Autumn Issue – March 2013

SANDRINGHAM FORESHORE ASSOCIATION (SFA)

Founded January 2007
ABN 42947116512
A CHARITABLE NOT FOR PROFIT VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATION
SFA
PO Box 52
Sandringham 3191
E-mail: sandyforeshore@optusnet.com.au Website www.sandyforeshore.net.au

Become a member of SFA

SFA is a not-for-profit voluntary association. We encourage you to fill out the
form attached or download the form from our website to become a full
member. Please pass this email onto as many people as you like who may
share an interest in becoming a member of the SFA. Membership is free of
charge. Please write to us. We value your feedback!!

Sandringham Foreshore erosion has returned!

As expected, the Sandringham foreshore erosion has returned again this
Summer. SFA committee members have been privileged to meet with Bayside
Councillors, Council officers, head of DSE and DSE project officers to
demonstrate concerns about our beach, with the view to finding long term
environmentally sensitive solutions. Positive outcomes have resulted from our
communication and meetings. In our next newsletter issue we will update you
further on the outcomes of these meetings. Our local MP Murray Thompson
has been absolutely superb in his engagement with SFA, listening and acting on
our concerns for the foreshore environment. We are also grateful to our
Council, local Mayor Steven Hartney, and Councilors Heather Stewart,
Laurence Evans and Felicity Frederico. Also, SFA hope to soon meet with the
Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Ryan Smith. Vicki Karalis met the
Minister earlier this year at the 'Summer by the Sea 2013' program (see below
for more details), and found the Minister to be down to earth, caring and well
informed about our local environment. We are therefore confident to achieve
some real outcomes when next meeting with Minister Smith.
The Sandringham foreshore - photos taken by John Amiet over the summer
period and in recent times:

Photo from top of Red Bluff demonstrating “saw-tooth” appearance of the

Sandringham foreshore due to sand shifting north with prevailing southerly
winds that occur seasonally, especially from January until March every year.

Note the groyne effect: north of both groynes there is hardly any sand, as all
the sand is built up south of both groynes. The Royal Ave groyne is located
south (the bottom one in photo above) of the Southey St groyne. The Royal
Ave groyne was constructed in 1990 and the Southey St groyne was
constructed in 2007 to protect the Royal Ave beach and cliffs from eroding.
The areas of beach that are depleted of sand (north of groynes) offer little
protection for our cliffs and dunes from wave action, especially at times of
storms and large waves. This is called Terminal Groyne Syndrome. It is a well
known adverse phenomenon due to hard structures interfering with sand
movement e.g. rock groynes. [Ref Wikipedia]

The good news is that the upper parts of the Royal Ave cliffs have stabilised.
We believe this has happened due to restoration of the Royal Ave car-park by
Council several years ago causing less run off and seepage of water through
the cliffs, and resulting in reduction of upper cliff erosion. Council should be
commended for their efforts in achieving this outcome.

Here is a close-up of parts of Royal Ave beach recently:

Note north of Royal Ave groyne, wave action onto cliffs 20th February 2013.
Further south of Royal Ave groyne. Note destruction of fencing and loss of
vegetation from wave action 3rd March 2013.

View of Royal Ave beach looking north towards Southey St groyne:

Note the sand bank demonstrating the high tide mark, and zone of damage
to the fences at the base of the Royal Ave cliff further north of the Royal Ave
groyne.
Note the Royal Ave beach experienced similar problems at the same time last
year, reminding us this is a seasonal problem that will occur every summer:

Note the Terminal Groyne syndrome effect: sand is banked north of the
Southey St groyne causing depletion of sand south of the groyne - as seen in
the picture above.
Bayside City Council
SFA value our relationship with Bayside City Council who meet with us on a
regular basis to raise any concerns about our local beaches, and to discuss
areas that require attention. If you have any concerns, feel free to write to us:
sandyforeshore@optusnet.com.au

Draft Bayside Coastal Management Plan 2012/13

Sandringham Foreshore Association thanks Bayside City Council for early
consultation with the community in developing the draft Bayside Coastal
Management Plan 2012/13. Committee members of SFA attended all of the
workshops which were well attended by a number of passionate and
enthusiastic locals with an interest in management of the coast.
The draft CMP will be produced and, once endorsed by Council, will go out for
consultation prior to it being adopted. Completed is expected in June 2013.

BAYSIDE CITY COUNCIL - new bicycle strategy

Community Workshop - Wednesday 13th March 6.30-8.30 pm
Bayside City Council is running a Community Workshop to assist them in the development
of a new bicycle strategy for Bayside. Registration is essential
at www.bayside.vic.gov.au/bicyclestrategy .
Wednesday 13th March 6.30-8.30 pm
Bayside City Council Corporate Centre, 76 Royal Avenue, Sandringham

“Summer by the Sea 2013” by DSE and Bayside City Council

The "Summer by the Sea" program was launched at Ricketts Point by our
Minister for Environment Ryan Smith, DSE, Council and Ray Lewis, former
President of Marine Care Sanctuary. The event was a huge success with over
300 activities occurring along our beaches.

