Drysdale misses out on the NBN rollout plan for the next 3 years

Below is the map of the rollout plan for the National Broadband Network (NBN) on the Bellarine Peninsula.

Drysdale, Clifton Springs, Portarlington, Indented Head, St Leonards and Mannerim are notable omissions.

There is fibre going into the Curlewis Parks estate as the new housing development is built. But as for the rest of the peninsula - who knows?

You can play with the NBN interactive rollout map - These maps show the estimated likely coverage areas based on their rollout schedule.

Rabbit Poisoning Program Bellarine Rail Trail

The City of Greater Geelong City News (The Independent - March 9, 2012 p9) has advised there is a Rabbit Poisoning Program on the Bellarine Rail Trail between Bawtree Road and Curlewis Road, Curlewis.

Weather permitting, the program will be completed by Friday 13 April, 2012.

Baits of chopped carrot, treated with anti-coagulant poison "Pindone' will be used by a DPI contractor.

Warning signs will be paced at all reserve entrances before the campaign commences.

More information from the Geelong Council Recreation and Open Space team 5272 5272

Or from Rabbit Poisoning program.

Articles in the press about Drysdale and Clifton Springs, March 12-22, 2012

Biodiversity values in your backyard, by Joanna Carson. Bellarine Times, March 22 2012. "... The series, called Biodiversity in YOUR backyard, starts later this month at the Potato Shed in Drysdale. Event organiser Matt Crawley, who is project manager for the network and Bellarine Landcare, said the first session will concentrate on the fauna of the Bellarine. He said it did not matter the size of the land, every block potentially had biodiversity values that could be enhanced...."

Music for the orangutans. Bellarine Times, March 20 2012. "With a massive line up of 22 bands across two stages, Spud Fest returns to Drysdale's Potato Shed this Saturday. The all-ages drug and alcohol free event has been organised by Bellarine youth event crew Crash Course Productions and supported by the City of Greater Geelong. Doors open at midday and entertainment will finish at 10pm..."

The Travel Show in Drysdale. Bellarine Times, March 17 2012. "Intrepid travellers Pip Williams – from 135 Gallery in Drysdale – and Bellarine newcomer Robert Howard have teamed up for the gallery's latest exhibition..."

Lions are serious about April Fool's Day. Bellarine Times, March 17 2012. "No fooling, on Sunday April 1 the Lions Club of Portarlington/Drysdale will hold a massive garage sale at the Lions Village (Gellibrand Street, Portarlington)..."

300,000 eyeing Surf Coast/Bellarine seachange. Geelong Advertiser, March 12th, 2012. NEW research shows 300,000 Victorians want to move to the coast in the next five years... The council is currently doing a study into coastal erosion, which will be finished mid-year. The Government is spending $9.5 million on projects to protect bay beaches from erosion. This year beaches at Mentone, North Aspendale, Clifton Springs and Portarlington will be renourished..."

Spud Fest 2012: 22 bands over two stages at the Potato Shed. City of Greater Geelong, Friday, 9 March 2012 11:23 AM Media Releases. "Spud Fest returns to the Potato Shed on Saturday 24 March with a massive line up of 22 bands over two stages. The all ages drug and alcohol free event is run by Bellarine youth event organisers Crash Course Productions and supported by the City of Greater Geelong. Doors open at 12 noon and bands will play through until 10 pm..."

Central Road Drain in Drysdale - Press Articles

Drysdale residents face million-dollar plumbing bill, by Shane Fowles. Geelong Advertiser, March 2nd, 2012. "DRYSDALE residents have lost their bid to avoid paying tens of thousands of dollars for drainage works tied to a proposed new retirement village.

An appeal by two Central Rd landowners has been lost on legal grounds, although Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal vice-president Michael Macnamara had some compassion for their situation. "In a general sense it is difficult not to be very sympathetic to the ratepayers in this case," he said in his finding. "By buying and settling on relatively large allotments in a rural living zone they have opted to turn their backs on the more intensive residential development...

