- Published on
By John Old
POST readers familiar with Harmers Haven may remember that right in its centre there sits an extensive low-lying wet area completely covered in dense native vegetation. This is Lot 25, 60-76 Viminaria Road, known locally as the Swamp because it is central to the drainage system of the whole area and every winter much of it is covered with standing water.
In its current condition Lot 25 makes an irreplaceable contribution to the quiet, semi-rural character of Harmers Haven. It stretches for 280 metres along the southern or seaward side of Viminaria Road which is about one quarter of the total length of the road. Its swampy character is probably the reason why it was not subdivided in the 1950s along with the rest of the land on that side of the road.
POST readers familiar with Harmers Haven may remember that right in its centre there sits an extensive low-lying wet area completely covered in dense native vegetation. This is Lot 25, 60-76 Viminaria Road, known locally as the Swamp because it is central to the drainage system of the whole area and every winter much of it is covered with standing water.
In its current condition Lot 25 makes an irreplaceable contribution to the quiet, semi-rural character of Harmers Haven. It stretches for 280 metres along the southern or seaward side of Viminaria Road which is about one quarter of the total length of the road. Its swampy character is probably the reason why it was not subdivided in the 1950s along with the rest of the land on that side of the road.
Whatever the reason, it has remained intact ever since. It has never been built on and has no tracks or roads across it. As well it abuts directly onto the foreshore reserve, which is particularly wide and also undisturbed in this location.
This is no ordinary coastal ‘swamp’. The remnant vegetation on this site, both on private and public land, includes rare and endangered damp heathland and coast scrub of high conservation significance not only for Bass Coast but for the whole of Victoria. We are very lucky to have this extensive wilderness in the heart of Harmers Haven.
Currently there is a subdivision application for Lot 25 Viminaria Road before the council which could result in almost one third of this remnant coastal bushland and wildlife habitat being cleared for residential use.
The subdivision application seeks to create a new block of 1053m² and have an additional 2244m² approved for residential development, Taken together, these two areas aggregate to almost one third of the total area, with a road frontage of 70 metres.
In general the community at Harmers is strongly opposed to this subdivision. More than 20 individual objections have been lodged on the council website. At its recent AGM the Harmers Haven Residents and Ratepayers Group resolved by a more than two-thirds majority to lodge its own objection with the council.
Over the years there have been several previous attempts to subdivide this land, which previous councils and higher decision-making bodies have consistently rejected on environmental grounds.
We hope that the present council will be guided by these precedents and reject this latest application, and that the owners will then stick with the one title that they bought, reduce the area proposed for their own residential purposes to more reasonable proportions, and also carry out their often-declared purpose of securing the rest of the swamp to be left as green space in perpetuity.
John Old is president of the Harmers Haven Residents and Ratepayers Group.
This is no ordinary coastal ‘swamp’. The remnant vegetation on this site, both on private and public land, includes rare and endangered damp heathland and coast scrub of high conservation significance not only for Bass Coast but for the whole of Victoria. We are very lucky to have this extensive wilderness in the heart of Harmers Haven.
Currently there is a subdivision application for Lot 25 Viminaria Road before the council which could result in almost one third of this remnant coastal bushland and wildlife habitat being cleared for residential use.
The subdivision application seeks to create a new block of 1053m² and have an additional 2244m² approved for residential development, Taken together, these two areas aggregate to almost one third of the total area, with a road frontage of 70 metres.
In general the community at Harmers is strongly opposed to this subdivision. More than 20 individual objections have been lodged on the council website. At its recent AGM the Harmers Haven Residents and Ratepayers Group resolved by a more than two-thirds majority to lodge its own objection with the council.
Over the years there have been several previous attempts to subdivide this land, which previous councils and higher decision-making bodies have consistently rejected on environmental grounds.
We hope that the present council will be guided by these precedents and reject this latest application, and that the owners will then stick with the one title that they bought, reduce the area proposed for their own residential purposes to more reasonable proportions, and also carry out their often-declared purpose of securing the rest of the swamp to be left as green space in perpetuity.
John Old is president of the Harmers Haven Residents and Ratepayers Group.
Comments are closed.
• The low lying area known as the 'swamp' will be protected by a covenant / Section 173 Agreement on the title to protect it from any development threats. Currently the land, like all properties on the south side of Viminaria Road is zoned Township, which allows for a large range of uses. Our covenant will stop the swamp from being filled in and turned into housing or a retail, industry or hospitality centre at any time in the future.
• The western end of the land is on higher ground; it is not swampland and is covered by tea tree, which is considered by ecologists (and the Vic Dept of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, among others) to be an invasive species. Its spread was caused by human activity such as burning and grazing, both of which occurred along Wreck Bay before any of the three current subdivisions now occupying the Harmers foreshore hinterland were approved.
• Some years ago, a previous owner of our land applied to Council for a five lot subdivision; Council officers considered three appropriate but the owner then withdrew the application.
Our proposal is for only two building envelopes. This is one more than is currently permitted on the land.
• Adjacent to these housing envelopes, bushfire overlay space will be replanted with local species which grazing and then tea tree advance have displaced from the high ground.
• Yes, drainage is a problem. Across an average winter and spring I estimate that more than a million and a quarter litres of nutrient rich water pours into the 'swamp' from a large retention basin and adjacent road side drains on the north side of Viminaria Rd. via a pipe under the road. This water stunts the growth of local species (they have low tolerance for nitrogen and phosphorus) and encourages weed growth.
Since co-purchasing lot 25 some eight years ago, I've spent weeks every year removing weeds from the 'swamp' that are part of the annual air and waterborne invasion of introduced species from adjacent land.
It's no wilderness, as the vegetation is all regrowth.
So,
- one extra family at Harmers,
- valuable low lying areas protected forever,
- invasive species being replaced by what should be growing there.
This is what what we're asking Council to approve.