Call to pause and rethink tree destruction policies
THE Mornington Peninsula is being stripped bare under the shire’s current tree management regime.
This week, I returned home to find contractors savaging the once-thriving nature strips on my street. When I questioned the workers, I was physically pushed and had branches cut dangerously above me, striking my body. I have video footage of the incident, which left me shaken and dismayed.
Beyond personal safety concerns, the greater tragedy is the devastation of habitat for our local wildlife — possums, birds, bats, and insects who depend on these trees for survival. These are not dangerous trees and most do not affect driver visibility or pedestrian access. Yet under new rules requiring extreme clearances around footpaths and roads, they are being butchered or completely removed, without evidence of ecological assessments or wildlife spotters on site.
We are losing the very trees that make the peninsula special. Our connection to place is not about ownership — it is about love, stewardship, and respect for the life that shares our environment.
I have launched a petition calling on the shire to immediately pause this reckless clearing program, to review its policies with common sense, and to prioritise true safety concerns over blanket destruction.
You can view and support the petition here: chng.it/6Q4pZVCxmD
We need our trees.
We need our wildlife.
We need a council that listens before it’s too late.
Nat James, Tootgarook
Climate emergency?
We should all be scrutinising our Mornington Peninsula Shire councils’ expenditure on climate change (Shire pulls plug on climate emergency plan, The News 29/4/2025). Council itself decided to examine how my money, ratepayers money, is spent in its “fight against climate change”.
The peninsula has escaped any disasters caused by the planet warming up, in fact, recent summers and winters have been quite moderate and pleasant, although this may only be cyclic. The deepening of the shipping channel at the Heads, allowing much more tidal ocean to flood in, has caused the bayside erosion and problems – nothing to do with climate.
There never was any climate emergency here, so I wish some councillors would stop advocating the spending of my rates money on their ideological stances, or could I say fantasies. The planned planting of $534,000 worth of trees (would that be six trees, contracted out?) will do nothing.
CO2 warming is a theory, not a proven fact, as far as I am aware. Facts are that historical written records and geological markers show that this planet was warmer, possibly warmer than now, in the middle ages, just 700 to 1000 years ago; and then a centuries long very cold snap occurred – crop failures, disasters, even ice skating carnivals on the frozen over river Thames in London – until 1850 when the planet started to warm up again.
I think that this planet is CO2 self-regulating and that the sun has something to do with warmth, so my science-based conclusion is that nothing can be done except to change the sun.
Brian A Mitchelson, Mornington
McCrae Landslide
In reply to David Lines (Smith and Marsh, Letters 15/4/25) and Gerard van de Ven (Rate rise, Letters 23/4/25) re house on side of hill McCrae. I agree with both gentlemen’s reports and feelings re payment to Shire $50-$75 for each ratepayer. I have been paying rates for at least last 50 years to the shire approximately $2000 per year, equating to $100,000 multiply by number of ratepayers, would be astronomical. What have we seen for that? Also being a respected builder of more than 50 years my question is similar to Gerard’s .
Has any shire member located a building permit on this property, if there was one to start with, following up with person who might have accepted such permit. Next point relates to engineering of foundations, permit would not be issued without engineering specifications.
This must go back a lot of years, as well as shire personnel changing hands in those years, not relating to existing shire engineers and building surveyors, etc. To finish on Gerard’s words we should all want to know these facts from years ago.
Rod Grummitt OAM, Mt Martha
Celebrate our democracy
I have to agree with Ross Hudson (Election coverage, Letters 30/4/25). No matter what your political bent, the pre-election Letters pages in The News were exceptionally good. Extensive, fair and balanced. Community democracy at its best.
Keith Davis deserves the award for the most unrelenting attack on Independent Ben Smith. Mr Davis clearly has his own personal definition of independent. That’s fine, but it was a tad repetitive.
Party allegiance blinds some to climate science. It’s no longer 1950 and last year was the hottest year in the hottest decade on record. The new government has five years to achieve the critical 2030 emissions target and hopefully host COP31 in 2026 with our Pacific neighbours.
The Greens and the Independents are now key components of the 21st century version of Australian politics. We have a strong democracy and we should celebrate it.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn
Beyond politics
By the time this letter is published, we might know if first-term MP for Flinders, Zoe McKenzie, will remain our federal representative. Or not. Regardless of the outcome, I am compelled to express my utter disgust at her disrespectful behaviour towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people.
As reported in other media, last week this woman of privilege flippantly praised a rendition of Advance Australia Fair at a “soiree” in a cliff top mansion in Portsea, describing it as “the best ‘Welcome to Country’ that I am sure has been delivered”.
In so doing she displays not only her ignorance, but contempt for human rights. The cultural significance of this welcome that is so generously given by those whose ancestors have cared for the peninsula for millennia, is completely lost on Zoe.
Respect for this cultural protocol acknowledges the rights of First People to their land and traditions.
Crucially, it fosters reconciliation and is an essential contribution towards countering the enduring detrimental impact of colonisation and discrimination. It needs to be said, that Zoe’s recent behaviour in this regard, is not an isolated incident.