The applicants had to show that the special charge would not provide a special benefit to them, both now and in the future.

Mr Mcnamara said he was "inclined to think" that the benefits of the works, being the installation of connected plumbing, were not worth what the applicants were being charged..."

Waive that Charge or it's 'wave goodbye'! DryClift Days, Thursday, March 8, 2012. "There is growing astonishment at City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) councillors' unanimous decision to compel residents of Drysdale's Central Road area to pay thousands of dollars each for a developer's drain. The councillors' decision was reinforced by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Appeal Tribunal (VCAT), to which residents appealed - and lost. The residents have nowhere else to go. VCAT's decsion can be appealed in the Supreme Court, but this would be an extremely expensive undertaking - specially for this group of people, which includes many retirees on fixed incomes..."

Council down the drain in Drysdale, by Joanna Carson. Bellarine Times, March 6, 2012. "The Drysdale and Clifton Springs Community Association (DCSCA) urges ratepayers to vent their anger at the City of Greater Geelong in the upcoming elections. Ratepayers in the region are angry at the unfairness of massive bills being faced by the Central Road neighbours of a proposed retirement village. They are being told to fund new drainage works needed for the village, and have been hit with charges of between $3,400 and $257,000, depending on the size of their property. The developer will only pay $349,000 of the $1.1 million cost. Two residents of Central Road, both who are pensioners in a Rural Living zone and are facing a $70,000 plus bill, took the council to VCAT but lost their case last week. The retirement village land is zoned residential, unlike land along the drain's path..."

VCAT tells residents, 'Pay for developer's drain'! DryClift Days, Wednesday, February 29, 2012. "The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) has just told residents of the Central Road area of Drysdale that they must pay the cost of a developer's drain...."

Council's 'Special Charge' not cut and dried, DryClift Days, Wednesday, February 8, 2012. "On February 6 2012, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) reserved its judgment on whether the City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) can levy a 'Special Charge' of many thousands of dollars on residents from Central Road, Drysdale..."

Drysdale and Clifton Springs Press articles Feb/March 2012

Painters take a punt on the Archibald, by Joanna Carson. Bellarine Times, March 9 2012. "This year Clifton Springs romantic realist-style painter Michael Ingerton is making his second attempt at the Archibald. His subject is another local artist, Graeme Peebles, who he describes as Australia's greatest living printmaker..."

Big is better in egg weigh-off, Weekly Times, March 8, 2012. "THERE was no shortage of monster cackleberries lining up to beat our challenge to find an egg bigger than 100g... And Julie Wilson from Drysdale has an Isa Brown chook that regularly drops paperweights at up to 120g..."

Squeezing a Jetty Road bottleneck tighter. DryClift Days, Friday, March 2, 2012. "Construction work in Drysdale's Jetty Road is likely to expose cyclists and pedestrians - including children at the Clifton Springs Primary School - to increased traffic volumes at a dangerous bottleneck..."

Bogged in their own hole! DryClift Days. Thursday, March 1, 2012. "Early this week in Drysdale's Ryan Court, City of Greater Geelong contractors and officers had to be rescued from holes of their own making!..."

Broiler farm application withdrawn, by Eliza Sum. Geelong Advertiser, March 1st, 2012. "BELLARINE Peninsula residents are crowing for joy after theapplication for a controversial broiler chicken farm was withdrawn this week. The proposed Class B broiler farm was proposed by Indented Head's Mark O'Ryan and would have housed 339,000 chickens at 161 Curlewis Rd, near Wallington and just a stone's throw from the peninsula's biggest tourism attractions..."

Hawks take tougher route. Geelong Advertiser, March 2nd, 2012. "DRYSDALE coach Leigh Allan admits his side has had to work much harder for its spot in the finals compared to last season. The Hawks complete their final regular season match against Jan Juc this weekend before a tough semi final against either Collendina, Ocean Grove or Barwon Heads..."