The SFA were excited to be involved again. Vicki Karalis conducted a

presentation and guided tour with the help of Ray Lewis and Jenny Talbot of
the Friends of Bayside Brighton Dunes. The talk was about Bayside’s changing
dunes, the summer/winter beaches, fossil discoveries, impacts of climate
change and coastal processes. It was well attended by over 80 people.

Here are photos of the Summer by The Sea 2013 event:

https://m.facebook.com/summerbythesea?id=162865200401942&refsrc=http
%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsummerbythesea&_rdr
Jenny Talbot leading the walk along the Brighton dunes

Vicki talking about fossils and rock geology

Jet skis

Murray Thompson MP Member for Sandringham

The SFA would like to praise recent efforts by local MP Murray Thompson to
ensure funding is available for clear signage delineating boating and swimming
zones, in an effort to mitigate potential danger to swimmers caused by the
presence of Jet Skis. Extract from Media Release on 24th January 2013:

$600,000 to improve boating and swimming zones

Member for Sandringham Murray Thompson and Minister for Ports

Denis Napthine visited Black Rock today to announce $600,000 in
funding to clearly define boating and swimming zones between
Elwood & Mt Martha.

“The funding provides for new regulatory and advisory signage on

the shore and new aids for navigation such as piles or buoys in the
water at locations from Elwood to Mount Martha.”

“Parks Victoria consulted widely during their extensive review of

water use, swimming and boating patterns within our bays. This
funding will enable the practical and effective implementation of the
new zones with easy to understand signage and navigational aids,”
Dr Napthine said.
Member's corner:
Retirees
Let your voice be heard GUEST SPEAKERS
Mr Michael Heffernan
OPEN FORUM Economist, Stockbroker,
Monday, 22 April Financial Analyst & Well
9.45am - 12 Noon known TV Presenter
Mr Jim Andersen
London Tavern
Financial Information Services
- 1st Floor, 414 Hawthorn Rd, Caulfield South Officer from Department of
Human Services, Centrelink,
To register, phone or email: Cheltenham
Peter: 0412 011 281
Denise: 0403 392 607
Email: oztoller@bigpond.com
Gold Coin Entry Fee

BCAG event:
Guest Speaker Sharyn Munro
"How Coal is Killing Australia" - Tuesday 26th March
Sharyn will talk about the devastation of coal and coal seam gas that
she exposed while researching her book Rich Land Wasteland. Books for sale
on the night. For more info see www.bccag.org.au Gold coin entry. Please
RSVP at bccagsecretary@bccag.org.au
Tuesday 26th March at 7.30
Sandringham Uniting Church, 21 Trentham St, Sandringham

Guest Speaker - Mark Bytheway

Ethical and Sustainable Investing - Tuesday 30th April
Mark, CEO of the Sustainable Investment Research Institute, will enlighten us
on how environmental, social and governance issues may influence how we
might make decisions on our investments. Do you know where your money is
invested, either directly as shareholders or indirectly through superannuation
funds? Learn more!
Tuesday 30th April at 7.30
Sandringham Uniting Church Hall, 21 Trentahm St, Sandringham
HM7 Submarine at the Sandringham Yacht club

HMS J7 (later HMAS J7) is a submarine built for the Royal Navy and launched
on 12 February 1917. She was transferred to Australia on 25 March 1919. J7
was sold on 26 February 1924 and her hulk scuttled on 4 June 1926. Her wreck
sits at the bottom of the mini harbour of the Sandringham yacht club.
[Source Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_J7#cite_note-tall-2]
Sandringham Foreshore Association profile of a local
Bayside citizen: Dr Sally Cockburn

Dr Sally Cockburn is a lifelong Bayside resident, GP and Health Advocate. She

is well known in the media, as host of 3AW’s Talking Health, on TV and as Dr
Feelgood. She sits on the People and Parks Foundation board and has been
involved with “Healthy Parks Healthy People” for over a decade.

We are privileged to benefit from her passion and ongoing service to the
community! As you will see it runs deep - generations before Sally, her
maternal grandfather and father dedicated much of their time to our
community and attended to the needs of our Bayside foreshore. Sally
provides us with a brief snippet of her family history in relation to the
foreshore. SFA thanks Sally, her father David Cockburn and grandfather AD
Mackenzie for all their great work to the benefit of our beaches and society.
Below, Sally shares the story of her family. You will find very little has
changed in our thinking and concerns for the foreshore over time. It's
wonderful to have Sally taking on her father's and grandfather's legacy.

