2 Storeys, not tall stories! Ferntree Gully; lots of weekend reading it pays to be informed; Stop Press

Stop Press - Just received this minute. It seems that Josh Frydenberg, Federal member for Boroondara and Minister of Environment, has put an interim protection order on St Kilda Road, as it has been sponsored for National Heritage Protection. I knew this has been proposed by a leader of the Liberals and a leader of Labor. A number of us wrote to Josh urging him to do it. Great news! 1.

Upper Ferntree Gully residents mad as hell:

Read the press release from the residents of Upper Ferntree Gully. They are angry. Please sign the petition here - it will be presented to their local MP. https://www.change.org/p/legislative-council-of-victoria-protect-the-dandenong-ranges-2-storeys-not-tall-stories?recruiter=58750254&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink 2.

People in Southbank get no say

This is a terrible decision by Andrews and Wynne - the people of Southbank get no say at all. Melbourne is being wrecked. See what Greg Barber says - what Crown want Crown gets - let us wonder how. http://www.theage.com.au/business/property/crown-casino-wins-approval-for-90storey-tower-at-southbank-20170208-gu8saj

Letter to the editor

What a dreadful decision by the Planning Minister and the Premier to approve that giant building for Crown. It breaks the governments own rules about heights in the city. Why have rules? The question has be asked, how did Crown get them to break their own rules? Think of the overshadowing and overlooking. I pity the people living in Southbank with this building going up and they get no say whatsoever whether they want it or not. Interesting the answer given by the Minister on radio Thursday when he was asked about shadowing. He said there would be no shadowing. Really? It has been worked out that the shadow will stretch out for 1km. That is quite a shadow. Building by building our city is being ruined. Mary Drost

3.

Melbourne used to be more livable despite what the Age says:

This is on the Age website. http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/from-quite-awful-to-liveable-urban-design-guru-helps-transform-melbourne-city-20170209-gu9570.htmlWell I don't agree. Our city was not awful in the 70's, it was more liveable than it is now and it is being ruined more by the year. Wait until they dig it up for this terrible Metro rail and it will be totally unliveable. 4.

Peninsula losing its bandicoots

Read this story from the Peninsula. We are losing all our heritage. So very sad indeed and the government just does not care. http://morningtonpeninsulabandicoot.com/2017/02/05/brush-fence-vs-heritage-and-history/ 5.

This disaster called Metro Rail:

Well at least the libs are making an attempt to get South Yarra Station connected. But I think it all should be scrapped and build other things like a train to the airport or one to Doncaster or lots of other places. They are obsessed about this one and it will wreck Melbourne for years. Fine to connect it to South Yarra but do you know that the news trains won't work on the rail we have and the trains are too long for our existing stations. They say that the loop is full. That can be solved by improving the signalling system. In London on the line I use when there, the Jubilee line trains are only about 4 minutes apart. Sometimes at peak I have seen a train disappearing one end and the next one appearing at the other. Why can't we be so clever? We just want to dig up parts of the city and St Kilda Road. http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/liberals-make-another-attempt-to-include-south-yarra-station-in-melbourne-metro-20170207-gu7t9w.html 6.

This is disgraceful from Beaumaris

The government just chopped down all those lovely trees at the Beaumaris Secondary School with virtually no warning. Beaumaris which is so protective of its trees, they have landscape overlays to protect them but the government just do this vandalism. So dishonest that they say they have consulted with the community without mentioning that they did not hear a word that was said - just tick the box - community consulted - tick. Read the article. Some may already have read the following article in the 'Comments' section of 7th Feb The Age newspaper, from our President Greg Mier. It concerns the (still nowhere near completed) vegetation destruction at the Beaumaris Secondary School site. Keep your eyes both on the western boundary, and the often overlooked southern ('Community') oval's boundary with Long Hollow Heathland which acts as a vital protective buffer!! The VSBA's latest map, as they consistently have been throughout, is materially misleading. We were even refused a measly two or three metres around the fence lines. Genuine community consultation? Pfft!!. http://www.smh.com.au/comment/once-again-development-comes-first-20170127-gtzvks.html