Councillors voted in favour of a motion that requests the Department of Transport (DoT) to modify some of the new Pop-Up Bike Lanes and to undertake a safety audit of all the new bike lanes. Council was responding to a massive community backlash on social media that raised concerns about the safety of some of the bike lane infrastructure and visual impact. Residents have questioned if the program enhances the on-road safety for cyclists because pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists are confused by the treatment of roads, random placement of concrete blocks, bollards and speed humps, and the distraction of excessive and contradictory road markings.

The infrastructure is semi-permanent as the trial will be conducted over 12-18 months and residents are concerned the infrastructure will be not modified or removed despite overwhelming opposition. 

The final Council motion was not as strong as Cr Andrew Bond’s original motion that called for an immediate halt to the project and immediate removal all speed humps, concrete blocks and bollards installed as a part of the DoT project. Cr Heather Cunsolo and Cr Bond agreed to a compromise position that most Councillors supported, to ensure Council officers can commence discussions with DoT with a clear position of Council. 

The Council meeting was attended by 80-100 people and 25 residents raised concerns over the safety of the Pop-up bike infrastructure and the desecration of heritage streets. Nina Taylor MP (Southern Metropolitan Region) said DoT had consulted extensively prior to the installation of the infrastructure and three people supported the DoT project, including the CEO of Bicycles Victoria, a Member of Port Phillip Bicycle Users Group, and a resident. 

Robyn Taylor from Albert Park said, ‘The pop-up bikes program was supposed to be ‘light touch’ but it has created a significant ugliness to our once beautiful streets and villages of Middle Park, Albert Park, South Melbourne and Port Melbourne’.  

Cameron Smith from South Melbourne said he ‘supports of the use of public space by pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists,  scooters, motorists and was not anti-cycling per se. However, the new bike infrastructure impacted safety in a negative way and are therefore poorly designed. They are not necessarily located in appropriate streets and have left many residents scratching their heads about the actual need for these bike lanes over and above existing bike lanes’.  

Other speakers said they were blind-sided by the new bike lanes because DoT did not adequately consult residents. Only a few residents received the DoT postcards and noticed the public notices fixed to poles and there was a paucity of information on the DoT website when residents clicked on the QR code in the DoT materials. DoT have recently updated their website to include more details of the road infrastructure. 

The Council supported motion states that the CEO

1. Writes to the Department of Transport and requests that they re-instate the left hand turn into Williamstown Road from Bridge St in Port Melbourne.

2. Writes to the Department of Transport and requests that the Bridge St Port Melbourne central bike lane be removed, and the original conditions be reinstated.

3. Writes to the Department of Transport and requests that DOT come back to Council with options for alternative proposals to the Westbury St, St Kilda East central bike lane.

4. Writes to the Department of Transport and requests that where swerving around speed humps is observed; where speed humps are located on a 40kmh local road; where speed humps are immediately preceding or following a raised pedestrian crossing, and for all concrete blocks, bollards, and yellow lines, that DOT shows Council a justification for their requirements on safety or other grounds, or facilitate their removal, or proposes an alternative treatment.

5. Council officers to brief Councillors on Department of Transport response to the Council letter as soon as possible and no later than August 2022.

6. Writes to the Department of Transport and requests that they conduct a safety audit that reviews safety concerns raised by the community.

7. Request that DOT works with the City of Port Phillip to review the Pop-Up Bike Lane programs prior to any revisions and future installation of infrastructure in the City of Port Phillip as part of the DOT Pop Up Bike Lane program following the upcoming practical completion.

8. Request that DOT conducts thorough consultation with the residents of the City of Port Phillip prior to any revisions and future installation of infrastructure in the City of Port Phillip as part of the DOT Pop-Up Bike Lane program following the upcoming practical completion.

by Ron's Rant

Don’t get me started but what dumb bunch of public servants are coming up with these hair brained, stupid, nonsensical, dim witted, half baked, crazy, irrational, cuckoo, weirdo, wacko dumb and dumber ideas…..?..  Oh that’s right I think I met them last Saturday (2nd) at the “community engagement” session outside Fat Alberts in Albert Park.

