WORK on the Arthurs Seat Skylift is set to begin on 5 October, according to Parks Victoria. The sites of the upper and lower stations will be fenced off to allow for tree removal and excavation.
Parks Victoria’s Libby Jude has said the public will be notified of the works, and of alternative picnic areas, in through newspaper advertisements in coming weeks.
Ms Jude, district manager for south-east Melbourne, says school bus pick-ups and drop-offs will be relocated at Seawinds Gardens car park near the public lavatories for the construction period of up to 18 months.
This is more than a kilometre from the existing bus stop. Many parents are said to be unhappy with the location, which will mean that “kids who walk home from the bus stop will now have to traverse a lonely trail back to the summit”, according to one parent.
She said parents had not been consulted on the matter. The Seawinds location was decided after meetings between Mornington Peninsula Shire, Parks Victoria and the school bus group.
“The message is clear,” the parent said. “They may have permission to do what you want in the park, but don’t mess with our kids.”
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 15 September 2015
