Railway Reserves

The Station Street side of the Railway Reserves is receiving care and attention. The informal carpark at Raglan St will soon resume its place in the continuity of this long and beautiful park. The stone walls originally created by Gould are being restored. A granitic path will formalise the current 'goat track' between the plane trees. New trees that have done well in Port Melbourne will be planted. New trees have struggled to get a foothold in the Reserve. The kerb and channel will also be renewed.