Newsletter February – April 2003
Next newsletter deadline Friday 28 March 2003
The Friends Committee for 2003
The following members were elected at the Friends Annual General Meeting on Saturday 16 December 2002:
Office Bearers:
President:Max Sargent9480 5492
Vice President:Ann McGregor9489 5686
Secretary:Ray Radford9380 8199(w)
Membership Secretary:Anne Elvey9386 5841
New Members Welcomer:Louise Hayward94845426
General Committee Member:Harold Mackrell9481 5946
Treasurer:Vacant
The changes to last year’s line up are: the addition of Harold Mackrell, who has been attending many Committee meetings anyway as a long time Substitute Representative to MCMC; the creation of a new position, “New Members Welcomer” filled by Louise Hayward; and Michael Hobbs has not re-nominated after doing a great job as Treasurer, leaving the position vacant.
Sub-Committee Coordinators:
Planting Group:Gail Brammar9484 1703
Litter Group:Paul Prentice9489 5602
Walks, Talks & Tours:Alan Brennan9484 1703
Streamteam:Chris Sullivan (recently appointed)
Campaign Group:Vacant
Newsletter:Vacant
Last year’s Campaign Coordinator, Brendan Casey, has moved to Alice Springs and the Newsletter Coordinator remains vacant from last year. Unfortunately, Maggie Sutcliffe has been unable to continue her fine job as Streamteam Coordinator but luckily, Chris Sullivan, who has just joined the Friends, has come forward to fill the gap.
Are you interested in any of these vacant positions on the Committee?
Treasurer:Ideally someone with some bookkeeeping experience, or who is willing to learn.
Newsletter Coordinator:Someone with experience in computer publication programs.
Campaign Coordinator:Someone with some time and commitment to the Freeway campaign.
If you are at all interested in any of these positions, please contact Ray Radford on 9380 8199 (w) or 0422 989 166:
Representatives to MCMC
The following six members will represent the Friends on the Merri Creek Management Committee in 2003 (as elected at the AGM on 16/11/02 and at the Special General Meeting on 12/12/02):
Trevor Hausler, Ann McGregor, Max Sargent, Allie Dawe, Alan Brennan, Harold Mackrell.
The big surprise change to last year’s line-up is that, after nine years as President and three years as Treasurer of MCMC, David Redfearn chose to not re-nominate. There is way too much to say about David’s incredible contribution in this small space, but on behalf of the Friends, a huge public thank you to David for everything. (Also see a short history of David elsewhere in this Newsletter.) Fortunately however, David has tempered the loss to the Committee by remaining on as a Substitute Representative.
Substitute Reps to MCMC
The Substitute Representatives, Paul Prentice, David Redfearn, Clair Dougherty, Julie Mason and Vera Wong will have plenty of chance to represent the Friends on the various MCMC Sub-Committees.
The changes from last year are that Cate Taylor has not renominated and we welcome new Substitutes Julie and Vera, while its great to still have David on board as a Substitute.
Ray Radford
(Secretary)
Freeway Campaign Update
At the moment the Friends are sitting tight awaiting the verdict of Judge Finkelstein to the Federal Court case held on Thursday 5th and Friday 6th December last year. Friends members attended the hearing of the case with our President Max Sargent and Campaigns Committee member Linda Parlane being present throughout. Our legal team of Brian Walters Senior Counsel, Sharon Moore assisting barrister and Rebecca Hoare, solicitor did a magnificent job.
Brian Walters said that he was pleased with the way that the case went as well as could possibly be expected. It is not known when the decision will be made but the conjecture is that it could be late February. Whatever the outcome, you will certainly hear about it. Stay tuned big time for more news.
Victorian Election
The Friends put the Merri Creek and the freeway on the agenda during the lead up to the November 30th Victorian election. We hope that the new government understands that many people in the inner northern suburbs want the Creek protected from the freeway.
Going with the Flow!
Our deep affinity with the beauty of nature and our need for mild or vigorous physical activity often lead to rambles, rides, runs through the parks and beside the waterways that Melbourne has in such abundance.
