Aspendale

Gardens News
Spring
The Official Newsletter of AGRA,
2014 Aspendale Gardens Residents Association
Distributed quarterly to over 2300 homes in Aspendale Gardens www agrainc.org.au

5000 Trees Planted in

Aspendale Gardens

Mordialloc Bypass
Construction Announced

Local MP Lorraine Wreford and Coalition State

Government have committed to building stage one
of the Mordialloc Bypass (also known as the MPFE)
starting in 2016, should they be re-elected.

This is very big news for Aspendale Gardens. Our

unique geography means that Wells Rd is a
bottleneck for massive volumes of peninsula-city
traffic during peak hour.

AGRA community surveys have consistently shown

traffic safety issues are a very real problem that our
residents experience.

AGRA has campaigned for all major parties to commit

to extending the Mornington Peninsula Freeway. The
upcoming state election will determine whether or
not the freeway extension goes ahead in the next
term.

In this issue, we review what was achieved locally by

our MPs this time around.

We also ask the known election candidates (as of 30th
October) questions on key issues from our resident
surveys. Two candidates were game enough to
respond. Weve published their answers, unedited.
Check it out. Ed.

What happens when council gets together with

Melbourne Water, community and volunteer groups?
Just add seedlings, sunny afternoons and a sausage
sizzle, and watch Aspendale Gardens Southern
Reserve start to transform into a River Red Gum
forest.

In this issue, Tony Collins from City of Kingston tells

us his secret to the task of transforming the reserve.

Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 1

Presidents Report

Editors Bit

We sometimes get asked who are AGRA? and
what do we do for the community?. Both are fair
questions, so heres a primer.

AGRA started as a residents association over 20 years

ago when Aspendale Gardens was mostly empty
paddocks and a scattering of houses. The residents
came together to campaign for all the things that a
growing suburb needs.

Photo: Tony Firman (AGRA President) getting his hands dirty

Welcome to the 2014 Spring edition of Aspendale

Gardens News. After more than 20 years service as
President of Aspendale Gardens Residents
Association, Ken Carney has elected not to continue
his role on AGRA in order to spend more time with
his family.

Im sure everyone in the community would join with

me in thanking Ken for his many years of dedication
to AGRA and the outstanding achievements that he
and the AGRA Committee have been a part of over
many years. The facilities we all take for granted in
and around Aspendale Gardens might not have
happened without determined people like him.

As incoming President I am pleased to be able to

continue the great work and you will see a revitalised
AGRA. A new look is only part of what you will notice
as being different about AGRA.

AGRA is your residents association. Please take the
time to contact us when you have an issue. We will
help wherever we can. If youd like to be more
directly involved we welcome any resident who
would like to help out.

Kind regards, Tony Firman, AGRA President

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/agra3195
Email:
agrasecretary@gmail.com
Web:
www.agrainc.org.au

Todays AGRA is a non-party-political, grassroots

residents association. We work with our community,
council and MPs on both sides to make Aspendale
Gardens a great place to live. We strive to be
practical. We campaign to solve local issues such as
internet access, postal services, bike paths, sporting
facilities and traffic. We hold a community festival.
We plant trees. Our success or failure depends on
how well we work with our councillors and MPs, and
how well they compete for project funding on our
behalf.

So now you know what makes us tick. If you have any

photos from the early Aspendale Gardens days, wed
love to see them. Post them up on our Facebook
page!

Cheers, Andy Bearsley, AGRA VP and Editor

Your AGRA Committee

Tony Firman

President, Chairperson
Advertising
Andrew Bearsley
Vice President, Editor
John Zeccola
Treasurer
Mark Bruce
Assistant Treasurer
Helen Smithwick
Minute Secretary
Barbara Hasseloff
Deputy Minute Secretary
Serge Yan, Adam Bedikian, Henry Warren, Reny
Frighetto, Cameron Davies
AGRA meets on the last Tuesday of the month
except December. All welcome. 7:30pm at the
Aspendale Gardens Community Centre.

Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 2

Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 3

Progress on Mordialloc Bypass

been waiting for this project for a long time. It will

take enormous pressure off Wells Road and get
trucks off local and suburban streets and thats a
great outcome for families, Ms Wreford said.

Photo: Donna Bauer, Paul Peulich, Dennis Napthine, Lorraine Wreford

On 12 November 2014, Premier Dr Dennis Napthine

committed the Coalition Government to building
stage one of the Mordialloc Bypass starting in 2016,
should they be re-elected.

More than 50,000 vehicles a day cross the end of

the Mornington Peninsula Freeway at Springvale
Road, clogging suburban streets and contributing to
traffic queues on Wells Road which can exceed 280
metres in peak times. Investigations carried out to
date show that a Mordialloc Bypass is the best option
to reduce congestion on surrounding roads and
improve liveability for locals, Dr Napthine said.

Lorraine Wreford MP welcomed the announcement.

I have lobbied my colleagues to commit to this
project on behalf of my community, and Im
delighted with this announcement. I know that
residents and businesses in the Mordialloc area have

The $200 million first stage of the Mordialloc Bypass

will include:

Approx. 4.5 kilometres of new six-lane roadway

(three lanes each way) from Springvale Road in
Aspendale Gardens to Lower Dandenong Road in
Braeside;
upgrade of at-grade signalised intersection at
Springvale Road;
two new traffic signalised intersections at
Governor Road and Lower Dandenong Road;
access at Park Way Braeside;
grade separated road crossing over Mordialloc
Creek and Bowen Parkway; and
at-grade walking and cycling path.
In the 2014-15 State Budget, $10.6 million was
allocated towards the planning and preconstruction
of the Mordialloc Bypass, for special consideration of
the wetland areas.

Subject to planning and environmental approvals,
early works on the Mordialloc Bypass will commence
in 2016.

AGRA comments: We desperately need this bypass

to be built. The position of major parties is starkly
different.

The Greens did not
respond to the AGRA
questionnaire, however
at the last election in
2010 their response
stated: The Greens do
not support these road
projects.

Labor has currently not
committed to the
project.

The Liberal party is the
only party to commit to
the bypass.

Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 4

How did our

State MPs perform?

Our political institutions

work remarkably well.
They are designed to
clang against each other.
The noise is democracy at work
~Michael Novak

The Victorian state election is coming up on

Saturday 29 November 2014.

The redrawing of state electorate boundaries in 2014

moves us from Carrum, represented by Donna Bauer
MP, into the seat of Mordialloc, represented by
Lorraine Wreford MP. Both seats are recently Liberal
and narrowly held.

AGRA would like to thank both Donna Bauer MP and

Lorraine Wreford MP for their service to our
community in the past term. Putting politics aside,
both MPs have proven to be accessible and tenacious
when it comes to listening and helping us deal with
organisations like Telstra, Australia Post and
VicRoads.

In AGRA, were keenly interested in local projects

that affect real life in our community. We look back
at what our MPs have achieved with local projects in
the past four years.

(Ed. Im sure weve missed some, but the following list

provides a reasonable idea of what was achieved
locally).

Local things that got done

ADSL Upgrade in Aspendale Gardens
50 additional ADSL ports. It sounds small but it makes
a world of difference for families with school age
children who were stuck without decent internet A
great example of working with council, AGRA and
Telstra.

Parkdale Secondary College facilities

The new school gymnasium and theatre is amazing.
At 4pm every school day, the community centre
takes over the facility for basketball and theatre. Its
become a real community hub and hive of activity,
and is open until 10pm each night.

Funding for Aspendale Gardens PS classrooms

$1.2M budgeted for classroom upgrades.

Mordialloc Bypass (MPFE):

1. Retain reservations
Retained.

2. VicRoads Feasibility of Mordialloc Bypass,
Completed. The Mordialloc Bypass was found by
VicRoads to be feasible. Summary of study can be
downloaded from the VicRoads website.

