One more project to go in Pioneer Bay’s transformation … an artist's impression of the long-awaited community centre,
“the cherry on top of the cake”.
By Zena Benbow
I WISH to thank Helen Zervopoulos for her article in the Bass Coast Post, ‘Pioneer Bay Re Invented’. I was bemused to finally see in print Pioneer Bay described as a “now boutique suburb”, having had several conversations over the years with Helen on this topic as we, as a community, have gone about developing the town.
But is Pioneer Bay really re-invented, or is it just a culmination of a lot of people over the years working damn hard? Really, the long awaiting “cherry on the cake” will be a community building at the park.
I WISH to thank Helen Zervopoulos for her article in the Bass Coast Post, ‘Pioneer Bay Re Invented’. I was bemused to finally see in print Pioneer Bay described as a “now boutique suburb”, having had several conversations over the years with Helen on this topic as we, as a community, have gone about developing the town.
But is Pioneer Bay really re-invented, or is it just a culmination of a lot of people over the years working damn hard? Really, the long awaiting “cherry on the cake” will be a community building at the park.
Currently in its 10th year of negotiations with the council, and marginally closer along the stiflingly slow path to fruition, the community handed $26,622.63 of their “blood,sweat and tears” money towards the building’s development on May 31 2022.
This was preceded by six months of arguments with the council that this was in fact money saved by our volunteers doing work at the park over 13 years rather than getting contractors in to complete said tasks, and should rightly be seen as the community’s contribution.
Confirmation of the recognition of community money came through from the general manager of business transformation, Wayne Mack, on May 17 2022. Suffice it to say this article is the first time anyone will have seen it in print, with, to date, no media release/social media post from council as promised, formally recognising this money! Oh to return to a decade ago when their lassez-faire approach to development in our town reaped so much reward for our community.
This was preceded by six months of arguments with the council that this was in fact money saved by our volunteers doing work at the park over 13 years rather than getting contractors in to complete said tasks, and should rightly be seen as the community’s contribution.
Confirmation of the recognition of community money came through from the general manager of business transformation, Wayne Mack, on May 17 2022. Suffice it to say this article is the first time anyone will have seen it in print, with, to date, no media release/social media post from council as promised, formally recognising this money! Oh to return to a decade ago when their lassez-faire approach to development in our town reaped so much reward for our community.
| Back then, buoyed by the benefits of participation in the ‘Community Building Initiative’ Program, we set about with vigour planning and applying for grants to develop our town. And we were good at it – to the envy of other Waterline towns at certain points. A State Government grant saw our “All Access pathways” go in. It’s just a shame that all these years later the council is yet to chainsaw through the logs to allow wheelchair access from these pathways into the Bendigo Bank Grant-provided fitness equipment in the playground. And, indeed, the rejuvenated play equipment which we had to remind the council was due for renewal (it’s their asset, right?). The process was simpler back then: if we (the community) wanted to improve facilities, we planned, we wrote the grants, council signed where necessary, and progress ensued. Requests now are met with heavy sighs of “Oh no, what do they want to do now?” and that’s a shame, as that enthusiasm mirrored a community’s sense of ownership and pride. I met with a group of new local residents over the weekend, keen to get together on a more regular basis, and like the preceding almost 15 years of residents’ enthusiasm along these lines, this still had to take place in Jayne’s place of residence. Why? Why are we still waiting for a community facility and still having to deal with people being “put off”, as I have been informed, inhibited by social gatherings in people’s houses? Because the council is still dragging its heels and is yet to engage anyone on further discussions towards this community facility, despite it falling into this year’s budget, and despite the community’s contribution being received. We are thankful to Cr Halstead’s work thus far on this matter and will continue to pursue our long-awaited community facility with vigour. The new residents were fascinated to learn of the old practice of dumping persons on parole here, until residents made the appeal that perhaps these people might be better placed in an area with services to assist them to re-establish