And such diversity, too, from the Yarra to the Yarraman (in Dandenong), from the Edithvale channel to the Elwood Canal to the Eltham aqueduct; paths also follow Dynon and Footscray and Ring Roads, St Georges Road trams, Upfield and Upwey trains, the shores of Cherry and Albert Park Lakes, Victoria Harbour (soon) and the magnificent Port Phillip.
It’s 22 years now since the Yarra Path reached HawthornBridge and settled in for a long stay; 17 since local M.P. and P.M. Bob Hawke declared the embryonic Merri Path open. Veteran activists have happily observed the continued “joining of the dots” since then, notably the Burnley to Kooyong bridge and the River to Bay link beside the Port Melbourne light-rail line.
And the underground City Loop trains and free City Circle trams are complemented by the wonderful Capital City Trail for cyclists: Yarra to Dight’s Falls, Merri to Rushall Station, Park Street to RoyalPark; Moonee Ponds Creek, surprisingly scenic despite the tollway looming above; Footscray Road, Harbour Esplanade. Its final link is nearing completion, with the bridge of the sadly short-lived Webb Dock railway line now being adapted to pedestrian and cycle use with a weird arty connection to Southbank. A cocoon of irregularly woven metal strips, it seems to be based on the shape of the large intestine; the hairpin bend will provide an interesting challenge to tandem riders.
The Main Yarra Trail has reached the Mullum Mullum Creek (palindromic like Tumut, and the Glenelg), tantalisingly close to the Shangri-La of Warrandyte; in striking contrast there will be the 20 km. Federation Trail across the south-western plains, following the old sewer outfall from Brooklyn to Werribee – a lot of tree-planting needed.
On the Merri we look forward to the bypassing of the fiendishly steep slope near Heidelberg Road, by means of a bridge; an extension to Barry Road, Campbellfield, giving access to Galada Tamboore; a bridge between The Grove, Coburg, and Fyffe Street, Thornbury, which would complete an Essendon to Heidelberg bike route; and so on.
It’s vital to give people easy access to this creek and others so they can come to know and value them: the grasses and trees, the rocks and the reeds, the birds and the beasts; the mosses in the cool shade, the lichens on the sun-baked slopes, the calm or turbulent water. And well-designed artificial features such as the Hall Reserve summer house, park benches, picnic tables, play equipment; electric barbecues, drinking fountains, toilets; viewing platforms, informative displays and works of art only add to their enjoyment and motivate them to regard these environmental treasures as an integral part of their life.
Paul Prentice
(Litter group Coordinator)
The MerriPark Wetlands
The wetlands constructed at Merri Park Northcote seem to be a good example of the joy and benefits of maintaining a natural balance. These wetlands are ephemeral, which means that they dry out during the warmer months – an ideal design for areas like this that are prone to flooding.
Of the 39 plant species at the wetlands, planted and tended by Merri Creek Management Committee (MCMC) and the Friends, about five are significant. They were grown from seed collected from remnant grassland patches in Melbourne.
Many frogs have moved into the wetlands and their various calls add to the interest of handweeding or planting days at the wetland. The frogs are preyed upon by Sacred Kingfishers, some of which can be seen around the wetland in the Summer months. Colourful Eastern Rosellas have also been seen in the area, perhaps attracted to the seeding grasses on which they feed.
Observers can sometimes experience the blue shock of the Blue Wren or the contrasting flash of gold and black as New Holland Honeyeaters take full advantage of the winter flowering Rock Correas. I have even seen a Pardalote scratching in the mulch. These Finch-sized birds are famous for digging their nests deep in the ground!
All this and much more can be found in and around these wetlands. But, originally, some residents did not want the wetlands, fearing that the area would be untidy, unlike a traditional park, and that it would breed mosquitoes. However, according to MCMC staff, mosquito infestations haven’t occurred due to the high concentration of predators comprising Frogs, Water Boatmen, Dragonflies and others, combined with the seasonal drying out of the wetlands.
Perhaps the wetlands may even encourage the return of Platypus to the Merri Creek because Yabbies, which are an important food for Platypus, spend much of their life cycle in ephemeral wetlands. Already, a Platypus has been seen in the Merri Creek between Northcote and Coburg.
