Author: humansingeelong

We are concerned about the possible loss of Tawny Frogmouth habitat among other things. I think for me (Megan Choong) personally, I am an advocate for those who do not have a voice: the multiple indigenous birds, amphibians and other wildlife that live opposite my house. I reached out to Victorian experts and they have provided evidence of tawny frogmouth habitat that will be compromised if excessive development continues in ‘old’ Wandana Heights at 6 Greenway Court:

• Assoc Prof Raylene Cooke , Deakin Uni , regarding  research about the impact that high-density living has on native bird species, especially Tawnys. Refer https://www.deakin.edu.au/about-deakin/people/raylene-cooke

“Raylene is an active researcher with a focus on how disturbance processes such as urbanization, fire and introduced species impact upon our unique ecosystems and wildlife. ”

Megan also gives us this information from Marian Weaving’s transcript in “Weekend birder, Marian Weaving Oct 2022”

“I think as a species we should be sharing our cities and our areas that we live in with other species. I don’t think it’s an all or nothing situation and I think we should build cities and create open areas that can that we can occupy, but also lots of other species can occupy. I think one of the most important things we can do is create gardens and streetscapes and parks that are diverse.

By diverse, I mean large trees that sustain species that need large trees like Tawny Frogmouths. With Tawnys, they need a fairly large tree to provide stability for their nests and, as a long live sedentary species, once that tree is cut down and gone, they then don’t have a spot for breeding. They can’t breed and they’ll leave the area.”

Megan tells us, “We’ve recorded 91 objections to the proposed development for 58 dwellings including 24 apartments on 6 Greenway Court in Wandana Heights.

Objections include:

• Overdevelopment of the site which does not respect the established character of the neighbourhood
• Maintaining wildlife corridor – native flora and fauna unique to Geelong CBD eg. tawny frogmouth and pobble bonk frog habitat
• The creation of hard surface areas that will exacerbate flooding in James Cook Drive
• Increased peak hour traffic bottle necks at Basin Rise / Thornhill Road intersection
• Increased noise and light pollution
• Loss of amenity and thus neighbourhood walkway/parkland impacted

There will be a Planning Committee meeting this Wednesday 16/8 at 5.30pm at City Hall to determine the outcome of this development. We will meet local councillors. All welcome.

From Megan Choong. Photo: of local Wandana Heights Tawny Frogmouths by Matthew Mallett.

Geelong Sustainability is assisting local residents to campaign against a proposed massive waste-to-energy (WtE) incinerator in McManus Rd, Lara. Prospect Hill International is seeking licences from the EPA and the Planning Minister to build an incinerator that would burn 400,000 tonnes of municipal, commercial and industrial waste each year for 25 years!

WtE incinerators are fossil fuel plants in disguise ~ only more toxic and less efficient. Incinerators do not mitigate the need for landfill and they are the most expensive way to treat waste. They emit deadly forever chemicals and toxic pollutants that travel long distances and bio-accumulate in the environment. 

The community has well-founded fears about the impacts on human health and the environment. There are 17 schools or childcare centres within a 5km radius of the site and many residential homes in Lara and Corio. The new Lara West Urban Growth Zone is 2.7km away. 

The massive plant will be a visual eyesore to tourists arriving by car, train or ferry to our region. At 80m high the chimney is taller than the light towers at Kardinia Park and the MCG!

If it’s allowed to go ahead, the incinerator would have a significant adverse impact on the amenity of the northern suburbs and our whole region. It would also impede Geelong’s transition to a clean energy, cleantech regional hub and our net zero by 2035 target.

We can’t burn our way out of climate change nor our addiction to plastics. We know we need to build a strong community campaign to stop this project. 

PLEASE SHARE

Public Meeting: Lara Big Incinerator

Come along to learn more about the Big Lara Incinerator project and its implications for our city’s vision, public health, amenity and the environment. Hear from residents and a panel of leaders in public health, waste management and climate change. Local and state government politicians will be attending.

When: Monday 21st August, 6.30 for 7.00pm start to 8.30pm

Where: Lara Golf Club, 125 Elcho Rd (off Bacchus Marsh Rd)

RSVP: Bookings required via Eventbrite for this free event
          https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/public-meeting-lara-big-incinerator-tickets-693743624857

E-Petition to Legislative Council

Please help share our e-petition to the Legislative Council, which will be sponsored by Dr Sarah Mansfield MLC.
We’ve got 10 weeks to get thousands of signatures from Victorian residents! A hard copy version is also available, email vicki@geelongsustainability.org.au

Action

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to not impose an oversized, unsafe and unnecessary waste incinerator in the region and reject planning permit PA2001035 and development licence APP1004200.

Link – https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/index.php?option=com_rsform&view=rsform&formId=74&Itemid=1054&petition_id=516

More info / get involved? Geelong Sustainability are setting up a small campaign team, if anyone has some time to assist further. Contact GS Climate Advocate, Vicki Perrett on vicki@geelongsustainability.org.au 

For more information visit GS campaign page

Information: Geelong Sustainability.