"You know the old saying about some things being “in your blood” well, I never
realised just how much foreshore erosion I had in my blood, so to speak, until
recently. My grandfather, Aubrey (AD) Mackenzie was a civil engineer who
was, amongst his many public positions, Chair of the Foreshore Erosion
Committee in the 1930s . Far from foreshore erosion being a recent issue of
our enlightened generation a quick scan of old newspapers via National Library
of Australia’s online TROVE digitised newspaper service reveals the tussle for
funding has been a prominent issue in the media since about 1929.

AD MACKENZIE in hatch of his boat TamO Shanter

AD died when I was 5 and I have little memory of him but I sometimes feel his
influence. Evidently he was the sort of bloke who didn’t have much
conversation for kids but I have an overwhelming feeling that while teaching
me to dunk teddy bear biscuits he was also informing me about community
issues and how to deal with government bureaucracy. I probably nodded with
wide eyes as this was implanting deep in my psyche.
I inherited a box of AD’s treasured items and in it is a magnificent scrap book
full of clippings about Melbourne engineering, foreshore, port and roads
issues from the 20s to 40s. However, it also contains some hand written loose
pages which seem to be drafts of a speech or paper he must have given. This
excerpt filled me with pride:

“The history of protective works in this and other countries shows that much
has yet to be learned, but it is only by shrewd observation and practical
experience, due regard to the efforts of other authorities engaged in similar
work and research work including scale hydraulic experiments, that success will
be achieved.

‘The rich heritage that has been handed down to us in the form of wonderful
sandy beaches and magnificent coastal lands, and which today provides
healthy areas which both rich and poor like may share, is well worth protecting.

It is only by an intelligent public interest in such a problem and the application

of the trained mind of the engineer that we will preserve our heritage and hand
to future generations what are precious gems in Nature’s many wonderful gifts
to mankind.”

It is dated 12th June 1939 but could have been written today.

AD Mackenzie’s signature and date on the speech note.

In 1947 there was a stark realisation that around 1Million pounds would be
needed to prevent devastating Bayside foreshore erosion. AD had worked on
the Great Ocean Rd upon his return from Gallipoli and the Western Front and
knew the all round positive effects of using unemployed men on such projects.
But the foreshore erosion project was running into problems using unskilled
labour.
Not surprisingly Councils tried to get the state to pay. However “inland
councils” balked at the idea of possibly losing a share of state revenue for
projects that didn’t affect them and opposed the State paying. Argy Bargy.
Some things don’t change!
AD was my mother’s father but it seems I have a double dose of foreshore
erosion genes, if there is such a thing as my father, David Cockburn, has also
been involved in the fight against foreshore erosion for most of his life. At 87
he is still an activist who can be found strolling with his dog, everyday, along
the cliff trails.
In the 1950s and 60s, Dad was very concerned about the undermining of Beach
Rd, possibly influenced by his father in law! This was one of his interests when
on Council in the 1960s. While today many people lament the rubbish allegedly
“dumped” on the north western face of Red Bluff Cliff if you ask Dad, who was
there at the time, he will tell you that the concrete blocks and other hard items
were not some disrespectful garbage disposal but on the contrary, thought to
be the most cost effective means of protecting the remaining bluff face from
further erosion. Incidentally the concrete used were the remnants of the old
1930s Hampton Roads which were being replaced by bitumen at the time. The
Council knew, and I certainly remember, that it would look unsightly for some
time until vegetation grew over it. But it would save the road.

David Cockburn – Mayor David Cockburn on Windsurfer

of Sandringham
It is also fascinating to walk along the beach with Dad and listen to his stories.
He firmly believes that more focus needs to be put on the run off from the top
of the cliffs and mid way seepage as well as the wave action in eroding the cliff
faces.
My overriding observation is that no matter what the cause or solution is – it’s
high time all levels of government took foreshore erosion seriously and spent
the necessary money to preserve our coast line.

My family (mum, dad, self and one of my older brother’s, Scott, at the
induction of AD Mackenzie into Sandringham Yacht Club Hall of Fame –
holding photo of AD Mackenzie)

My family has lived in Bayside for 4 generations; I receive the family baton on
this issue willingly and feel compelled to carry on the advocacy of my
ancestors. OK, let’s do it!"

Thankyou Sally,
What an amazing family -we are grateful to you and your family!!!!!
And finally, with gratitude from SFA

The SFA would sincerely like to thank John Amiet for his enormous efforts in
photographically documenting the Sandringham foreshore over many years,
and sharing his images with the SFA and relevant authorities. Images on the
SFA website, and other documented photos to date, are testament to his
tireless efforts. In retirement from the SFA, he will be missed.

We hope you have enjoyed reading the SFA summer newsletter.

Yours with kindness,

Dr Vicki Karalis,
SFA President
Assistant editor, SFA Newsletter: Helen Gibson &
SFA committee members:
Alison Horton, Vice-President
Adrienne Smith, Secretary
Craig Francis, Treasurer
Helen Gibson
Paul Hede
Laurie Evans
Ruby Campbell-Beschorner