Anthony Sasz
(Planting Group member)
See the Events Calendar for activities at the MerriPark Wetland
Friends’ Life Members: David Redfearn
The third in a series of short histories of the Friends Life members, mostly taken from interviews conducted and recorded by historian Leslie Fraser.
David Redfearn first became interested in green issues in the late '60s and early '70s when there was an initial environmental consciousness. However, his political activity was fairly mainstream Labor Party, with his interests reflecting his own family concerns, such as childcare. He does recall that, when he was doing primary teaching training in 1971 one of the lecturers gave him a paper which discussed limited resources and resource use and he started to think more about environmental issues.
David was elected to Northcote Council in October 1982 as a new ALP candidate and found himself in the middle of an industrial dispute at a time when the Council was undergoing a radical transformation. He says “the learning curve was almost vertical; it was horrendous.” Shortly after his election, on 13 December 1982, the Council decided to support a 3 metre high concrete retaining wall along the Merri Creek to stop flooding into the Sumner Estate.
Although all residents of the Sumner Estate did not want to get flooded out, a number of them wanted an alternative to the concrete wall. David met one of these people, David Taylor of the Sumner Estate Residents' Group who, from 1985-1989, was a prominent member of the old Merri Creek Coordinating Committee. After much lobbying, Council overturned the decision to support the concrete wall. David Redfearn credits fellow ward Councillor, Michael Jermyn with this, along with a Council planning officer, John Parham, who was “the very antithesis of the usual image of an engineer.”
Then on 21 August 1984, David Redfearn was part of a deputation to discuss issues relating to flood mitigation works in Merri Park, Northcote with yet another David, the “fairly formidable” Minister of Water Supply, David White. Eventually, the concrete wall alongside the Creek was abandoned in favour of the current earthen levee bank alongside Winifred Street. Again David says much of the credit goes to others like David Taylor, with “his knowledge, commitment and dedication” and Bruce and Ann McGregor, with their “zeal and commitment, charm and humour.”
One of the most difficult periods David went through on the Council was over the issue of a playground in Merri Park proposed in the Winifred Street park. The playground had been promised, but conservationists, including David Taylor, objected to the location. He remembers “really agonising over that” and “sitting through meetings feeling fairly bruised afterwards.” Eventually the playground was erected at a much more acceptable site, near the end of Sumner Avenue diagonally behind Northcote High School.
In the meantime, David was Northcote Council’s representative on the Merri Creek Coordinating Committee, and he played an important role in the establishment of the current Management Committee (MCMC) in 1989. The desire was to have “a dedicated works crew that could actually get out and do things and take on areas, do revegetation work and be resourced to do that.”
David served nearly 11 years on the Northcote Council, was Mayor twice and retired in 1993. He became the second President of the MCMC in 1990and remained so for nine years, continuing as a Friends of Merri Creek representative after leaving Northcote Council. David mentions the development of an overall strategy for the Merri Creek, with first the Concept Plan then later the Merri Creek and Environs Strategy, as one of the important achievements of his time on the MCMC.
After stepping down as President in 1999, David continued to serve on the MCMC for another three years as Treasurer until December 2002, when he finally decided not to re-nominate as a Friends representative to MCMC. Nevertheless, David may still attend an MCMC meeting as he has agreed to be a Substitute Representative to MCMC. This is twelve years of incredible commitment, which involved, among other things: building the MCMC organisation, chairing monthly Committee meetings, attending regular Executive Sub-Committee meetings, steering the MCMC through various issues such as the Jobskills program, Council amalgamations and decreased funding.
David’s contribution to the Merri Creek is incalculable yet, at the same time, he has also somehow managed to have been extremely active in the ALP at both the local and state levels and with the Darebin Community Health Centre, (as President 1999-2002). He is also a member of the school council at Northcote High School. This incredible community commitment led to David being awarded the Citizen of the Year by Darebin City Council in 2000 (he was nominated by the Friends). Later that year he was also made an honorary life member of the Friends of Merri Creek.
Aside from his activism, David is currently employed as an Industry Liaison Officer with Inner Northern Local Learning and Employment Network, after periods as a teacher and as an employment counsellor with the CES and the Salvation Army. He is married to Deannaand has 2 children, Joanne and Michael.
