Greenprint

Prof. Michael Buxton from Environment and Planning at R.M.I.T. University.

Remembered by many as a  Councillor with Shire of Sherbrooke from1978 to 1984, Professor Buxton spoke on the changes to Melbourne's Residential Zones and the rise in townhouse and apartment style developments across Melbourne's suburbs. 

David Rothfield, retired civil engineer and long time former local resident of The Patch, spoke on behalf of Beyond Zero Emissions, which is an Australia-based not-for-profit climate change solutions think-tank, that was founded in 2006.  His talk was titled "How do we build a post carbon future in Australia?"

The illustrated talk commenced with a diagram of the earth that is protected by an atmospheric layer, consisting of progressively diminishing thinner layers, with the major threat from carbon dioxide produced by the burning of coal.

Glenn Brooks-MacMillan is the newly appointed Facilitator for the Southern Ranges Environmental Alliance, whose domain basically runs along the Puffing Billy Corridor. It is a three-year appointment that requires two to three days’ work per week, making people aware of groups and organising funding for them.

Gordon Mitchell, October 2010

My wife and I live in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges at the gateway to the beautiful Lysterfield Valley, in the home that we created 60 years ago and where we still live.  I first became involved with the save the Dandenongs League when a group of local residents opposed the development of yet another basalt-rock quarry in that valley.  There was already a plethora of quarries in the area – one at Upper Ferntree Gully and another in Lysterfield.  With help from the Save the Dandenongs League we managed to overcome the proposed new quarry, some councillors lost their seats, and Sherbrooke Council became more environmentally friendly.

Upon joining the League, I was appointed as vice-President, the late Professor John Turner, an eminent botanist at Melbourne University was President, and the Late May Moon, a determined advocate for the conservation of the Dandenongs, was Hon. Secretary.  Other committee members that I recall were Mr. & Mrs. Peters, Peter Hiscock (later in charge of Sovereign Hill at Ballarat), Dr Willis and the Sherbrooke foresters.

We have been involved in a number of issues throughout the year 2008. However, the small number of committee members has at times limited our activities. The first two items below are wins and the second two are losses.

We have reached the fiftieth edition of our newsletter which we currently call “Greenprint”. This has grown from very humble beginnings, nearly thirty years ago, to a more substantial version that we have today. It includes articles, press releases and photographs about the Dandenongs, and feedback from our readers suggests that many people enjoy its contents. Carolyn Ebdon has now taken on the task of being editor and is doing a fine job, following in the footsteps of Betty Hotchin who enhanced the publication with her own distinctive style.

Firstly I apologise that the League only managed to produce one newsletter   last year (No. 48).  We are hopeful that this situation may improve later this year.  We have a fairly small Committee and most of its members are still in the work-force which makes their time to help us very limited. Nevertheless we have met fairly regularly during the past year and continued to monitor Shire Council agendas, local papers, respond to letters, telephone calls, e-mails etc. and attend meetings on behalf of the League.  I wish to thank most sincerely the office-bearers and members of the Committee for their support and various contributions over the year.