Bumper start at Port Melbourne Primary

At the start of Term 1, Port Melbourne Primary had 84 preps students enrolled and 299 students in all.
News from Travel Well:

• parents are reminded that the school has a marked drop off zone ('Kiss and Go') outside the school in Clark St. Under current law you are not permitted to leave your car to drop off or pick up your child
• only children with a school issued 'bike license' should ride to school unaccompanied by an adult

Dogs outside shops

Some people were not happy when Coles put up a notice asking people not to leave their dogs tied up outside.
The Council has received complaints from both Coles and people across the road about barking dogs.
Sometimes dogs have wandered, unleashed, into Coles.
Some children have been bitten when patting dogs unattended by their owners.
Unlike a milkbar, shopping trips inside Coles can take a long time (don't we know) and dogs can get lonely and unpredictable.

Please don't leave your dog unattended for long.

Heritage protection for Garden City Reserve

Exciting news was received this week that interim heritage controls have been introduced for Garden City Reserve – (excluding southern section /former road reservation) after a long campaign by Port People.
Permanent controls will be pursued as part of Amendment C70.

The Interim Heritage Controls have full force and effect of permanent heritage controls, but will lapse in 12 months. Interim controls are designed to protect heritage assets whilst the permanent controls are publically exhibited.
Amendment C70 will take the heritage controls through a full exhibition process providing the opportunity for submissions from affected parties and a Panel process.

In almost all instances the interim controls are directly replaced by the permanent ones – ie with no break in heritage protection.

3 levels of government working together

Funding of $4.5m was announced today to create a new children's centre in Liardet St.
The funding is made up of:

• Federal $1.6 m
• State $1.2 m
• Local $1.7 m

The centre will complement the new secondary school.
The new centre will be created from the suggestions of future users of the centre. The intention is to create a flexible, attractive centre that will meet the needs of families in the early childhood years.

Toilet update

Great distress with the summer closure of the toilets in the arcade leading to Coles.
These toilets are under the control of the centre's Body Corporate.
Council has issued a building orrder to the body corporate management by registered mail requesting that the Public Toilets remain open and accessible to the public.
We are awaiting a response.
Coles have also requested that the Body Corporate re-open the toilets to the public.
Council's planning department advise that there is no specific condition requiring public toilets on any approved permit. [the complex was redeveloped in the late 1980s]

Sandridge foreshore landscape plan

There was animated discussion at the Sandridge LifeSaving Club on Saturday 31st as people offered their views on the concepts presented.
Everyone wants improvements to the management of the foreshore. People want it to be lovely, a place they - and visitors - can be proud of.
Trees were the hottest topic.

1. should there be trees along the Promenade at all?


2. what sort of trees should there be? Some favoured palms, others liked the suggested Norfolk Island pines, others preferred banksias

Since there were a range of strongly held views on trees, that aspect of the plan will be suspended for the time being while the agreed improvements are implemented.

There is $456,000 in this year's budget for Sandridge. This budget allocation has been hard fought for. I think every passionate person wants something very beautiful for this unique part of the world so we want to make sure we spend this money wisely and well.

http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/landscape_urban_design.html

Wondering where things are up to in Garden City Reserve

An electrician is doing preparatory work for the new lights. Then Citipower will be scheduled to put in the lights. The paths will then be finished off, and the soil and works area cleaned up.

Then we can prepare for planting in May.

In the meantime the play space will be started and works underway end March.

contact: Rebecca Ramage rramage@portphillip.vic.gov.au if you have questions