Significant tree register needed
Not long ago, a large native canopy tree two doors away was cut down without warning. A 70-year-old eucalypt, it sheltered native birds and bats. Its “crime” was lifting concrete in a car park. So, the story of another tree cut down in last week’s paper resonates (Century-old tree cut down – resident speaks out, The News 23/9/25).
The Norfolk Pine was removed for disturbing pavement and a retaining wall. If we valued trees more, we would modify the concrete, paving or wall to keep them. The Norfolk Pine’s location — on a public walkway in council reserve land at Safety Beach — makes its loss harder to justify.
The shire’s Urban Forest Report 2024-2034 shows Safety Beach has the lowest tree canopy cover of the Peninsula’s 29 townships. It also scores high on the heat-vulnerability index and ranks number one for tree protection and new plantings in the shire’s plan. It’s regrettable that the excellent community work nominating significant trees by Peninsula Speaks ceased in 2018. Such nominations are valuable, and any resident can do them.
Given growing threats from climate change and development, it’s time for Mornington Shire Council to create a significant trees register, as other councils have done. Noticing, valuing and protecting trees would help preserve vital canopy cover.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn
Public Housing support
Our Mornington Peninsula needs public housing not “social” housing! Since the 2011‒2012 Napthine government reviews (and 30 years before), Liberal and Labor governments have committed to a policy of dismantling public housing, increasing clients, needs and public expenditure for support services.
A recognised failed policy exacerbating housing and homelessness crises.
It beggars’ belief that all three levels of government continue this social cost and fragmentation ‒ and distress our vulnerable ‒ but they do. Ten thousand people are currently being removed from Victorian-owned towers across Melbourne. Ten thousand more homeless people deprived of our support!
This Labor and Liberal irrationality (two sides of the same coin with Nationals running around the rim) exists in the cabal of six on our council who obstruct social and environmental solutions to allocate taxes/ratepayers money to charities, big business and corporations. Charities are big business now given their penchant for maintaining their businesses, real estate portfolios and social damage.
“Social housing” comprises “transitional housing”, “community housing” and “public housing”.
The first three terms are misnomers really, political rhetoric designed to confuse. Words like affordable, secure, safe, etc. are additional political confusions. Transitional and community housing are run by private and “not-for-profit” landlords (business, corporation, charity). They can take 75% of income or more (including money from child endowment payments); and often provide unsuitable accommodation for the needy.
Community housing is not affordable, secure or safe. Community housing entrenches poverty.
Public housing is owned and maintained by Victorians through government and charges 25% of income; designed to provide for disadvantages such as poverty, disability, crises, etc. Public housing enables people to live in dignity, afford necessities and save to rent or buy their own accommodation.
Please clarify your words. Speak, act and vote for public housing.
Kaye Mackay, Rye
Shutting down debate
At the 23 September 2025 Mornington Peninsula Shire Council meeting, Cr Bruce Ranken moved a motion proposing lifetime term limits for councillors across Victoria. He argued that councillors are like board directors and cited succession planning. Deputy Mayor Cr Paul Pingiaro then moved a “put” motion — to proceed the matter to a vote without debate.
Cr Gill’s attempt to question whether the issue had been fairly debated, as required under governance rules, was dismissed. Mayor Cr Anthony Marsh proceeded to put the motion to a vote with no discussion — preventing elected representatives from speaking, and the community from hearing them.
The six councillors who voted for both the put motion and the term-limit motion were Anthony Marsh (mayor), Stephen Batty, Bruce Ranken, Cam Williams, Paul Pingiaro (deputy mayor), and Andrea Allen.
The same group also voted in December 2024 to abolish the Citizens’ Panel — a body designed to give residents a voice in policy making.
It is concerning that these councillors not only shut down debate, but also appear to support the flawed view that councillors are like board directors. They are not. Councillors are elected representatives — their role is clearly defined in law. And in a democracy, if a councillor continues to earn the trust of their community through elections, it should be voters — not imposed term limits — who decide their tenure.
These are not signs of healthy governance. They are warning signs of a council culture drifting away from democratic norms.
Anja Ottensmeyer, Mt Martha
Solid science
Brian Mitchelson (Challenging change, Letters 23/9/25) in challenging Greg Holland’s science of climate change has failed to understand the information presented. Rather than challenging where the data comes from or how it was recorded Mitchelson should have focused on what it showed. Namely the days are getting warmer and there are more of them.
