Waterfront Place Precinct Update

The City of Port Phillip (CoPP) is preparing design guidelines and a public realm concept design for the Waterfront Place Precinct. This project is a key action identified by the community as part of the Port Melbourne Waterfront Urban Design Framework. It is timely as the Waterfront Place Precinct and Station Pier are currently undergoing change with a number of development applications and proposed modifications to traffic access in Beach Street, adjoining the precinct. The design guidelines will ultimately form the basis of a future planning scheme amendment.

In August and November 2016, key stakeholders representing residents, business and land owners, the Port of Melbourne and TT Lines took part in workshops to explore key challenges, priorities and opportunities in the Waterfront Place Precinct. As a result of the workshops, draft project parameters were formed by these stakeholder participants.

You are invited to have your say and complete the survey so we can understand whether the draft project parameters achieve community objectives. The survey will close on Friday 27 January, 2017. A Background Issues Paper has been developed to help inform the community engagement process. You will have an opportunity to provide further feedback through community consultation in 2017.

Beach Street Queuing Lane Update

In June 2016, the City of Port Phillip (CoPP) endorsed the refined design of the Beach Street Queuing Lane. A public tender for construction of the Beach Street Queuing Lane was released with a request to deliver works prior to the start of cruise shipping season in October 2016. The tender process revealed it was not feasible to complete the construction within these timeframes.

The CoPP has now awarded a tender for the delivery of works. Construction will commence in May 2017 and is scheduled for completion by July 2017.

The scope of works include:

• Creating a Station Pier lane along Beach Street from Bay Street to the roundabout that will hold queuing traffic at cruise ship times
• Utilising the existing pavement space on the foreshore side of Beach Street by altering most of the angle parking to become parallel parking, to make room for the Station Pier lane
• Adding a lane to the roundabout to create a lane that goes straight through to Station Pier and a one right turn lane, effectively removing congestion from the roundabout
• Creating an on-road bike lane in both directions on Beach Street

Update on Fishermans Bend Redevelopment

A recent City of Port Phillip (CoPP) Community Forum provided an opportunity for community groups to hear the latest news about the redevelopment. Since the release of the Fishermans Bend Vision last October the Fishermans Bend Taskforce has been working on the Fishermans Bend Framework. The Framework is designed to guide planning and will include the strategies for transport infrastructure (road, rail, trams, and road network), community infrastructure, public space, and density. The Framework will be released as a draft for community comment in the first quarter of 2017.

A groundwater study by the Environment Protection Authority found contaminants across the area. More details can be found at: www.epa.vic.gov.au/fishermansbend#Challenges. So far 6,422 residential dwellings have been approved with permit applications for a further 6,032 dwellings. There have been no applications for commercial developments.

CityLink Works

We have received the following information from CityLink regarding works over the months ahead. You may need to consider this when planning travel over the Bolte Bridge in the next few months.

From the night of Monday 5 December, work will start on CityLink in both directions between the West Gate Freeway and Flemington Road to add an extra lane in each direction and install new technology to reduce congestion and improve safety.

To minimise disruption to drivers, our crews will work nights only to ensure construction does not impact peak periods on the road.

The following road conditions will be in place to facilitate the works: 

• Speed limit reduced to 80 km/h during the day
• Speed limit further reduced to 40 km/h or 60 km/h during night time road works
• Existing emergency lane shifted from the left to the right of the traffic lanes
• Drivers will be shifted to the left and will travel in the three left lanes
• The fourth (right) lane will be used as an emergency lane until the freeway management system is in place in mid-2017, which will allow us to open all four lanes to drivers and remotely turn any lane into an emergency lane when required

For more information go to http://citylinktullawidening.vic.gov.au.

Port People Newsletter

Port People (www.portpeople.org.au) have issued their latest newsletter which has reports on Fishermans Bend and the recent Council elections.  It can be downloaded here (warning - it's 12MB in size).

Maritime Cove Park and Playground

The Port of Melbourne have provided the following information which may be of interest:

Construction of the new park and playground facility on the foreshore at Perce White Reserve is well underway. The first of the park’s play equipment has been installed including re-purposed maritime assets comprising buoys, a crows nest and channel markers. Work has also started on new climbing 
attractions and the installation of replica shipping containers. Alternative access to boardwalks and Webb Trail may be in place from time-to-time to enable works. 

New Bike Path for Webb Dock Precinct

A new ‘linear’ park on port land running parallel to Todd Road has been created, linking the bay foreshore through to Westgate Park. This shared landscaped pathway features drinking fountains, seating and earth mounds set amongst native plants.

A final section is due for completion in November creating a continuous pathway running from the Yarra River near the West Gate Bridge, through Westgate Park along Todd Road, joining with Perc White Reserve and the Webb Dock trail to the new observation platform at Webb Point.

BCNA and Port People Host Air Quality Study

The Victorian Ports Corporation has been monitoring air quality at Station Pier since January 2016. To help interpret the results, Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPAV) has suggested a citizen science project. The idea is that the collection of additional information such as smell, wind direction and photos can help in the interpretation of the data collected at the monitoring station. The BCNA has now developed an air quality study with EPAV and, with Port People, are seeking volunteers to record data. We particularly want volunteers from households or businesses who occasionally or regularly experience smells that are likely to come from shipping emissions at Station Pier or Webb Dock.