The Rotary Club of Geelong West Book Fair is on this weekend at the Geelong West Town Hall. By purchasing books at this event, you’ll be supporting important local charities and community projects. There are great deals and you’ll be making a positive impact in your community.

There are hundreds of books in a huge range of genres available, just $1 and $2.! By recycling these books, you’ll be helping the environment by giving them new homes instead of letting them end up in a landfill. Win, win.

Visit Geelong West Town Hall

– Saturday, 5 Aug, 9am-5pm

– Sunday 6 Aug, 9am-2pm

Find full details on the Geelong West Rotary website: https://ow.ly/bbj050Prtzz

What an amazing experience, carefully stepping down the narrow old-fashioned stairs, holding the rail, doing a left-hand turn, to discover one of the most treasured wealth of books I have ever seen! Books of every subject you could dream about. You feel entwined, every nook and cranny has a unique display, and situated here and there, is an adorable old chair inviting you to sit and think about what topic of book you would like to read. This is ‘Books Around’ at the top of James St.

Book placement is all in perfect order, not cluttered in any way and there is a space for everything. To top all this, Susan and Robert Elliott, and daughter Briana, give the most helpful experience, topped with sincere warm personalities.

Susan and Robert have occupied this shop for three years now, a passionate dream come true and no plans about leaving. They have a long history of loving books. Two previous book shops filled their life, one in Separation Street, and the other in the most outstanding location in the thriving Pakington Street.

Continue reading “Books Around.” →

National Tree Day – this year’s local Community tree planting  will be on Sunday 30^th July from 9.30am. It’s at Lavender Drive Reserve in Lara and all are welcome. PLEASE SHARE.

Lions Club have organized a BBQ and refreshments will be available.

You can register at https://treeday.planetark.org/site/10028593

Or just turn up on the day with gloves and suitable footwear. Meet like-minded people, help the environment, feel good, children encouraged.

I fondly remember tree planting at the top of the Shannon Avenue Bridge where hundreds of trees were planted to create an urban forest. Site photo 2018.

A note from the Surfriders Foundation – Following on from our Seismic Blasting info night in Torquay last month, we are running another one in Barwon Heads. We aim to raise awareness about this highly dangerous process, which is the first step in exploring for gas in the oceans of our Otway Basin covering a 5.5 million hectare area from Cape Otway to the SA border and as far south as NW coast of Tassie. It includes prime blue whale feeding habitat, whale migration areas & southern rock lobster fishing grounds.

Come and learn about seismic blasting which involves,

• Blasting the seafloor with high-powered airguns measuring the echoes with tubes kilometres in length to map offshore oil and gas reserves,
• Sound waves louder than atomic bombs, blasted into the ocean every 10 seconds, day and night for months on end,
• Marine life is displaced, injured and killed,
• People and communities are impacted,
• Facilitates the extraction of more fossil fuels, and subsequent carbon emissions.

When: Saturday 29^th July

Where: Barwon Heads Community Hall

77 Hitchcock Avenue, Barwon Heads

Doors Open: 4 pm for a 4.30pm start.

This is a free event presented by Surfrider Foundation Australia and Surfrider Foundation Surf Coast Branch. Please reserve your seats at  https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/seismic-blasting-the-otways-again-tickets-667221205587

… and share this with your mates. All welcome!

Also, TGS’s Environmental Plan is out for consultation, released by NOPSEMA, Australia’s offshore energy regulator. The Environment Plan has a 30 day consultation period which ends on 11^th August 2023.

All concerned beach lovers, surfers, fishers and coastal dwellers have the opportunity to comment and provide feedback. Here is a link to the link to the Environment Plan https://consultation.nopsema.gov.au/. Click on the link that says Otway Basin 3D Multi Client Marine Seismic Survey. Anyone can make a submission. You could mention the endangered species acts for Southern Right Whale and Blue Whale.

Some studies on the impacts on seismic blasting that we are presenting to coastal communities can be found here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fIzkaslnrZNhC4u3AOSuKyMgsNQjoWPm/view?usp=sharing

They want to start blasting on 1^st October 2023 and could occur for 200 days per year (with a maximum of 400 days total) until 2027. We’ve beaten similar proposals around Australia (#FightForTheBight and PEP11 off Sydney) and other communities are having similar wins and coastal communities are becoming aware of the dangers of seismic blasting so let’s giddy up and make some noise!

Also, if you can’t make it to the Barwon Heads session, we have another session happening at Apollo Bay on Sunday 30^th July in conjunction with the fishing industry down there and OCEAN. $10 adults, $5 kids, please pay cash. It starts at 3.30pm at the Apollo Bay Community Hall and includes speakers, Q&A panel, live music refreshments and a showing of the award-winning film Sonic Sea which showcases the effects of man-made noise on marine species.

