Engaging with decision makers about homelessness
SWAN (Southern Women’s Action Network) was pleased to host Mornington MP Chris Crewther at last week’s meeting as we continue our housing crisis campaign. It has been encouraging to meet with both Chris Crewther and Eastern Victoria MP Tom McIntosh. We appreciate their willingness to discuss the escalating homelessness crisis on the Mornington Peninsula.
We were interested to hear about the possibility of implementing a “room to spare” program which would match those in need of shorter-term accommodation with homeowners offering space in their homes or unoccupied holiday houses. Another idea was incentivising a tiny house program for those on larger properties. This could potentially help those who are sleeping rough – a number which has dramatically increased this year, and with the only short-term emergency housing on the peninsula The Ranch under threat of closure.
We have only one outreach worker, philanthropically funded, on the southern peninsula helping people who are sleeping rough. Urgent funding and action are required.
SWAN has discussed the issue of existing public housing not being utilised due to maintenance problems and disrepair. We have heard from various community groups who have offered trade services and labourers (at no cost) to fix these houses and make them inhabitable. Hopefully navigating through the red tape is something we can get help with from the government to move forward on this and get people into these homes.
Looking ahead, SWAN is in talks with Housing Minister Harriet Shing, asking for a face-to-face meeting with other community groups, shire council representatives and state leaders. We also hope that the minister takes a tour of Southern Peninsula Community Support and visits some local public housing, so she can get an accurate picture of what is happening here on the peninsula. We need urgent action.
Rebecca Cridland, Tootgarook
Funding model issue
Like all Councils in Victoria, Frankston City must balance the need to remain financially sustainable, deliver the essential services our community expects, and operate a revenue framework that reflects the rising cost of living faced by our community.
Last week’s story on our submission to the Inquiry into Local Government funding and services (Councils want ‘cost shifting’ crackdown, The News 23/06/24) failed to articulate the challenges faced by local government and the broader community.
It’s about so much more than the rate cap. It’s about seeking fairer core funding arrangements between Councils and the Victorian Government that reflect the industrial-scale cost-shifting hitting local government. It‘s about the reduction in the availability of Victorian Government grant programs at a time when our community looks for greater support in areas like housing, community safety, mental health and health and aged care. It’s about recognising 13 interest rates over the past two years, rising construction and maintenance costs, and significant increases in insurance, utilities and other services.
I make no apology for advocating for fairer, more sustainable funding models for local government, while also exploring options to support the community in managing the immediate impact of the rising cost of living, as agreed in our June 24 Council meeting. It’s exactly what the community would expect.
Cr Nathan Conroy, Frankston City Mayor
Where is our dog park?
While the Mornington Council appear to be currently focussing on dogs and rules associated with them, it might be timely to remind them of the planned “Off Lead Dog Park” on the corner of Booker Rise and Frankston Flinders Road in Bittern. A facility we have been waiting some five plus years for.
When the Lifestyle Community Village in Booker Rise was completed back in 2018/19 the block of land on the Northeast corner of Booker Rise and Frankston Flinders Road was passed back to the council for the development of an off-lead dog park… we are still waiting for it to eventuate.
What would appear to be a simple development appears to have been conveniently forgotten. All that is required is to secure the fencing around the land so that dogs cannot escape, move the gateway and entrance back far enough to create a small gravel car park (say for about 6 cars), revise the gated entrance and “Voila!” an off lead dog park for use by the residents of Booker Rise, the Lifestyle Village and other residents of Bittern that care to make use of it.
We at the Lifestyle Village believe the council have funds available for the development and maintenance of parks, gardens and recreational areas. Surely, they could do something to complete this simple development and save this piece of land from languishing into the future.
John Beveridge, Bittern
Watercraft woes
The latest move of council is banning of watercraft from our beautiful beaches, and destroying those unclaimed.
Well done Mornington Peninsula Shire in one stroke successfully dividing and alienating the community and obliterating 200 years of tradition.
Boats on the beach. Fine if you own a megaboat and mooring and need a dinghy to get there, or afford club membership or marina berth. Ah! But woe-betide if you have a windsurfer, kayak, paddle-board, modest yacht or dinghy on the beach for day to day enjoyment and don’t happen to be part of the privileged elite. Watch out. Your council is coming for you! Apparently, craft of the entitled ones can cause neither obstruction, injury nor the environmental harm which troubles the elected ones so profoundly.