If you are interested in participating, an information sheet explaining the project can be downloaded here.

A diary has been prepared in which you can record information for this study. It can be completed either electronically (preferred) using this spreadsheet or completed by hand using this form. Diary entries will need to be emailed or posted back to us each month (details on how to do this are on each form).

A report will be prepared at the conclusion of the project and made available to the community.

BCNA President's Report 2016

Last week's AGM of the Beacon Cove Neighbourhood Association was well attended and had a number of interesting presentations from VICT (the operator of the new Webb Dock container terminal), our local state MP, Martin Foley, and the new CoPP councillor for Gateway Ward, Marcus Pearl.

The report from the President, Eddie Micallef, can be downloaded here.

City of Port Phillip - Open Spaces

We have received the following news from the Council about local open spaces:

JL Murphy Reserve (the big park over Williamstown Road) - they are seeking your input to inform a concept design for the play space. Help them out by completing a short survey or come down to the Port Melbourne Primary School Fete on Sunday 27 November at 1:00pm to chat with the team.

Centenary Reserve has been upgraded with new equipment, facilities, landscaping and even a bright orange Ping Pong table.

Latest City of Port Phillip CEO Report

The latest report from the CEO of the City of Port Phillip (CoPP) can be downloaded here.

Westgate Freeway Ramp Closures - 18 November to 16 December

Those of you who enter or exit the Westgate Freeway/Citylink will probably be aware of the works currently being done on both Cook Street (between Todd Road and the eastbound entry/exit from the freeway) and on the westbound entry ramp from Todd Road (the one with the very sharp left hand turn).

It seems that the final stages of this work (expected to be finished by the end of December) will require night (7pm-5am) closures of these roads for profiling, asphalt wearing course and linemarking. Prohasky Street does not seem to be affected by the closures.

Details of the road closures and associated detours (which are rather complex) can be downloaded here.  Allow extra time for the detours or just use Prohasky Street and/or Montague Street rather than Todd Road during this period.

In summary, the closures are:

• 19-29 November - Cook Street (one carriageway at a time)
• 27 November to 5 December - westbound (to Geelong) entry ramp from Todd Road
• 4-15 December - eastbound (from Geelong) exit from freeway

If you have any questions or concerns about the works, please contact Mark Davies, Project Manager, BMD Constructions on 0414 613 338 or email webbdockimprovements@bmd.com.au.

Port Melbourne History Tours

Thanks to Port People (www.portpeople.org.au), we have been alerted to the following:

Port Melbourne Town Hall tours

• These will be run by ex-councillor and Waterfront Welcomer Russel Griffiths 
• Tours run every half hour between 10am and 12 noon on Friday 11th November and Wednesday 16th November 
• RSVP dmccaffrey@ischs.org.au or 0459 988 353

Multimedia exhibition stories of Fishermans Bend and Port Melbourne

• Port Melbourne Library Corridor Gallery, 333 Bay Street Port Melbourne
• This free exhibition runs to 17th November 2016

More details can be downloaded here.

Our Latest Newsletter is Out

Over the last few weeks volunteers dropped copies of our newsletter in mailboxes throughout Beacon Cove. It covers a number of topics including:

• House of World Cultures proposal for Princes Pier
• Waterfront Place and Station Pier - Precinct Design Guidelines
• Air Quality Monitoring at Station Pier
• Fishermans Bend - Release of Fishermans Bend Vision
• Outcome of BCNA submission to the 2016-17 City of Port Phillip Budget
• Beacon Cove Foodstore Redevelopment
• Redevelopment of the London Hotel site
• Next BCNA Neighbourhood Dinner

For those who would like an electronic copy, it can be downloaded here.

Fishermans Bend - New Consultation

The State Government has moved to the next phase of the planning of the future of Fishermans Bend with the development of a draft framework for the four neighbourhoods and the employment precinct.

Your feedback on liveability, community facilities and services, and public space will help them shape the draft framework, which will be released for further consultation in early 2017.

To do this you can attend the community workshop on:

Wednesday 23 November 2016, from 7pm to 9pm

at

North Port Oval – Sandridge Room, 541 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne

Spaces are limited so please register your attendance at www.fishermansbend.vic.gov.au by 16 November 2016.

They will also be holding the following drop in sessions where you can find out more about the project and provide your feedback directly to the Fishermans Bend Taskforce:

• Wednesday 16 November, 10am to 12 noon
  Life Saving Victoria State Centre, Perce White Reserve, 200 The Boulevarde, Port Melbourne
• Wednesday 23 November, 1pm to 3pm
  North Port Oval – Sandridge Room, 541 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne
• Sunday 20 November, 1pm to 4pm
  North Port Oval – Sandridge Room, 541 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne
• Sunday 27 November, 1pm to 4pm
  Port Melbourne Primary School Fete, 415 Graham Street, Port Melbourne

If you want to stay up to date with Fishermans Bend’s progress email fishermansbend@delwp.vic.gov.au.

Council Election Results

The VEC has announced the results of last week’s local council election.  Those elected for Gateway Ward (which includes Beacon Cove) were:

• Bernadene Voss (1st)
• Marcus Pearl (2nd)
• Ogy Simic (3rd).

