Working Bee 16 June 2018

A very successful working bee was held with 23 in attendance. Despite an early shower the weather held out. We moved and stacked woody weeds, mostly mirror bush, to prepare for planting next month. We also planted 90 native tubestock towards the top of the cleared area to provide some fast growing privacy screening for the caravan park.

Click on the title to read more and look at the photos.

Working Bee 14 April 2018

A very dedicated 12-15 volunteers braved the windy conditions to do some woody weed removal. Luckily we were relatively sheltered from the wind on the slope. We had to pull the pin and had an extended morning tea due the rain settling in. 

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Fauna Survey of Undertow Bay Foreshore

At 2pm on 11 August a Community Information session was held where Peter Homan presented the results of the fauna survey he conducted in April 2018. Again, despite the weather, there was a terrific turn out of 62 people to learn about the birds, bats, marsupials and endangered species that try to survive in the area behind Undertow beach.

Thanks to the Wonthaggi Lifesaving Club for allowing us to use the hall and providing a wonderful afternoon tea.

The CPRRA commissioned the survey which was funded through a grant from the Wettenhall Environment Trust and the Bass Coast Shire. Peter Homan Fauna Consultancy undertook the survey.

The site has important habitats for many native animals and is a key section in the habitat corridor between Bunurong Marine National Park and San Remo. Fifty-one native species were recorded: 13 mammals, 3 reptiles, 33 birds and 2 amphibians. Three threatened bird species were recorded.

A summary of the report findings can be found here or you can read the full survey report here. Peter Homan also prepared some Advice on Habitat Management which contains valuable information to consider when undertaking re-vegetation works.

Working Bee 11 August 2018

A forecast of rain, wind and hail did not deter the hardy band of 13 volunteers who fronted up to the WLSC carpark at 9am for a morning’s planting along Pea Creek in the Undertow Bay foreshore reserve. Luckily for us the rain eased to light showers as we headed off to the planting site.

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Working Bee 14 July 2018

Twenty enthusiastic volunteers planted 490 tubestock in the Undertow Bay foreshore reserve near Pea Creek. Lesley gave us a tubestock planting demonstration aimed at improving the consistency of our method and increasing plant survival rate.

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Development to the North - proposal returning to Council

History:  The original motion to seek authorisation from the Planning Minister to prepare a Planning Scheme Amendment for the development to the North of Cape Paterson (to include 900 houses) was considered at the August 2016 meeting of the Bass Coast Council and deferred until March 2017 when it was again deferred, this time at the request of the developer after community outrage at the size of the proposal.

The proposal has now been amended by the applicants (to include 480 house lots) and will return to Council for a decision on Wednesday 21 March at 5PM.

The full Council Agenda can be found here or you can read an excerpt (H4 Cape Paterson North) and view a map of the proposal here.

CPRRA Position:  Our hastily prepared response to the current proposal, emailed to Councillors and the CEO on Mon 19^th March 2018 can be found here. It includes background to the proposal along with strategic reasons why it should not be approved.

In brief: The original proposal which went to Council in August 2016 and in March 2017 was to rezone ALL of the land to residential which would mean 900 extra houses along with the 220 dwellings already approved to the west in THE CAPE (ecovillage), most of which are yet to be sold.  

The new proposal (March 2018) has been reduced to 480 lots however the CPRRA position remains that there is already sufficient land available in Cape Paterson and that an application to develop further land, at this time, should be rejected by Council.  As the land has been within the town boundary since 2011 we understand that it will be developed eventually but believe it should be over a long period of time (50 years?) and in proportion to designated high growth areas like Wonthaggi.

What you can do now:  Attend the Council meeting on Wednesday 21 March 5pm to signal to the Councillors that you are opposed to this proposal and want Councillors to represent your interests and not begin the Planning Scheme Amendment Process.

Also please email Councillors and the CEO directly to express your concerns

Councillors (copy and paste addresses into your email):

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CEO:

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Clean Up Australia Day 4 March 2018

A big thank you to the 31 volunteers who came to the Clean Up Cape Paterson day on March 4th.  This was part of Clean Up Australia which supports and encourages local communities, schools and businesses to clean up one day/year.  8 bags of rubbish and 10 bags of recycling were collected.

Click on the title to read more and look at the photos.