Thursday, December 6, 2007

Monastery Ridge Group.

In my previous Blog about, “Top Or End? You Decide”, I mentioned that we live towards the top of a slight rise on our side.

On the other side it is quite steep and overlooks the township Of Croydon. As such it was the perfect spot many, many years ago for a Catholic Monastery.

Over the years it has been slowly squeezed out by developments and rising land prices. So much so, that much of the land on the other side of the hill has been turned into a Retirement Development. With Land on this side being sold off, or in the process of being sold off to Developers. This latter process has not pleased all on our side of the Hill.

Not all agree with this new development, including some in our court who feel, that with the small size of the development blocks, right up against some of their fences, the new owners will have to build two story houses with resulting windows looking out on their backyards and pools etc.

Others just don’t want to see many of the big, old and significant trees on the sight chopped down. So a group calling itself the Monastery Ridge Group, was formed “ by local residents, who were concerned that the special features of the area were being eroded by inappropriate development.”

The special concern in our area is the block behind us. They have fought to have the number of proposed blocks on it reduced form 24 to 20 and now down to 17 for the latest proposal. They also claim some successes in saving local vegetation and trees. They appealed against a permit application to remove 63 trees from the property. After inspection by an independent Arborist, 32 of the trees were removed because they were in a poor state. So they have had a success with half the trees. I am not sure how long it will be before the remaining trees became unstable too, but for now they have had some success.

As hinted here, I am not sure how I feel about this group and their real motives behind this preservation move, but I do admire their zeal. They have found a cause that they believe in and are prepared to band together and do something about it.

How about us? You and Me? Do we have that same zeal for all that we do? Or are we just halfhearted in all that we do?

I don’t know what your particular cause is, but are you really committed to it? Are you prepared to give your all (within legal bounds) for your cause? Over to you for your reflection.

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