Further information is available at the VEC results website.

BCNA Annual General Meeting - Thursday 17 November

The BCNA Annual General Meeting will be held at

7pm, Thursday 17 November 2016

Sandridge Community Centre and Trugo Club, Garden City Reserve

The formal part of the meeting will include presentation of reports and the annual financial statement together with the election of office bearers for 2016-17.

Our Guest speaker will be the Mayor of the City of Port Phillip, Councillor Bernadene Voss.

Also speaking will be Claire Jordan-Whillans, Media & Community Relations Manager for Victoria International Container Terminal Limited (VICT) who will provide a brief report on the new container terminal at Webb Dock.

Our local state member The Hon. Martin Foley, MP will also be attending.

Financial members will be sent the Agenda and papers for the meeting towards the end of October.

Seniors Cycling Event - 14 October

Inner South Community Health's SHIP (Social Health and Inclusion Port) programme is running a cycling event as part of the Seniors Festival on Friday 14th October and they have a few places left which they would loved to have filled.

It involves a morning off-road session and then an afternoon on-road under the guidance of facilitators, plus a lunch is included.

If anyone needs to borrow a bike then that can be arranged.

It will be held in Julier Reserve which is the reserve bounded by Dunstan Parade, Gellibrand Road, and Edina Avenue in the Sandridge area, just next to Beacon Cove.

Please contact Laura McDonald from Inner South Community Health (9525 1300 or lmcdonald@ischs.org.au) for further details or to book a place.

Council Candidates Forum - Sunday 9 October

Port People (www.portpeople.org.au) and the BCNA are hosting a Council Candidates Forum at which you can hear from candidates standing for election as representatives of Gateway Ward, the new City of Port Phillip council ward which includes Port Melbourne.

When:
     3:30-5:30pm, Sunday 9th October
Where:
     Murphy's Reserve Pavilion
     525 Williamstown Rd, Port Melbourne

Ten candidates are standing for election for the three Councillor ward.

The format of the forum will be an opening statement (2-3 minutes) from each candidate outlining who they are and why they are standing for Port Phillip Council, followed by questions from the floor.

Council Candidates’ Forum

With local council elections to be held on 22 October, the BCNA and Port People (www.portpeople.org.au) plan to arrange a forum where candidates for the City of Port Phillip Gateway Ward* will speak about their vision and aspirations for the Ward. This is expected to be held in early October at a venue nearby. More details soon.

*Gateway Ward is the new three-councillor Ward which encompasses Port Melbourne, South Melbourne, and Queens Road and replaces Sandridge Ward, most of Emerald Hill Ward, and some of Junction Ward. For more details of the changes go to this Victorian Electoral Commission web page.

Redevelopment of the London Hotel Site

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) has completed a five day hearing on the owner’s application for the redevelopment of the site. This is for an eight storey building comprising a restaurant on the ground floor and seven levels of residences.

The BCNA was an objector to the application as well as the City of Port Phillip (CoPP), a group of residents at “The Anchorage”, and other nearby residents. Objections included overshadowing of nearby residences, privacy of nearby residences, overshadowing of the foreshore in June, a waiver of the requirements for a loading bay which means trucks need to load and unload from the street, and on-site parking for residents and their visitors.

VCAT typically provides written decisions within 4-6 weeks.

Air Quality Monitoring at Station Pier

The Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) has set up an air quality monitoring station at Station Pier to measure sulphur dioxide and particulates. This was done in response to concerns by residents about emissions from ships at Station Pier. Monitoring data will be collected over a year and a report prepared.

Representatives from the BCNA recently met staff from the Environment Protection Agency and the PoMC to discuss the collection of data, additional monitoring, and additional records to help interpret the data.

More details will be provided as the work progresses.

Update on 1-7 Waterfront Place

BCNA Committee members have discussed the state of the site with the Mayor on several occasions since our last update in May. The advice we have received is that Local Law is not clear enough to take action to encourage a clean-up. As a result, this situation will be included in a review of Local Law, which is to commence later this year. The review is to include consultation with the community, including BCNA.

Update on Fishermans Bend

The latest (July) update from the Fishermans Bend Taskforce (which can be downloaded here) explains proposed work in planning for Fishermans Bend.

Both the BCNA and South Port Urban Responsible Renewal (SPURR) commented on the draft Vision released in May and their submissions can be accessed here:

• BCNA Submission to Recast FBURA Vision
• SPURR Submission to Recast FBURA Vision

A final vision statement is to be released in late August. The strategic direction for transport infrastructure, community infrastructure, public space and density will be released in a Fishermans Bend Framework in November. Work is also being undertaken on funding models for the project. Twenty three developments have been approved to date for 7553 dwellings, with twenty four developments under consideration for 7200 dwellings.

New BCNA Committee Members

Three members have joined the committee until the AGM in November. We welcome Geoff Lord, Robyn McKenna and Grant Aldous. These members join the existing committee of Eddie Micallef (President), Roger Joyce (Vice President), Bill Fisher (Secretary & Treasurer), Pam Montgomery, Richard Nowotny and Greg Mate.

