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OCEAN GROVE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
2017/18 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – 23 MAY 2018
Chairperson’s Report 2018
It gives me pleasure to table the Chairperson’s Report for the Annual General Meeting 23 May 2018.
This Report has been written by the Secretary in the absence of our Chairperson due to ill health.
The year 2017-18 has been a little less busy than previous years however the Association has discussed and responded to a number of issues that have or will have an impact on the Ocean Grove community.
TRAFFIC MATTERS
Grubb Road Duplication. We have continued to meet regularly with VicRoads and the COGG on traffic issues. The latest advice from VicRoads is that they expect to complete their Planning Study by 31 December 2018 and then proceed to some form of community consultation. The Ocean Grove Community Association will be lobbying the current State Government Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville and the candidates for the Seat of Bellarine for commitment to funding this important road work.
Walking Track – Grubb Road to the Nature Reserve. We are seeking to energise a Community driven project to refurbish the existing walking track built by the Rotary Club of Ocean Grove many years ago but which is now overgrown. We met on site, in April 2018, with VicRoads & COGG to discuss the implications and road safety requirements of any community work. This follows on from successful discussions with Parks Victoria. We will continue to pursue appropriate approvals/agreements with VicRoads & where necessary COGG.
OCEAN GROVE PRINCIPAL PEDESTRIAN NETWORK
In March 2016 we made a submission on the council proposal; in particular we recommended seeking some State Government and/or Federal Government funding to accelerate the implementation and offset some of the construction costs. It is now May 2018 and the latest advice on progress from Council is that they are working on the design checks, cost estimates and cost apportionment to enable the next stage of community consultation and “whilst any date will be subject to change based on the appointment of a new coordinator and their allocated priorities, it is hoped that the consultation can commence by October 2018 with a view to the community response advising any budget submission necessary for the 2019/20 financial year.”
COMMUNITY FORUMS
City of Greater Geelong Council Elections – Candidates Forum. This was held on 11 October 2017 in conjunction with Barwon Heads Association and provided an opportunity for community members to listen to and ask questions of the candidates leading up the council elections. This forum was well attended and we hope helped the community to inform the voting decisions.
City of Greater Geelong Mayor and Bellarine Ward Councillors’ Forum. This forum is being held immediately following the 2018 Annual General Meeting to help the community to understand the development, successes and issues of the newly elected Council and Councillors now that they have been in office for about 6 months.
2018 Victorian State Elections. We are working with the Combined Bellarine Community Associations to set up candidate community forums in the lead up the 24 November 2018 State Elections. Watch the Ocean Grove Voice and other media for updates closer to the time. The forum will be held in the evening of 14 November 2018 with the location to be adviosed closer to the date.
COMBINED BELLARINE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS (CBCA)
In the second half of 2017 a number of the Community Associations and other like-minded groups formed the Combined Bellarine Community Associations (CBCA) as a means of better working together across the Bellarine but without compromising the uniqueness of each of the locations. Our Association is an active member of the CBCA.
FUND RAISING AND PUBLICITY
If you review our Financials tabled at this Annual General Meeting you will see we do not expend much money and therefore keep any membership fee (once only fee) and our fund raising activities to a minimum. I would like to acknowledge and thank the Lions Club of Ocean Grove Barwon Heads and the Rotary Club of Ocean Grove for assisting us in our fund raising. We also thank the Ocean Grove Bowls Club for their continuing support for our monthly meetings.
I would like thank the Ocean Grove Voice for their continuing support in helping us to communicate with the community in general.
COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP AND THE FUTURE OF THE OCEAN GROVE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
Sadly our Committee membership is wavering and may soon get to a point where we are not viable without “new blood and new ideas”. We intend to review where we stand at the end of 2018 and make a decision on the future of the Association.
Phil Edwards – Secretary
On behalf of:
Michael Harbour – Chairperson
Ocean Grove Community Association Inc.
Ocean Grove Community Association
The Voice April 2018 Newsletter
Meet Your Bellarine Ward Councillors and the Mayor. An opportunity to meet, hear from and ask questions of your three Bellarine Ward Councillors and the Mayor of the City of Greater Geelong is currently being planned for late May 2018. Once we have the date confirmed with the Councillors we will let everyone know the date, time and place. To help us plan, please email your interest in attending to email: ogcommunityassn@gmail.com or post on our Facebook page Ocean Grove Community Association.
