DECEMBER NEWSLETTER

Happy Christmas for 2024 and may be 2025 be calm and peaceful. Stay safe out there its going to be busy. Thank you to all our members for their amazing support and for so many of you who came to our AGM at the new Bowling Club. We enjoyed the new facilities and also hearing from Rob Bennetts the Principal of the BHPS. We also welcomed Alison Marchant our member for the Bellarine.

 

 

Talking Heads
Another amazing Talking Heads. Here’s your link to read online and to share 🙂 click here


Committee for 24/25

Welcome to our 2024/2025 committee members:

President Philip Bade
Vice Presidents Geoffrey Waite & Sandy Gatehouse
Treasurer Brian Cook
Secretary Paul Brewster
Committee: Colin Bridges, David Littleton, Karen Firth, Rod Ashby, with 2 new nominees Rachel Fleury and Tony Judd.


What’s happening in town

  • The crossing supervisors will be back. Please be nice to them if you are a pedestrian and patient if you are mad enough to be out in your car.
  • The speed limit on the Spit is now 50km/hr again.
  • Christmas Carols are in the community hall on the 15th of December at 6:30
  • We love the amazing talents of sand sculptor Ian Zulic – it is wonderful watching him, aren’t we lucky to have him in Barwon Heads.
  • Barwon Coast have advised that the Ferris Wheel will return this year, but no Spiegel Tent.
  • Be very careful of fishing lines and hooks on the bridges, especially if you are walking dogs. There was a strange incident this weekend where lines were caught on the roof rack of a car that was driving over the bridge; kayakers have also reported the lines have been left dangling and they don’t see them. Please if you are fishing off the bridge be careful and take all your rubbish away with you.
  • Barwon Water has advised that the sewer replacement project is now finished. We look forward to speed limit reverting to 60 and hopefully the roads being repaired. Here is an extract from the notice they have sent out:

“The upgrade will reduce the likelihood of sewer service disruptions including bursts and leakages into the future. It will also provide greater capability for the system during peak periods and community growth. We’ll continue to reinstate and maintain the area over summer, while new grass re-establishes in the areas impacted by the work. This will include a new John Firth Memorial Garden that has been designed in consultation with the Firth Family. We thank you for your patience and understanding while we were completing these essential works. We appreciate the construction work and traffic changes were disruptive for the community, and we’re very grateful for your support.


The City of Greater Geelong

We are now in Connewarre. We congratulate the new Mayor Stretch Kontelj and his deputy Ron Nelson. We welcome back Elise Wilkinson who has won on a very narrow margin of 3 votes and Trent Sullivan who is now representing Leopold. Here is the new Council.

Leopold: Trent Sullivan
Murradoc: Rowan Story
You Yangs: Chris Burson
Kardinia: Stretch Kontelj
Hamlyn Heights: Eddy Kontelj
Deakin: Andrew Katos
Corio: Anthony Aitken
Connewarre: Elise Wilkinson
Cheetham: Melissa Caldwell
Charlemont: Emma Sinclair
Barrabool: Ron Nelson


Barwon Heads School – 150 years celebration in 2025

The highlight for us in 2025 and everyone in Barwon Heads will be the celebration of the 150 year birthday with the school which is amazing for a small town. We will have representatives from the school on our committee this year which is exciting.


Barwon Water Plans to Build a Recycling Facility at Black Rock

Barwon Region Water Corporation (APP038656) is now live on Engage Victoria. The EPA and DTP have received applications for a waste to energy facility from Barwon Region Water Corporation and is open for comment until 13th December. We encourage all readers to read the application.

We continue to be very concerned that this facility is being built so close to the sea on this precious site. There has been a lot of community engagement, but we are still concerned about the environmental impact, the increase of garbage trucks going through Barwon Heads and on the Barwon Heads Rd to bring the garden and kitchen waste to the new plant and potential noise and smells.

We understand that there are some benefits from biochar but there are also negatives and we wonder why this precious part of our coast is the preferred site for this big development. The site is already being used as a large sewerage facility for the Bellarine and parts of Geelong, and the new pipe network through Barwon Heads is much larger than the one it replaced. A new use does not seem appropriate. It is still unclear how the coastal squeeze might evolve here – this occurs when coastal ecosystems forced inland by rising sea levels run into human made barriers like the sewage plant and the proposed recycling facility.

We are witnessing the growth of Armstrong Creek, Ocean Grove and across the peninsula and around Geelong. This will have an impact on the use of beaches and foreshores, so why put a recycling facility next to the beach.

How does this project align with the Coastal and Marine Act and the Bellarine Distinctive Area and Landscape Statement of Planning Policy?

Financial questions the BHA would also like answered:
  • What is the estimated Cost of production of the end product, and what will be the value of the end product to the proposed markets?
  • What are the major proposed markets for the end product and the estimated profit?
  • What work has been completed on noise of operation and smell emitting from plant?
  • Will Barwon Water provide an Environmental and Business Case to justify a $40m plus investment?
  • Will Barwon Water clearly demonstrate the need for and value of the products to be produced?

Village Park Update

We attended a “Village Park Briefing” held by the City of Greater Geelong on 4th December. The aim was to bring all interested groups up to date with development plans for the park and to ensure that the plans conformed to the adopted Masterplan. The groups attending were the Barwon Heads Football, Soccer, Cricket, Tennis, Bowls, Athletics, Scouts, Pony Clubs and the Barwon Heads Association.

It was proposed that this briefing be the first of a number of regular updates – although the number of times per year was not decided. The presentation focused in the first instance of the sub-standard and non-compliant facilities occupied by the Scouts and the Pony Club. A new building to be built as a shared facility is being proposed. Consultants have been appointed to investigate a number of suitable sites, expansion of current facilities appearing to be impractical.

The second main subject was the proposed reconstruction and expansion of the shared Football/Cricket/Soccer facilities and the proposed staging of the works. Again consultants have been appointed and have prepared preliminary drawings for consideration.
Whilst both these proposals are timely, given the fact that the existing facilities fall below currently required standards and substantial growth in participation of all areas of sport, funding has yet to be sought and the projects could be some years away.

Other matters brought to our attention were the ongoing protection of open space and the environmental areas together with scheduled maintenance of the sports fields and the skateboard park.
Further planting of trees and the reinstatement of the John Firth Memorial Garden will be undertaken as soon as the seasons are appropriate.


Please renew your membership

Thank you to our very loyal members and especially those who have renewed so promptly. We are looking for new ideas and members for the Committee – please share. Click on the following link to our website or copy this link into your web browser and complete the membership form.
https://barwonheadsassociation.com/membership-2/

Make the payment (INCLUDING YOUR FULL NAME) using your online banking to the BHA Account
Account Name: Barwon Heads Association
BSB: 633000
Account Number: 130256704