3. Mordialloc Bypass back on Vic Transport Plan
Traffic is the number one issue in this community.
The Mordialloc Bypass will alleviate traffic on Wells
Rd, White Street and Nepean Highway. VicRoads
have concluded a feasibility study into transport
needs in and surrounding the Mordialloc Bypass area,
including Aspendale Gardens. They report the
building of the Bypass is feasible. The summary of the
study outcomes can be found on the VicRoads
website.

On this topic, Lorraine says: Ive fought hard for this.

Addressing traffic issues is what the community has
asked me to do. Im representing them, thats my
job.

Commence construction of the Dingley Bypass

Construction has started for the Kingston leg of the
Dingley Bypass, and a prerequisite for the Mordialloc
Bypass. Were expecting this will be complete in
2016.

Red light and speed camera on Wells Rd
Done. Were all driving more carefully along Wells
Road now, as are the late night racers.

Mordialloc creek dredging

10,000 cubic metres of silt was removed. It helps the
recreational boaters to use the creek safely and
improves the flow and local environment.


Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 5


Edithvale Recreation Reserve (Edithvale Rd)
Grant promised for recycled water on the grounds.

Commence Mordialloc Life Saving Club Upgrade
Funding and planning is done, construction is about
to start. The life saving club needs a new home, and
State Government and Kingston Council teamed up
to provide them with new digs.

PSOs on Aspendale and Mordialloc stations
The train stations are now a safer place at night. We
take it for granted, however four years ago people
were worried about using
trains at night, especially on
the Frankston line. PSOs
keep passengers safe, and
the police are freed up to
focus on policing.

Improve Train punctuality
Punctuality improved by
29%, now consistently over
90%.

Station and line rail
upgrade at Aspendale and
Mordialloc stations
Increased
lighting,
repainting, refurbishment,
new seating, new markings.
Still to come: extra shelters.
A lot of what was spent you
cant see its in the
signaling. The best thing is
now you dont need a
timetable you go down
and the train comes every
10 minutes.

More Postal Services in
Aspendale Gardens
Petition done. Australia
Post Point started.

Edithvale Childrens Hub
State gov partnered with
Kingston Council on this
initiative. The hub will open
around Feb 2015. Its
modern, convenient and
will have maternal and child
services, kindergarten and
daycare all in one place.

There is of course always more to do the Mordialloc

Bypass needs to happen.

To keep up with the latest news in
Aspendale Gardens go to
www.facebook.com/agra3195

Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 6

Things that still need doing

Aside from the Mordialloc Bypass, there are a
number of issues that need doing on AGRAs list.
There are some issues outstanding at the council
level which require support from a state level (eg.
with Melbourne Water) to keep the pressure on. For
example:

Traffic signals at Boundary Rd and Governor Rd
intersection. This is recognised as an issue with
VicRoads that needs to be addressed, and is now
on the VicRoads required works list. This does not
mean that it is funded or timed, though.
Duplication of Governor Rd
Traffic lights between Burdekin Parade and
Braeside Park. Council is in negotiation with the
developer to undertake the work on their behalf.
The developer is to fund these works.
Advancing Chain of Parks concept in South East.
This still needs attention. We believe that funding
needs to be provided to buy and remediate land
as it becomes available when the current licenses
for the rubbish tips expire.
Screening of Mordialloc Creek Industrial
Development between Waterways and Wells
Road Bridge. This needs renewed focus and
coordination with council and Melbourne Water.

We live in Waterways and Auroras mum still lives in

Aspendale Gardens.

Why this business? Sam: They called me Dr Sam at
school and I always wanted to be a doctor, however
missed out by a few marks. Maybe it was meant to
be.

I have worked in My Chemist outlets in Aspendale
Gardens, Keysborough, Mt Waverley and Glen
Waverley.

How long is your week? I work 50-80 hours a week.

Crazy! I take off every Sunday, its family day.

Why should people support local business? Sam:

Because the quality of personal service will
disappear. Like anything in life, you dont miss it until
its gone.

What is your favorite place to holiday? Sam:

Anywhere away from the norm. Queensland,
Broadbeach tends to be our favorite. I love to be on
the beach, near water, Mountain bike riding and
spending time with friends.

Sams tip: Always know when your body gets run

down or exhausted prevention is the best
medicine.

