AIDA Newsletter 1 AIDA NEWSLETTER MAY 1995 SURF COAST SHIRE ELECTIONS. The Surf Coast Shire and the City of Greater Geelong were the first municipalities to have elections since the recent amalgamation of shires in Victoria. lt certainly was a red letter day for residents of the Surf Coast and there was an air of excitement not usually noted at polling booths. Figures published in the local paper indicate there was a turnout of just over 57"/",50% in the coastal wards and70"/" in the area of WinchelsealMoriac. The results for our ward are as follows: Ms Julie Hansen Mr Brian Butterworth MrEA(Mick) Archer Prior to the elections, AIDA provided a questionnaire to each of the candidates. Their answers were printed and displayed on the public notice board. For the benefit of members who were not able to read these, we are including the questions and answers in this newsletter: Q.1 How do you perceive the settlements of Aireys lnlet, Fairhaven and Eastern View as differing from Anglesea and Lorne? HANSEN: Aireys has retained a village atmosphere with less intrusive commercial development, less service infrastructure. People make a more definite lifestyle decision in choosing to live in this region. BUTTERWORTH: Don't see them differing very much. Lorne somewhat different, something of the singles, playhouse scene and Anglesea, Aireys and Fairhaven are more family criented. And more family facilities such as golf, footbalt ovals, etc pre.;ented by Greens. ARCHER: There are 6 or 8 areas of the Shire which are different and need to be treated differently. Torquay, Anglesea, Aireys and Lorne are very different. Anglesea and Aireys, for example, while being different need to cater more to families and people in retirement. Q.2. How do you see Council carrying out the recommendations in the Aireys lnlet to Eastern View Structure Plan? HANSEN: ldeally, through a new Surf Coast Planning Scheme with conservation and other overlap where appropriate , that conserves and reflects the special characteristics of AIDA Newsletter 2 individual areas and the overall Structure Plan. Controls to save us from Vic Code 2 maybe, if necessary. BUTTERWORTH: Don't know about Structure Plan, but zoning is necessary part of planning. ARCHER: Painkalac Creek should be left as is with passive recreation, but there will probably need to be a compromise reached with land owners. I basically support the zoning in the Structure Plan. Q.3 Should building regulations and controls be uniform throughout the Shire? ls there a place for specific controls in sensitive areas? HANSEN: NC, spare us all from the'urban character'of Torquay, please. YES, e.g. maximum retention of native vegetation on even minimum blocks and this be ENFOHCED. Believe that from Anglesea to Eastern View is very deficient in this area. BUTTERWORTH: Zoning must be flexibie to blend with environment. ARCHER: Need to be flexible, room for negotiating different restrictions in different areas, on a case by case basis. The RHR building regulations are heading in the right directions. Q.4 Expanding tourism along the Great Ocean Road produces both benefits and costs. How can Council work with local communities to solve the problem of providing additional necessary services? HANSEN: Rubbish bins where appropriate, efficient litter collection, maintenance of car- parking areas, toilets possibly at Great Ocean Road Arch. Council also to implement a coordinated, integrated management approach with Foreshore Committees, AIDA, etc. BUTTERWORTH: Council gets grants for tourism. Ocean Road must be widened to take additional tourists similar to some American freeways, similar to Big Sur in America. Must have room for big buses to park. ARCHER: I have proposed for a long time the need to rationalise conservation, natural resources, foreshore and Council and to facilitate a cooperative management structure. Q.5 lf elected a Councillor, how would you see your role in tapping the energy, knowledge and ideas of local communities? How do you envisage the share of participation and control between Council and local communities? HANSEN: By being accessible, liaising, consulting with groups like AIDA, drawing on their expertise, advocating for Council funds, auspicing body for submissions for grants, advising where money is available to apply for. lnvolvement in Council advisory groups (e.9. Conservation Committee) in place of Councillors. I feel passionately about the wealth of resources communities have which are underutilised and undervalued. l'm not advocating exploitation to save Council dollars. l'm advocating partnership. BUTTERWORTH: Local people will involve themselves and feed in the best ideas. qlDA Newsletter 3 ARCHEH: Local representative with an ear to the ground, like an old style Councillor representing local PeoPle. Q.6 What is your