Free Music Events

The City of Port Phillip is sponsoring free music events from 20-27 August 2016 across the city. A feature event is being held at the Globe Warehouse, 1 Fennell Street, Port Melbourne on Saturday 20 August at 6 pm. Further information can be found at www.livenlocal.com.au.

Beach Street Queuing Lane Update

On 28 June 2016, the City of Port Phillip endorsed the refined design of the Beach Street Queuing Lane.


A PDF of this plan can be downloaded here.

The tender to complete construction will be released to the public this weekend. It is anticipated the successful contractor will begin work in September, subject to delivering the project within a six week time frame. In addition lighting assets along Beach Street must be relocated within this timeframe by CitiPower. If these timeframes cannot be met, construction will commence in May 2017 to accommodate the cruise ship season.

The scope of works include:

• Creating a Station Pier lane along Beach Street from Bay Street to the roundabout that will hold queuing traffic at cruise ship times 
• Utilising the existing pavement space on the foreshore side of Beach Street by altering most of the angle parking to become parallel parking, to make room for the Station Pier lane
• Adding a lane to the roundabout to create a lane that goes straight through to Station Pier and a one right turn lane, effectively removing congestion from the roundabout
• Creating an on-road bike lane in both directions on Beach Street

Key project milestones:

• July – Public Tender process
• August – Tender close
• Late August – Appointment of contractor
• Early September – Contractor begins work (proposed and subject to tender responses)
• 24 October 2016 – Construction finishes (proposed and subject to tender responses)
• 25 October 2016 – First Cruise Ship scheduled

More information is available at www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/queuing-lane.htm.

Reminder - London Hotel survey

A reminder that the City of Port Phillip (CoPP) want to better understand what residents value about the London Hotel on the corner of Beach and Swallow Streets. They are collecting information to prepare a comprehensive heritage assessment which will determine the potential for permanent heritage controls for the site.

The survey, accessible here, closes 29 July.

Beach Street Queuing Lane Update

We have received the following update from the City of Port Phillip:

What's happened so far?

In December 2015, four options to reduce traffic congestion were presented to Council. The options were tested throughout December 2015 – February 2016 to determine their effectiveness in reducing congestion. Traffic modelling showed the Queuing Lane option addressed congestion for the majority of peak hour, with the exception of 10 minutes between 7 am - 8 am, where traffic will be delayed by approximately eight minutes.

Council Officers have been working with Civil and Traffic Engineer consultants to design a queuing lane in more detail. 

Subject to a successful tenderer being able to deliver within a six week timeframe, and budget constraints, the redesigned Beach Street Queuing Lane could be completed this calendar year. Alternatively, the construction could commence in May 2017 to accommodate the cruise ship season.

Where to next? 

On 28 June 2016, Council will make a decision on the refined design of the Beach Street Queuing Lane. Subject to Council endorsement, a public tender process for construction will be undertaken. The revised Queuing Lane design will be made available following the Council meeting. The scope of works will include:

• Creating a Station Pier lane along Beach Street from Bay Street to the roundabout that will hold queuing traffic at cruise ship times 
• Utilising the existing pavement space on the foreshore side of Beach Street by altering most of the angle parking to become parallel parking, to make room for the Station Pier lane
• Adding a lane to the roundabout to create a lane that goes straight through to Station Pier and a one right turn lane, effectively removing congestion from the roundabout
• Creating an on-road bike lane in both directions on Beach Street

The Council Report is available to view on Council's website at www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/june-2016-meetingsagendas.htm.

For more information, please go to www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/queuing-lane.htm.

BCNA support for Beach Patrol

The BCNA has provided a grant of $300 to Beach Patrol. Beach Patrol began in 2009 in Albert Park and the second group, Port Melbourne, started in 2010. The BCNA also provided a grant to Beach Patrol in 2011. Today Beach Patrol has 21 groups and over 1700 volunteers around Melbourne.

From time to time the BCNA is able to provide small grants to local organisations. We do this where the objectives of the recipient organization are aligned with those of the BCNA. We have asked Beach Patrol to direct the BCNA grant to Port Melbourne and Sandridge beaches. Further information on Beach Patrol can be found at www.beachpatrol.com.au.

Open House Weekend 30-31 July - Port Tours

The city’s hidden spaces will be open to the public for Open House Melbourne during July and the Port of Melbourne is once again joining the show over the weekend 30-31 July.

They are offering free boat tours of major port facilities including Victoria Dock, Appleton Dock and Australia’s busiest container terminal, Swanson Dock. Featuring a guided commentary from friendly port staff, don’t miss this opportunity to see Melbourne’s working port up close.

Like most Open House events, port tours will be filled on a first-come, first served basis, with no advance bookings taken. For more details visit the Port of Melbourne open house web page.

Candidates Forum for Federal Election - THIS THURSDAY (23 June)

South Port Urban Responsible Renewal (SPURR, www.spurr.org.au), a collective of 43 local community and business associations (including the BCNA) has arranged a forum of the candidates in our electorate (Melbourne Ports) for the forthcoming Federal Election.

You are welcome to attend this forum which will be held on
Thursday 23rd June from 7:00 to 8:30pm
at
The Port Melbourne Cricket Ground (North Port Oval)
525 Williamstown Rd, Port Melbourne
(Entry from Ingles St)

The format will be an opening statement (6 minutes) from each candidate outlining their policy priorities, followed by questions from the floor.  The last 15 minutes will be an opportunity for each candidate to make a 2 minute closing statement.

