Port Phillip Council meets in Port

The Council met in the Port Melbourne Council chamber last night as part of a commitment to rotating council meetings around the city.
Community members asked these questions of Council*:

What is happening with

• having a toilet open and available in the Bay/Liardet St area?
• interventions to make the Bay/Liardet Street intersection safer?
• the gateway signage for Bay St consulted upon and promised?
• a 40 km speed limit for Bay St?
• the Council's attitude to the Port of Melbourne's recently announced intention to bring forward development at Webb Dock?
• the long awaited beautification of Rouse St, west of Bay St?
• the long awaited improvements to Bridge St, west of the Light Rail line?

Responses to these questions will be provided and reported back to Council.

* this is a summary

Two wheeled encounters on the foreshore path

I often meet Bruce when I am cycling back and forth to St Kilda. He travels from Port Melbourne to Inkerman Street every day. The shops are not as dear there.

Bruce gets the mail. People talk to him. He lets me know what's on people's minds.

Port of Melbourne Community Forum

At last night's meeting at Life Saving Victoria Headquarters, a status report on Williamstown Road was provided.

• vehicle volumes on Williamstown Road have remained stable over the past 3 years. It is positive there has been no increase as traffic volumes generally increase by about 2 to 3% p/a
• heavy truck traffic on Williamstown Road, west of Graham, is down approx 300 vehicles per day
• Plummer St is carrying in the order of 1,500 trucks per day

People questioned whether the full potential of the Plummer St bypass was being realised and raised a number of issues:

• people doing rat runs through Garden City to avoid queuing at Graham
• signage and promotion of the route

These issues will be taken up and followed up.

Dogs and bikes - off leash review

Have you made your thoughts known to Council on the proposed changes to dog off leash areas?

View the changes at http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/

[Council report of 10 August]

One of the proposed changes that has generated considerable debate is intended to to mange interactions between dogs and cyclists

"Change 8 - Prohibited Areas

• existing condition: While there is a restriction keeping dogs 5m away from children's play areas, no such restriction exists in relation to bike paths or pedestrian paths throughout the municipality


• proposed condition: prohibit dogs from going within 5m of any bike path or pedestrian path, unless on a leash or cord


• reason for change: to reduce the possibility for conflict between people and dogs"

What do you think? Feedback to animalmgt@portphillip.vic.gov.au

Promenade at Beacon Cove

A team of maintenance people commissioned by Major Projects Victoria have been down at the west end of Beacon Cove promenade, tidying up and weeding the vegetation (see post August 2nd)

We hope that MPV will continue to maintain the landscape to this standard until the City of Port Phillip takes control of the area in due course.

Sandridge Beach update

Uplifting the vegetation at Sandridge Beach has been generally well received (see post of June 7th), but people have been wondering when the next steps in the project will happen.

• public tender to construct park upgrades was advertised on Saturday 29 August


• tender will close on Friday 18 September and it is expected that it will be awarded in October


• hardscape construction including lighting, paths, furtniture and playgrouund will take place as soon as possible (October-November)


• planting will occur in April-May 2010, to ensure better plant survival rates during cool and wetter winter months

update provided by Zhanna Sichivitsa, Landscape Architect, City of Port Phillip

Safer crossing

The long awaited installation of luminous pedestrian crossing signs at the North Port Oval on Williamstown Road is great to see (though people should still take care crossing this wide and busy road)
The Boroughs enter the finals 4th on the ladder following their defeat by Williamstown on Saturday 16.12-108 to 9.12-66
The VFL finals series will be played here.