• Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Read Our Newspapers Online
    • Read the Latest Western Port News
    • Read the Latest Mornington News
    • Read the Latest Southern Peninsula News
    • Read the Latest Frankston Times
    • Read the Latest Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Big Al wows ’em, Strikers uproar
  • Felicia eyes off further black type
  • Edithvale-Aspendale get on the board, Stonecats impress
  • Alteration of subway plans for Frankston
  • Peta Murphy wins second term in Dunkley
  • Shire’s carbon neutral backflip
  • Fee rise puts golfers in rough
  • Reserve price puts shire off
Facebook Twitter
MPNEWSMPNEWS
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
MPNEWSMPNEWS
Home»Latest News»Contractors called for the big clean-up
Latest News

Contractors called for the big clean-up

By Liz BellMarch 15, 2022Updated:March 15, 2022No Comments3 Mins Read
DAVID Bierwirth and some of the storm debris left outside his property since last November. Picture: Yanni
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

CONTRACTORS hired by Mornington Peninsula Shire are struggling to keep up with demand to clear debris from last year’s storms.

The shire’s infrastructure services manager Tom Haines-Sutherland said there were still thousands of clean-up jobs to be completed despite the shire having “committed every resource we have to the clean-up”.

Mr Haines-Sutherland said there had many requests for help to clear debris and damage and the shire had brought in contractors to help, alongside the 12 crews already working on the clean-up.

“We obviously couldn’t get to every job at once, so have had to prioritise the work based on the level of risk and the impact on the community,” he said.

However, that situation did not sit well with elderly Rye resident David Bierwirth, who said he had contacted the shire “many times” over the mess left on his property from last November’s storms and heavy rains only to be told at one stage he should clear it himself.

To make matters worse, Mr Bierwirth – who suffers from a debilitating health condition – said he came home one day last week to find his neighbour’s property had been cleared of debris and the council had marked his job as “completed”, despite the remaining piles of debris and fallen trees.

Mr Bierwirth said he had written to the shire’s CEO John Baker when the storms brought down council trees and deposited mounds of debris on properties and footpaths, to no avail.

“I’ve been trying to get the mess of their rubbish cleared for almost five months now. I’m 70, my health is fragile, and I am disabled, but they say I can clear this myself if I do it and pay for it at the tip as well, even though it is their rubbish,” he said. “Apart from the debris, which covers more than 20 metres of nature strip, we now have grass and weeds growing among the branches, now almost a metre high and the grassed nature strip will now need to be re-sowed. 

“The area is a fire hazard, having dried out over summer, and we have seen no action whatsoever from anyone from council. We have had excuse after excuse from council staff.

“My first email was answered by saying they will get back to me in around 12 business days. What kind of service is it when you can’t speak to anyone in charge or get any answers?”

Mr Haines-Sutherland said he acknowledged the frustration felt by some members of the community and wanted to “thank everyone for their patience with the time this work is taking”.

“The good news is we’ve completed 80 per cent of the work and we expect the remainder to be finished by the end of March,” he said.

Ms Bierwirth said that after contacting The News, contractors cleaned up the mess outside his property on Thursday.                 

First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 15 March 2022

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Liberals keep Flinders but lose government

May 23, 2022

One-way gates the way out for kangaroos

May 23, 2022

Affordable housing flyer ‘misleading’

May 23, 2022

Shire accused of political bias

May 23, 2022
Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Weather
May 23, 2022 - Mon
Mornington, Australia
15°C
clear sky
clear sky
1 m/s, SE
60%
770.32 mmHg
mon05/23 tue05/24 wed05/25 thu05/26 fri05/27
sky is clear
13/11°C
sky is clear
14/10°C
overcast clouds
15/13°C
light rain
15/15°C
light rain
15/13°C
Peninsula Essence Magazine

Click here to read

April 27, 2022
Peninsula Kids Magazine

Click here to read

March 2, 2022
Council Watch

Shire’s carbon neutral backflip

May 23, 2022

Shire offers $500,000 to performing arts

May 2, 2022
Elections 2022

Peta Murphy wins second term in Dunkley

May 23, 2022

Shire accused of being off track with pledges

May 17, 2022

Security takes precedence

May 17, 2022
Interview

Volunteers track koalas for science

May 2, 2022
Property of the Week

278 Dundas Street, Rye

May 11, 2022
100 Years Ago This Week

Alteration of subway plans for Frankston

May 23, 2022
Contact
Street: 63 Watt Road, Mornington, 3931
Mailing: PO Box 588, Hastings, 3915
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
About

Established in 2006, Mornington Peninsula News Group (MPNG) is a locally owned and operated, independent media company.

MPNG publishes five weekly community newspapers: the Western Port News, Mornington News, Southern Peninsula News, Frankston Times and Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News.

MPNG also publishes two glossy magazines: Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids.

Facebook Twitter
© 2022 Mornington Peninsula News Group.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.