Community Information Session - Planning Changes

The Victorian Minister for Planning has tipped the balance in favour of increased building height across the peninsula that will only benefit developers and damage our coastal character and liveability.  

Come along to one of Mornington Peninsula Shire information sessions to learn more. 

Rosebud - Thursday 20^th July 6pm – 8pm Rosebud Memorial Hall, 994 Point Nepean Road, Rosebud

Mornington - Wednesday 26^th July 6pm – 8pm , Peninsula Community Theatre, 91 Wilsons Road, Mornington

PRESS RELEASE: Exhibition, special presentation and launch of Geoffrey Maslen's new book  An Uncertain Future: Australian Birdlife in Danger by Sean Dooley at Coolart Homestead and Wetlands, managed by Parks Victoria, on July 1^st 2017

 High-profile editor and author Geoffrey Maslen is launching two new books published by Hardie Grant:  An Uncertain Future: Australian Birdlife in Danger and Too Late: How We Lost the Battle with Climate Change.  Former senator and environmentalist Dr Bob Brown writes in his introduction to An Uncertain Future: "Geoffrey Maslen’s book is a clarion call for Australia’s brilliant but disappearing birds."

The special presentation of Geoffrey Maslen's new book  An Uncertain Future: Australian Birdlife in Danger will be launched by Sean Dooley at Coolart's Observatory at 2pm on July 1st 2017. Afterwards at the homestead there will be a book signing and an aperitif with canapes. The exhibition at the Coolart Homestead of beautiful, framed birdlife photographs from the book, taken by Dr Rohan Clarke, will be auctioned at the event at 3.30pm, with the funds going towards supporting the Friends of Coolart.

About the author: Geoffrey Maslen is a well-known writer, editor and former lecturer in science education. An author of nine other books, he was Education Editor at The Age newspaper for twelve years and was the Australian correspondent for international publications including the US Chronicle of Higher Education, the London Times Higher Education and Times Education as well as the South China Morning Post. He is also founding editor of the global online publication University World News.

Sean Dooley, known as the Birdman, has written for TV comedies like Full Frontal, Hamish and Andy and Spicks and Specks, is author of books such as The Big Twitch and Cooking with Baz, and is currently editor of Australian Birdlife magazine. He was also the national birdwatching champion, holding the record for seeing the most birds seen in one year and is Australia's most famous twitcher.

This is an unmissable event for all those concerned about the future of Australian birds, our wildlife and the environment. The launch will begin at 1.30pm for a 2pm start in the Coolart Observatory with a dramatic audio-visual presentation introduced by the President of the Friends of Coolart, Roger Stuart-Andrews and Max Burrows, President of Bird Life Australia's Mornington Peninsula branch.

Sean Dooley will give a talk about being a fellow twitcher on the Peninsula and launch the book. Author Geoffrey Maslen will then talk about what inspired the book and his research that lead to the companion book about climate change. Dr Rohan Clarke, who took the book’s wildlife photographs, will discuss the challenges of photographing birds in the wild.

 After the presentation, the event will move to the historic 19^th Century Coolart homestead where canapes and afternoon tea will be served and Geoffrey Maslen and Dr Rohan Clarke will sign books and pictures. At 3.30pm there will be a special auction by Timothy Lynch of framed photographs of the birds illustrated in the book from the exhibition held at Coolart of Dr Clarke's images taken in the wild.

Part of the proceeds from all sales of the books and the auction of the pictures will go to the fund supporting the work of the Friends of Coolart who help maintain this important historic Australian building and the wetlands that are home to many endangered native birds and animals.

To RSVP for the this event,which has limited places, and receive a print-out of your free tickets to confirm your attendance, book now: www.trybooking.com/277965. 

 By registering, you will also have the opportunity to pre-order the books with a special 10% percent discount.

 Or you can book by contacting: Julie Ebbott via phone or email:

Email: CoolartBookLaunch@gmail.com Phone: 0431 919 495

 PRESS CONTACT: For high res images from the book and to organise an interview with Geoffrey Maslen, please contact Paul McDonnell. Phone: 0450 042 488 Email: paul@designartmagazine.com

ABOUT THE BOOKS

 Twenty-two Australian bird species have become extinct in the wild and almost 150 species – a staggering one in six of those that remain – are now classed as critically endangered or vulnerable to extinction, and that number is rising. In his new book, An Uncertain Future: Australian Birdlife in Danger, Geoffrey Maslen takes us into the fascinating lives of Australian birds, showing us how intelligent they are, the significant threats they face due to disappearing habitats and how essential these angels of the air are to our own survival.

