Occasional Newsletter, December 2023

For how long can we look like this?

*Aerial Photo of Lorne by Chris Farrell. Reproduced with permission*

Quite a while. But only if we adopt ways to accommodate population growth that are creative and environmentally friendly.

The Surf Coast Shire Council (SCSC) wants input by 29 December on their draft Urban Futures Strategy and their Surf Coast Planning Scheme Review. Winchelsea and Torquay are designated as growth areas in the Shire. By contrast, Lorne’s potential for growth is described as very limited (due to terrain, landscape value, and extreme fire risk) and so Lorne must stay within the settlement boundary.

Nonetheless, it is forecast that we need 60 additional dwellings by 2041.

While there are no particular proposals at present (the purpose of the draft strategy and consultation is to develop some over time), land for future housing development will have to be sourced from subdivision and from higher densities and diversity in the commercial and tourist parts of the town. Subdivision can also occur in those residential parts of the town where existing policies already allow it (subject to lot size, vegetation and other caveats).

But is that the only path forward? Or the best?

Here are some interesting statistics. The town has 1724 dwellings and 69% are usually vacant. Rather than the typical subdivide-and-build solution, we reckon that an ideal plan for Lorne would be a housing scheme which makes existing holiday homes for sale able to be purchased more easily/affordably by permanent residents (eg., key and essential workers). That way we get to keep our vegetation and low rise/low density feel. And keep our workers.

This is not pie in the sky. A Churchill Fellowship in 2018 undertaken by Samantha Evans, a Queensland based property and finance professional, looked at how shared equity schemes could become a mainstream solution to housing affordability in Australia (check it out here).

Shared equity means the property is part owned by the new homeowner and part owned by investors and/or some kind of housing entity. Such schemes are common in the UK and the US. Similar schemes are operating in high price markets like inner city Sydney, allowing key and essential workers to live near their workplace. Of necessity, the Sydney scheme applies to existing housing stock, as there’s no room to build. Find out more here.

So, the Friends of Lorne submission will ask the Shire to be more creative in addressing housing needs. They themselves say in the report that the SCSC “must look for alternatives to the current growth framework.”(Urban Futures Strategy. Background and Context Report p. 7) We’ll argue that building and subdividing is not the first obvious choice, when so many homes lie vacant throughout the year and retaining our landscape is so highly valued. But we don’t rule out new housing development to supplement supply -like for smaller units- provided these are low rise, recessive in the landscape, and do not come at the cost of excessive vegetation removal.

Meantime, we strongly encourage you to look at the reports and complete the online survey by 29 December. It’s a really busy time of year. Unfortunately, low numbers of respondents may be interpreted as low level of interest. From what you say to us each year, nothing could be further from the truth. You want affordable housing (and hence a resilient, viable Lorne) in ways that preserve our natural environment.

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Our AGM was a success.

People came. Feedback was positive. We reviewed the finances and the year’s activities. We did the necessary electing and voting on things. It was all over in half an hour. Check out the minutes here, especially to get some key updates on affordable housing, Pt Grey and the foreshore tea tree. And to see what things members are working on.

The venue was Qdos (with thanks to Graeme and Gillian). It was uplifting to spend our time somewhere beautiful. Because, let’s be frank, our AGMs at the community centre were beginning to feel like the parish council meetings on the Vicar of Dibley.

After we heard from some guest speakers (see later item) the last hour was spent mingling over drinks and nibbles. Hooray for celebrating some hard effort for the year. Thanks to all who were able to join us. We know that many members are based out-of-Lorne, so we know it’s not easy.

Safeguarding our precious water

Colin Leitch

The Allen Reservoir, Lorne’s water supply. Courtesy of Barwon Water.

Mary Lush, Anne Mason and I have been crawling around riverbanks and tossing apples into the water. We are measuring stream flow.

Why? We are on a community advisory group to Barwon Water seeking to protect and safeguard our water source and the lifeforms that depend on it, like platypus and humans.

Some of the issues that will be addressed over the next two years will be:

Should the St George River receive reservoir releases for the benefit of the downstream riverine/estuarine environment? (Barwon Water is not required to provide environmental flows but have engaged consultants to assess the need for them. The consultants will present their recommendations next year.)

Do Cora Lynn and Henderson Creeks provide significant inflow to the St George River downstream of the reservoir?
Is the Barwon Water modelling of predicted changes to rainfall/runoff and increased town needs likely to be accurate? (They are predicting a low risk of unacceptable restrictions in the relatively near future that will require either water savings or augmentation of supply.)
Are the Barwon Water rules for triggering restrictions in town tight enough? (Historically 2016 is the only year when restrictions have been imposed but when they were it was necessary to start carting water from the Geelong supply system!)
Is the Barwon Water campaign for wise water use effective in Lorne? How can the imminent roll-out of digital water meters in Lorne assist with moderating water use in the critical summer months?

Barwon Water are still seeking additional working group members, so if you would like to get to understand these core environmental/social issues, this is a great opportunity.

You can contact Barwon water here. Mary and I wrote about the work recently in the the Lorne Independent.

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Protecting Lorne’s character, one planning application at a time

Lorne has Neighbourhood Character and Design and Development Overlays to protect our significant landscape and beauty. But the fact is, when push comes to shove (ie, lodgement of a planning application to build or renovate), planning officers at the Shire have discretion. They also consider the number and nature of objections. For all kinds of reasons, neighbours may be reluctant to make a fuss. As a result, oversized, dominant-in-the-landscape buildings are being approved in Lorne.

