OTWAY FORUM MEETING No. 331 - Jan 12, 2020
Crs. Hart and Potter in attendance.
- A very successful regenerative farming conference held in Colac last month.
- New ideas for a new future for Australian farming as the Climate Emergency accelerates!!!
- NOPSEMA has granted the second of the four approvals needed for exploratory oil drilling to commence in the Great Australian Bight.
- Seismic blasting to commence this month in western Bass Strait to search for more fossil fuels to exploit.
- This will effect juvenile crayfish, abalone and scallop’s.
- When will the fossil fools in Canberra listen to the scientists????
- Climate and Biodiversity Emergency Petition to be tabled at the COS ordinary council meeting in February.
- COS to vote on petition at the March meeting in Apollo Bay.
- Please sign the petition at the newsagency.
- Tenders have been advertised to repair the lee and outer harbour walls.
- Will this help slow the sand entering the harbour as it erodes off the back beach?
- 56,000cb/mtrs of sand to be pumped out of the harbour in April/May this year.
- Will this help slow the severe erosion along the AB front beach?
- Or will the beach/sand continue to wash away?
- If groynes were built this sand would be trapped and the beach would be widened and heightened.
- An opportunity lost??
- Latest erosion report recommends further studies before any long term action is taken.
- Find the link to this report - AB Coastal Geomorphology Study Nov. 2019 on the Otway Forum website.
- Signage needed at Cawood St. beach to maximise parking spaces.
- The 5 yearly Victorian Coastal Strategy overdue.
- More community consultation on the Draft Community Infrastructure Plan before Easter?
- A bill to establish the new Great Ocean Road Authority to be introduced in state parliament soon.
- Will there be local public representation in the new authority and will they listen to local knowledge?
- The City Deal money, to build new tourism infrastructure, still not released.
- The Local Council Representation Review to likely mean COS remains the same – unsubdivided wards.
- This will disadvantage AB voters and smaller parties in city electorates.
- The review will likely mean holiday home owners will have to re-register to vote in COS.
- Please attend the Community Fire Planning Workshop at the CFA this Sat. 10 to 1pm.
- Apollo Bay IS becoming more vulnerable to bushfires!
- Can the fire siren be reinstated in AB? It must only be used for fires.
- Binns Rd. from the redwoods to Beech Forrest to be sealed before winter this year.
- Would traffic lights instead of a pedestrian crossing relieve congestion in the main street?
- Can the current kindergarten be kept as a public building if a new one is built at the school.
Otway Forum meets 2nd Sunday of every month at 3pm at Marrar Woorn or find us at www.forum.apollobay.org.au.
Get involved and find out what’s really going on!
Peter Fillmore
Hon. Secretary
Otway Forum
0428 091 694