Edited by Ray Radford (Secretary)
EVENTS Calendar 2003
FEBRUARY
Sunday 2Litter Clean-Up, Arthurton Rd Northcote and downstream, 10am-12 noon. Melway map 30 B7. Phone Paul Prentice 9489 5062.
Sunday 23Weedmat Removal & BBQ, Groves site at intersection of Merri Pde and South Park St Northcote (with MCMC), 10am-1pm. Melway Map 30 D 11. Phone Ray Radford 0422 989 166.
Sunday 23Craigieburn Festival, DS Aitken Reserve Craigieburn Rd Craigieburn, starts at 10am. Hume City Council event. Melway map 387 A9.
MARCH
Sunday 2Sydney Road Street Party, Sydney Rd Brunswick, 12 noon – 7pm. Moreland City Council event. Look for the Friends stall. If you would like to help out on the stall, please ring Ray Radford on 0422 989 166.
Sunday 9Handweeding, Merri Park Wetland,rear of Sumner AveNorthcote (with MCMC), 10am – 1pm. Melway map 30 C8. Phone Leslie Fraser 9481 7365.
Sunday 9Litter Clean-Up, St Georges Rd Northcote and upstream, 10am-12 noon. Melway map 30 C10. Phone Paul Prentice 9489 5062.
Sunday 16Stream scenery serene Bike Ride, Coburg Lake to CERES and return. Meet in the car park off Lake Grove Coburg at 1.00pm. The ride will include stops for points of interest, a visit to the Merri Park Wetland and will return via a different route by 5.00pm. BYO sunscreen, water, etc. Melway map 17 H10. Phone Paul Prentice 9489 5062.
Sunday 23Mulchathon & BBQ, BT Connor Reserve at intersection of Radford Rd and Mackenzie St Reservoir (with MCMC), 10am-1pm. Melway map 18 B2. Phone Nicole Lowe 9354 5045.
APRIL
Sunday 6Litter Clean-Up, Normanby Ave Thornbury and downstream, 10am-12 noon. Melway map 30 A4. Phone Paul Prentice 9489 5062.
Sunday 13Planting & Weeding, Friends site nearStrettle Lagoon Thornbury (with Darebin Bushcrew), 10am-1pm. Melway map 30 B3. Phone Gail Brammar 9484 1703.
Sunday 27Planting/Walk & BBQ, Craigieburn Grassland (with MCMC – funded by Parks Vic Grant), 10am-1pm. Enter off Craigieburn Rd East, Wollert (just east of Merri Creek) or car pool at the MCMC office 2 Lee St East Brunswick at 9am. Melway map 387 F9. Phone Ray Radford 0422 989 166.
MAY
Sunday 4Litter Clean-Up, Murray Rd Coburg and downstream, 10am-12 noon. Melway map 18 A11. Phone Paul Prentice 9489 5062.
Sunday 11Planting & BBQ, Central Creek Grassland Davidson St Reservoir (with MCMC– funded by Parks Vic Grant), 10am-1pm. Melway map 8 B12. Phone Paul Prentice 9489 5062.
Sunday 18Twin Lakes Walk, Edwardes Lake toCoburg Lake via Merri Creek and return via Edgars Creek. Meet next to the dam wall off Edwardes St Reservoir at 10am. Estimated walk time is 4 hours. BYO lunch, water, etc. Melway map 18 D5. Phone Paul Prentice 9489 5062.
Sunday 25Planting & BBQ, Jukes Rd Grassland, Jukes Rd Fawkner (with MCMC – funded by Parks Vic Grant), 10am-1pm. Melway map 18 B1. Phone Brian Bainbridge 9380 8199 (w)
JUNE
Sunday 1Litter Clean-Up, Walker St East, Northcote and downstream, 10am-12 noon. Melway map 30 F12. Phone Paul Prentice 9489 5062.
Sunday 1Friends site Weeding, nearStrettle Lagoon Thornbury, 10am-11.30am. Melway map 30 B3. Phone Ray Radford 0422 989 166.
Sunday 15Planting / weeding/ clean-up, Sumner Ave Levee Bank, Merri Park Northcote (with Darebin Bushcrew), 10am-1pm. Melway map 30 C9. Phone Ruth Sheil 9489 5259.