Day: April 2, 2019

The declining numbers of a bird once frequently seen in Western Port are being used as an example to persuade political parties to do more to protect native birds. BirdLife Australia president, John Barkla says the critically endangered eastern curlew was once a drawcard for visitors to Western Port but its numbers had now dropped to “a handful”. “I’ve been visiting the Ramsar wetlands in Western Port for decades. Once it was the perfect site to see and hear the calls of flocks of hundreds of these glorious birds, but now you are lucky to see more than a handful,”…

HASTINGS dog owners are being warned to be on the lookout for rat poison baits. Police said they received the first of a dog bait being left on the street on Wednesday 27 March from a man walking his dog along Tara Drive about 4.30am. The man said he found pastry laced with what is believed to be rat poison pellets. His dog is believed to have eaten a pellet but did not appear to show any symptoms. On Sunday morning (31 March), a man walking his dog on Tara Drive between Isis Place and Lewis Street again saw pasta…

The Victorian Trades Hall Council has announced it will specifically target Flinders MP Greg Hunt in the May federal election. Phone callers and door knockers will play on Mr Hunt’s role in the overthrow last year of then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that led to Scott Morrison taking over leadership of the Liberal National government. Health Minister Mr Hunt sought to be deputy leader in the failed leadership bid by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton. The union umbrella group THC will also target Mr Hunt’s Liberal colleague, Chris Crewther in neighbouring Dunkley. The involvement of Trades Hall comes weeks after…

The Save Westernport group has succeeded in getting most candidates for Flinders in the coming federal election to align themselves against plans for a floating gas terminal at Crib Point. Independent Julia Banks – elected as a Liberal to the seat of Chisholm at the 2016 federal election – says she will table a petition next “to stop this development and to protect the Western Port (Crib Point) site”. In a news release, Ms Banks said plans by power company AGL to process liquified natural gas “will mean the discharge into the sea of vast amounts of chilled chlorinated water…