Henrietta Dubb's Diary
Stockland's Credit Rating
Let's give credit where credit is due. Stockland has recently shown it is serious about its stewardship of the little woodland adjacent to the junction of the Bellarine Highway and Portarlington Road. A considerable number of burnt out cars, broken televisions and other white goods have now been extracted and removed. The future of this local treasure, a reminder of the Bellarine Peninsula's ecological past before European settlement, is still in doubt however. When Stockland releases its plans for public comment in a month or so we will be reading it closely to note any announcement of it's strategic plan for maintaining the woodland in the long term. Will permanent parks officers be appointed to care and ensure it's day-to-day security and to implement measures that would protect it from further decline? I wouldn't be the only one who is hoping so.
It is going to require some expert land management to ensure the ongoing existence of this patch of Point Lonsdale turf. The storms last Christmas dumped buckets of water on us and over a few days and nights put this ancient ecological treasure under severe stress. The gales which blew at that time effectively changed the stature of the fragile and mysterious colonnade along one of its awe-inspiring paths. The archaic trees are now bent over so far that trail bikes cannot get through. Just as well, I say. But evidence of trail bike and other joy riding are still to be seen along the shifting paths in the vicinity. Stockland is going to have to maintain its interest and surveillance to ensure the woodland's viability. The woodland may not have that much time left for decisive action to be taken to preserve it for the future. Decisive action is needed now!
Henrietta Dubb, Christian citizen of the 21st century.
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July
2005 © Henrietta Dubb's Diary, written and
published by Bruce C Wearne, 29 Lawrence Rd., Point Lonsdale Vic 3225
AUSTRALIA, 61-3-5258-3913. Each entry in the diary may be
photocopied or retransmitted in its entirety but shall not otherwise be
reprinted or transmitted without the author's written permission. This
project encourages positive Christian citizenship, the development of
policies and political attitudes that better express our love for God and our
neighbour. Comments are welcome. Email can be sent to: bcwearne@ozemail.com.au
Web-site http://members.ozemail.com.au/~bcwearne/hdd.htm |