Presidents report 2010
our 47th year of community conservation governance
President’s report for the year 2010 to Feb 2011 for the AGM of Croydon Conservation Society
Each year that I sit to write this report, I feel a sense of us not having achieved much of value, but once I put fingers to the keyboard, it astonishes me what impact we actually have. Obviously we have some wins and some misses, but overall, we are still very much doing what we set out to do, by protecting and enhancing our local environment by working with local authorities to ensure our community retains those components that we hold important. As for the misses, just because we haven’t achieved our original aim, does not preclude us from keeping on with our cause. This concept is vital to anyone who wants to be involved in Conservation. An example of this is the case with cat ownership, and the open-endedness of their fertility. Feral cats grow from abandoned cats and kittens, and both puppy and kitten dumping is still a concern, from an animal welfare perspective. Feral cats however are so incredibly threatening to our fragile community of small marsupials, lizards, bats, birds etc. So we have not given up on this one yet.
Here is the 12 month report since early last year…………
February/March
- Logging issues in Victorian National Parks, and cattle grazing was on our agenda, and still is!
- Liz proposed communicating with the community better – Urchin report (statistics for our website)for Nov 2009 showed under 50 site visits a day, we thought that was a fairly reasonably number
- Ken alerted us to the ancient nature of our incorporation 1983 documentation and subsequently our constitution.
- We fare welled a celebration of the life of a long term CCS member and past Croydon Mayor. Mike Freeman.
- Margot is still monitoring the animal management plan, and we further discussed chemicals in the environment after Jim told us of a customer’s dog, with a blistered nose, which the vet suggested was chemical burns.
April
- We agreed not to have a film night, as these were a dwindling success, since the neighbourhood houses had started showing environmental films.
- Liz proposed we physically meet bi-monthly, and use email to stay in touch in between, this decision was left pending, and will be re – looked at as we upgrade our website and factor in a virtual meeting room, where the committee can chat amongst ourselves on line.
- We donated $100 to the law costs as East Gippsland Environment Group took the logging of Browns Mountain to the supreme court.
May
- Understorey magazine which is an umbrella over the outer eastern region, publishes an article explaining our move to be a community hub of information.
- Council is considering a cat curfew, and mandatory de-sexing, no decision as yet. We discussed the world impact of harvesting palm oil.
June
- Tintern farm development allowing inappropriate lot sizes and the precedent of the Council allowing a football club to erect a fence around public open space, and charge admission to watch games. This is still the topic of on- going correspondence with Council.
July
- We became aware of Croydon Market site sale, and eventually the loss of the mural, a historic piece of Croydon’s heritage, we were dismayed to lose, through the owner’s disconnection with the community.
- We further objected to the proposal for Tintern farm subdivision, and noted there was no neighbourhood character overlay of that land, leaving it open to interpretation. CCS put in a formal objection, based on tree removal and safety..
August
- Disappointment at Councils decision to omit mandatory desexing of cats, but pleased at the cat curfew. Ringwood Clocktower park is threatened by a plan to carve off the back section and remove a stand of mature Cyprus tress to make way for a bus interchange.
- Residents of Braden Brae Drive have an inappropriate development in their location, the land has a covenant for one dwelling, but it is being asked for an exemption and being divided into 6 building blocks, with an unsuitably sized access way that precludes emergency vehicles. CCS lodged a formal objection.
- Concern at the proposed and unprecedented height of a proposal for a 4 storey development in Hewish Rd, to include a shop, café, offices and 54 apartments. CCS lodged an objection based on precedent of the height.
- We also signed on line a petition for Local Governments to change street lighting to energy efficient globes
- The good news was that a precedent is now set by the winning of the Brown’s mountain supreme court hearing, that in future any State Forrest must carry out an environmental impact study before allowing logging is state Govt. owned land.
- We responded to the Victorian Remnant Vegetation Investigation paper
September
- The constitution was the major topic for discussion.
- We got airplay through a requested interview on a program called “the Green Room’ we also got good coverage in the Understory, with an article featuring Liz as president of CCS.
- We contacted Ringwood RSL to join forces regarding the clocktower park.
- The Tintern farm development is scheduled for VCAT. CCS is represented.
October
- Tintern farm VCAT hearing went for 6 hours with a final reluctant agreement between residents, Council and the developer. The outcome is for traffic management strategies, and larger lot sizes adjoining the existing residential area. We also had impact on the number of trees to be planted within the new development.
- A planting was organized by CCS and 100 plants were planted by a couple of our members and some volunteers in the small park at Eastfield park, as part of a Council cooperative activity.
- Ken developed the lengthy changes required to our constitution, and has them in a brief version for discussion.
- Norwood Football club, has permission to erect a fence with some provisos about allowing public use, and access, we still require further clarification about this.
- invited a representative of the desalination plant to be our guest speaker for 2011 AGM, as a consequence of a visit Ken made to the de-salination plant. We decided to suspend our November meeting, as a bit if a trial to see what bi- monthly contact feels like.
December
- We viewed the David Attenborough DVD of “The greatest wildlife show on earth” then held a short meeting.
- The incoming Government made a promise after public pressure to stop the Clocktower park issue. Lobbying through the local member intensified.
No January meeting, however during this time there were ample opportunities for Croydon Conservation Society in terms of publicity. We managed to have published an article about our views going into 2011, and another explaining our new website portal, as well as a mention in the public announcement about rescinding the Clocktower contracts. True to their word, the entire project will go back to the drawing board and a fully integrated public transport interchange will be looked at, in a way that promises not to impact the Clocktower park.
New Urchin reports indicate 100% increase in page views for our website, averaging 100 daily. Liz is also doing a food and Environment spot on Radio 98.1 eastern FM every second Tuesday at 10.30am, where our website is mentioned, as well as our name. Also a group known as High Ideals has been in contact wanting us to be acknowledged in the Environment sector, of the organization.
February
- we followed on with our amendments to the constitution, and the timeline for publication of our intentions.
- We also supported the residents of Braden Brae, who are getting a case together to go to VCAT.
- We spoke about following up on a way to get commitment for fresh drinking fountains in main St Croydon, and a recognition method for restaurants who provide tap water, not bottled water.
- We are now poised for acceptance of the new documentation for our Society, and have recently had made generic business cards for the Society, to help with publicity.
So now at our AGM, we are ready to vote on the acceptance of our new Constitution, which has been in the public arena for the required 28 days, both through our newsletter, thanks Debbie, and on our website.