themselves in society instead of this isolated community. The residents were persuasive in their appeal and this practice hasn’t been part of the community for a good decade plus, but it’s fascinating that these new residents should bring it up as part of the reaction of peers to them establishing themselves in Pioneer Bay, just as Helen referred to in her article. But I digress: back to Helen’s article and the roads. They’re now in and providing all of us with the luxury previously only afforded to residents of Kallay Drive for a longer period than expected after a prima seal dust suppressant was laid down in 2007-08. So started something of an “us and them” mentality for a while amongst residents. There was only one committee at the time, the Pioneer Bay Park committee of management, so they asked for a “please explain” why one road received this treatment but the others didn’t. Eventually, one not-so-bright spark from council said enquiries of this nature “fell out of the jurisdiction of the park committee” and so the Pioneer Bay Progress Association Inc was formed in 2011 and roads were continually pressed for from that point forward. Of course, by the time this had passed in 2018, the original cost estimates per household had more than doubled. Regarding Colbert Creek – yes, it is much improved, but still frequently jumps the levee (if one exists) flooding through properties in the lower half of Sonia Crescent. I’ve asked a contact to raise the issue with Melbourne Water as thus far both the council and Melbourne Water have failed to respond to correspondence that their promise to fix it is not “complete” as they claim. | Pioneer Bay re-invented  By Helen Zervopoulos NEW roads and recently constructed wetlands in this tiny hamlet has given Pioneer Bay a much-needed facelift and made it a more desirable place to live. Not so long ago it had a lot of vacant blocks and a bad reputation for housing shady characters of ill repute. Land was cheap, property stayed on the market for a few years, and in 2006 you could buy a house with sea glimpses for around $70,000. After a decent downpour, the houses backing onto Colbert Creek flooded and investors were put off by the fact that the beach was overrun by a healthy mangrove forest, which was impossible to clear to access the beach. Over the years, the affordable blocks gradually sold to savvy investors, retirees and young families looking for a cheap place to live. Real estate prices slowly but steadily rose. In 2018 Bass Coast Council voted to proceed with a Special Charge Scheme worth $4.6 million to undertake major road works. This involved drainage upgrades, road surfacing, kerb and channelling, nature strip works, speed humps and pedestrian pathways. Melbourne Water integrated with the road works to solve the drainage issues by undertaking upgrades to Colbert Creek and remediation works where the creek runs into Western Port. A new pipe was installed at the eastern end along the Bass Coast Highway service road, to re direct the overflow from Colbert Creek to create a complex system of wetlands incorporating swales of native vegetation to filter the water which flows into a series of ponds which are gradually becoming a haven for wildlife.  |
Our healthy mangrove forest is a delight, whether you are walking at low tide and are able to see the shoots progressing further along towards Grantville, or sitting on the deck by the boardwalk for sunset, or indeed any time of the day for that matter, quietly enough to watch the wildlife weave in and out of its vegetation. Why would anyone want to clear it? King tides have not affected our township under the mangroves’ guard. And yes, a healthy forest it is indeed as oysters attach themselves in this pristine environment. The hope that the newly established wetlands will provide the desired natural filtration of all the impurities off the highway, as they’re being piped directly there, before entering into the Western Port watertable better be on point, for sustainability of that environment.
I posed the question in opening – has Pioneer Bay been re-invented, or is it a culmination of people just working damn hard? The roads have certainly made it pretty. But when it all comes down to it, our community story is one of resilience and sheer determination to create social opportunities in our isolated township, by a lot of people who have worked damn hard over the years, to achieve this objective. One more project to go!
I posed the question in opening – has Pioneer Bay been re-invented, or is it a culmination of people just working damn hard? The roads have certainly made it pretty. But when it all comes down to it, our community story is one of resilience and sheer determination to create social opportunities in our isolated township, by a lot of people who have worked damn hard over the years, to achieve this objective. One more project to go!
38 degree heat failed to dampen spirits at last year’s Pioneer Bay Aussie Day Bash.