How to help our wildlife corridors and drains

‍ ‍Nature strips

‍The Friends of Shoreham Bushland working group has made huge advances on regenerating wildlife habitat along our roadside reserves, most recently on Byrnes Road and Prout Webb Road.

Volunteers have cleared away invasive weeds in targeted sections and started replacing them with native tube stock.

A Mornington Peninsula Shire (MPS) grant has let the SCA contract a company to remove the toughest of the offending plants.

But there’s more to be done around the village and the group needs your help.

First and foremost, please look after the nature strip in front of your property. Yes, it belongs to the Shire but in reality, you are the only one who can maintain a sustained attack on invasive weeds there.

The MPS website has a terrific list of environmental and noxious weeds to help you.  In Shoreham the most egregious are agapanthus, polygala, ivy and pittosporum.

Many people love agapanthus for the colour they add to a garden in summer, but it is not a welcome plant as it spreads into the bushland. Please remove dead flower heads as the seeds in them spread and as they are a visual eyesore.

Kate Skvor at the Shoreham nursery can help with advice on what to plant once you have got rid of the weeds.

The Friends welcome anyone interested in joining us at our working bees on the fourth Saturday each month. Especially now as we are planting at different sites over the next few months.

Contact sueboggan1@gmail.com  for information.

A drainage scheme for Shoreham

The SCA has been overseeing a drainage project for Shoreham for several years and is in regular contact with MPS officers. Currently we are looking at drainage issues in Marine Parade. Surveyors have conducted an assessment of the road and services, which is why you can see markings on the roadside.

Funding is the main issue, and we have been persistent in following up with the MPS to ensure we are not left out of the budgetary process.

If Marine Parade residents have a drainage problem, please report it to the MPS at customerservice@mornpen.vic.gov.au.  If you download the ‘Snap, send, solve’ app on your phone, you can take a photo of the problem and report it direct to the MPS.

We are aware that culvert pipes become blocked with silt. More recently this caused a problem at Howard Street. If you could keep your culvert pipe clear, water will more readily follow the drains rather than impact our local roads.

A big thanks to all for caring for the village and our community.‍