Get to Know Your Neighbours

Our local traders in the Aspendale Gardens Shopping
Centre are the heart of our community. Nathan
Arrowsmith from Ray White Mordialloc finds out
what they love and what makes them tick.

Meet Sam and Aurora Bassaly, owners of My

Chemist at AG Shopping Centre.

Sam met his sweetheart Aurora at a Pharmacy in
Clayton over 20 years ago while looking for work.
Aurora was the Manager, Sam got the job and the
rest is history.

Sam and Aurora have four children, three currently
work in the business.

What do you love about Aspendale Gardens? Sam:

Its just a lovely community and a country-town feel.

Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 7

Victorian State Election

Candidate Q&A
Before every election, AGRA tries to identify key
issues from our resident surveys and prepare a
questionnaire for all known candidates. Each
candidate is given an equal opportunity to consider
those needs and respond. Our objective is to inform
all candidates of the issues, and share responses with
the community.

AGRA distributed the questionnaire to all known

candidates on 30th October which included Liberal,
Labor, Greens and Independent. The Liberal and
Labor candidates responded by the deadline of 6th
November. AGRA does not edit responses what
each candidate said is what you see. The AGRA
editorial team keeps all answers to themselves and
does not pass any information onto anyone before
distribution.

We note that the Liberal announcement for the

Mordialloc Bypass came out on 12th November, so
Lorraine was unable to reference details in her
response at the time.

Question 1: The traffic along Wells Road and

surrounding streets is a constant cause of concern to
our residents. The construction of the Mornington
Freeway Extension and/or the construction of the
Boundary & Governor Road roundabout are seen as
possible solutions to this problem. What will your
Party do to alleviate traffic congestion on Wells
Road?

roundabout with signals. I wont stop lobbying until I

have a solution. Mordialloc Bypass is the preference.

The Napthine Government has plans to improve the

south-easts transport. Were making road and rail
travel faster and safer.

Tim Richardson, Labor:

Traffic congestion is an ongoing issue for our
community. Population in the City of Kingston is
expected to grow by over 10% in the coming fifteen
years. As a result we need to invest more in our road,
rail and bus infrastructure.

The extension of the Mornington Peninsula Freeway

has been road reserved for several decades. A recent
community consultation and feasibility assessment
was undertaken by VicRoads, which was supposed to
be released in November 2013. It's very disappointing
that the current Liberal government has refused to
release the full feasibility study to better inform the
community on this matter.

Labor is committed to improving our local roads and

easing congestion. As part of our Project 10,000 Plan,
Labor will invest $1 billion for suburban roads. If I
were fortunate to represent our community after the
election, I would work with our community to
address these traffic challenges.

Aspendale
Gardens

Lorraine Wreford MP, Liberal:

Only the Napthine Government is committed to the
Mordialloc Bypass (Mornington Peninsula Freeway
extension).

News & Lotto

Last election we promised a feasibility study, which

we completed. Following that, we included $10.6m in
the 2014/15 budget to plan and prepare for the
bypass. Preparations are underway.

Im lobbying hard, extremely hard, for our election

commitments to include the construction of this vital
link.

Gifts, Toys & Stationery

Now with Stamps

Parcel Post & Express Post
Satchels & Envelopes

Its a stark comparison to Labor. In 1999, Labor

promised to complete the extension within ten years.
In eleven years, they never committed funds to it.
They still arent committed to it.

Further, Ive also had discussions with VicRoads and

the Minister about duplicating Governor Road and
replacing the Governor Road - Boundary Road
Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 8

Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 9


Question 2: Local natural entities like Port Phillip
Bay, Edithvale Wetlands, Yammerbook Reserve and
the Green Wedge are important local environmental
resources. What is your Partys policy to protect and
maintain these environmental resources?

Lorraine Wreford MP, Liberal:

Edithvale Wetlands, Yammerbook Reserve, Green
Wedge, Bay and Braeside Park are big reasons
Kingstons a fantastic place to live.

Premier Napthine recently announced a $65m Better

Bay Plan, including Bay trail extensions, more bins,
extending Mordialloc Pier, buying-back commercial
fishing licenses, and more. A significant program.