Mitchelson talks hopefully about the normal cycle of warming and cooling however Holland’s graph shows this quite clearly unfortunately each successive cool end of the cycle is warmer than the one before and each hottest year is hotter than the one before, that is, the earth is warming. If you keep adding bigger and bigger numbers to an average calculation the average moves up, that is increasing average global temperature. Mitchelson’s reference to a cold year he remembers in one part of the world is irrelevant and shows little understanding of how global temperatures are calculated.
I am glad Mitchelson mentions our oceans. They are a vast heat sink that is fundamental to moderating temperatures on the earth. Life would not exist on this planet without the oceans’ effect on air temperature. The oceans also store vast quantities of CO2 which unfortunately is released as the oceans warm which is what they are doing.
The tiny amount of CO2 is dismissed by Mitchelson. Unfortunately this shows a lack of understanding of basic physics and chemistry. The quantity of CO2 may be small but it’s a very effective gas at converting solar radiation into heat, one only has to look at Venus which has a much higher percentage of atmospheric CO2 and has temperatures of around 500°C.
The overwhelming majority of science and scientists have reached the same conclusion, that is the earth is getting warmer. The data is there; one only has to look to see.
Dr Ross Hudson, Mount Martha
Collins settlement
The lack of logic in Joan Doyle’s (Incorrect history, Letters 23/9/25) contribution to the debate on the reasons for the “failure” of the 1803 settlement at Sorrento is disappointing. Annie Mono (Our history helps us move forward together, The News 9/9/25) had previously implied that the settlement would not have failed had the ignorant white men sought the advice of the wise local aborigines.
In my previous letter I sought to refute this by pointing out that on arrival Collins had declared the place unsuitable for settlement for a number of reasons and had remained there only for the time it took to receive permission from Sydney to move to Van Diemen’s Land.
The reasons for this are recorded in John Currey’s biography of Collins and the writings of other reputable historians. They include the dangerous entrance to the bay, the shallowness of the water inside the bay, the lack of a sheltered anchorage, and that the land was unsuitable for agriculture anyway.
That the sole water supply was the brackish fluid obtained by sinking perforated barrels in the beach sand just above the high-water mark and that no effort was made to find a more suitable site is itself evidence that the camp at Sullivan’s Bay was not intended to be permanent. Further, Currey records that Collins ordered his people to stay away from the aborigines and not to interfere with their possessions.
In my previous letter I made no comment on most of the other topics raised by Doyle, and space precludes any comment now. However, I am rather bemused by her professed sadness at my “inference that Treaty will divide Victoria and give special privileges to First Nations people”. If that is not the purpose of the proposed treaty, what is?
Albert Riley, Mornington
Gaza is burning
In February 2024, I wrote to this newspaper (Ceasefire in Gaza, Letters 28/2/24) stating “… Our elected representatives, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Zoe McKenzie MP, must make a united stand in federal parliament to demand an immediate and enduring ceasefire and request increased access to humanitarian aid to avoid a genocide in Gaza.”
Shame on our politicians and world leaders for failing to hold Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government to account sooner for the unnecessary deaths, destruction and suffering in Gaza.
The recent words and recognition of Palestinian statehood from Albanese to increase political pressure on Netanyahu have come far too late. The Liberal Party’s support for Netanyahu and their lack of empathy for the civilians under siege in Gaza has been disgraceful.
Israel’s legitimate right to defend itself against the Hamas terrorist attacks does not permit disproportionate use of military force against innocent children, doctors, nurses, humanitarian aid workers, journalists and others in the occupied territory. I wonder what military legal advice was sought by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) before each decision to strike a hospital or residential building.
Netanyahu has failed to secure a diplomatic or military release of the Israeli hostages from Hamas after almost two years. The collective punishment and ethnic cleansing in Gaza must end and Netanyahu must face repercussions for his crimes against humanity for murder, persecution and other inhumane acts. Gaza now resembles Hiroshima or Nagasaki after the atomic bombs were dropped in 1945 – war is cruelty.
Dale Stohr, Crib Point
Support for Palestinians
Although I don’t expect to assuage Mr. Feingold’s “outrage” (Hamas Support Outrageous, Letters 23/9/25), I hope that readers will bear my final words on the matter. I cannot respond to all the issues raised in his letter, but I’ll make some brief remarks.