 I came down early as I had a busy day and a small battalion of them were struggling to set up a tiny display and I overheard them talking about what other hair brained, pie in the sky, dumb bum ideas of what they could do with the centre of the green space of Kerferd Road. I felt like Alice in Wonderland listening from the sidelines to a conversation from the Mad Hatters tea party. 

I finally got to speak with one of the team members that were there and quickly worked out that they were not there to listen to the communities opinions and concerns but to placate and justify their predetermined decision to reduce this busy major road down to just one lane. The person l was speaking with was trying her best excuses such as how the current layout would be too dangerous for her 7 year old to use… she doesn’t live or know in the area…..and how the bluestone pitchers that were embedded in the roadway asphalt were a danger to bike riders. Which as an occasional bike rider I agreed with and suggested that they be removed and the ratty road itself be resurfaced, at which she said….now wait for this one…. The bluestone is Heritage Listed….. 

Yes they have a Heritage listing on them,! So I suggested that if this proposal was developed for the safety of the bike riders then maybe these Heritage Listed blocks be relocated and reused and placed where the public could appreciate the importance and beauty of these sacred objects.

The BS I was being served up got under my nose a bit so l asked whether the comments I was making were being recorded and if there was a research questionnaire that needed to be filled out? Clearly not . Not even a simple YES I agree with the proposal or NO I don’t agree with the proposal. The only form they had has was one asking what I thought of the engagement session. (Which I filled in with both barrels).

Not to be deterred the interviewer went to the graphic which described how the Floating parking design would work. ( see graphic ). Now for those who know this neck of the woods there is already a significant bike lane along both sides of Kerferd road that are about as safe as you can get with bikes and cars sharing the same strip despite the heritage bluestone dangers.

As you can see from the graphic they are removing an entire car lane to add 2 buffer Zones to protect our precious 7 year old bike riders from the outer suburbs that will swarm to Kerferd road to use these fabulous facilities.

No discussion or thought to how much traffic this roadway takes  especially during peak hour, no thought to what side roads traffic will flow into when it bottlenecks and runs down Mill street next to the primary school. No thought to how emergency vehicles will deal with a major being road down to one lane when rushing to an emergency  No thought to how garbage trucks will block traffic during their pick up days. There hasn’t even been any research made as to how many cyclists actually use this roadway. It beggars belief. 

The public outcry was quite obvious with many local residents talking up petitions.

The question begs as to whether this public outrage will be heard or whether those that are employed to serve us will continue to ignore the public and do as they please. Why are we paying for these dumb and dumber public servants to serve up and bully through these dumb and dumber projects. Is it to protect their dumb and dumber jobs…? Me thinkith yes… But don’t get me started.

Deterrent operations have successfully reduced the number of flying foxes attempting to roost in the Cairns CBD and City Library.

A report to Council today outlined the success of management activities, noting an 83% reduction of flying-foxes attempting to roost at the City Library since deterrent activities started in July 2020.

The report also revealed that in 2020 there were 47 baby bat rescues at the City Library site, compared to just nine last year.

Overall, the annual birthing season has ended, with Cairns wildlife carers caring for 179 orphaned baby bats between September 2021 to February 2022.

According to the report, the spectacled flying fox population have three primary roosts in Cairns (more than 1000 animals):

• Gordonvale (behind the state high school)
• Cairns Swamp, Manunda (including Andersen Conservation Park, Waratah Dr, Mayers St and Cairns Villa and Leisure Park)
• Farmer Rd, Edmonton.

See source council article here.

Albert Park Yacht Club celebrated its 150th anniversary on 26 February. Celebrations included a Sail Past salute and Opening Day Bracelet Race and are anticipated to be a significant and memorable part of that history. 

Albert Park Yacht Club has a rich history of sailing on the lake since 1871 and is one of the oldest yacht clubs in Australia. It began when the Colony of Victoria was only thirty-five years old, and Melbourne was a collection of townships. Albert Park Yacht Club is the oldest continuing inland yacht club in Victoria. Many people have learned and developed their sailing at Albert Park Yacht Club. They have progressed to enjoy sailing socially; many to be good club level racing sailors; and in quite several cases state, national or international champions.

