News

Sugarloaf Reservoir Solar Farm - What do you think?

On Friday 5 March 2021, Melbourne Water began advertising plans to build a solar farm on the spit of land at the north of Sugarloaf Reservoir. This is at the opposite side of the reservoir to the popular Saddle Dam Picnic Area.

The solar farm will fully power the Winneke Treatment Plant located at the opposite side of the reservoir.

The works will mean removing approximately 289 trees, however "over 85% of trees on the site are either small trees, short-lived species and/or in poor condition."¹

With the world in a state of Climate Emergency, it's vital that we transition to renewable energy as quickly as possible but is this the right way to do it?

While the project won't see the removal of many significant trees, there will still be tree removal and a small piece of scenery will be changed forever.

I want to know what you think. This project will significantly reduce the emissions from our water supply but is it worth it and is this the right way to go about it? Or, should we be asking for more? Should we work with Melbourne Water to install more solar panels on the site to provide cheap, clean energy to nearby landowners?

This is your chance to have your say. Please get in touch to let me know your thoughts.

For more information or to make a formal submission or objection, click here.

References

1. Tree Logic Pty Ltd. Arboricultural Assessment and Report 40 Simpson Road, Christmas HIlls. 2021. Available from: https://www.nillumbik.vic.gov.au/Planning-and-building/Planning-application-of-significant-interest

A Steep Learning Curve

Well, it's been three months since the new group of councillors started. For the five new councillors, it's been an uphill battle to learn the ins and outs of being a councillor while staying on top of all the reading and long meetings. I'm finally starting to feel like I'm settling in. We've got some exciting projects on the way and I'm looking forward to getting stuck into them.

Now that things are settling down, it's time to get back to connecting with my community. With a wide range of important work ahead of us, now is the time for us to be actively listening to what people want and need in Nillumbik so I'm very excited to be writing my first community newsletter. Please hit the signup button at the bottom of the page to sign up for email updates.

What's happening?

Have Your Say

The Our People, Our Place, Our Future consultation is open now. This consultation will inform a wide range of council plans, including our four-year strategic plan and our long-term community vision. It's crucial that you have your say on what you want your community to look like going forward. Please fill out the survey at https://participate.nillumbik.vic.gov.au/our-future.

I'll also be arranging community meetings across Sugarloaf Ward in the coming months. Please keep an eye out for a meeting in your area so you can come along and have your say on what you want to see me working towards over the next four years.

Kangaroo Ground War Memorial Park and Tower

Last year, Nillumbik Council began the process of creating a masterplan for Kangaroo Ground Tower. This was a welcome initiative until we learned that the plan proposed huge changes to the tower complex including tearing down the Moor-rul viewing platform and the firespotter's cabin. The community said no.

Now is our opportunity to turn this around. Because of the excessive and needless scope of the proposal, the masterplan has become prohibitively expensive. Writing it alone would cost tens of thousands and to actually follow what's suggested would cost millions. I am working on reviewing the scope of the plan to make it cheaper and more appropriate so we can end up with a plan that will protect and preserve our precious war memorial tower.

Climate Change Action Plan

Council recently conducted a survey to inform the development of our Climate Change Action Plan. The survey results have been very interesting. We've learned that people want to take a range of actions to reduce their emissions including by installing solar panels on their roofs and installing better insulation and window sealing but we also learned that people face a number of barriers including the cost and time involved in making changes. Knowing this means we can put in place measures to help people overcome these barriers so everyone has a chance to move to cheaper, cleaner power.

The survey also told us that concern about climate change is high across Nillumbik and the majority of our community is keen for Council to meet or exceed the emissions targets set by the State Government.

Next financial year, Council's insurance premiums are expected to increase by $150,000 due to increased extreme weather events, which are a direct result of Climate Change. This is a problem that's costing us money - Council and ratepayers.

I've been putting together a long list of initiatives that can be covered in our Climate Change Action Plan, with a big focus on cost-effective measures and even some measures that could reduce emissions and make money at the same time. I can't wait for the next round of community consultation on the plan.

Road Safety

The recent incident on Kangaroo Ground-Warrandyte Road where a car ended up on its roof is a sobering reminder of the dangers we face on our roads. I'm in the process of reaching out to the Department of Transport to find out what we can do to keep residents safe. I hope to be able to arrange a community meeting with the department so they can hear from our community about what we want to see them doing in our area.

Research Toilet Block

The toilet block by the Research shoppoing strip is in a horrible condition. Thanks to funding from the Federal Government, we could be getting a fancy new toilet block in Research by the end of the year. Stay tuned to have your say on the location and design of the new toilets. I hope this will be the first step in a long list of projects to make the Research shops a more welcoming, vibrant place.

Warrandyte to North Warrandyte - A Pedestrian Bridge

I've recently met with Manningham councillors about the possibility of constructing a pedestrian bridge between Warrandyte and North Warrandyte. Depending on the location of the bridge, this could create an easily walkable and cyclable route for North Warrandyte residents to get to school, to the shops or just to go for a walk. If we can get this off the ground, it will be a long way off but it's an exciting project and I can't wait to see the outcome.