vision for Aireys lnlet and District over the next five years? HANSEN: Vision of a town that is still a great place to live, relax for a weekend. Where there is a balance between quality of iife, the environment and future development. A healthy vibrant comm unitYl BUTTERWORTH: No i'eal plan. Would like to see recreation and sporting facilities develop. ARCHEH: Must be retained as a village. Wise to put efforts into promoting increase of permanent residents from the present 25% lo at least 400. More permanent residents would start to generate self-esteem in the community and provide necessary infrastructure, such as medical facilities, etc. MOBILE TELEPHONE TOWERS So you thought the problems of mobile telephone towers were confined to Brighton, Beaumaris and Belmont! Not so. We are about to have our very own high tech towers right here in beautiful Aireys lnlet. While recognising the need for modern communications and the right by legislation for companies to do so, AIDA deplores the number of towers that could be erected. (Did our forefathers object to the number of coops being erected to house carrier pigeons?) agI-'r Already }tdeco-m has negotiated with the Aireys lnlet Water Board io erect its tower at the site of ihe water treatment plant. Now Vodaphone is pressing to put its tower in the vicinity of Spence Street. AIDA has written to Austel asking it to use the precedent recently set at Jan Juc where Telecom and Vodaphone agreed to share the one tower, thus minlmising the visual interruption to the magnificent coastline. Aireys lnlet is part of a unique and largely unspoiied coastline and is valued highly by both r.esidents and visitors. Many of us find the electricity poles and TV aerials an intrusion on the views. The opportunity lor underground power supplies was missed in 1983. Let us be vigilant this time and not allow further intrusion on the wonderful area so many of us treasure. INDEPENDENT PANEL HEARING PROPOSED BEZONING AND SUB.DIVISION OF LAND ABOVE WYBELLENNA AND OFF BIMBADEEN DRIVE Due to the large number of objections to this amendment the Minister for Planning appointed a two-member panel to make a decision on this matter. The panel, after an AIDA Newsletter 4 recommended the area NOT BE exhaustive two day hearing and visit to the site, FEZONED. Toni Mccormack committee members were very disappoi{9d that the commissioner ArDA that decision. She very rast ouv',. or[" it il . surt cbhst shire, chose to ignore on her the usual planning recommended to the Minister a new plan which was developed-without process. "fris cf aciicn excruies subsequentiy AIDA ilrote to tiinis-er tvlaclellan siating fiat ccrjrse make a mockery of the time community comment on the new proposal and.would seem to and the independent panel and effort put into the originat ameniment OV the obiectors McCormack would have members. We feel a more approptiit" Corrs" of aciion for Ms deveropment to the been to leave the decsion on such i sensitive and controversiar Councillori o1. to accept the panel's recommendation"' "t".teO has left many AIDA members The action by Ms Mccormack is puzzring to say the teast and quite non-Plussed. rcit'l reilvant cornments' lhe nrodified plan iecomrnencei tc &e minisier is sholvn sn page 7 tcgelher ***** CC$ISERVATICX{ CO\E N AN TS decisions where From time to time AIDA is pleased to give reports of significant are preserved and protected' commonsense h;;';;;;rir5Jino uilir ot oJr preciou5 coast held.ltlhq pic.nic-arelof the lronbark Basin, representatives of At a delightful ceremony surf gor"rn*-.nii,'vrr, eirr oixicii ine c.c.c. uno Ms Toni Mccormack for the two rocar Trust, Landcare, Coast Shire, arong ;ith representatrves of the Viciorian Conservation state Parliament witnessed the Angair, AIDA and-others dnd t*o memoers of the Victorian of environmental significance' signing of conservition covenants on tt'.r" following five areas IRISIBARK BASIN I',IELLORS SWAMP PAI|\JKALAC CREEK GRASS TREE PAHK BR E Ai'rlLE,tuP 0tl'l T IMP0SSIEL= WE TLAND $ and Painkalac The areas most dear to AIDA members are, of course, Metlors sy3*p THE WETLANDS" subsequently creek. A smag but dedicateo group;r!i Fntrruos oF Please keep you fingers crossed has sought fundiJiom the t-an?cirL ,otogt,qT1 in.1ne area. know and ho.pe to.hav,? many for rhem. lt rs nJpel io noro i Field Dayl We will lef yoy the Weilands Study will realise the members loin usl ff,os" of you who have read importance of this unique area. AIDA Newsletter 5 HOW OBSEBVANT ARE WE? Have you noticed little white buildings popping up like mushrooms at Easter? Don't despair, these are not toilets for the Little People but pumping stations, eight in all, to pump waste water from various sites to the number one (no pun intended) pumping station at the corner of the Great Ocean Road and Bambra Road.