I’ve done exhaustive testing – our apartment – and it seems we have the gas back on.  If you drive down Bowen Crescent you may have noticed the discreet newly located gas meter!!  MMRA have agreed to fund some  garden work to help camouflage the monstrosity.

Confirmation will come out on Monday but it seems that we will lose access to our St Kilda Rd driveway on Thursday October 5, from 9am – 4pm.

If you need to park in the Bowen Cres multi-storey park, you can claim the cost back from MMRA – see details below

As the residents of Botanica will have noticed, there is lots of work happening.  The current plan (subject to change of course) is as follows:

• Gas work next to the Bowen Cres driveway will be done this week.
  • Involves laying a concrete slab, installing a meter and cage
  • Garden will be re-instated at the end, as best it can be
  • We are likely to have a gas outage on Thursday during the day
• Comms work under footpath
  • Most of the ‘work’ should be done by the end of this week
  • Footpath re-instatement should be done by end of next week

On MONDAY Sept 4 there will be NO driveway access to lower car park on Monday between 9am and 3pm

I understand that notices will be placed on cars and in letterboxes.  There is a way for you to park in Ace Parking in Bowen Cres and claim the cost back

See attached

MMEW-JHG-DM-NTF-STK-0081 – Botanica St Kilda Rd DrivewayAccess_FNL[56709]

As I indicated a few weeks back, Metro Tunnel have agreed to come and talk to us on Tuesday September 12 at 6pm.

At that time I said it would be part of the AGM – well it seems that makes things a bit tricky.  Under Victorian law only owners (or those with formal proxy from an owner) can attend the AGM.

The simple solution is

6pm – 6:30pm             –  Metro Rail – All owners and residents welcome

6:30pm – onwards     – AGM – Only for Owners and those with formal proxy

Venue is In Caliente Espresso Bar at 1 Queens Rd

You should have received notification about impending work out the front of Botanica.  It noted that we would lose access for 3 days to the driveway to the lower car park.  I have been trying to clarify what this all means.

See email chain below

Dear Gary,

I just wanted to confirm that communication works are kicking off again from Wednesday with fencing to be installed and physical works commencing on Thursday. I am still confirming the timing of initial works across the driveway with NDD works, however as advised you will get 48 hours notice of this for vehicles parked in the St Kilda Road car park with information on alternate car parking arrangements for the day of these works.

As discussed when we met initially on site, NDD works to excavate the driveway will occur following which the entrance will be covered with road plates. There will then be subsequent days when new conduits and works to relocate all cables in the footpath between Bowen Crescent and Bowen Lane will occur and finally reinstatement works will be done. These days of works will not be consecutive but likely to be staged in accordance with each step of required works.

Next week, we have gas commissioning works in Bowen Crescent as you acknowledged in your email last night. I have followed up again and the team have confirmed access should be maintained to your Bowen Crescent driveway during these works, notwithstanding on Wednesday when we purge the gas main by pushing nitrogen through the new pipe and releasing it through a controlled flame. On this day there will be no access to St Kilda Road from your driveway but all vehicle access maintained from the west.

I will continue to do my best to keep you informed of impacts and timing.

Kind regards

Bec

Bec Rowe

Community & Stakeholder Manager Metro Tunnel Early Works

My questions were:

From: Gary Buck [mailto:buckgw@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, 25 August 2017 3:53 PM
To: Bec Rowe <Bec.Rowe@jhg.com.au>
Cc: Jan Swinburne <jansw@westnet.com.au>
Subject: Re: Follow up on Communication Works and Gas Commissioning works

So to be clear

– our st Kilda Rd driveway will be ok at least Monday to Thursday next week?

– we will not have street parking next week – we are upgrading our entire building intercom system next Wednesday to Friday.

– when we lose access you will have some arrangement with Ace in Bowen Cres….and we will be able to get to Ace parking

– you will not breach the EPRs with beeping trucks on the gas or Comms work

Thanks
Gary

To which she replied

Hi Gary,

Yes, you are correct. You will have driveway access between Monday – Thursday next week. I have requested an update on Monday for driveway impacts so I can provide as much notice as possible.

Street parking will be impacted from Wednesday when fencing is re-established around works site.

When driveway access is not able to maintained, we will provide advance notice and offer to reimburse parking ticket costs for ACE Car park in Bowen Crescent.

As indicated when we met recently we are working through a program with Utility Service Providers to have their contractors swap over their beepers from squawkers. We remain committed to reducing the number of vehicles with beepers in advance of main works occurring.

Kind regards

Bec