For more information, contact Rowan Groves on 9646 3687 or 0458 623 570.

Community Invesment Grants

Victoria International Container Terminals (VICT), the operators of Webb Dock, have a Community Investment Fund grants programme.  This year, fourteen organisations working with young people in Port Phillip and in Hobsons Bay will each receive a grant of up to $20,000.

A press release with details of the recipients of this year's grants can be downloaded here.

Fishermand Bend Vision Public Conversation

Join the Minister for Planning, the Hon Richard Wynne and a panel of industry experts in a public conversation to shape the 2050 vision for Fishermans Bend.

It will be held on Thursday 30 June at Zinc, Federation Square from 6.30pm - 8.30pm (Doors open at 6.00pm)

Panellists include:
Chris Riddell, Melbourne futurist and global emerging trend commentator
Kate Roffey, Kontakt Strategic Advisory and former CEO Committee for Melbourne
John Stanley, Adjunct Professor, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, University of Sydney
Tony Iuliano, Director of Industry, Colliers
Sheryl Thai, Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2013 and CEO of The League of Extraordinary Women
Dr Karl Braganza, Head of Climate Monitoring, Bureau of Meteorology
Professor Rob Adams AM, Director of City Design, City of Melbourne
Professor Billie Giles-Corti, Director of the Melbourne University School of Population Health
Trudy-Ann King, Executive Director, Green Building Council of Australia
Michael Trudgeon, Deputy Director of the Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab at Melbourne University

Event MC: Deb Cameron, Former ABC Broadcaster

Spaces are limited, so be sure to register here.

Further information about the Vision can be found here.

Reminder - Todd Road Closed this weekend

Don't forget that Todd Road will be closed this weekend (7pm Friday to 5am Monday) between the Life Saving Club and the freeway. The works will involve cutting out existing pavement and replacement with new asphalt.

Full details are in the flyer which can be downloaded here.

The latest update on current works at Webb Dock can be downloaded here.

London Hotel - Historical Information

Do you have any old photos, news stories, anecdotes, maps, plans, anything that would be useful in assessing the heritage value of The London Hotel on the corner of Beach and Princes Streets in Port Melbourne?

The City of Port Phillip Council would welcome all available information relevant to the heritage assessment of the London Hotel. The heritage assessment will be undertaken by an external consultant and all information will be provided to them.

Particularly where a site is being considered from a social and historical perspective, consultation during the assessment to obtain such information will be a crucial part of the process. The exact nature of this process will be determined by Council in partnership with the consultant.

Please forward any relevant information (and encourage others to as well) to strategicplanning@portphillip.vic.gov.au or contact Katrina Terjung (City of Port Phillip) on 9209 6439.

Help Shape the Future of Fishermans Bend

A new plan for Fishermans Bend (Fishermans Bend Recast Vision) has been published and can be downloaded here. It is expected that by 2050 Fishermans Bend will be home to approximately 80,000 residents and provide employment for up to 60,000 people. The urban renewal of this area offers a city shaping opportunity of international significance.



For more information on what is proposed or how your views can be heard go to www.fishermansbend.vic.gov.au.

From now to Friday 1 July 2016 you are invited to be involved and join the conversation on the Fishermans Bend Recast Vision either at http://haveyoursay.delwp.vic.gov.au/fishermans-bend or by attending one of the following information sessions:

• Tuesday 31 May – 4pm to 7pm, The Dock, Docklands, 107-117 Victoria Harbour, Docklands
• Saturday 4 June – 10am to 1pm, Near Neff Market Kitchen, South Melbourne Market
• Tuesday 7 June – 10am  to 1pm, Boyd Community Centre, 207 City Road, Southbank,
• Saturday 18 June –11am to 4pm, Fishermans Bend Community Centre, Cnr Dunstan Pde & Centre Ave, Garden City
• Saturday 25 June – 10am to 1pm, Sidearm Café Gallery, 200 Normanby Road, South Melbourne
• Monday 27 June – 10am to 1pm, Port Education Centre, 343-383 Lorimer St, Port Melbourne

Todd Road Closure - 17-20 June

As part of the Webb Dock works programme, the final temporary closure of Todd Road between West Gate Freeway west bound freeway entry ramp and north of the Life Saving driveway is scheduled from 7pm Friday 17th June to 5am Monday 20th June, detours will be in place as shown (below). This temporary closure will enable final road resurfacing works.



More details of other Webb Dock works can be downloaded here.

BCNA Letter to Members Regarding House of Word Cultures Proposal for Princes Pier

Over the past month or so the BCNA has considered the proposal that Multicultural Arts Victoria (MAV) has put forward regarding a House of World Cultures (HoWC) on Princes Pier. We have a number of concerns with the proposal such as:

• the site is not close to an activity centre - which is necessary to attract people to the area;
• it has poor accessibility for regular access - it is some distance from public transport along a weather-exposed walkway;
• the area has limited parking, with both Pier and Beach Streets often quite congested;
• the proposed location abuts a residential area which, depending upon the nature of any activities and the hours of operation, has the potential to adversely impact on the amenity of nearby residents;
• the proposed structure, involving considerable use of shipping containers around the heritage-listed gatehouse, may not be compatibly with its historic legacies;
• and perhaps more significant than any of the above, the challenges of adverse weather on the pier might significantly detract from visitor use of the pier.

