Extreme commitment to the marine environment

Jarad Kohlar and Clean Across Bass Strait have won the Pam Keating Environmental Sustainability Award at the Keep Australian Beautiful - Clean Beach Challenge awards. Congratulations! They paddled across Bass Strait. They picked up rubbish wherever they camped. 'The data will be entered into Sufrider's National Marine Debris database. The results will be used to educate the community and raise awareness of marine debris; trace and address the source of the debris in a non agressive, education based way; and to monitor the impact of marine debris on Australian locations.' The inspiring Jarad can be found down at the Sandridge Life Saving Club training others in kayaking.

Dig In Community Garden

Called in to the monthly working bee and gathering at Dig In at Murphy's Reserve and came away with an armful of beautiful produce. I found out about what grows best and the challenges of roots and possums. Everyone I spoke to couldn't speak highly enough about being part of Dig In which 'encourages co-operative consideration for people and environmental sustainability for the land'. Dig In gardeners are seriously concerned about crossing Williamstown Road, especially with young children at either hand and would love to see a safe way for pedestrians to cross. Dig In is an activity of the Port Melbourne Neighbourhood House, and I was told there is a 2 year waiting list.

Ann Rochford, President of Dig In, with her abundant peppers

From Port to St Kilda spreading the word

Our man from Port Melbourne, Bruce, is an unofficial ambassador for the No Cuts, No Butts campaign. He wears the t shirt on his daily visit to St Kilda and back to Port. Passionate about our beaches and foreshore, Bruce talks to many people along the foreshore promenade and knows whats on their minds. He lets me know.

Welcome back!

Bruce is back on the foreshore path after a stint in hospital. He travels daily from Port to St Kilda and back again. Noone knows our foreshore as well as he does - because he talks to everybody and everybody talks to him. Its good to have you back.

Many hats

Port resident, Ken Hall, met here on public transport to Oaks Day, is a member of the Rotary Club of Albert Park. He is a driver of their very successful book sales initiative.

There is a bin to receive unwanted books at the Port Town Hall - off Spring St. These are then sold at the South Melbourne Commons, [former Galilee School cnr Bank/Montague], on ebay and at the Book Fair held each year at Albert Park Primary in October.

Significant donations flow straight back into this community.

Well might he be called King of Lagoon Reserve

Yesterday, returning home in the rain, I met Peter Syrkiadis in his gumboots clearing the stormwater drain alongside Lagoon Reserve. Fallen leaves had blocked the drain so the stormwater could not get away. Once it had been cleared, it flowed like a stream.

Peter, often accompanied by his dog Olympia, picks up rubbish, sees the dogs have water, and looks out for the welfare of the Reserve and all its users.

Not only can he ride it - but he has ridden it round Australia

I was on my way home from Bicycle Victoria's Bike Futures Conference, when I bumped into Phil McDonald, Port resident, and his pennyfarthing in Bay St. Was it back to the future?
Phil rode this very cycle around Australia in 1988 raising over $100k for Rotary.
Phil organises amazing cycle rides in different parts of Australia. See www.alltrails.com.au for more

Contributors in our community

Aunty Judith Jackson, or Aunty Jacko, as she is more widely known and Steve Pinnells were amongst Port Melbourne people recognised for their significant contribution in the community at our local Frances Penington awards. These awards acknowledge the contribution of people in community and public housing to the wider community.

Jacko, indigenous elder, provides outstanding leadership in everything she does, but most especially at our Rainbow Place, a regular gathering of our local indigenous community.

Steve is a stalwart at the Port Phillip EcoCentre, endlessly cooking for the many gatherings that take place there as well as cleaning up afterwards. He also volunteers at the Port Melbourne Neighbourhood House.

Bountiful

Paula Havelberg from Port Melbourne is developing her business growing and selling seedlings around Port Phillip via cargo bike.

Here she is preparing for the 'Eat Your Balcony' event that will be held at the Port Phillip EcoCentre on Saturday 26 June from 12.30 pm. Booking essential. Click here http://www.ecocentre.com/node/80

Garden in Garden City Reserve

Angela Drew tends the beautiful garden she has created as a centrepiece in Garden City Reserve for us all to enjoy.

The succulent border comes from cuttings taken from her own drought tolerant garden.

Every day is clean up day with 3206 beach patrol

I am inspired by Middle Park's Guy Boston who started 3206 Beach Patrol

Distressed by litter on the beach, he created this flexible and easy way of helping to keep our beaches clean. Each member volunteers one hour a month to picking up litter wearing the 3206 Beach Patrol t-shirt. How hard is that?

Cigarette butts are his number one aversion. He would like to see smoking banned on Port Phillip's beaches following successful bans at Manly and Bondi.

He imagines that every beach in Port Phillip - and beyond - would have its own patrol.

Would you like to be part of/or start a 3207 Beach Patrol?

Contact me, or Guy Boston via www.3206beachpatrol.com.au

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.

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.

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.

'Mr Port Melbourne'

At today's Junior State Life Saving Championships, Kevin Bracken was awarded a life membership of the Sandridge Life Saving Club in recognition of his dedicated commitment to the Club over many years.

Kevin has been with the Club in good times and bad. He continued to patrol the beach when it was down to 4 members. He is still patrolling.

The Club's Nippers programme which only started late last year were keen participants in the championships.

As Malcolm Freake OAM and President of the Club said in presenting the award: 'Kevin is Mr Port Melbourne'