the birds (and unfortunately too, the Beach Rd traffic). And yet its a joy to
meander along the winding dirt tracks, observing the glistening of light
between the trees and leaves - occasionally to be pleasantly surprised by the
presence of a wren or two, to discover new middens Id never noticed before,
and observe local flora and fauna such as flowering trees, butterflies and the
occasional lizard!
Simon Finlay of Bayside City Council informed me that Bayside has a total area
of approximately 3700 Hectares of which 77.09 Hectares are conservation
reserves (inclusive of some foreshore sites). The conservation reserves as a
percentage of Bayside's total area is 2.08%. The foreshore is approximately
98.9 Hectares which as a percentage of Bayside's total area is only 2.67%! That
is, less than 3% of Bayside exists as coastal bushland! It makes one appreciate
how precious this asset of narrow coastal scrub is, and how much we need to
protect every square inch of our natural spaces! Due to the enormous efforts
of many individuals (too many to name) and local stakeholders - such as
BRASCA, Friends of Bayside Network and Citywide - a wonderful job has been
done in keeping control of the weeds, and revegetating our cliffs. We hope and
trust the good voluntary work will continue for many years to come, always in
tune with the natural revegetation phases occurring during autumn and spring.
The coastal vegetation is vital in helping prevent cliff erosion, but it also plays
an important role in human health and well-being; both psychologically and
physically. We walk through nature to relax, de-stress, unwind and exercise.
But it is also known that communities living with higher levels of natural
vegetation experience lower risk levels of respiratory health problems and
juvenile asthma.
World Health Organization and the Environment
The World Health Organization estimates that about 24% of global diseases
result from modifiable environmental factors.1 Increasingly, government
bodies are taking an interest in the relationship of the environment, climate
change and its impact on health.2, 3 A federal Government report identified
1
WHO 2008a. World Health Day 2008: protecting health from climate change. Viewed 24 February
2011, http://www.who.int/world-health-day/previous/2008/en/index.html
2
Dr Marion Carey, Senior Medical Adviser, Public Health, Victorian Government Department of
Human Services. Melbourne, Victoria, October 2007
This document may also be downloaded from the Department of Human Services web site at:
www.health.vic.gov.au/environment
that our surroundings can influence physical health (e.g. air pollution impacts
on rates of asthma), and emotional health, such as the effect of drought and
bushfires on a persons mental state.3 The report identified the following
environmental factors as impacting on health:
Indoor and outdoor air quality, temperature changes (e.g. heat waves),
extreme weather events (e.g. droughts), food safety and water quality (e.g.
gastroenteritis outbreaks), vector populations (e.g. mosquito infestations with
the increase of rainfall and global warming), green space of vegetated land in
an urban area, transport and walkability (those living in walkable
neighbourhoods were less likely to be obese), environmental noise (annoying,
unwanted sounds), overcrowding, poor housing conditions, hazards in and
outside the home. A growing awareness by our community in understanding
the link between health and the environment is essential in order that we can
take more responsibility for our health and the state of the environment.
Survey findings by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2007-2008,
demonstrated that up to 82% of Australians in all age groups (with exception
of 18-24 year-olds) were concerned about the environment and climate
change.4 Lower levels of concern were demonstrated in under-educated and
unemployed groups, and those born overseas now residing in Australia.
Surprisingly, more than 5 million people (32%) had supported some
environmental activity within the 12 months prior to completing the survey such as signing a petition, donating money, or expressing concern by
participating in a rally or demonstration, or contacting authorities.
AIHW 2011. Health and the environment: a compilation of evidence. Cat. no. PHE 136. Canberra:
AIHW.
http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=10737418534&libID=10737418533&tab=2
4
Australian Bureau of Statistics 4626.0.55.001 - Environmental views and behaviour, 2007-08 (2nd
issue). Latest ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 18/06/2009
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/4626.0.55.001Main%20Features1200708%20%282nd%20issue%29?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=4626.0.55.001&issue=2
007-08%20%282nd%20issue%29&num=&view=
Air pollution
Air pollution can increase hospitalisation due to asthma, the risk of
pneumonia, and acute bronchitis.5 Exposure to occupational inhalants such as
wood dust and coal, and pollens, are also well recognised triggers for
respiratory disease and asthma. 6,7
A change of environment can quickly alter airway bronchospasm in children
with allergic asthma. As demonstrated, for instance, in a study of 37 untreated
allergic children with mild persistent asthma, who resided in a highly polluted
urban environment, but were relocated to live in a less polluted rural
environment.8 Within a week of relocation, these children on average had a
fourfold decrease in nasal eosinophils (allergy responsive white blood cells),
significant decreases in fractional exhaled nitric oxide, improvements in lower
airway function, and significant increases in peak expiratory flow!
