No. 11
Hello everyone,
It’s been a while since our last newsletter to you of 18 June, but we assure you we haven’t been idle in the meantime. Apologies in advance for the length of this newsletter – we hope it holds your interest…
1. MEETINGS/EVENTS SINCE WE LAST WROTE TO YOU:
We recently met with City of Melville officers Mick McCarthy and Jeff Bird to discuss the building of a bird viewing platform along the Alfred Cove foreshore. This is being funded through a pre-State Elections commitment from our Member for Bicton Lisa O’Malley. Plans will be drawn up by the City of Melville in consultation with Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) with construction likely to commence around mid 2022.
The Mayor, Deputy Mayor and a number of councillors took up our invitation to walk along the proposed Stage 1 boundaries of the Melville Bird Sanctuary. We were keen to have the Mayor and councillors on site to discuss/visualise proposals for the Melville Bird Sanctuary (e.g. the revegetation of a number of areas along the Troy Park foreshore, fence repair, locations for viewing platforms etc) and also to do some birdwatching. We also took one of the external consultants for the Attadale Alfred Cove Foreshore Master Plan on a similar walk.
In late July, we participated in the State Government’s Bicton-Bateman Community Cabinet. We met and spoke with Premier Mark McGowan and a number of Ministers including Deputy Premier Roger Cook who, after hearing about the Melville Bird Sanctuary proposal, paid a brief visit to the site the following day. We also met Minister for Environment, Amber-Jade Sanderson, Minister for Fisheries, Don Punch and Minister for Water, Dave Kelly – all of whom were very receptive, helpful and encouraging. A number of environmental groups including us also had a separate and beneficial hour-long meeting with the Environment Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson and our Member for Bicton, Lisa O’Malley.
With regard to the Attadale Alfred Cove Foreshore Master Plan (AACFMP), we participated over a number of days in June/July in Keystakeholder Meetings and Community Workshops to provide data to external consultants Element who will shortly be presenting their findings to Melville Council (See 2. below) . We hope that at least some of you were able to attend the meetings and workshops.
On 2 September we attended a Swan-Canning Community Forum hosted by The Nature Conservancy, Australia. This global environmental group is working on a number of projects in Australia including one to restore shellfish reefs in the Swan and Canning rivers. By way of background, the Swan and Canning rivers once had extensive mussel beds. These mussel beds were a significant contributor to cleaning the waters of these two rivers. The Nature Conservancy is currently putting in artificial reefs and repopulating them with mussels with a view to reducing pollutants in the rivers . For those interested in further information, please refer to The Nature Conservancy web site.
2. Progress Report on the Attadale Alfred Cove Foreshore Master Plan
The City of Melville will receive the draft Master Plan from external consultant, Element, by the end of September. After the draft Master Plan has been refined and shared with Elected Members, it will be formally presented and advertised to the public. This will be the final opportunity for the community to view the draft, and to provide formal submissions via a 4-6 week public comment period. A report will then be presented with a recommendation at a future Ordinary Meeting of Council. Final endorsement of the Master Plan will then be considered by DBCA, Swan River Trust Board and City of Melville Council.
3. Birdwatching Walk
Unfortunately our Birdwatching Walk scheduled for 14 July had to be cancelled due to inclement weather. We’re rescheduling it for 10.30am on Monday 20 September. It will start from the viewing platform at the entrance to Troy Park (opp 194 Burke Drive, Attadale) and will take approximately one to one-and-a half hours. Margaret Matassa from SERAG has kindly agreed to lead the group. For those wishing to attend (including those who put their names down for the July birdwatching walk), please send/re-send us an email as soon as possible to confirm your place. It would be appreciated if participants could arrive 5 or so mins earlier to complete registration details. Please bring a bottle of water and hand sanitizer. If you have a pair of binoculars, do bring them along. If not, we’ll have some spare pairs.
4. City of Melville Climate Action Plan
Leaders all over the world, scientists as well many of the world’s population have realised the need to talk and act on the issue of Climate Change. At its Ordinary Meeting in June, the City of Melville Council took the positive step of directing the CEO to prepare a Draft Climate Action Plan to be presented to Council within two years. Details can be found on the City of Melville’s website in the Minutes of the Ordinary Council Meeting of 15 June 2021.
The Melville Bird Sanctuary should be an important initiative under the City of Melville’s Climate Action Plan. Its proposed boundaries include wetlands, saltmarsh communities and sea-grasses which are some of the most powerful natural climate solutions, absorbing and storing carbon (a major carbon sink). A well managed Melville Bird Sanctuary will help preserve the natural values of our region for current and future generations.
5. LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS
A reminder to all that Local Government Elections throughout WA will be held on 16 October 2021. For further information including names and brief information about ward candidates, please refer to this link Local Government Elections - City of Melville (melvillecity.com.au).
Please be sure to vote.
The current City of Melville Council has shown its unanimous support to date for the FMBS’ Melville Bird Sanctuary proposal. Birds are one of the foremost indicators of environmental health and the number of species in our region (147 over the last 5 years) is an indication of the region’s biodiversity. Melville Council’s continued support and commitment is required in the years to come to properly establish and manage the Melville Bird Sanctuary.
Prior to casting your vote in these Local Government Elections, you may wish to make yourself aware of your ward candidates’ environmental commitment including their position with regard to the Melville Bird Sanctuary.
Kind regards,
Tom Lubin and Jenny Christenson
Friends of Melville Bird Sanctuary