Diane McDonald, Mt Eliza
Sorrento Writers Festival
My husband and I spent the ANZAC weekend at the magnificent Sorrento Writers Festival. Corrie Perkins, Peter Inge, the committee, the sponsors and the welcoming and helpful volunteers provided an unbelievable experience for all the participants. The large array of brilliant authors, writers, speakers and moderators was astounding.
We came away from every session we attended exhilarated, filled with admiration for the speakers, their knowledge, their empathy and communication skills. We laughed and cried and gave standing ovations to incredibly moving testaments by authors.
The main street of Sorrento was alive with festival goers all wanting to share their uplifting moments and the anticipation and excitement they were feeling about their next event. The Mornington Peninsula is so lucky to be blessed with this wonderful writer’s festival that show cases the depth of Australian talent.
Marilyn Hoban, Mornington
Literary salon
It was disappointing to learn that members of the Baillieu family hosted a private, alternative and pointedly political “literary salon” as the third Sorrento Writer’s Festival was drawing to its triumphant conclusion.
Hosting this invitation only event prohibiting public access, was clearly an opportunistic grab for attention given what is, locally, a highly contested federal election. It was a smack in the face of the organisers and local people who have worked tirelessly over several months to produce what is now a hugely successful festival that attracts some of the best minds informing and contributing to Australian literature and social commentary today. Festival director Corrie Perkin should be assured that in this instance words speak louder than money.
Joanna Bock, Blairgowrie
Council spend
The Council Cabal has struck again. Like Donald Trump there is no consideration to what the electors want and certainly no consultation. The trashing of the climate emergency by the climate deniers is tragic. This is the fourth vote by the council on significant issues without consultation, even though they all promised to do so and listen (just like Trump). One of the votes was actually a vote against consultation at all. Done on the premise of financial responsibility.
But they refuse to address real issues like support of cash drain Mt Martha golf course. With an estimated $1.5m needed over the next five years to fix “ageing infrastructure” Cr David Gill, “the shire is effectively paying $9000 a year for each of Mount Martha Golf Club’s 250 members”. The deficit, “which is likely to increase in the coming years due to the increased salaries, maintenance and capital works costs,” property and commercial services acting manager said in a report to council. There are a multitude of golf courses on the peninsula. Operating losses for the course from 21-24 are $1,674,000.
Also the council’s budget for tourism-related activities allocates funds annually to support economic development and tourism initiatives aimed at promoting the region. In the 2020/2021 budget, over $1.5m was designated for these purposes. The budget for tourism-related activities are included under the theme “A robust, innovative, and diverse economy.” The total net cost allocated to this theme is $7.697m, with an expenditure of $8.537m and revenue of $0.840 million which does not seem like value for money.
Meet community expectations? Ha… like Trump, they don’t give a poopoo!
Joe Lenzo, Safety Beach
Wonderful service
On the eve of the Easter break my wife and I were driving to Point Leo to spend the Easter holidays camping with our children and grandchildren. Driving past the Dromana Drive In we heard a noise coming from the front of our car. When I stopped, I found I had run over a “rubber tie down strap and hook” that had lodged itself into a front tyre.
What could I do? As the tyre was losing air, I drove to the Dromana Roadworthy Service Centre and explained my situation to the service manager Jade, who in a very short period of time had organised a mechanic to take the car into the service area where they replaced the damaged tyre with the spare, and arranged to have the puncture fixed for collection after Easter. All done within 35 minutes! After passing on our thanks, we continued our journey and had a great weekend.
Bruce White, Safety Beach
Changing times
While reading the Autumn edition of Peninsula Wide I was appalled to note that only one Councillor Cr Kate Roper, out of eleven, acknowledged that Easter was being celebrated and sent her Easter message to residents in her ward.
In my 58 years living on the peninsula, having served on both the former Shire of Hastings and Mornington Peninsula Shire I can’t ever recall another occasion of councillors not wishing Easter or Christmas greetings to the community they serve. Congratulations and thanks Cr Roper.
Taking into account that across the world those annual celebrations on the Christian calendar dating back over 2000 years are recognised and celebrated , even in a holiday sense, it beggars belief that our elected representatives don’t see fit to do the same.
Even if you were to look at it in a purely commercial sense where the businesses across the Mornington Peninsula rely on and benefit enormously financially on every one of those occasions you would think it worthy of mention. Shame on all of the other ten councillors.
Brian L. Stahl OAM, Hastings
The waiting game
Algorithm’s every which way, in our faces, bloody Greeks. Will Albo make it? Probably, more as a vote against Peerless Peter rather than a vote for. Still, nothing’s H & H. After all Hitler made it, as did Trump. As did our Scotty. Does this mean after this Saturday election we switch to six weeks of news on The Mushrooms Lady, albeit her words against whom?
A sense of humour a necessity, against bureaucracy and authoritarian rulers, popping up everywhere. Thus the increase in defence spending, God help us. Prediction: This nonsense on the cost of living as a reason to vote either way, will, after 3 May, at best, remain as is, or more likely, increase. A blame game more accurately aimed at shareholders (the more they get the more they want principle) rather than Albo? More important matters in/at play, housing, climate, power bills, medicals.
Sadly, both sides have succeeded at one thing; namely to cause us to be disconnected to politics. Submitted for your consideration, at my age of little, if any, consequence, just saying. 10am. Time for my budgeted single morning cigarette?
Cliff Ellen, Rye