A fairer action would be removing the long jetties of the upper one percent, some of which do not reach the water at high tide. Owing to the channel deepening, these create an impenetrable obstacle for those roaming the sands. How about acting on acres of pristine lawn on our community’s beaches in Portsea. These meticulously mown grasses prevent our naturally evolving fauna and flora habitat from having even a shred of hope.
W J Adamson, Rye
Another highrise rejected
The latest rejection by VCAT of a multi-story housing development at 438-444 Nepean Highway Frankston shows that the Federal and State housing response to Victoria’s housing crisis will fail. The development would have provided 133 apartments.
Mayor Nathan Conroy’s submission to the state governments inquiry into local government funding calling on the government to scrap it rate cap so that Frankston Council can increase rates to what the council wants and show that the Frankston Council needs more rate revenue to provide their services in an inflated economy.
New housing developments mean more residents residing in Frankston which means more council rate revenue.
The Victorian government should take planning matters for housing developments out of the hands of councils and VCAT and make the Minister for Planning the sole arbitrator.
It is time to face reality that we need more housing more quickly and we need to cut the red tape so that housing applications can be approved more quickly and then building can commence more quickly so that the housing crisis can be ended.
Russell Morse, Karingal
Think of the oldies
The government is in the process of changing the Aged Care Home Care Packages. Good stuff? So how come my Mornington Peninsula cancelled the handyman option? Living in fear of changing a light bulb, let alone my cyber crash credit card? The worldwide cyber crash, the third big one, what next?
Thinking of Kurt Vonnegut’s 2005 book, ‘A Man without a Country’, apocalypticism, as he observes how humans constantly war for power, pursue profit, and destroy the environment, leading earth to spin toward potential destruction. His early book, ‘Player Piano’ 1952, the rising threat of automation, taking place in a future where human workers have been made almost entirely redundant by machines.
A world of scammers, home phone, iPhone calls, we ponder amongst hackers, intent on attacking for profit, our money, our identification? The mystery of the dark web, enough nonsense on the light web?
Some 8.5 million devices around the world, crippling airport check-ins, supermarkets and emergency information services.
We are told there are no food shortages and no need to stockpile food. And yet, a need to stockpile cash, even spare batteries? Not to worry, Winter almost over?
Cliff Ellen, Rye
For non-readers
Your correspondent writes that she doesn’t think anyone would send letters to the editor in this day and age. Not a one, that they are all made up. Then she sends a letter to the editor (Letter to the editor, Letters 23/7/2024).
Letters to the editor are often thought provoking to those of us who think, are usually the only opportunity most of us have to have a say, expose a charlatan, criticise a petty official or embarrass a foolish politician. Not all people look to Facebook for their opinion. Some letters elucidate, some irritate, some offer a valuable insight or look at things intelligently from outside the box.
Yes, some letters are uninformed, even misrepresentative, often pushing a political or ideological agenda, sometimes nonsense; but letters are about an infinite variety of subjects reflecting opinions on all facets of life and society. Long may they live!
Letters is one of the reasons I always read The News and, to any people who never ever, not even once, read Letters, I say to you, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Brian A Mitchelson, Mornington
Stop and think, Liz
I wonder if Liz Sarkie (Letter to the Editor, Letters 23/7) is aware of the meaning of irony.
Ross Hudson, Mount Martha
Am I missing something?
I may have been under that bushel bush too long and missed the point. Why did Liz Sarkie (Letter to the Editor, Letters 23/7) doubt the value of writing letters to the editor in this day and age, only to do just that? It’s a contradiction, isn’t it, Liz?
Anne Kruger, Rye
Real issues
Yes, Liz Sarkie, we are real people down here on the Mornington Peninsula, and we have real concerns about particular aspects of local government here. Why do we now have road humps along Dunns Road? Why do we have so many pedestrian crossings? Why can’t our roads’ potholes be properly fixed? Why do we have an empty concreted parking lot on Albert Street when so often drivers are hunting for a park? Why have the Harry Potter (Warner Bros) people taken over the Briars precinct for so long? The list goes on and on.
Wendy Doyle, Mornington
Busy editor
I very much enjoyed Liz Sarkie’s letter last week questioning the validity of the Letters to the Editor (Letter to the Editor, Letters 23/7). Clearly the residents of Hampton East don’t have the passion of the Peninsula residents.
We do indeed write to our local paper. However, thanks for the mental picture of this paper’s editor furiously scribbling multiple fake letters each week.
Louise Page, Tyabb
