000 Climate Emergency

The human sign created at the conclusion of the 6,000 km Run for a Safe Climate.
photo by http://www.cloud9.com.au
for http://www.runforasafeclimate.org.au

Run for a Safe Climate arrives home in pouring rain

Runners for a Safe Climate on the final leg of their journey from Kerferd Road to St Kilda.
Since November 2nd, Run for a Safe Climate has been on the move from Cooktown, running to the Great Barrier Reef, the headwaters of the Murray, Mt Kosciuszko, the Koorong, and the Great Ocean Road.
These are emergency service workers: firemen, police, and defence service personnel. They are the people responding to the community safety emergencies created by global warming.

Everywhere they saw the evidence of climate change: bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef, reduced snow season in the Alps, the Koorong saltier than the sea, and the most consecutive hot days over 35 degrees as they headed to Canberra where Nick Minchin was denying that human induced climate change is a reality.

Bay Street and surrounds

Over the past week, we have had fascinating conversations with people about Bay St: what they like and what they would change. There has been a remarkable consistency in the feedback. Nearly all respondents said they like the 'mix' of Bay St. They like the mix of old and new, the mix of people, the mix of building types, the mix of shopping.
They wanted the old buildings and features which give Bay Street its character, not only retained, but well looked after.
The most commonly cited service that is missing is public toilets. People use the 109 and 1 tram service, but very few people used the bus or knew where it went. The speed and volume of traffic was a concern for many, particularly the noise of trucks between Beach and Rouse on Graham.
Most people had walked to Bay St when we met them from surrounding streets.
There will be one more session in Bay St on Thursday 3 December 4.30 to 7.30pm near the entrance to Coles
Please come and add your views.

What would you like Bay St to be like in future?

The Council is planning for the future of Bay St and surrounds.
Bay Street has changed hugely over the past 10 years. How would you like it to be in the future? What are your thoughts and opinions about Bay St? How could it be improved? What ideas do you have to make Bay St a better place? What do you like, and what don't you like?
Leave a comment here.

I will be with staff at conversation tents on

Tuesday 24 November 11am to 2pm near the entrance to Coles

Friday 27th November 11am to 2pm north end Bay St near 385 Bay St

Saturday 28 November 10 to 1pm corner Rouse and Bay St

Thursday 3 December 4.30 to 7.30pm near Coles

if none of these times suit you, send your ideas to baystreetplan@portphillip.vic.gov.au

The future of our trees

Please come to the Tree Summit next Wednesday 25th November from 6.30 to 9.30pm at Port Melbourne Town Hall

Do you have ideas about how council can better manage trees and nature strips?

Not a tree expert? It doesn't matter. Everyone has something to contribute to this important community event. You can help council develop our city wide policy on trees and nature strips.

To register, please email Ospaces@portphillip.vic.gov.au or call Joanne McNeill on 9209 6289

SouthPort Daylinks, 21 years old this year, held their Annual General Meeting today.

SPDL provides wonderful programmes which enable frail elderly people and people with disabilities to participate in community life and continue to live independently.

• Over 18,000 trips were provided by DayLinks Community Transport over the financial year


• GardenMates links people who enjoy gardening who have some free time with people who cannot maintain their own gardens because of frailty or disability


• WalkMates links a suitable volunteer waling companion to an elderly person or person with a disability who needs some for of support, either physical or encouragement, 'to go for a walk'


• PetLinks helps frail aged people and people with disabilities care for their animal companions at home through dog walking, pet grooming, pet transport and foster care

The service absolutely depends on volunteers and more are always welcomed. SPDL has no recurrent funding for replacement cars. Therefore the generosity of people who have provided funds for replacement cars is hugely appreciated.

Among other generous donors who were mentioned were BP South Melbourne who provide car wash vouchers which mean the cars always look smart and clean.

SPDL offers a range of volunteering possibilities.

Getting prepared on Waterfront Place

The Council has adopted draft urban design guidelines for 1-11 Waterfront Place (between the Port Melbourne station building and Princes St) in anticipation of an application being lodged for this site at some time in the near future.

The report concludes that a built form height of 21m RL or 5 levels with setback is the preferred scale in consideration of policy, strategic and site analysis. Any increase in height should be based on and evaluated on the principles, guidelines and preferred built form detailed in the report.

The Council will also be writing to the Minister for Planning suggesting that a Ministerial Advisory Committee be established to consider any development application for the site.

Watering the trees in Station St

This shows one element of the design of the passive watering system that will be introduced into the kerb and channel of Station St.
This innovation is one way of capturing stormwater to water those beautiful trees on Station St.
It is part of council's commitment to introducing water sensitive design wherever possible.

Capturing stormwater to water the trees

While rehabilitating the kerb and channel on Station Street, passive irrigation systems will be installed at various locations on the reserve side of Station Street to harvest stormwater run-off and irrigate the trees in the Reserve.

The passive irrigation systems consist of slotted kerb adaptors which sit flush with the kerb and are connectd to aggi pipes to intercept and divert stormwater run-off to the trees.

Support Run for a Safe Climate

Brendan Condon is a local resident and CEO of Run for a Safe Climate

During November 2009, thirty emergency service workers are running 6000 kms from Cooktown in Queensland, via NSW, northern Victoria, South Australia, and then back to the southern coast of Victoria, to finish in Melbourne at St Kilda Beach at 2pm on Sunday 29 November.

The runners are all emergency workers: police, firemen, soldiers, park rangers, ambulance drivers.

They are running to raise awareness of the need for a strong government response to climate change. They are also running to highlight the solutions that already exist to address climate change.

Launching the seniors register in Port Melbourne

The Seniors Register was launched at the Sandridge Trugo Club in Garden City Reserve on Monday.
When residents join the register they are put on a database which contains information that can help in times of emergency. They receive a card with an ID number, fridge magnet for personal community contacts, a key ring with emergency telephone numbers and a booklet to help older people live more confidently and independently.
The register is confidential and can only be accessed by the police and the project coordinator. It is already operating in Elwood and South Melbourne.
Bendigo Bank provided abundant afternoon tea and very lovely singing.
Please encourage senior neighbours to sign up or contact me or Michael Wood on 9209 6260 for further information so that you can explain it to your neighbours.

The eye

The new Garden City playground was officially opened today and the winning name for the dragon announced, Portosaurus.
The design of the playground was informed by ideas from children who play in the park. The flying fox is especially popular. This is no off the shelf generic playground.

Whitaker commemoration

About 150 people gathered to to learn about the life and times of Alan Whitaker.
Whitaker was an ANZAC and a waterside worker shot by police on 2 November 1928 during a bitter industrial dispute. He died on Australia Day 1929.
In Port Melbourne in 1928, unemployment was running at over 70%, and the shipping on which employment depended had dried up dramatically. The bitterly unpopular Beeby award meant that unionists had to wait for two pick ups a day on the exposed Hogan's Flat (the area between Station and Princes Pier) with absolutely no guarantee that they would get work.
Attempts to bring in 'volunteer' labour were resisted by unionists and their women.
We heard stories of descendants of those workers and what conditions had been like in their families with not enough to eat, not enough to pay the rent, and not enough to pay for gas.
Here Kevin Bracken, Victorian branch secretary of the MUA, life member of the Sandridge Life Saving Club, huge contributor to the Colts Football Club, introduces the day.