APYC is welcoming new members if you are interested in learning to sail. Applications forms are available on the website

Join the Club - Albert Park Yacht Club www.apyc.org.au 

3206 Beach Patrol was founded in 2009 by a group of like minded Middle and Albert Park residents who felt they could contribute to the up keep and cleaning of our local beaches that stretch along Beaconsfield Parade. Monthly Saturday morning beach cleans were organised which lasted one hour and left our beach from Kerferd Rd to Langridge Street free of litter, plastic and nasties … safer for all to use and much nicer on the eye.

The distinctive 3206 red beach patrol t-shirts, at work along our strips of sand, were noticed by residents from our bayside neighbours and within 2 years groups started from Port Melbourne (3207 blue t-shirts),  St Kilda (3182 purple t-shirts) and Elwood (3184 green t-shirts). Soon after Brighton joined the action , Sandringham , South Melbourne , Williamstown and today the list goes on. From Altona to Mount Martha and Frankston beach patrol groups ring the bay and we can proudly say it all started here in down town 3206.

A fantastic off shoot of Beach Patrol is a group called Love Our Street which operates in the same manner with post code, coloured t-shirts but focuses on street litter in and around our villages. Elwood kicked it off and Love our Street now has 26 active groups in places far and wide such as Glen Waverly and Werribee.

We don’t yet have a 3206 Love Our Street in case anyone is interested in starting one up !

Check out beach www.patrol.com.au for more info and details on up coming group cleans.

by Ron Burggraff

Having taken a leisurely stroll along the beach I was surprised at what I discovered at the Sandridge Lifesaving carpark.

Bikes with bling. Not the usual noisy Harley Davidson blinged up monsters that terrorise our Port Phillip streets but a more sedate lot of beautiful and lovingly tricked up BMX bikes.

Happy to have these little pimped up beauties blessing and quietly brightening up our bike paths and streets.

Certainly a refreshing change to those of the noisy, angry engined kind.

By Reg Macey (Posted in Born & Bred Port Melbourne on 25 February 2022)

What was long time Port Melbourne fisherman Mr Beazley telling these boys in the photo with him, of the morning 80 years ago tomorrow, that has gone down in history?

Mr William Beazley's granddaughter Karen Perry has answered my question about what he may have been telling the boys in the photo below.

Karen Perry wrote “It would be nice to think that my grandfather William ‘Oppy’ Beazley was recalling the events of that day back on the 25 February 1942. He certainly did tell Dugga Beazley, and Dad has passed this story down. It was only a few years ago after a 2016 article appeared in the newspaper that I realised that this event was not reported to the public in 1942”.

A morning where he saw what few others saw.

Certainly nothing about it was reported at the time anywhere, not in newspapers or the 'on the wireless' (the radio).

Dugga Beazley's Dad was out fishing before dawn that morning.

An hour or so later, he heard the sound of an unfamiliar aeroplane's engine.

Port Melbourne folk had grown accustomed to the sound of a variety of fighter and bombers that were then being constructed in Port Melbourne's Fishermans Bend's two aircraft factories.

It was flying low.

He watched it as it changed its course to follow the lights marking the shipping channel to the Port Melbourne Piers.

As it came closer, he saw it was a single engine float plane, with a red roundels on its wings and fuselage.

It was a JAPANESE plane.

On the 20th February, only a few days earlier, front page newspaper stories had reported that the Japanese had bombed Darwin, in Northern Australia.

The plane Mr Beazley saw had been launched two hours before dawn from one of the world's then largest submarines, the I25.

No RAAF plane got anywhere near the Japanese plane that morning, although it had been spotted as it flew low over the RAAF base at Laverton, and (reportedly) over a battery of anti-aircraft guns in the Williamstown Rifle Range

No searchlights searched for it.

Not a single round of ammunition was fired at it.

Not until years after the war was that morning's flight revealed to the Australian public.

An illustration of the submarine launching a float plane.

An enlargement of a section of a 1937 Japanese annotated British Admiralty map of PORT MELBOURNE that the plane's pilot and observer would almost certainly have been carrying with them at the time.

Image of Peanut Farm sourced from CoPP website

by a St Kilda Elder

We all know water is a resource which, at least in the southern states, must be conserved at all cost. The proposed CoPP donation to the Elsternwick Park (Bayside) project, is partly justified by water CoPP is supposed to be able to transport from Bayside to CoPP, including to The Peanut Farm.  Oh, did I mention? It will be a huge future expense, whether brought to our area by pipes or trucks. Or maybe ratepayers could have a low-cost community activity with a fun bucket brigade stretching from Elsternwick down Glenhuntly Road. 