Surfriders Foundation. Photo: Phil Hines.

It was a huge pleasure to be part of the first ever Sofa Sounds Geelong (sofargeelong) gig at Anther Distillery on Friday evening.

Sofar Sounds offers ‘intimate concerts in unique spaces’ and is in around 400 cities worldwide. Each gig features three short acts of different musical styles and you don’t know who’s performing till you arrive.

Close to 100 squeezed into the Federal Mills venue and the atmosphere was friendly and fun. On stage Maddy Petch (madpetchy) was followed by Immy Owuso (immy_owuso) and Outtatime (outtatime_). They are all well worth checking out on Spotify.

To register for the next one on 11 August (venues are revealed last minute): (Concerts in Geelong | Live Music Gigs | Sofar Sounds

“Hells Gates is the story of when, in 2020, five hundred pilot whales turned up unexpectedly on the West Coast of lutruwita / Tasmania, leaving rescuers scrambling to try and save them. Over the weeks that followed, community members rallied around each other, in a race against the clock to prevent a major ecological disaster.

“Over the past two years, I’ve been working with writer, James Jackson on this remarkable Australian story – travelling back and forth between Geelong and Tasmania for interviews/research – and the resulting theatre show will have its world premiere at the newly imagined Geelong Arts Centre in August 2023,” states local Joel Carnegie, Founder and Creative Director of The Space Company.

“This will be the very first production to be staged in the Geelong Arts Centre’s brand new 550-seat theatre space, The Story House from 10 – 12 August 2023 (exciting!). Something of a real moment.

“Hells Gates is an emotional rollercoaster of a production about courage, humour and determination – combining drama with comedy, poetry, and live music, to highlight the spirit of a remote community banding together – and what can be achieved in the face of adversity – as the whales arrive at Hells Gates. 

“The show is by Katy Maudlin (IPHIS, Slap. Bang. Kiss), and stars Louise Siversen (Heartbreak Choir, House Husbands, Prisoner) Natalie O’Donnell (Come From Away, Next to Normal) and Dushan Philips (Stay Woke, Angels in America, Bernhart/Hamlet), with a captivating live musical soundscape from Xani Kolac. 

Details and tickets: https://geelongartscentre.org.au/whats-on/all-events/hells-gates-world-premiere/

Joel reiterates, “We’re really honoured to be custodians of this story in this new original Australian production, fuelled by courage, humour and determination. We can’t wait to show audiences what The Space Company has been working on over these past two years. Plus, as the first production to be staged in the newly imagined Geelong Arts Centre, audiences will get to have a sneak peak of The Story House before the Geelong Arts Centre officially reopens. It’s Super exciting!”

Photo Credit: Sarah Walker and Studio Found.

Geelong Mums are celebrating! They’re celebrating their 10th birthday! “We’ve come a long way since April 2013 when we were established by a group of five local mums. In our first year, we supported over 300 babies and children and now we support over 6,000 each year. In the past 10 years, we are proud to announce that we have helped over 40,000 babies and children and provided families with goods worth over $13.4 million.

“It’s a team effort. THANK YOU to the local community for all the goods. THANK YOU for your money and time you have generously donated over the last decade. We can only do, what we do, because of your amazing support. Collectively, you, our fabulous volunteers and donors, including individuals, schools, community groups and businesses from the Geelong region, have been a fabulous support.

“We’d also like to acknowledge all of the amazing case workers and Maternal Health Nurses in our large network. These are the people who work day-in day-out with mums and carers, identifying what’s required to support those in need. Thank you for turning to us for help – we love working with you to provide life-changing support.

“Geelong, you are an incredibly generous community and we are so grateful for the support you give Geelong Mums. We look forward to continuing our essential work and to make sure we share more, waste less and ensure every child thrives.” @GeelongMums https://www.geelongmums.org/

Kiko Wayne Jr, 23, came to Geelong from Ethiopia in 2018. He couldn’t speak English but learnt the language at school.

Joining a community theatre program to further improve his English, inspired Kiko’s dream of becoming a writer and actor.

In 2019 he wrote his first short play which became part of North Youth Theatre’s production, ‘Waiting for Something Better’.

Kiko developed a passion for writing his own stories. He tells us “I grew up around my grandfather who was a great storyteller, and he also inspired me to be a storyteller. I decided to tell my stories through the screen. My plan is to make more short films to raise the awareness of deaths, violence and other challenges that my people are facing.”

He was an integral to the writing and performing of North Youth Theatre’s successful show, ‘Maps of the Heart’ in 2022.

The short film ‘Ran’ is his writing and directorial film debut, for this piece he drew upon his personal experiences and observations of life,

“It was great to collaborate on this short film with Benj Binks, who is a highly experienced filmmaker. I want to see more African filmmakers stand up and tell their stories on-screen.”

With support from The Bluebird Foundation, ‘Ran’ debuted at the Courthouse in April.

Photo supplied.