We have requested MAV to examine these concerns carefully and have encouraged them to arrange a community information session once they have developed their ideas sufficiently.

BCNA has not developed a position on the current proposal. A position will be established once consultation and feedback from members has occurred.

More details are outlined in a letter to members which can be downloaded here.

The MAV Proposal / Feasibility Report can be downloaded here (main report) and here (appendices).

Light Rail Shared Path Lighting - It's Happening!

This was seen today so it seems as if things are underway. It will involve providing lighting along the shared path between Beacon Cove alongside the Light Rail. Many walkers and cyclists were uncomfortable using the path at night because it is very dark in places.  Hopefully this should solve the problem.

Update on 1-7 Waterfront Place

The derelict state of the site at 1-7 Waterfront Place was highlighted by the Herald-Sun and other media on 6th April 2016.  BCNA President Eddie Micallef was interviewed and this enabled him to highlight the fact that the site was an eyesore to the local community and to tourists who were collected by bus from outside the site. Since then BCNA has met the Mayor and has written to Council urging them to examine what further steps might be taken to encourage a clean-up of the site.

Road Changes - Cook Street and Entry/Exit to the West Gate Bridge

Further to the recent post about the widening of Cook Street and changes to the entry and exit to the West Gate Bridge we have received some more information from the contractors.

The changes will affect the areas shown below (can be downloaded here):

The work will take place from now to early August.  Details of the works and potential impacts (eg lane closures and speed limits) can be downloaded here.

The end results will be two lanes in each direction along Cook Street and changed lane structure (I guess to help long trucks) for the turns onto and off the West Gate Bridge from/to Todd Road. Very detailed diagrams of the final layouts can be downloaded as follows:

• Cook Street
• West Gate Bridge Inbound
• West Gate Bridge Outbound

We'll provide futher updates here when we receive them, however if you have any questions, please contact the contractor on webbdockimprovements@bmd.com.au.

Princes Pier Gatehouse Being Used by Albert Park College

Some of you may have noticed that the Princes Pier gatehouse has been visited regularly by school students. We're trying to get some more information but an article in the Herald Sun (needs a subscription to read it) suggests that it is being used, in conjunction with other venues, as temporary classrooms for Albert Park College Year 9 students due to delays in construction of their new Year 9 campus.

It is great to see the College using the gatehouse.

Webb Dock Works Update

As many of you will have seen, works continue on the traffic signals and landscaping across Williamstown and Todd roads, as well as the over-dimensional gate and commuter bike path north of Williamstown Road.

We have been informed that a final closure of Todd Road between the West Gate Freeway southern ramp and north of the Life Saving driveway is scheduled for early June. More details to be provided in the coming weeks.

We have also been advised that the Webb Dock Access Improvement Project to duplicate Cook Street and improve the West Gate Freeway entry/exit ramps will start this week.  We are seeking more information and will pass this on when we receive it.

The latest Webb Dock works advisory notice can be downloaded here.

Our latest Newsletter is out

Over the last few weeks volunteers dropped copies of our newsletter in mailboxes throughout Beacon Cove. It covers a number of topics including:

House of World Cultures proposal for Princes Pier
Fishermans Bend update
Beacon Cove Foodstore redevelopment
Privatisation of the Port of Melbourne
Next BCNA neighbourhood dinner

For those who would like an electronic copy, it can be downloaded here.

Fishermans Bend Q&As

The Fishermans Bend Taskforce has prepared a Question and Answer document from questions raised at the community forum on 29 February. It can be accessed here.

Questions asked include planning for schools, the provision of community facilities, funding for infrastructure, and a tram crossing of the Yarra River.

Piers Festival - Sunday 3 April, 12 noon to 7pm

There will be a new festival experience for the 5th Piers Festival on Sunday 3 April 2016 at Princes Pier, Port Melbourne. Held during Victoria’s Term 1 school holidays, the day will be headlined by legendary singer/songwriter Archie Roach alongside new global musical collaborations, kids’ activities, forums, exhibitions and a gourmet paradise from Victoria’s exceptional artists and cultural communities. Highlights include:

• Main Stage will feature one of Australia’s finest celtic rock bands Claymore, Italian Greek aficionados Magna Grecia, Orkeztra Glasso Bashalde’s wide spanning repertoire from Romanian gypsy to Klezmer, Arabic, Macedonian and other Balkan melodies, powerful mana from Polynesian dance group Nuholani, Melbourne’s favourite 60s Asian/Western garage pop explosion Empat Lima, sensational high energy collaborators Amaru Tribe & The Lalibelas ft. Oscar Jiminez and Nhatty Man, headlined by Australia’s iconic and profound Indigenous voice and musician Archie Roach.
• The Landing will bring together a collection of some of Victoria’s most active cultural associations representing their communities and culture through exhibitions, activities and performances
• What Happened at the Pier is curated by Lella Carridi and will feature live poetry readings, forums and musical responses inside The Gatehouse on Princes Pier alongside an exhibition of artefacts and moving image illustrating the narratives from the artists and Memory Keepers who arrived to Melbourne from Princes Pier
• Cultural games, roving activities and performers
• Food stalls and food trucks from local providers

The Piers Festival celebrates and reflects on the collective historical and contemporary migration stories at its site, Princes Pier, the significant entry point where almost half of Australia’s post World War II refugees arrived. The Festival brings to life the pivotal role Princes Pier played from 1915 to 1969 in Victoria’s growth and as a gateway to the diversity of cultures that enrich our community.