Labor havent matched, but their Bay West shipping

promise requires extensive Bay blasting so bigger
ships can reach port. Itll forever change tides, erode
beaches and destroy marine life.

Question 3: AGRA has over a period of time

requested that Australia Post issue a licence to open
a Post Office to a retailer in the shopping centre. It is
seen as an essential service for our area, (Parcel
Post, paying bills over the counter, passportsetc)
especially as Australia Post seem to be closing down
nearby post offices like Braeside. Even though it is a
Federal issue, what will your Party do to assist in
obtaining this post office licence for our local
shopping Centre?

Lorraine Wreford MP, Liberal

As readers know, I fully support a Post Office in
Aspendale Gardens. Ive been working hard with
Australia Post and AGRA, with some success to bring

Ive helped attain many grants for local park groups,

and offered other support. Recently, Minister Walsh
and I announced another $20,000 for Yammerbook
Reserve and creek plantings. I passionately support
our local environment.

Im a Friends of Edithvale Seaford Wetlands, and

Kingston Conservation & Environment Coalition
member.

The Green Wedge should be healthier with a chain of

parks and trails for the community. We should
encourage Council to end policies inspiring rubbish
dumps to proliferate.

Tim Richardson, Labor:

Kingston boasts many environmental wonders from
our amazing beaches, to our green wedges and open
spaces, to our RAMSAR listed wetlands in Edithvale.
It's important we preserve these environmental
assets for the future. Labor will always promote the
health and wellbeing of our local environment and I
am keen to work with our local community to protect
these treasures.

Labor has announced that we will lock down the

boundaries of Melbourne's green wedges, ending
incursions into our open landscapes. Green wedge
boundaries will be preserved for the life of a Labor
Government, providing certainty to the community
and preventing inappropriate development from
deteriorating the areas. I'm also eager to see the
establishment of Kingston's "Chain of Parks" to
promote more open space.

I would also like to acknowledge the work that

Aspendale Gardens residents undertake to protect
and promote the Yammerbook Reserve, which
continues to flourish and improve each year.
Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 10


it to fruition.

The 2400 name petition AGRA and I put together

helped.

Whilst others say there is no chance well get any

postal services or its a Federal issue, Ive proven
them wrong by getting a commitment to an increase
in services.

Whilst it is not easy, Aspendale Gardens will soon

have an official Post Point as a first step. Parcel
collection lockers are coming too. From there we will
see other services come on board.

By this time next year, Australia Post will have

enough data to accurately assess the viability of a
Post Office, so use these services.

Whilst Australia Post is facing very challenging times,

and are generally not expanding services, weve
managed to buck the trend.

Tim Richardson, Labor

The Aspendale Gardens Residents Association is
correct that the provision of a Post Office for any
region is a federal matter and a decision of Australia
Post. We have seen in the last year that Australia
Post continues to reduce its postal services with the
recent decision to close the Braeside Post Office.

The provision of a post office in Aspendale Gardens

goes back to the early 2000s and commenced with a
community campaign, which involved the former
member for Isaacs, Ann Corcoran. This campaign has
continued with Mark Dreyfus making several
representations and meeting with Australia Post to
put forward the need for a post office in Aspendale
Gardens.

Its hard to choose one thing, because Im working on

several things for the community already.

Were upgrading Aspendale Gardens Primary

($1.2m), weve provided the kinder funds recently,
Ive helped secure more ADSL services, Im fighting
for the Mordialloc Bypass, reviewing youth facilities,
and improving postal services.

However, the one thing to most improve life in

Aspendale Gardens is the Mordialloc Bypass. It will
make travelling to and from Aspendale Gardens
quicker, decongest local roads, and make them safer.

The Napthine Governments good management

means weve made record investments in health,
education, infrastructure and Kingston. Only the
Napthine Government can actually deliver the
Mordialloc Bypass. Despite what Labor says, they
cannot be trusted to manage the economy and
deliver the projects and services you need.