At the conclusion of the AGM last month, we were fortunate to be joined by Charlotte Allen and Ian Laging from the Aireys Inlet and District Association (AIDA). AIDA have made it their business to review every single planning application (residential and commercial) in their area for the last 18 years, and to object if needs be. The discussion was an eye opener.

Does it take up much time? It takes about a day a week. This might sound like a lot, but not if you consider how many of us volunteer that amount of time already for organisations and activities around the Lorne. Do you have to be an architect or a planner to do it? No, but it helps. Ian is taking the main responsibility for it now in Aireys. He is an architect. But in the past, others have taken a shared responsibility who have not had this background. It means having a good template or checklist. How does it work? At AIDA, Ian checks the e-planning website at the Council each week, and does the work. Some objections are straightforward and Ian objects on behalf of the Committee. Others, he makes a recommendation and the final decision on whether to object or not is made by the AIDA Committee. How many applications per year does AIDA review and how many do they object to? In the last 12 months, there were 48 applications resulting in 12 objections being lodged by AIDA. Around one third of these objections were then withdrawn after changes made by the applicants in order to better comply. Another third of these objections were not accepted by planning officers. The rest are still under review. Yes, but isn’t this kind of nosey? Wouldn’t this make AIDA unpopular? Charlotte (AIDA president) thought that it might surprise some applicants, new to the area, to see a local organisation involved. But, in fact, the overwhelming feedback is that AIDA’s role safeguarding the planning rules is appreciated. The AIDA membership keeps growing, for example. They have almost 550 members now. We have 120. And the Council appreciates it too, especially if they have to push back at over-the-top proposals. Community values are important in local planning and AIDA is a tangible expression of those values.

Should Friends of Lorne be doing this here? If we have the capacity? It would be a big step for us and not without a downside. Please email us if you have not made your views known already (committee@friendsoflorne.org.au). We’ll keep this discussion open throughout January 2024.

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Get involved

You may have advice, expertise, time/patience, contacts, or skills that can assist. We’d welcome it. We are busy on a range of fronts like water planning, solar energy planning, citizen science, writing submissions, writing articles, figuring out housing solutions, and wrangling software and technology (that’s the hard one!). Contact: committee@friendsoflorne.org.au

NATURE NOTES Magpies

Eva Janice Youl

I am not a Magpie football club supporter, but since the team did win the AFL 2023 premiership, I thought a few notes about Australia’s favourite bird would be appropriate. The CSIRO website and the Atlas of Living Australia says that the magpie is the most spotted bird in Australian states. So, I am giving you some information from my own knowledge and not from AI.

The recent Aussie Bird Count was run by Birdlife Australia. We participated and the bird we knew would be in our count was the Australian Magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen. We have other birds in our Lorne backyard, including the Eastern Spinebill, Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris, but they weren’t always present during the 20-minute counting period. However, our family of magpies are constant and love our neighbour’s soft expansive lawn and they can hear the worms. Magpies have benefited from land-clearing and agriculture including pastures and water dams.

So, if the Australian magpie is so prevalent why are some researchers worried? Gardening Australia 2023 on ABC TV, series 34, episode 30 had a segment on magpies. You can watch on ABC iView. Associate Professor Mandy Ridley of the University of WA featured and explained that while magpies have adapted well to urban environments, it doesn’t mean they are doing well. While magpies can live up to 30 years, Dr Ridley’s students have collected data over the years from magpie groups that appears to show that the number of young surviving to breed is not looking good. In other words, the numbers are there but the population is aged. A bit like the human population here in Lorne.

There are eight subspecies of Gymnorhina tibicen all with distinctive black and white plumage. In Lorne the male magpies have a white ‘saddle’. In Northern Victoria, where I grew up, the male magpies have black backs. There are also hybrids producing varying amounts of black and white on their backs.

We know these birds and they know us. Magpies are known for their ability to recognise faces. So, they know if you are a local or a stranger. Some people think magpies are dangerous and kill other smaller birds like their relatives, the butcher birds. While they are territorial, they are not the murderous type.

Magpies have distinctive song-calls. The morning chorus is something we can all relate to. This is also one of the features mentioned by expats about what they miss about Australia. An Age newspaper article by Julie D’Orazio, August 9, 2023, said that some expats even missed the dreaded swooping season. Expat Sean Hayes is quoted as saying “I miss the sheer excitement and fear running down the street, and not knowing if you are about to be the next victim of the local nutter, a maggie.” Well Sean I wonder what you did to upset the magpies, because in my experience magpies remember if you were some naughty boy who threw stones at them or acted aggressively.

However, the swooping season is memorable and yes there have been accidents where a magpie has attacked the eyes of a human. This is why people have come up with hats, sunglasses and amazing creations attached to cycle helmets to frighten off magpies. The swooping season is usually only about 6 weeks. Magpies breed between August and October, and the females lay between three to five eggs. Some male magpies defend their nests from the time eggs are laid until the young birds are fledged. Magpies tend to nest in the same place and only swoop within 100m of their nests, so try and avoid known magpie nesting areas.

There are lots of fascinating facts about magpies and a source of insight is The Australian Magpie by Gisela Kaplan (CSIRO Publishing).

Finally, the magpie group of up to 25 magpies is often called a ‘tribe’ or ‘tidings.’ So, I wish you good tidings for this coming festive season.

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NOTE: All articles are by the Committee unless otherwise indicated. Contact us at committee@friendsoflorne.org.au