Drawing on numerous interviews with researchers and biologists studying birdlife in Australia and dozens of scientific reports from around the world,  An Uncertain Future reveals a dire picture of what plummeting bird populations mean for humanity.

Too Late: How We Lost the Battle with Climate Change, is Geoffrey Maslen's searing account of the critical state our planet is in and how successive governments are responsible in their refusal to stand up to global corporations and vested interests. The book is a call to arms for people to take action, demand their governments are held to account and begin the crucial and difficult steps that are needed to save life on this planet from extinction.

THE BOOKS:  

AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE: AUSTRALAIN BIRDLIFE IN DANGER

BY GEOFFREY MASLEN

HARDIE GRANT BOOKS | PUB DATE: 1 JULY 2017 | HARDBACK | RRP $39.99

 Soaring through the skies, light as the air itself, birds are the closest creatures we have to angels on the planet. They bring song and beauty to our lives, and they play a significant role in sustaining Earth’s ecosystems. But birds are also facing the threat of extinction.

Officially, twenty-two bird species have become extinct in the wild since the British illegally occupied Australia in 1788, although the true figure is certainly much greater. Worse still, almost 150 species – a staggering one in six of those that remain – are now classed as critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable to extinction, and the number rises as the years pass.

In An Uncertain Future, Geoffrey Maslen takes us into the fascinating lives of Australian birds, showing us how intelligent they are, the significant threats they face due to disappearing habitats and how essential these angels of the air are to our own survival.

Drawing on numerous interviews with researchers and biologists studying birdlife in Australia and dozens of scientific reports from around the world, An Uncertain Future reveals a dire picture of what plummeting bird populations mean for humanity.

TOO LATE: HOW WE LOST THE BATTLE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE

BY GEOFFREY MASLEN

HARDIE GRANT BOOKS | PUB DATE: 1 JULY 2017 | PAPERBACK | RRP $19.99

NASA recently released data showing that Planet Earth this year experienced seven straight months of not just record-breaking, but record-shattering heat, while 2017 is facing the largest increase in global temperature a single year has ever seen. An increasing number of climate change scientists now fear that the situation is already so serious, and so many self-reinforcing feedback loops are already in play, that we humans are in the process of causing our own extinction.

But, if it is agreed that climate change mitigation is essential, why is it not happening? How did we lose the battle for serious global action and citizen activism on this most crucial issue?

Geoffrey Maslen argues that the key to tackling a climate catastrophe is political change - breaking the deadlock of corporate power, particularly the interests of the fossil fuel industry and powerful pro-business states. No economic, social and technological solution is possible without it. 

 In this searing account, Geoffrey Maslen examines the critical state our planet is in and how successive governments are responsible in their refusal to stand up to global corporations and vested interests. Too Late: How we lost the battle with climate change is a call to arms for people to take action, demand their governments are held to account and begin the crucial and difficult steps that are needed to save life on this planet from extinction.

Placemaking Grant application

This month we applied for funding under the Mornington Peninsula Placemaking Grants to help put Mount Eliza Woodland on the map.  Our funding application is for $5,000 for the placement of signage at the entrances to Woodland, which will help it become a place that is recognised by the community and valued by its residents.  Final design of the signs is yet to be agreed and we will seek member input should we be successful. We are expecting to be notified of the decision by the end of June this year.  Fingers crossed!

We did it!

 Mount Eliza Woodland is now safe from the ravages of small developments. On 26^th June 2014 the new Design and Development Overlay – DDO18 was gazetted.  The minimum block size in Mount Eliza Woodland is now 2000 square metres.  Not quite the 2600 square metres we were hoping for but good enough to protect our “buildings within a landscape”.

Thank you to everyone who played some part in this mammoth effort, not only during the nine and a half years of Mt Eliza Woodland Residents Association’s existence, but in the almost twelve years since the first yellow Planning Application for subdivision appeared in October 2002.

As we journey into springtime, when Woodland is at her most beautiful, we can sit back and marvel at our unique gateway to the Mornington Peninsula..

Finally after a meeting with the Briars Ward Councillors and two very acrimonious council meetings in May and June 2013, C162 has been approved by Council.  The paperwork has now been sent off to the Department of Planning and Community Development on its way the Minister for Planning, Matthew Guy, for his approval.

In the meantime, the Interim Planning Amendment prohibiting subdivision below 2600 sqm in Mount Eliza Woodland, which began life as C164 was extended and became C169.  It has now been extended again, this time to 30^th June 2014 and become C171.

We trust that we will have a favourable decision on Planning Amendment C162 within the timeframe allowed.