The Borough play their first home game against the Casey Scorpions on Saturday at 2 pm at North Port Oval on Williamstown Rd [up near Ingles St] Why not get behind our very own Port team this season?
The extent, width and configuration of Port Melbourne's beaches has been changing since the earliest days of white settlement, and undoubtedly before that. Sand accretes in some places [such as this beach at Princes St] and decreases in others. New beaches have been created at Beacon Cove and at Sandridge over the last 15 years. Wind, coastal structures and other coastal processes also contribute to sand movement around Port Phillip Bay. There has been considerable public debate recently about changes to Port Phillip Bay's beaches. The Office of the Environmental Monitor [OEM]E, appointed to monitor the channel deepening project, commissioned a study on Port Phillip Bay's beaches. The author, Eric Bird, refers to the report of the Foreshore Erosion Board of 1936 to show that even at that date, authorities were wrestling with issues of foreshore erosion. There are several interesting references to Port Melbourne in the 1936 report which you can access from the website of the OEM here. Go to Port Phillip Bay beaches on the left hand menu. I am wondering whether it was this report which led to the construction of the concrete steps at Sandridge. Click here to see one of my favourite photos of the concrete steps in their heyday when they were a popular gathering place.
Spotted this dumped rubbish on the Boulevard yesterday morning. Dumping rubbish is an offence. The Environment Protection Act 1970 at section 45 describes the offence of littering and aggravated littering, and the powers provided under the Act. Council provides 4 free pick ups a year - so you don't need to dump - just dial 9209 6777 to arrange a booking. Having said that, it is not a reasonable expectation of Council to pick up this mess. You can help by reporting what you suspect is dumped rubbish to Council, also on 9209 6777.
I have been puzzled by the presence of Beluga Projects at Station Pier and asked people who knows about shipping if they could tell me more. And they did: 'Beluga Fantastic is a general cargo ship flagged in Antigua and Barbuda and built at Jiangdong in '07. At Yarraville 11 to 15 March discharging 11,000 mt of sugar from Mackay for CSR. She is owned, operated and managed by Beluga Shippping of Germany and this is a one off voyage for CSR. After completion of discharge she was arrested.' [taken from World Ship Society, Victorian Branch, April newsletter] And why? "German project carrier Beluga today filed for insolvency protection for its core operating division Beluga Chartering after talks with its tonnage providers and banks failed. More than 40 multipurpose and box ships have been withdrawn ... The companies lost patience with Beluga's investor Oaktree Captial Management - which seized control of the project shipping group at the end of Febuary. The US investor had called for far reaching concessions on charter arrears and period rates. For the insolvency of its operating unit, Beluga/Oaktree blamed "substantial irregularities concerning turnover and liquidity." The investor, which is believed to have put up to 175M Euros in debt and equity into Beluga since the middle of last year ...., filed charges against Beluga founder Niels Stolberg and other top management. The prosecution service in Brmeen is investigating allegations of fraud and false statements. Beluga's survival as an operator in the project/heavy-lift trades is in serious doubt, although any formal decision to abandon the bsiness is now up to an administrator who has not been named yet. Oaktree and other stakeholders are still in talks over continuing other business divisions, which would also include ship management. Reproduced courtesy Lloyds Fairplay 17 March 2011 http://www.fairplay.co.uk
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. 
Sections of the kerb have been cut out to enable small trees to be planted in Seisman St. The design enables stormwater to flow to the trees. Pedestrian movement is not impeded by the tree planting.
Drain maintenance specialists were on site at Pier St this morning to clear blockages in the drains at this flood prone location. 
