Fire operations planning

The next Community Meeting with DELWP will be on Wednesday 25 May, 7.30-8.30pm at the Hall. All are welcome.

At the meeting, DELWP, Parks Victoria, EG Shire Council and the CFA will talk about:

• working together for the best fuel management outcomes for the Island
• the refined Fire Operations Plan
• community ideas about conducting citizen science projects on the Island

For further information please contact Ed Jongebloed at DELWP t: 5152 0489.

Mexican happy hour

This week's Happy Hour at the Community Hall has a Mexican Theme.

When: Friday 13 May, 5:00-7:0 pm.

Bring Mexican snacks and something to share!

Wind turbines on RI

 Urgent note for anyone who wishes to object to wind turbines on the wetlands, submissions should be made to the Shire  by 8 May. 

The link to the planning application currently being advertised is:  

http://egsweb.egipps.vic.gov.au/fs/?fs=1330-d7f01295c8fa

Please ensure that all emails are sent to Council's corporate address feedback@egipps.vic.gov.au.

RI Planning and Wind Turbines

A local resident considers broad issues for the island in response to a current application for a planning permit for 2 Western Boulevard...

When the covenants and planning permits for this land and the whole wetlands area were drafted and approved by the responsible authority in about the year 2000 there was no consideration of wind turbines. It is apparent from reading the development and building requirements that the primary purpose of the planning scheme was to conserve the wetland area while providing the opportunity for small dwellings with minimal impact. The intention of the original planning permit was to provide a compromise whereby relatively small dwellings could be built partly on wetlands while undertaking to maintain the remaining surrounding wetlands and continue as much as possible in that compromise the integrity of the wetlands. Installing two 10 meter high poles with turbine blades in the wetlands themselves with possible accompanying noise is entirely contrary to that intention.

The covenants and permits to the land provide that the upper storey of a dwelling be no more than 60% of the lower storey. This was intended to provide a corridor of views from the surrounding area. The turbines are placed directly in that corridor thus not only blocking the view but providing an industrial view instead of a view of the wet lands environment. It is difficult to calculate from the plans made available for inspection but it appears that when the total area of the turbine masts, blades, guy lines and anchor points are added to the area of the second storey the total area of the second storey appears to be more than 60%. The covenants also provide that the “sub-floor structures to support buildings and decks must be designed to minimise impact to wetlands and salt marsh vegetation during and after construction”. The foundations to fix the wind turbine posts and anchor points into the ground will be in the wetlands. This is a continuing major impact on the wetlands. The strength and resistance of those foundations affected by winds and their effect on the wetlands must be demonstrated. The application does not appear to show engineering specifications of the wind turbines, their materials and their foundations or any analysis of their impact on the wetlands.

The concept of permanent high towers with rotating blades standing in the wetlands make such a visual and engineering impact that it would have been anathema to the planners and to the responsible authority. To allow such a development would set a precedent for other unforeseen developments.

Mind games

We're upgrading the website over the next month and the 'Insider' page is disappearing to make way for new features (more about this change soon). It's still great to receive ideas for some chuckles during the week - so email them to us and we'll add them into our Weekly News.

This week, a riddle from Kay Mooney...

How quickly can you find out what is unusual about this paragraph? It looks so ordinary that you would think that nothing was wrong with it at all; and in fact, nothing is. But it is unusual. Why? If you study it and think about it you may find out, but I am not going to assist you in any way. You must do it without coaching. No doubt if you work at it for long, it will dawn on you. I don’t know. Now, go to work and try your luck.

and from Greg Juckert, remembered this joke while reflecting on his new role as our rain watcher...

It’s a bit like the weather, an old cockie spent hours and hours, even weeks and months preparing his ram for Melbourne show. Along they went expecting to win the inter breed championship ram of the show but no they didn’t. He was so disappointed and broken hearted - "Bugger you ram, I will walk you home from Melbourne Show to Sunbury." he said. He and the ram were nearly at his front gate and his neighbor happened to walk past, and said “ nice weather “ the cockie answered “ it will be when we get home….regards Greg. (Confused ask Brian Joshua!)

And the answer to Kay's riddle...

There are no letter “e” in it, although "e" is about the most commonly used letter in the alphabet!

Why we live where we live

A couple of subscriber's videos of the Island, the Strait and our boats...

from Peter Medling...

Drone footage from the Paynesville Classic Boat Rally weekend.The Boats and Paynesville just look Brilliant!!!! See if you can find your boat! We have over  40 minutes of footage. You tube only allowed 17 minutes. If you would like more let me know. This event was in a lot of minds one of the best events to happen in Paynesville  So please feel free to share and help  make the next one in March 2018 even bigger !! Please watch it all the way thru the second half is amazing!  Please click on the following link  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2oJ0dLnzRE

Regards Peter

Peter Medlings Complete Boating Services

and from Martin Richardson, views of his home on the Gippsland Lakes: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGbxAJNwmw

Ferry good music

Kay Mooney writes...

Does anyone else experience amazing connections between radio music and riding on the ferry. 

On a wild and stormy morning last year the early morning crossing was to the “Entry of the Gods to Valhalla”, with our docking synchronizing almost perfectly with the dramatic final chords. On a lovely flat calm, perfect summers morning “Morning Has Broken”.  Yesterday afternoon I came home to the Seekers singing “On the Other Side”. Today we had serene clarinet floating above exultant voices of Ennio Morricone’s music from The Mission.  

Of course there is “Ferry ‘Cross the Mersey” by the Beatles  more than once.