Have your say on speed limits on local streets

The City of Port Phillip (CoPP) is surveying residents about local speed limits.  In particular it is looking at implementing 40km/hr limits on more local streets.

The survey closes on 24 March and can be accessed here.

London Hotel redevelopment

The City of Port Phillip has advertised an application to re-develop the London Hotel site at 92 Beach Street and 2-4 Princes Street.  The proposal is for an eight storey mixed use building comprising a restaurant on the ground floor and 32 dwellings above.

BCNA has lodged an Objection on the grounds that:
1) the planned building will lead to overshadowing of the bay trail the bike and pedestrian paths on the foreshore in mid-Winter;
2) the proposed waiver of a loading bay at the site;
3) a reduction in car parking for the building’s residents; and
4) argues that some parking should be provided for restaurant patrons.

The BCNA objection is based on research by BCNA member Jill Maddox.

Fishermans Bend Update

Our Secretary Bill Fisher has provided the following report from the forum meeting held on 29th February.

Minister Wynne has accepted 34 of the 40 recommendations from the first report of the Ministerial Advisory Committee for Fishermans Bend. The remaining six recommendations have been adopted in part and may be fully adopted after further work.

Minister Wynne made the announcement at a well-attended meeting in Port Melbourne on Monday 29th February 2016. BCNA considers this is a good response to the first report of the advisory committee.

A refreshed Vision Statement for Fishermans Bend is expected to be released in April for community discussion.

Little Free Library

We've received the following from Inner South Community Health:

Do you want your very own FREE Little Free Library?

Join a growing movement and put a little free library in your front yard or your local park!

The Port Phillip Men’s Shed Association, Vibrant Villages initiative and SHIP are running some woodworking sessions at Station Pier on every Sunday over March (except Easter Sunday) between 2pm-4pm as part of the ARTcontained project.

Come along and build your own library for FREE – then share your favourite books with your neighbours!

No experience necessary!

For more information  or to get involved please call Danielle McCaffrey 9525 1300 or 0459 988 353

City of Port Phillip Budget Submissions

The council is actively seeking your saving ideas for the 2016/2017 Budget

Visit the council pop-up stall at the Gasworks Market on Saturday 20 February 9am - 12 noon and share your ideas and or visit the council website to review other posted ideas (such as "Scrap Diversity") and post yours before the deadline of midnight Monday 7 March 2016

Fishermans Bend Planning Forum - Monday 29 February

Members of the Beacon Cove Neighbourhood Association have been invited to a public forum to launch the Consultation Program for Fishermans Bend with our local MLA Martin Foley and the Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne.

It will be held at Port Melbourne FC Social Club, North Port Oval, 525 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne (Enter via Ingles Street).

More details are available here.

"Sports Mentors" needed

We have been asked to publicise the following request:

‘Be A Sport’ is an exciting new pilot project coming to Port Melbourne Primary School.

We are looking for volunteers who will act as ‘sports mentors’, interacting with students during their lunchtime sporting activities, by umpiring and encouraging fair sportsmanship. Sports Mentors will be assisted by school yard teachers and the PE teachers.

If you, or someone you know, can give an hour or two each week, than this could be an exciting opportunity for you!

School lunchtimes run from 1:40-2:30pm. A short training session will be provided for interested participants.

All participations will need a  Working with Children Check and Police Check (we can help you out with these).

We are really keen to get a group of volunteers together, so please get in touch if you are interested! 
If interested please contact Laura McDonald on 9525 1300 or email ship@ischs.org.au

House of World Cultures

Multicultural Arts Victoria (MAV) has released a report on the feasibility of a House of World Cultures for Princes Pier. MAV is seeking feedback on the proposal.

The idea is that a ‘dynamic, active cultural space encompassing the themes of migration, heritage, and contemporary culture - a House of World Cultures’ would be established on Princes Pier. BCNA committee has previously shown support for the activation of Princes Pier and supported the MAV concept being examined for Princes Pier.

The feasibility report is available here and appendices are available here. BCNA will be organising a meeting where staff from Multicultural Arts Victoria will explain the proposal and members can ask questions. Feedback will then be assembled and forwarded to MAV.  More details will be provided in coming weeks.

Closure of Todd Road - 2-7 March

The Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) have advised that as part of the Webb Dock upgrade project, works to reconfigure and close Williamstown Road west of Todd Road are scheduled for 2-7 March. This will involve evening works and a full closure of Todd Road between the West Gate Freeway southern ramp to south of Williamstown Road from 7pm Friday 4th March to 5am Monday 7th March.

From 7pm Friday 4th March, Williamstown Road will be closed west of Todd Road and port traffic will access the port via the new internal port road, Webb Dock Drive. Noise mitigation measures are in place to minimise construction impacts. More details to follow in the coming weeks.

