Tenby Point's new suburban streetscape could be in Cranbourne East or Deer Park. Photo: liz Low Anne Heath Mennell is glad Cape residents won their battle to protect their village, and only wishes she’d been able to do the same for Tenby Point.
By Anne Heath Mennell
I AM so glad that Cape residents have been successful in protecting their precious coastal environment.
I have been following the saga from afar as it brought back too many painful memories of the same situation here in Tenby Point.
Sadly, we were not able to protect our idyllic little hideaway so it’s good to hear that another town is safe and will retain its unique character into the future, when it will be valued even more highly than it is now.
Communities like ours are almost endangered species. They are rapidly becoming suburban in style, destroying the very things that originally attracted people to move here. The few unmade roads in metro Melbourne are now appreciated and fiercely protected by residents who choose to live there because they appreciate the benefits.
With the demise of the Cape Paterson special charge scheme for roads and drainage, Bass Coast Shire Council’s love affair with suburbia could also be doomed.
If people want the amenities of towns, why do they move to little places like Tenby Point and then decide to change them?
Before the Cape experience fades from the media and the memory, I would urge anyone living in an unmade street to find out more about special charge schemes. The council has a list of places they are going to tackle, in priority order. Find out where you are on that list and start saving now!
Special charge schemes are the only way councils can fund infrastructure projects such as road sealing, if you are unlucky enough not to live on a road that is VicRoads’ responsibility.
The process is inherently undemocratic, inequitable, long-drawn out and expensive. Special charge schemes can devastate communities and individuals. People move out prematurely due to fears about costs. (One feature is that costs are not finalised until after the work has been done).
Opinions become polarised, neighbours fall out and bullying can turn into hostility and conflict that eats away at people’s enjoyment of living in their community. Peace of mind and a sense of safety can be replaced by stress and a desire to withdraw.
The issue is bigger than Bass Coast Shire. It is a problem for all rural shires.
I hope our new state representative will take up this issue as there are hundreds of kilometres of unmade roads in the Bass electorate. There must be votes in finding a better way!
I would certainly not wish the special charge scheme experience on anyone.
I AM so glad that Cape residents have been successful in protecting their precious coastal environment.
I have been following the saga from afar as it brought back too many painful memories of the same situation here in Tenby Point.
Sadly, we were not able to protect our idyllic little hideaway so it’s good to hear that another town is safe and will retain its unique character into the future, when it will be valued even more highly than it is now.
Communities like ours are almost endangered species. They are rapidly becoming suburban in style, destroying the very things that originally attracted people to move here. The few unmade roads in metro Melbourne are now appreciated and fiercely protected by residents who choose to live there because they appreciate the benefits.
With the demise of the Cape Paterson special charge scheme for roads and drainage, Bass Coast Shire Council’s love affair with suburbia could also be doomed.
If people want the amenities of towns, why do they move to little places like Tenby Point and then decide to change them?
Before the Cape experience fades from the media and the memory, I would urge anyone living in an unmade street to find out more about special charge schemes. The council has a list of places they are going to tackle, in priority order. Find out where you are on that list and start saving now!
Special charge schemes are the only way councils can fund infrastructure projects such as road sealing, if you are unlucky enough not to live on a road that is VicRoads’ responsibility.
The process is inherently undemocratic, inequitable, long-drawn out and expensive. Special charge schemes can devastate communities and individuals. People move out prematurely due to fears about costs. (One feature is that costs are not finalised until after the work has been done).
Opinions become polarised, neighbours fall out and bullying can turn into hostility and conflict that eats away at people’s enjoyment of living in their community. Peace of mind and a sense of safety can be replaced by stress and a desire to withdraw.
The issue is bigger than Bass Coast Shire. It is a problem for all rural shires.
I hope our new state representative will take up this issue as there are hundreds of kilometres of unmade roads in the Bass electorate. There must be votes in finding a better way!
I would certainly not wish the special charge scheme experience on anyone.