FOLKC Book

COMMUNITY
INDUSTRY
• Toyota Community Liaison Committee 2004 – 2012
• Mobil Community Liaison Committee 2004 – 2016
• Monsanto Community Liaison Committee 2002 – 2003
• CRT Group/Habitat Trust + Barnes Road Bridge
Construction Committee 2000 – 2002
Mobil Planting Day with FOLKC, 2004
Over the years, I have represented FOLKC on the Mobil, Toyota and Monsanto
Community Liaison Committees. I was also involved with the CRT Group in solving
its transport congestion and access problems, which resulted in the building of the $4.5
million Barnes Road Bridge over Kororoit Creek, incorporating a section of the future
shared trail upon the bridge’s structure.
As well, I have been involved with the Altona Memorial Park, CRT Group, Altona
North Landfill & Toll Group in managing their land issues. This involvement directly
resulted in Toll Holdings and Altona North Landfill returning their full requirements of
‘Public Park & Recreation’ zoned land to HBCC for community use. FOLKC has also
requested CRT Group and Mobil Altona Refinery to consider donating the sections
of their land which has been designated by the State Government for community use.
While some matters remain unresolved, it is fair to say that FOLKC has over the years
successfully promoted to these industries the need for them to assist in Kororoit Creek’s
local green corridor development, and has successfully achieved co-operation and
support from all of them.
Enviro Friends of Hobsons Bay: Around 2004, ‘Friends of Greenwich Bay’ President,
Annie Link, and I met with several Hobsons Bay ‘Friends’ groups to discuss the fact
that each of our organisations wrestled with similar issues while undertaking our
environmental activities. Because of these discussions, we decided that forming one
umbrella organisation would streamline our activities and mean that our issues could
be tackled and resolved at a single meeting with government bodies, rather than each
group having to resolve these problems in prolonged isolation. The ‘Enviro Friends of
Hobsons Bay (EFHB)’ was formed and, over the next few years, this joint activism
saw many issues resolved and several grants secured which enabled equipment to be
bought for the ‘Toyota Tool Trailer’ – an aid to all local ‘Friends’ groups in our planting
and maintenance activities. EFHB was chaired by Hobsons Bay City Council Ranger
Michelle Gooding and, in 2007, our group was recognised by the Port Phillip and
Westernport Catchment Management Authority as an “excellent management model”.
EFHB operated successfully until 2008, when HBCC officers decided that the group
had “outlived its usefulness”!
Among its visionary activities, EFHB presented a very successful outdoor cinema
extravaganza event that was held at the Truganina Explosives Reserve in 2005.
Films about the history of the Reserve were screened, including stories about its working
life, family populations and its unique flora and fauna. I personally produced and
directed this event, which was very generously sponsored by the ‘Toyota Community
Spirit’ program and attracted an audience of more than 200 environmental enthusiasts.
‘UNRESERVED’
production program, 2005
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