This week's Webb Dock works notice notice can be downloaded here.

Port Melbourne Icebergs

We've received the following information about the Port Melbourne Icebergs and thought some residents may be interested.

Join us on Saturday mornings at 8am beach side of Port Melbourne LifeSaving Club for a plunge into the waters of Port Phillip Bay.

Starting Saturday 20th February, continuing throughout the year, including winter (We're starting early so you can experience the warmer waters!)

Coffee and conversation to follow.  No cost, no join up fee. Just pay for your own coffee.

Plunge at your own risk.

More information is available on their Facebook page.

Piers Festival Returns on Sunday 3 April 2016

Contrary to some earlier reports we had received that there were to be no more Piers Festivals, Multicultural Arts Victoria have announced they will present the 5th Piers Festival on Sunday 3rd April 2016.

The festival celebrates our Indigenous and shared migration stories at the historical Port Melbourne piers precinct with a range of diverse music, dance, food, forums and exhibitions.

Volunteers positions are now open, interested applicants should email Freyja Macfarlane with your CV and this Piers Festival 2016 – Volunteer Form completed. Applications close Friday 4 March.

Sandridge Trugo Club - Toilets - Community Consultation

The City of Port Phillip (CoPP) is planning to install a public toilet at the Sandridge Community Centre and Trugo Club building, for use for visitors to Garden City Reserve.

They will be holding a community consultation session between 10am and 1pm on Saturday 20th February at the Sandridge Community Centre and Trugo Club.

A letter that has been sent to residents can be downloaded here and a poster downloaded here.

Naval tribute unveiled in Port Melbourne

A striking bronze sculpture of a young World War II sailor gazing towards Port Phillip Bay was unveiled recently on the Port Melbourne foreshore.

The sculpture, Answering the Call, is located opposite the intersection of Beach Street and Dow Street, Port Melbourne. It is near the site of HMAS Lonsdale, the Naval Reserve Base which was commissioned on 1 August 1940 and decommissioned in 1992.

The memorial sculpture was the vision of Lieutenant Commander Mackenzie Gregory, whose energy and enthusiasm was the driving force behind the project. Port of Melbourne Corporation's (PoMC) CEO Nick Easy joined Commander Gregory’s daughter, Jane Gregory, and representatives from the Royal Australian Navy, City of Port Phillip and the Anzac Centenary Committee at the opening event.

Port of Melbourne Open Days

The program of free Port Open Day boat tours continues in February, so don’t miss out on your chance to take a behind-the-scenes look at the Port of Melbourne.  More information is available here.

Garden City Reserve Lighting

As part of the City of Port Phillip's (CoPP) 2015-2016 capital works program, new public lighting will be installed along the central pedestrian path.

This project forms part of Council’s Sustainable Public Lighting Guidelines to deliver new lighting that is energy efficient, well designed and meets Australian Standards.

Construction will begin in March 2016. Work hours will be between 7am – 5pm Monday to Friday. Works are scheduled to be complete by March 2016.

Works will be constructed with park users in mind and will minimise any inconvenience

Should you have any queries please direct them to Thomas Nicholls, Project Manager, Public Space, CoPP on 9209 6687 or at Private Bag 3, St Kilda, VIC 3182

What does a healthy Port Phillip Bay mean to you?

The Department for the Environment, Land, Water, and Planning will be developing an Environmental Management Plan for the Bay in the coming months.

They are currently asking for public opinion on how the community values the bay. This can be found at http://portphillip.delwp.vic.gov.au/healthofthebay?tool=survey_tool&tool_id=what-does-a-healthy-port-phillip-bay-mean-to-you&ts=1453959000#tool_tab.

No 109 Trams Until Tuesday

It seems work on the new super tram stop at the corner of Whiteman Street and Clarendon Street has taken longer than expected. Yarra Trams are now saying that 109 trams will not recommence until Tuesday morning.

So, as the replacement bus takes a lot longer than the tram, allow extra time on Monday (and perhaps Tuesday since they've delayed estimated completion twice already) if you're going into the city.

Disruption to Beacon Cove 109 Trams

Yarra Trams have just advised that tram service changes on routes 12, 96 & 109 will continue until approximately 7:30am Sunday 17 January.  It was previously expected to be finished today.

More details are available here.

Blessing of the Waters - Princes Pier - This Sunday - 10 Jan

Sorry for the late notice of this - it's not usually well publicised and I only realised it was on this weekend when I saw some preparations this morning.

The Blessing of the Waters, Greek Orthodox ceremonies takes place at Port Melbourne each year in January.  This is a combined celebration for all Parishes in Melbourne celebrated by Their Graces Bishop Ezekiel of Dervis and Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis together with all the Clergy of Melbourne.

The promise of a year's good fortune enticed scores of young Greek Orthodox men to try their luck in the annual Blessing of the Waters Ceremony. The ritual commemorates Christ's baptism in the River Jordan, termed the Epiphany by St. John Chryssostom (from the Greek word for 'manifestation', 'epifaniea').

The ceremony will be at 1pm on Sunday 10 January and will be followed by music, dancing and activities for children until late afternoon. Also, food and drink will be available at the Pier together with a variety of other stalls.

More information can be found here or here.