Drysdale Clifton Springs Press Articles May 23 - June 4, 2012

Bellarine ferry service needs a bypass. DryCliftDays, Sunday, June 3, 2012. "State Planning Minister Matthew Guy has widened a feasibility study into a Werribee to Melbourne ferry to include stops at Geelong and Portarlington. His decision followed a call by Bellarine state MP Lisa Neville to include Portarlington in the study and it also reflects five years of lobbying by the Portarlington Ferry Group. DCSCA supports the call for a Portarlington ferry service, but until the Drysdale bypass is built, vehicles heading to and from the ferry will just add to the congestion in Drysdale High Street..."

Lions Clubs ask primary schools to imagine peace. Bellarine Times, June 1 2012. "Seven primary schools in the North Bellarine area – St Leonards, Portarlington, Drysdale, Bellarine College, Christian College, St Thomas Catholic College and Clifton Springs – are competing in the Lions International Peace Poster competition..."

Men's shed receives lifeline, by Ali Deane, Bellarine Times, June 1 2012. "The Drysdale Community Bank, a branch of the Bendigo Bank, has just purchased a defibrillator for the Clifton Springs Men's Shed, complete with a training package..."

Police in 'rift' over holidays, By Michelle Herbison. The Bellarine Independent, 1st June 2012. "The region's top cop has sparked a rift with Bellarine Peninsula police over plans for staffing the area over summer. Insp Gary Bruce said a meeting with officers-in-charge from Ocean Grove, Drysdale, Queenscliff and Portarlington this week revealed most were "not convinced" of his plans for a staffing overhaul..."

Summer policing fears, by Andrea Hamblin. Geelong Advertiser, May 31st, 2012. "Tourism chiefs have warned against scrapping higher police numbers on our coastline over summer, as Victoria Police makes drastic changes to holiday policing. Tourism leaders say more police on the beat are needed to provide visible safety and combat crime during peak tourist times. Police management yesterday met with police force members to discuss changes to the way they are rostered during summer, including the scrapping of traditional temporary posting of police to holiday hot spots. Drysdale and Clifton Springs Community Association secretary Patrick Hughes said Drysdale and Ocean Grove were flagged growth areas and therefore needed more police year round to deal with population increases. "And yet there's been no plan for extra police to deal with that," Mr Hughes said. "The town is seeing its police presence depleted. It's not the wild west ... but it needs blokes on the beat."..."

Ferry's in, by Ali Deane. Bellarine Times, May 29 2012. "Portarlington Ferry to be considered in $300,000 commuter ferry service study. Planning Minister Matthew Guy has said Portarlington will be considered in a $300,000 government study into commuter ferry services for Port Phillip Bay, following concerns over its exclusion from a recent state budget announcement. The decision was announced the day after Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville called on Mr Guy to urgently include the proposed Portarlington Ferry in the government's study..."

Colours, collages and coast at 135, by Ali Deane. Bellarine Times, May 26 2012. "Three local art identities have joined forces for a new show that celebrates colour, coast and local stories at Drysdale's 135 Art Gallery and Studio. In their self-titled show, Linda Gallus, Colin Foster and Pip Williams explore past and present of the Bellarine, perfect light and lazy days, and imagery of the recent Jayco Series cycling event..."

Police withdraw from growing local towns, DryCliftDays, Friday, May 25, 2012. "Bellarine towns will lose police cover under new rosters! Geelong Advertiser journalist Andrea Hamblin reports that, 'Fewer police will be rostered on in Queenscliff, Portarlington, Drysdale and Ocean Grove during days, with members eventually used to make up a 24-hour patrol. But there are no plans for extra police numbers to help to deal with the increased workload on the peninsula.' ('Coast cops called away' Geelong Advertiser 25 May)..."

Lions literacy in schools program a success. Bellarine Time, May 24 2012. "To encourage literacy for children, the Lions Club of Portarlington/Drysdale sponsored the very popular and successful Authors in Schools Literacy Program for Clifton Springs, Drysdale, Portarlington and St Leonards primary schools..."

Tip costs from tax to rise only slightly, by Cameron Best. Geelong Advertiser, May 24th, 2012."Geelong ratepayers will pay just $2.35 extra a year under the carbon tax to have their rubbish collected and dumped at the Drysdale landfill..."

Coast cops called away, by Andrea Hamblin. Geelong Advertiser, May 25th, 2012. "Bellarine Peninsula police will be forced to abandon their communities under a new roster scheme that will see coastal officers used to fill a police shortfall in Geelong and Corio. Less police will be rostered on in Queenscliff, Portarlington, Drysdale and Ocean Grove during days, with members eventually used to make up a 24-hour patrol..."

Clifton students give play time serious consideration, by Andrea Hamblin. Geelong Advertiser, May 24th, 2012. "Clifton Springs Primary students are part of a growing movement fighting for the right to play time. Finn Ferguson Cumming, Maddison Sharp, Alana Gray and Sebastian Brew Doyle joined members of the Northern Bellarine Early Years network at a summit last week to develop a manifesto that will be delivered to the UN later this year. The Australian Children's Play summit gives kids a chance to discuss the need for unstructured play..."

Portarlington Passenger Ferry Survey Results Released

The results of a survey into potential patronage numbers for a ferry service between Portarlington and Melbourne were released last Friday - 9 July.

The study information is available to the public, interested parties and potential proponents for ferry services.

Around 400 residents across the Bellarine region were interviewed by telephone on a ferry service.

Residents who regularly travel to Melbourne were also invited to meetings held at Ocean Grove and Portarlington to discuss transport options and their likelihood of regularly using a ferry service and what ticket fare they would be willing to pay for a return trip.

The survey results 132 page report entitled: PORTARLINGTON TO MELBOURNE FERRY SERVICE - Passenger demand estimation is available from Parks Victoria.

Key conclusions were:

Best estimates are for approximately 400 return trips by commuters each weekday, taken mainly in the morning and afternoon peak periods, and 500 discretionary trips per day taken by non-commuters, spread throughout the day and on weekends. It needs to be understood that the estimate of commuter demand is subject to a higher margin of error than the estimate of non-commuter demand.

Both estimates assume a $30 return fare, inclusive of connections in Melbourne. This fare amount is open to conjecture and would depend upon the actual costs of the ferry operation and the extent to which it may be subsidized. Latent demand among potential visitors from Melbourne in particular should also be considered as longer term potential for the ferry service, as facilities and transport connections are developed at Portarlington and Port Melbourne; as should projected population growth and changes to this growth brought about by the existence of any future ferry service.

At this stage, it would appear prudent to conduct some basic analysis to determine whether a ferry service of the type envisaged would be viable in the near term, given the passenger numbers estimated in this report.

Bellarine Ferry Proposal Forum

Kurt Reiter has called a forum to discuss/debate the benefits and views on the Portarlington / Melbourne commuter ferry proposal.

The ferry forum will be held on Wednesday June 2 at 7pm and webcast at Kurt Reiter's website the following day.

More information is available from "Reiter calls ferry forum" by Alison Martin in the Bellarine Times, May 25, 2010 p.3.

Bellarine Ferry Group gets support from visitors to the Portarlington Mussel Festival

The Bellarine Times (page 7 of 19 January 2010 issue) has reported that more than 600 people who attended the Portarlington Mussel Festival were interested in the proposed Bellarine ferry connecting Portarlington to Port Melbourne. Many said they would move to the Bellarine if the ferry was operational.

The full article is available from the Bellarine Times - but it is in Flash and you need a flash pluggin to read it.