History returns, by Joanna Carson. Bellarine Times, February 28 2012. "Drysdale program introducing military history to primary schools could be adopted nationwide. The Drysdale RSL could soon be the centre of a nationwide movement to introduce military history into primary schools. The branch is the first to have the program introduced into schools, with seven Bellarine schools inviting veterans in to talk to year 5 and 6 students..."

Algae remains in lower river, by Peter Begg. Geelong Advertiser, February 28th, 2012. "... Geelong city council has reported algae outbreaks in a small pool near Queens Park Bridge, McLeods Waterholes at Drysdale, Blue Waters Lake at Ocean Grove and St Leonards Lake..."

Drysdale to get new track. Bellarine Times, February 26 2012. "Drysdale residents will find it easier to enjoy nearby Lake Lorne when a promised pathway is built around it by the City of Greater Geelong. The pathway is one of the improvements promised under the new Lake Lorne Reserve Master Plan, adopted by the council last week..."

Illegal drivers handed to cops on a plate, by Joanna Carson. Bellarine Times, February 24 2012. "Traffic lawbreakers had nowhere to hide in Drysdale last Friday, when some clever technology was used to find and fine 16 drivers. The Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system was used in the district for the third time, and consists of a camera attached to an unmarked van which identifies lawbreakers, and a police car further down the road waiting to nab them..."

Clifton Springs ready to burst. Bellarine Times, February 24 2012. "A massive two days of action is set to descend upon the Clifton Springs Golf Club. The Parkers Steakhouse Sportsman's night will be held on March 9 with well-known sports media commentator and radio presenter Anthony Mithen as MC..."

All that glitters is glass, by Joanna Carson. Bellarine Times, February 23 2012. "There is nothing fragile about the future of Drysdale's premier festival after a second very successful Festival of Glass last Sunday. Hundreds of visitors watched demonstrations, admired glass arts and crafts and shopped for pretty treasures over the day-long festival..."

Don't take the carrot bait, by Joanna Carson. Bellarine Times, February 21 2012. "If you go down to the park today, don't pick up any surprise. Especially if the park is Drysdale's Basin Reserve, and the surprise is a sprinkling of carrots on the ground. That is because the carrots could be laced with the anticoagulant Pindone, and are there to entice rabbits, not you or your pet..."

Drysdale festival proves it's a glass act, by Eliza Sum. Geelong Advertiser, February 20th, 2012. "FRAGILE works of art took centre stage at Drysdale's Festival of Glass yesterday, with more than 50 local artisans showing off their wares. Visitors had a chance to check out glass in all its shapes and forms, from beads to bottles and mosaics to mirrors..."

Central Road Drain on A Current Affair

Channel 9 on their A Current Affair Program last night ran a segment about the fight Drysdale and Clifton Springs residents are having with Geelong Council over paying for the proposed Retirement Village Developer's drain.

You can view the program entitled: Retirement village rate rise, By ninemsn staff. A Current Affair, Air date: Wednesday, March 7, 2012.

Road Bypass for Drysdale?

The Geelong Advertiser today (8 March 2012) reports in an article entiteld "Calls for Drysdale bypass"

"THE case for an estimated $50 million bypass at Drysdale is being developed as councillors declare traffic in the town is becoming increasingly chaotic...

Cheetham councillor Rod Macdonald said a previous study found there wasn't sufficient traffic to justify the initiative, but he was aware of an increase in road use.

Coryule councillor John Doull agreed, claiming it took him 5-10 minutes longer to proceed through the roundabout as he took his children to school..."

This is hardly surprising.   On 14 December I wrote about how Geelong Council by closing the Corio tip was automatically guaranteeing the traffic through Drysdale and down Murradoc Road would increase exponentially. (Welcome to Drysdale - Home of Geelong's Tip).

Interesting to see that councillors are being inconvenienced for a change.

Lucky for ratepayers, if the Drysdale bypass goes ahead, then this will be a VicRoads initiative and not a Council one.  This means ratepayers wont have to pay for the making of this road.  Or will they?