**** Date now set for 23 May 6pm, Shell Road Pavilion 50 Shell Road Ocean Grove Venue ****
Ocean Grove Principal Pedestrian Network (PPN). Unfortunately this has not progressed as Council had earlier scheduled due to, in the main, staff changes at the Council. Our latest advice from Council is that they are currently working on design checks, cost estimates and cost apportionment for the Ocean Grove PPN which will enable the next stage of community consultation to be undertaken. The construction of the footpath remains subject to community agreement and the City’s budget process, as such a construction timeline cannot as yet be provided by Council for these stages. We followed up and asked for clarification on the project schedule and Council have said “whilst any date will be subject to change based on the appointment of the new coordinator and their allocated priorities, it is hoped that the consultation can commence by October 2018 with a view to the community response advising any budget submission necessary for the 2019/20 financial year”.
Traffic Matters. We meet about every quarter with VicRoads and COGG representatives on a range of traffic matters.
Grubb Road: On the Grubb Road duplication VicRoads plan to complete a Planning Study by 31 December this year however they are will engage with the Community in about two month time to review the current 80kph speed limit. We have offered to help where we can in that consultation process.
Grubb Road Pedestrian Access – Shell Road to the Nature Reserve – we are seeking to energise a Community driven project to refurbish the existing walking path built by the Rotary Club of Ocean Grove many years ago but which is now overgrown. As Grubb Road is a VicRoads road they have agreed to a site meeting with us soon to discuss the implications and road safety requirements of any community work. This follows on from successful discussions with Parks Victoria. We will keep you informed on what transpires.
Thacker Street – what are the Council plans for Thacker Street? – we have asked but unfortunately with no response at this time but we will continue to push for information.
Topics of Interest. We are considering scheduling a guest speaker, about quarterly, to speak on a topic of interest to the Community. Let us know by email or our Facebook page if you have a particular topic of interest and/or you can recommended a speaker.
Meetings: You are always welcome at the Association monthly meetings which are on the first Wednesday of each month at 7pm at the Ocean Grove Bowls Club – come and tell us your views or concerns.
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Ocean Grove Community Association Inc – Media Release – 14 March 2018
No Third Bridge for Barwon River
We note with concern that local politicians are proposing a short term solution for the development of a third bridge for Barwon Heads/Ocean Grove. This will not solve the traffic volume solution and only create additional traffic through Ocean Grove, as people will use the third bridge to access from the west to north Bellarine, Queenscliff and ferries. This is not the way forward and we should be looking at long term solutions.
The Problems
There are 4 main issues causing problems for traffic crossing the bridge.
- When VicRoads originally proposed the two bridge solution (separate pedestrian and vehicle bridges) we advised them that the pedestrian bridge should be on the up-stream side to the vehicle bridge (i.e. opposite to what has been constructed). This is because pedestrians (including some 3,000 campers from the Ocean Grove Spit Caravan Park) now have to cross Bridge Road four times on a return trip to the Barwon Heads town centre.
- The traffic impact of development of Armstrong Creek residential subdivisions were not properly considered. A significant number of these residents now visit Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove, to enjoy the beaches and shops particularly on weekends. In addition a number of these Armstrong Creek residents, together with people travelling from the Surf Coast and Great Ocean Road, use the Barwon Heads Bridge to access the northern Bellarine, Queenscliff/Point Lonsdale and the ferries. Hence significantly increasing the ‘through traffic’ volumes, all year round.
- We support the installation of the Pedestrian lights for Bridge Road and Hitchcock Avenue as they provide a safe environment for pedestrians. However, the Bridge Road pedestrian lights results in pedestrians just meandering across the crossing and not allowing for vehicle traffic flow. This is exacerbated over summer due to the dramatic increase in both vehicles and pedestrians.
- The existing Grubb Road, Ocean Grove infrastructure can no longer cope with the vehicle volumes and vehicles turning into the new residential estates and the existing industrial estate. This will be further exacerbated with the growth of the residential estates (300 houses per year) and the development of the new retirement village and shopping centre abutting Grubb Road.
The Solutions
We believe that there are a number of solutions, short to long term that could be implemented to rectify the traffic problems.
- During the summer period (say December to Easter) the Bridge Road pedestrian lights could be replaced with a signalised pedestrian crossing. The remainder of the year they could convert back to pedestrian lights. VicRoads needs to develop an innovative set of traffic lights. Also the speed limit of 60kh on the existing Bridge should be reduced to 40kh (same as Bridge Road) to just north of the pedestrian refuge on the Ocean Grove side of the Bridge providing consistency in speed limits and improved pedestrian safety.