Recently I had occasion to wander around the Peanut Farm, the oval, and the nearby gardens. I was particularly interested in the footy pavilion. Lots of roof there.  Lots. And so close to the oval which literally sucks water. Now being a mother, I do not begrudge the oval. I spent many a freezing night watching my kids play sport there. Although I was a little surprised when a few years ago, the whole oval was completely re-turfed, rather than replanted with seeds for the appropriate drought friendly grasses. So to my mind, and I confess I had a country girlhood, a large roof means large water tanks to collect large amounts of rainwater. 

There is one small tank at the east end of the Pavilion, about the size I've managed to squeeze into my tiny yard. Maybe enough to flush the public toilets but certainly insufficient to service the oval. Water tanks now come in a range of shapes, sizes, colours. You can even buy tanks which are about 20 centimetres wide - which could replace all the old paling fences between houses. CoPP should consider water collecting tanks on every Council property. How many litres are harvested off the Town Hall?  Every roof is sacred space for rainwater collection.

And to finish up this watery tale - I have photographs showing sprinklers generously  spraying water around Renfrey Gardens when it was actually raining! I was appalled then. And I remain...

BCNA continues to seek a well-designed long-term air quality monitoring program at Station Pier as there are legitimate and unresolved concerns about air quality in the vicinity of the pier.

The Ports Corporation (VPCM) conducted a limited monitoring program from 2016 to 2018, the most significant finding from which was that the annual average PM2.5 exceeded the maximum state and national standards for the two consecutive years that were measured. Exceedance was greater in the second year.

Further details are on the BCNA website www.beaconcove.org.au

In May 2018, the Victorian Government made a commitment to introduce a monitoring program at Station Pier. This is shown in the Air Quality Statement which records, on page 9, that “EPA is working with VicPorts to determine a suitable comprehensive long-term program.” Despite several letters to the Minister for the Environment, BCNA has so far received no advice about implementation.

Our request for a monitoring program has been supported by the Hon. Martin Foley MP and by the City of Port Phillip.

Image by Sean Cummins - see full screen

A message from the School Council Presidents - Hannah Lawson & Elisa Webb

Dear Parents/Carers,

On Wednesday night, despite a petition with over 1,300 signatures and hundreds of emails objecting, the City of Port Phillip Council voted to go ahead with their plan to place a public toilet near the entrance of our school.  

As a School Council we are very disappointed with this outcome and with the conduct of some Councillors in the meeting (particularly Cr Peter Martin, who said that SKiPPS parents need to educate their children more about safety).  

We are not opposed to public toilets, but the location needs to be well considered and we believe that safety standards and cleaning regimes need to be above what currently exists elsewhere in the CoPP.  

To summarise the vote: 

• Cr Bond, Cr Pearl, Cr Copsey and Cr Martin voted to go ahead with the project
• Cr Crawford abstained from voting 
• Cr Consulo, Cr Clark and Cr Sirakoff voted against placing the toilets in the proposed location and to stop the project.

You can Listen to the Councillors discuss the proposal at the meeting on 15 June from the 1 hour 48-minute mark in the webcast https://www.facebook.com/cityofportphillip/videos/836525410663145/ 

We encourage any school families or community members who wish to show their continued opposition to the construction of the toilets at the site to write to the COPP Mayor, Cr Pearl, and the CEO, Peter Smith.

Marcus.Pearl@portphillip.vic.gov.au 

Peter.Smith@portphillip.vic.gov.au 

It is also time to escalate the issue to elected officials at the State level, and we encourage you to contact the Education Minister, the Premier and our Local Member, Martin Foley.

james.merlino@parliament.vic.gov.au 

daniel.andrews@parliament.vic.gov.au 

martin.foley@parliament.vic.gov.au 

The land in question is owned by Parks Victoria, so you can also write to the Parks Victoria CEO, Matthew Jackson, and the Chair, Hon. John Pandazopoulos.

ceo@parks.vic.gov.au 

John.pandazopoulos@parliament.vic.gov.au 

If you have any other suggestions or contacts, please get in touch with School Council via Michelle at

michelle.bove@education.vic.gov.au