Around the Bay 17 February

Cherry Lake Ward

Altona • Altona Meadows • Altona North • Brooklyn • Seaholme

Protecting our coastline

Council will construct a rock revetment wall, beach access ramp and new drain outlet at Cresser Reserve, Seaholme. A storm in 2014 all but wiped out a 40m section of the Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail and caused localised flooding and considerable damage to Cresser Reserve. This revetment will be built to withstand predicted sea level rises over the next 50 years and most extreme storm events. The rock revetment will be approximately 1.2 metres on average above the existing ground level and 300mm-600mm above the height of the existing seawall. Residents directly opposite the reserve are supportive of the project. The project will be funded through the Council’s capital works program and a grant from the state government. Works will begin in March and will take about 12 weeks.

Altona Road rehabilitation

Works will soon commence to reconstruct a section of Altona Road in Seaholme, next to the Pines Scout Camp. Works involve preserving a section of convict bluestone road of local historic significance and widening the road to include a second carriageway. In consultation with Council’s heritage advisor, the design retains and protects the exposed bluestones as a feature within a new central median. Pines will then be planted to eventually provide a distinctive entrance to this part of Altona and Seaholme. Works will take up to eight weeks to complete and vehicle access may be restricted. Signs will be installed to advise motorists.

Brooklyn dog park

Council has received a review into the development of an off leash dog park in Brooklyn. It found that while there was support for an off leash dog park in the area, there is currently no suitable site. One of the most popular sites identified was Pipeline Reserve. We will continue working with Melbourne Water to determine if any of the issues that exclude the reserve as a site for an off leash dog park can be resolved. In the meantime, funding allocated for the off leash dog park in the 2015-16 budget will now go towards building a car park at Brooklyn Reserve, a major priority in the Brooklyn Reserve Master Plan.

Strand Ward

Altona North • Newport • Spotswood • South Kingsville • Williamstown

New speed limits in Williamstown Speed limits in Williamstown’s shopping precinct will be reduced to 40km/h from 29 February. The lower speed limit will be introduced in Ferguson Street, Douglas Parade and Nelson Place to ensure community safety in these busy areas. Council has conducted traffic surveys in the area following requests for a lower speed limit from community members and traders. VicRoads has endorsed the new speed limit. Police will be enforcing the new speed limit and urge drivers to be conscious of the changes when entering the precinct. New speed limit signs will be installed mid-February.

Ann Street drainage works

Construction of the new underground drainage system in Ann Street, Williamstown is almost complete. Running from Nelson Place to Thompson Street, the drainage system is key to building a stronger drainage network through-out Williamstown. Following this, the Cecil Street drainage line is set to be installed as the final stage in completing this network. The new drain is set to run down the middle of the street to avoid any impact on the street’s beloved Elm Trees.

Food lover’s paradise

Council has partnered with Maribyrnong City Council on its Eat Drink Westside promotion, linking events that are part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in the western region. There are two Hobsons Bay events as part of the festival. Two Birds Brewing in Spotswood will launch a one-off batch of ‘west-side beer’ and feature a special menu for the day, complemented by work from local artists. It is on Saturday 5 March from 12pm to 11pm at 136 Hall Street. Down the road at Seaworks, seafood lovers will be in their element with a day of pop-up restaurants, gourmet vendors, boutique beer and wine, cooking demonstrations and entertainment. It is also on Saturday 5 March from 12pm to 9pm at 82 Nelson Place, Williamstown. For details, visit www.twobirdsbrewing.com.au or www.piertoplate.com.au

Wetlands Ward

Altona Meadows • Laverton • Seabrook

Footpath renewal

Footpaths are being constructed in Hope Place in Seabrook. Further footpath works will then take place in Esther Court and Ann Place. Each footpath takes about two weeks to complete, weather dependent. If you believe that a section of footpath in your street needs repair, call 9932 1000. Happy 10th birthday

Altona Meadows Library and Learning Centre is celebrating its 10th birthday with everyone invited to join in the free celebrations. Celebrations kick off with an author talk on Tuesday 23 February and wrap up with a birthday party on Saturday 27 February, with rhyme time, story time, chess and Libraries on Location sessions in between. In 2014-15, the Altona Meadows Library and Learning Centre had over 125,000 loans, attracted over 120,000 visitors, clocked up over 18,000 hours of internet time, over 23,000 WiFi sessions and over 6,000 children and adults attended the story time and rhyme time sessions. For details, visit libraries.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au

New Woods Street Arts Program is out

The latest Woods Street Arts Space program has been released. The big event is the Neighbourhood Block Party on 17 April, a market and music mash-up that takes place between 11am and 4pm on the streets of Woods and Lohse in Laverton. The second instalment of the artist in residence program builds on the success of the first. This time around, Heather van Heerwaarden is asking people to share their memories of the local area. To participate in her ‘Memory Mapping: Lohse and Woods’ you can drop in on Heather between 4pm and 7pm every Friday until 1 April. Other activities on the program include life drawing, street art, craft courses, jewellery making, burlesque dancing and African drumming. There are also a number of workshops hosted by the local Karen community, and Indigenous group sessions with Wangai United. For details www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au