Parks and trees
A study found children living in areas with tree-lined streets, particularly those
playing outdoors in these environments, had lower rates of childhood asthma
and were less likely to develop asthma.9 Trees are known to improve air
quality.
So you can read from the science that it makes good sense to continue
planting more trees in our community, not just for the flora and fauna, but for
our health and well-being as well. Every tree that exists should be protected in
any way possible from harm, unless of course it is a risk to public safety.
Neupane B, Jerrett M, Burnett RT, Marrie T, Arain A, Loeb M. Long-term exposure to ambient air
pollution and risk of hospitalization with community-acquired pneumonia in older adults. Am J
Respir Crit Care Med 2010. Jan 1;181(1):47-53. Epub 2009 Oct 1.
6
David Coggon, E Clare Harris, Terry Brown, et al. Work-related mortality in England and Wales,
19792000 Occup Environ Med 2010;67:816-822 doi:10.1136/oem.2009.052670
7
Taylor PE, Jacobson KW, House JM, Glovsky MM. Links between pollen, atopy and the asthma
epidemic. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2007;144:162-70
8
Gabriele Renzetti, Gaetano Silvestre, Claudio D'Amario, Egidio Bottini, et al. Less Air Pollution Leads
to Rapid Reduction of Airway Inflammation and Improved Airway Function in Asthmatic Children
PEDIATRICS Vol. 123 No. 3 March 2009, pp. 1051-1058 (doi:10.1542/peds.2008-1153)
9
Lovasi GS, Quinn JW, Neckerman KM, et. al. Children living in areas with more street trees have
lower prevalence of asthma. J Epidemiol Community Health 2008 Jul;62(7):647 9.
Update on the Beaumaris Bay Fossil site event on Sunday 22 February 2015
(12-3pm) with official speeches commencing at 1.30 pm
See http://www.bayside.vic.gov.au/things_to_see_and_do/22_February_2015Beaumaris_Bay_Fossil_Site_of_International_Significance.htm
Speakers: Professor Tim Flannery, Dr Erich Fitzgerald of Museum Victoria,
Professor John Buckeridge of RMIT University, Richard Casley
Sandringham Foreshore Association in partnership with Museum Victoria,
RMIT university, Marine Care Ricketts Point, Marine Education Science and
Community, Beaumaris Conservation Society and Friends of Ricketts Point.
We look forward to seeing you all again and hope you can join us at the event.
It will be a day of fun and adventure. A lot of work has gone into organising the
event to date, and I wish to thank many organisations and people who have
helped support it.
We acknowledge and thank:
The speakers Professor Tim Flannery, Dr Erich Fitzgerald of Museum
Victoria, Professor John Buckeridge of RMIT University, and Richard
Casley who is bringing along a wonderful array of fossils
Marine Care Ricketts Point and Ray Lewis who inspired us to run the
event following the success of the first one in 2013, and organising the
venue and open spaces
The Beaumaris Conservation Society and Geoffrey Goode for their
support and tremendous years of hard work protecting the Beaumaris
Bay fossil site and local natural assets
Judith Field (President) and Mary Rimmington of the Mordialloc
Beaumaris Conservation League for their tremendous years of hard
work since the late 1960's and continued efforts to protect the
Beaumaris Bay fossil site
Dr Shirley Prager Convenor of the Beaumaris Bay Subcommittee, BCS
Inc. who raised awareness of the BMYS development in the community
and helped identify the many ways to promote the event.