- The Geelong Ring Road (Bellarine Link) be completed to connect to the Geelong-Portarlington Road. This will mean that the “through traffic” to northern Bellarine, Queenscliff and the Ferries (plus return trips) will not come through Barwon Heads/Ocean Grove, but instead use the Bellarine Highway and Geelong-Portarlington Road. In 2007/08 VicRoads traffic counts identified that 25%-30% of traffic using the current bridge is “through traffic”.
This solution will also reduce traffic volumes travelling through East Geelong and Geelong to access western Victoria and Melbourne.
VicRoads are currently undertaking a Planning Study for the Geelong Ring Road (Bellarine Link). Both Federal and State Governments should then commit to actually funding the construction of the Bellarine Link. Construction works should commence by 2022.
- Ocean Grove expansion is also contributing to traffic problems. This will only get worse with the construction of more homes, Kingston Shopping Village and a retirement village, all along Grubb Road. VicRoads are currently undertaking a Planning Study for the enhancement of Grubb Road and Tuckfield Street, including connection to The Terrace.
We do not believe that this necessarily means the duplication of Grubb Road and Tuckfield Street, but could be in the form of improved carriage ways with appropriate turning lanes at intersections and decent road bicycle lanes. This option could then leave 20-30 metres in the road reserve to create a walking track with rest stops, together with a bicycle track for children and families. This would connect the Bellarine Highway to The Terrace and provide a unique pedestrian/bicycle link to the main entry to Ocean Grove.
Any enhancement of Grubb Road and Tuckfield Street should be based on maintaining and improving the indigenous vegetation we already have along the northern gateway to Ocean Grove. In addition, the opportunity to place power and communication lines underground should be part of the works.
The Ocean Grove Community Association will be lobbying for a commitment from all political parties at the next State elections for the next State Government to fund the construction of Grubb Road and Tuckfield Street enhancement works in the next term of Government with construction works to commence in 2020. Federal Government funds would also be welcome.
The Ocean Grove Community Association is in discussions with VicRoads to hold a Traffic Community Forum in June 2018. We will advise the community of the actual date and venue once confirmed.
Prepared by
Michael Harbour – Chairperson
And
Phil Edwards – Deputy Chairperson
Ocean Grove Community Association Inc.
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Ocean Grove Community Association
The Voice September 2017 Newsletter
I provide the following updates;
Geelong Council Elections (October 2017)
The Geelong Council elections are proposed to be held via postal vote commencing 10 October 2017 and closing 27
October 2017.
The Bellarine Community Associations have agreed to have a series of Council Candidate Forums for the Bellarine Ward, during October 2017. The dates and venues are as follows;
The Ocean Grove forum is being facilitated by the Barwon Heads, Breamlea, Ocean Grove and Point Lonsdale Community Associations. We encourage residents to attend and participate in the forums.
Traffic Issues
VicRoads is about to commence the planning/design process to duplicate Grubb Road, which we believe will entail community consultation. We will commence lobbying both levels of government for the funds to actually duplicate Grubb Road from the Bellarine Hwy to The Parade. Any such duplication will be on the basis of maintaining and enhancing the native vegetation along Grubb Road and installing all power lines underground. Our aim is to have construction works commence in 2020.
We have a traffic meeting with VicRoads and Council in late September 2017, so let us know if you have any other traffic issues that you want us to raise.
2017 Community Forums
We want your suggestions as to what community forums you would like us to organise in 2017. Some suggestions have been:
- Developing Walking/Bicycle tracks within Ocean Grove and connecting to other towns.
- Establishing Cultural/Education facility.
So let us know your ideas.
New Committee Members
We welcome our new Committee members Jo Hawthorne and Noel Emselle. The OGCA encourages people to become committee members and assist in facilitating community forums and lobby all levels of government for specific projects that will benefit Ocean Grove.
The Committee meets at 7.00pm on the first Wednesday of each month at the Ocean Grove Bowling Club Board Room. You are welcome to attend one of our meetings prior to becoming a Committee member.
Ocean Grove Bowling Club
We thank the Ocean Grove Bowling Club for providing the venue for our monthly Committee meetings and the Community Forums that we hold during the year. We would encourage people to have a meal at their restaurant prior to our Community Forums or any other time that suits.
Michael Harbour
Chairperson OGCA
0418 566 504