Tim Richardson, Labor

There are several things that I would strive to
improve in Aspendale Gardens and the Kingston
community, including schools and TAFE funding,
better funding for hospitals and our paramedics and
addressing our jobs crisis, which sees 46 people lose
their jobs each day in Victoria.

However, a major issue raised by Aspendale Gardens

residents is public transport. A recent major concern
has been the Liberals decision to remove Richmond
and Flinders Street train station from the Frankston
train line. Labor will oppose this decision and ensure
the Frankston train line runs services to these
stations.

Despite the current challenges

and the reduction in Australia
Post business across Victoria, I
would strongly advocate on
behalf of Aspendale Gardens
residents for the provision of a
stand-alone post office.
Question 4: As our elected
state member, what is the one
thing you will improve in
Aspendale Gardens?

Lorraine Wreford MP, Liberal
Aspendale Gardens is a great
place to live!

Ill continue working hard to

keep it that way, and together
we can make it even better.

Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 11


Labor will also remove 50 dangerous railway level
crossings, including Edithvale Road and build the
Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel, which will double the
size of the city loop. Finally, I want to improve bus
services through Aspendale Gardens and streamline
timetabling to ensure buses link better with
connecting train services.

AGRA thanks both Lorraine Wreford and Tim
Richardson for responding to the survey.

Want to advertise your
local business here? Email
agraadvertising@gmail.com

Annual General Meeting

AGRA held our Annual General Meeting on 27 August

2014.

Our thanks go to visiting dignitaries including MPs
Lorraine Wreford and Inga Peulich, Mayor Paul
Peulich, Cr Tamsin Bearsley and Labor candidate Tim
Richardson.

We covered the nature of the work that AGRA have

achieved over the past 12 months, and elected the
new committee for 2014-2015.

Former President Ken Carney chose not to re-stand
and he was thanked for his outstanding contribution
over the past 22 years. Incoming president Tony
Firman was nominated and elected unopposed. More
details on AGRA website.

Photo: Paul Peulich (Mayor), Ken Carney (departing AGRA president), Lorraine Wreford (Liberal MP), Tony Firman ( AGRA President), Tim Richardson ( Labor candidate)

Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 12

Ritchies have
donated over

$43million
dollars
back into the
community!

Seniors Discount every

Tuesday and Thursday!
Spend $25 and get 4 cents
a litre fuel discount!
CB Discounts for
Community Benefit
Cardholders
Donations to your
favourite community
group!
CB Mobile/Multimedia to
get even more specials
direct to your mobile or
email.
Myer one shopping
credits
Red Rabbit - great wine
deals online!

Over 43 million dollars

donated to date over the
last 21 years!

Shop at Ritchies
Aspendale Gardens
where the
community benefits!

Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 13

Aspendale Gardens
Primary School Carnival

The Aspendale Gardens Primary School Carnival on

Sunday 16 November was once again a big hit!

The day started out with a very wet overnight soaking
(the wettest November day in 5 years), but by
midday it cleared up and was all blue skies, sunshine,
excited kids and relieved volunteers!

It was a great chance for the community to get
together and celebrate our community spirit. To
everyone who put in the hard yards to bring the
event together: well done!

Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 14

Aspendale Gardens
Sportsground

City of Kingston have commenced the final stages of
the Aspendale Gardens Sportsground surrounds.

The Kerr Crescent Reserve has been planted and
mulched.
30 new trees added to replace poor existing ones
Existing trees trimmed and shaped
New rubbish bin installed
Water fountain installed
New BBQ shelter with two tables and chairs

Two outdoor bench seats

Increased mowing surrounding the sportsground
The sportsground is now in full use for the summer
cricket season.

To sports teams and community groups, if youd like
to book the grounds out, the CoK team would love to
hear from you. Contact them on 1300 653 356.

To everyone from City of Kingston who made this

possible, including Tim Ford and the City of Kingston
Parks and Gardens team: we are truly appreciative
that you have crafted the vision into a reality.

From all of AGRA: our thanks on a great job.

Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 15

Aspendale Gardens
New Forest

Tony Collins from City of Kingston came to an AGRA

meeting and gave us an update on the tree plantings
in Aspendale Gardens Southern Reserve (also known
less romantically as the secondary drain).

Its a huge task, however the City of Kingston prides

themselves on working closely with community and
school groups, which is what they did for these
plantings. Community involvement is their secret
sauce that makes the project scalable.

The site of these plantings is part of the Long Beach

Trail corridor, an important link between
Yammerbook Reserve and the RAMSAR-recognised
Edithvale Wetlands.

The site is a heavily used pedestrian and cycling

corridor. It features as a part of the Living Links
project in Melbournes south-east involving Councils,
Government agencies and community groups
working together. It aims to improve the connections
between the many parks, reserves, open spaces,
coasts, beaches, pathways, rivers, creeks and
wetlands in Melbournes south-eastern suburbs and
to make this area a world-class urban ecosystem.

Melbourne Water provided the trees, and City of

Kingston made the events happen. Approximately
5000 trees were planted with 300 people involved. St
Louis De Montfort and Aspendale Gardens Primary
Schools had school planting days. Volunteers came
from all around Melbourne.

Overheard from a local: This is one of those things

that helps restore my faith in humanity!

Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 16

Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 17

Remote Control Sailing

in Waterways

Ever wanted to learn how to sail, without getting
wet?

Maybe youre a seasoned sailor who would like to

brush up on racing skills and tactics or perhaps
youre a first timer, with a sense of fun!

Why not try remote control sailing? It has organised

events held locally at Waterways, Sandhurst and the
Patterson Lakes National Water Sports Center. The
Patterson Lakes Radio Model Yacht Club has a very
active club which conducts sailing on Tuesday
afternoons and Sundays, with special events such as
State and National Titles held throughout the year.

New members and sailors of all levels are always

welcome to join in, with plenty of helpful hints and
tips provided along the way.

Boats sailed at the club range from self made yachts
(approx $500) to the latest and greatest designs
(approx $5000) with the main classes being Micro
Magics, RG/Dragonforce, Laser and International One
Meter yachts.

Social racing is generally held on Sundays at

Waterways next to the Nest Cafe from the jetty,
generally from 1 pm - 4 pm.

The aim is to have a minimum of 10 races per day,

with a 1 minute start count down. Finish placing are
scored and recorded for for each series held which
consist of up to 6 race days. Both scratch racing and
handicap series events are completed to give
everyone a fair chance of winning a series. Prizes for
club members are award at the end of year
presentation night.

So if youre interested in giving it a go ... next time

youre walking past the group of sailors on Sunday
afternoon at Waterways jetty, say hello and they can
arrange the club boat for you to try out.

A club Micro Magic is available for new comers to try

their hand at sailing, however it can be trickier than it
looks to keep the boat sailing fast and in the right
direction!

Also worthwhile checking out is the web site

www.plrmyc.com for up to date information on local
events, contact information, race results and sailing
calendar race days.


Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 18

Real estate agent

goes purple
and solves local mystery

If youre a local in Aspendale Gardens, you might

have seen a lot of purple recently. You also might
have been wondering about those I heart Aspendale
Gardens stickers that mysteriously appeared
throughout the suburb two or three years ago.

The local real estate agency in the Aspendale

Gardens Shopping Centre has launched their own
brand: iSell, complete with purple cars, purple
balloons, purple flags and purple pointer boards. Its
all a bit hard to miss.

Michael Choi, Co-Founder, explains: Weve been

working on the brand for three years. We wanted to
be different, and completely stand out from the
crowd. Were big on innovation.

That said, were a small local business, and weve

been a part of the Aspendale Gardens community for
11 years. We try to do as much as we can. If you see
us around, come and say hi were human!

Michael is especially proud of his teams

auctioneering skills, having represented Australia in a
number of competitions.

If you attend local events in Aspendale Gardens, such

as the Primary School Carnival, Tree Planting days,
Community Film Night or Glow Disco, its likely that
Michael Choi and team will be a part of it.

One things for sure theyre no shrinking violets.

Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 19

Aspendale Gardens News, Spring 2014 Page 20