Australian Geographic has agreed to feature the event. Many other sites
have confirmed advertising including the local Beaumaris Rotary club
The Beaumaris Lifesaving club for allowing us to use their premises
Museum Victoria and Dr Erich Fitzgerald for supporting and helping to
promote our event, and organising the help of palaeontologists to bring
their fossils and assist with liaising and identification of fossils that
delegates bring on the day
Bayside City Council for their valued support and Contingency grant of
$500 to pay for expenses incurred e.g. permits, gifts for speakers,
printing
Bayside City Council for advertising their event on their website and in
their newsletters, e.g. Banksia newsletter
Citywide who will supply signage A frames to display on the day to help
with parking and location of venue
Fred Karalis for organising a PA system and speaker for the speeches on
the day of the event
Murray Thompson, our local MP for Sandringham, for printing of flyers
and posters
Sailboard Headquarters owner Mike Meyers who will set up 2 outdoor
marquees for the day
Beller Motors who will set up 2 outdoor marquees and provide folding
chairs for the elderly and those in need
The Beaumaris artists and Diana Pearce who are supporting and
attending the event to display their beautiful artwork of fossils and the
Beaumaris landscape
The many SFA helpers who will distribute the flyers for display in early
February 2015 and assist with preparation of the event on the day
Dianne Rex of Friends of Ricketts Point who has done a fantastic job of
organising letters to the principals of local schools to advertise in their
newsletters before Xmas and in early February
Buxtons real estate for organising a display board to go up at the
Beaumaris Concourse in February prior to the event
Andrew Harrison of passion8photo in Brighton, a local professional
photographer who will attend the event and take photos of attendees,
stakeholders, speakers and fossils for an education booklet we hope to
compile after the event
Vin Macaro of aerialcam360 for producing a drone film of the Beaumaris
Bay fossil site, focusing on the beauty of the cliffs and coastline
We hope we haven't forgotten anyone! We just wanted to give you an
idea of the enormous work and support generated by the community to
help make the event an absolute success. If we've left anyone out, let us
know and we will make acknowledgments in our next newsletter. If you
would like to help us with promoting the event, please email us.
Look out for updates on the BMYS development using this link:
http://www.dtpli.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/word_doc/0005/245129/BMYS-EES-ConsultationPlan_updated-Sept2014.docx
BBC Television series Coast Australia featuring Beaumaris Bay fossil site
Information supplied by Geoffrey Goode, Beaumaris Conservation Society Inc
The episode on Victoria in the BBC television series COAST AUSTRALIA (click on
this link for details of TV series as aired on Foxtel) has a section showing
Professor Tim Flannery, and Dr Erich Fitzgerald of Museum Victoria, at
the Beaumaris Bay Fossil Site near the jetty at Table Rock Point below.
The scientists demonstrate and discuss important fossils, including a large
shark's tooth. The series is very good, and it is pleasing that Beaumaris Bay and
its importance as a fossil site are featured in this series.
Along the way I discover a midden adjacent to the track that I had never noticed before!
Leon Costermans Native Trees and Shrubs of South-Eastern Australia, Reed New Holland, 2000 (reprint), is a valuable addition to any bushwalkers library, and a standard reference in many
educational institutions Ed. I was fortunate to win a copy of this book from DEPI at the day trip!
InDigital
Nature
Exhibition
Call for submissions
An Exhibition of Nature
Photographs to showcase
the most beautiful natural
assets of Bayside including
plants and animals, marine
life and the beautiful
seascapes will be held in August 2015.
Photography encourages observational skills, awareness and healthy
outdoor activities. Through awareness and observation comes
appreciation and connection to nature helping to generate a willingness
to accept and preserve nature.
Bringing people and the environment together in a way that has
meaning, encourages them to become actively involved in the nurture of
our natural environment.
This engaging community exhibition has been initiated by the Bayside
Environment Friends Network and the Friends of George Street Reserve
and it is envisaged that it will be shown in the ARTrium of Bayside City
Councils Corporate Centre in August 2015.
All members of environment groups in Bayside are invited to
submit a maximum of four photos of the local flora and fauna.
They could be taken in the bushland reserves or on the
foreshore, Baysides beaches or marine park or the Bayside
Community Nursery.
Living in South East Queensland I have often felt I have been in a kind of
paradise regarding our beaches and coastlines, but in my time the rate of damage
and destruction done to these priceless treasures in the name of progress has been
mind blowing, and it is a great shame that it is all not still there for present and
future generations. Many incredibly beautiful places we used to visit on weekends
and holidays 30 to over 60 years ago have been reduced to such a degree because of
man-made beach erosion and degradation that they are hardly worth visiting
anymore and in all of that time you, Vicki are the only person I have heard of who
have well and truly dug their heels in and is doing something about it.