To begin with, Hamas is not a homogeneous, monolithic entity. Despite Israeli propaganda, Hamas is not Islamic State! Its members include moderates with whom one could negotiate, as well as militant individuals. Unfortunately, Israel indiscriminately assassinates the former as well as the latter, thereby fostering increased hostility and demolishing any chance of a peaceful resolution.
We might ask, are the following Hamas demands expressed at various times not reasonable? Withdrawal of IDF troops, opening of a seaport and airport under UN management, closure of Gaza’s airspace to Israeli aircraft, a well-defined fishing zone, an end to the siege and opening of the crossings, permits for Gaza residents to pray at the Al-Aqsa mosque, opening Gaza’s industrial zone, the end of Israeli opposition to form a unity government with the PA, release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners, allowing farmers to work their land. These demands go counter to the Israeli strategy of dehumanization and demonization of Palestinians, so militant resistance may seem to be the only option for Palestinians.
Considering the UN Commission of Inquiry’s damning new report, to say that the Palestinian Genocide by Israel is “without foundation” is plain Israeli spin. The genocide determination refers to the present conflict and as the IDF has killed more than 100,000, maimed an orphaned many more, I doubt whether the population is still increasing. Moreover, Israel is currently in the process of pulverizing the only remaining liveable city in Gaza. Both the language and the military extremes used by Israel demonstrate that they are not interested in negotiated solutions.
Henk van Leeuwen, Mount Martha
Independent thoughts
In their recent letters, Kim Robbins and Luke O’Brien demonstrate why the community independents were unsuccessful in the recent federal election. I suggest they do their homework by reading Cathy McGowan’s autobiography “Cathy goes to Canberra: doing politics differently” and “The Indi way: how a rural community sparked a social and political movement”.
These books demonstrate that Smith’s campaign did not align with the community independent movement’s values of transparency, integrity and, of course, being your best self. Taking pot shots at the Liberals is certainly not being your best self.
I also note in an earlier letter (29 July, 2025), O’Brien described McKenzie as “juvenile” for not naming Smith in her newsletter. I suggest O’Brien holds up a mirror before again referring to our federal MP as “juvenile”. Did candidates from Greens, One Nation, Trumpets of Patriots, or Joseph Toscano complain about their candidates’ names not being mentioned in McKenzie‘s newspaper?
Sally Morrison, Mt Eliza
Australian integrity
Bullies rely on the weakness or vulnerability of others for their power. Staying resolute and strong exposes their façade and ultimately they crumble. As a nation we should stand firm and support our Prime Minister in his interactions with this President and his acolytes.
There will be a price to pay if we do not.
Bruce Wearing-Smith, Somers
Golf swing
If Mt Martha Public Golf Course were to pay land tax and rates another $34,700pa would have to be added to their operating costs it would add $173,500 over five years to their already astounding losses.
This would bring their five year losses to $1,882,500 and the FY25 projected losses to $140,700.
Referring to last week’s letter (Life is for living, Letters 23/9/25) I do not “think our libraries, sports grounds, footpaths, beaches, galleries, parks run at a profit?”. On the other hand, they are not competing with unfair advantage against 14 local businesses who also have public courses and have to make a profit to survive.
Playing “45 holes of golf at Mt Martha golf course every week, meeting and enjoying the company of other golfers,” is great and can be accomplished at any of the other 14 public golf courses. The shire should not be in the business of competing with private enterprise when they provide such an uneven playing ground.
If Mt Martha Public Golf course were a privately owned public golf course it would be operating in insolvency and the government would shut it down and appoint administrators. Then we 98% ratepayers who do not play golf there still have to look forward to, and pay for $1.5m needed over the next five years to fix “ageing infrastructure”. The shire is in financial dire straits in case anyone missed it and this is a big cash black hole that they refuse to address.
Joe Lenzo, Safety Beach
Dementia thanks
An immense thank you to everyone who was involved and spread the word during 2025 Dementia Action Week from 15-21 September. Across Australia, individuals and organisations supported our campaign ‘Nobody can do it alone’, encouraging everyone in the community to reach out and reconnect with someone in their life affected by dementia.
While Dementia Action Week is only one week each year, the conversation and action to eliminate the lack of understanding that leads to stigma and discrimination continues year-round. For support any time, please contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Merran Kelsall AO, Chair Dementia Australia