There are plenty of photos on the web of the outside ocean erosion under "erosion
Gold Coast" and "erosion Sunshine Coast".
I believe all structures: groynes posts rocks or whatever on beaches or sandy
bottoms of tidal areas cause turbulence and hence are very destructive and all
efforts need to be made to avoid using them. Short groynes could be even more
destructive than long groynes because they bring the deepening closer to the sea
wall (cliff). The smoother the beach, sea wall or cliff face is, then the less is the
turbulence and hence erosion, I believe.
Dredging sand is very destructive and I am wondering if Port Phillip Bay may be
suffering from it (the dredging of the shipping channel there, or in other words
undermining) as is the (dredging) case up here because all the sand at the bottom of
the bay is needed to support all of the sand at the top of the bay, as originally before
white man came the whole bay would have been in a balanced state of flux. If this is
the case I think the only answer to your problems there might be the constant
artificial replenishment of the beaches with the sand from outside the bay, or maybe
the sand that has been dredged if it is of ok quality.
After seeing the skill, professionalism, time, energy and patience you demonstrate in
carrying out your good work I can see now why I had no success in the past in trying
to get the authorities to act differently, and I think the best thing people like me can
do now is to get behind you and give you support and encouragement and maybe
things will start changing in other places also as a result of your work.
Kind regards,
John.
Thanks again Vicki for the great work you are doing, I always look forward to
receiving your Newsletters, I would be very grateful if you would also include this
letter of appreciation in your newsletter.
Activity
Summer Snorkel Program begins
6 Dec
Beach Patrol
6 Dec
13 Dec
16 Dec
Members meeting
24 Dec
Orphans Picnic
2015
10-11 January
20 January
21 January
(To be confirmed
by email)
7 February
(Note: no January
beach patrol)
17 February
Beach Patrol
22 February
Details
9am every Saturday morning until March 2015.
Must be a MCRP member.
Details: See website www.marinecare.org.au
Contact: David Langmead (m) 0418 389 212
dlandmea@bigpond.net.au;
11am, at Beaumaris Yacht Club, northern car park
Contact: Beth Jensen (m) 0419 354 998
12 noon, at bbq area between Teahouse and northern
car park. All MCRP and beach patrol members
welcome. Further details to follow by email
9am Annual snorkelling-only activity in cooperation with Parks Victoria to survey fish in the
Sanctuary. Important to continue 10 years of
records. Part of normal Saturday snorkel.
7.30pm, Beaumaris Life Saving Club Speaker: Dr
Kate Charlton-Robb, Founding Director
and Principal Researcher of the Australian Cetacean
Conservation Foundation will speak about her work
on the Burrunan dolphin (found only in Port Phillip
Bay). Further details to follow by email
6.30pm in the park north of Tea House. The
traditional Christmas Eve BBQ/Picnic. BYO
everything. Blame Ray for the name!
Full weekend program including introduction to
snorkelling; beachside walk on Aboriginal cultural
activities and items of interest; rock pool rambles.
Further details to follow by email
7.30pm, Beaumaris Life Saving Club (BLC)
6.30pm in the park north of Tea House. The annual
BBQ/Picnic to recognise the advancing years of
several members OR an excuse for another BBQ
(however you want to look at it). BYO everything.
11am, location to be advised by email
Contact: Beth Jensen (m) 0419 354 998
7.30pm, Beaumaris Life Saving Club (BLC)
Speaker and further details to follow by email
12 noon 3pm. Public presentation at Beaumaris
Lifesaving Club (BLC). Bring along your fossil for
identification and to chat to palaeontologists!
Our exciting speakers include Professor Tim
Flannery, Dr Erich Fitzgerald of Museum
Victoria, Professor John Buckeridge of RMIT
University and Richard Casley who will bring an
exciting array of fossils for you to see and feel.
Organiser: Dr Vicki Karalis, member MCRP and
President, SFA. Note: Gold coin donation
appreciated. This is an important way to show your
support for our local fossil beach which is under
threat from a proposed marina development.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/NO-marina-for-BeaumarisBay/609246705862722
We hope you have enjoyed reading the summer edition of the SFA
newsletter. We would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your
family a Happy Christmas and New Year holiday period.
Yours with kindness,