Kosovo refugee remembers the peninsula’s kindness
My name is Edmond Ramadani. I am 37 years old, originally from Kosovo, and I have been living and working in Germany for the past five years.
While searching online, I came across your website and noticed a photo from Portsea showing refugees from Kosovo. I am one of those people, as I stayed in both the Portsea camp and the Puckapunyal camp during that time.
I carry some of the most meaningful and unforgettable memories of my life from my stay in Australia. It has always been my dream to return one day and visit the places where I once lived.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude and deep appreciation to the Australian state and its people for the care, protection, and support that were provided to us during such a difficult time.
Edmond Ramadani, Germany
Hospital costs
A contributor to The News last week stated that “Even the current state government, despite its spending priorities, has not deemed a new hospital a viable project” (By-election reflection, Letters 12/5/26). It is worthwhile reading the actual statement.
Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas announced a $4m investment to modernise the existing 65-year-old facility. The government maintains that this funding provides the necessary care security for the southern peninsula.
In other words residents of the southern peninsula can continue to rely on the Frankston Hospital for major emergencies – a distance of 37 kilometres!
I suggest that our current state government has their priorities completely wrong!
William Holmes, Sorrento
Traffic woes
It is to be appreciated that the developer has apologised for the chaos on the Nepean Hwy at the old Bata site (Developer apologises as Mornington traffic woes escalate,The News 12/05/26).
Unfortunately the apology does nothing to ease the woes of commuters and no doubt other such issues will arise in the future as traffic is blocked for developers at other sites in the future.
What is particularly infuriating is that there seems to be a lack of urgency to get the works done as quickly as possible. Today I drove past the site and there was zero activity taking place on the slip road works.
Perhaps a financial incentive is required. If developers were charged a suitable daily fee, perhaps $10,000, for each day or part thereof, that a lane was closed they might find a reason to get the job done more expediently and thus minimise road closures.
Ross Hudson, Mt Martha
Council ineptness
Great! The developer has apologised for traffic chaos. More to the point, where is the apology from the council who would have approved a traffic flow/management strategy as part of the development approvals process – and the work could be done quicker working night as well – but that would have been more expensive for the developer wouldn’t it.
Contrast the situation with the very large North East link interchange works where traffic has flowed freely, with minimal disruption, day and night through a major construction area
It appears too difficult for our MSC “statue” to demonstrate brains and commonsense.
Garry Seaborne, Mt Eliza
Politician BS
Politics used to be about leadership. Now it often feels like a subscription service for broken promises — automatically renewed every election. We never get what we deserve. Or do we?
We live in a world clever enough to put satellites in space, yet apparently incapable of keeping a straight answer on Earth.
Truth has become “flexible,” integrity is treated like a campaign accessory, and common decency now seems to require a rare permit.
It doesn’t matter whether you voted Labor, Liberal, One Nation, Greens or for the bloke with the sausage sizzle out the front. If any government can say one thing before an election and do the complete opposite after it — without consequence — then trust itself becomes worthless.
Somewhere along the way we accepted the dangerous phrase: “That’s just politics.”
Imagine applying that logic elsewhere. “Yes, your builder lied, but that’s just building.” “Yes, your accountant misled you, but that’s just accounting.”
The people trusted to run a country should not be held to lower standards than the people fixing the dishwasher.
Every ignored lie, every broken promise and every smug backflip quietly teaches society the same lesson: honesty is optional if power is involved. Before long, the public mirrors the behaviour it sees rewarded — shallow loyalty, selective truth and morals polished only for special occasions.
A country doesn’t lose its values in one dramatic collapse. It loses them slowly… one accepted excuse at a time.
Shame on us all.
Convey your disapproval, drown politicians with letters of reprimand don’t just sit there adding to this bullshit. The Budget might have favoured “some” but it’s only a matter of time before the “favoured become the disappointed”.
If you disagree say so loudly because sitting back and shrugging is consent in slow motion.
Paul Georgeson, Dromana
Candidate scrutiny
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has been under the control of a conservative majority of 6 – 5 since the last election, since then they have denied citizen input, by cancelling the Citizens Panel at its inaugural meeting, tried to disqualify the very popular and effective Cr David Gill from re contesting his seat, pulled the blind down on council meetings, reduced by half approved developments in opposition to community and council officer’s advice.
Emil Madsen Reserve? Three months in and a funding gap has already been flagged by council officers. Arthur’s Seat luge in a State Park and cancelled visitor paid parking scheme which, according to council officer’s advice, the implementation would have returned revenue of $38.7m over 10 years with a 2-3 year pay back on cost of implementation.
But now, on top of being slugged with the maximum allowable rate hike, we are now being further slugged with an extra $154 “public cleaning fee”, to cover the cost to clean up visitors rubbish.
Now Council have advised they need to manage a forecasted $8.2m deficit to the 2025/26 budget. The Victorian Government has appointed two municipal monitors, to oversee governance, effective from 19 January 2026 until 18 January 2027.
I for one, look forward to a strong candidate in the upcoming Briars by-election, to reverse the monopoly and restore a fiscally and ethically responsible council. For the sake of all ratepayers on the peninsula, I ask that residents of Briars Ward to scrutinise candidates carefully and review those who shared funding in 2024.
Danny McCaffrey, Mornington
Protect Western Port
The Renewable Energy Terminal at Hastings has received additional financial support in the May budget (Peninsula overlooked despite major renewable energy investment, The News 12/5/26) but is the project appropriate?
Recognised for its rich biodiversity, migratory bird habitats and extensive seagrass beds, Western Port Bay was declared a Ramsar wetland of international importance on 15 December 1982. Twenty years later, UNESCO granted the Mornington Peninsula and Western Port Biosphere Reserve status. The Biosphere spans five local government areas and French Island, encompassing national and marine parks, farmland and urban areas.
Despite these protections, the Port of Hastings has faced repeated pressure from large-scale energy developments, including a gas import terminal and a hydrogen export project. The gas terminal was abandoned after strong community opposition, while the hydrogen proposal stalled largely because producing hydrogen from brown coal depended on costly and commercially uncertain carbon capture and storage.
More recently, in 2024, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek rejected the Victorian government’s proposed offshore wind assembly terminal at Hastings, citing “clearly unacceptable” risks to Ramsar wetlands. Yet the project remains under consideration because it would support Victoria’s offshore wind ambitions, including the proposed Star of the South development off Gippsland.
Local advocacy group Save Westernport continues to raise serious concerns about the scope of the revised Environmental Effects Statement. The Shire Council, local MPs and the Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula who support the project should also press for the strongest possible environmental protections for this globally significant region.
John Godfrey, Cape Paterson
Renewables push
It is positive that Hastings and the Mornington Peninsula will reap the benefits of a Renewable Energy Terminal (Peninsula overlooked despite major renewable energy investment, The News 12/5/26).
The shift to cheaper, cleaner energy is well underway, with almost 50 per cent of our electricity grid now powered by renewables that are driving wholesale power prices down.
The Peninsula, however, also deserves support from the Allan government for other infrastructure like the Rosebud Hospital and funding to ensure that there is ongoing protection and restoration of Western Port Bay.
As the Renewable Energy Terminal plans progress, coordination is needed to ensure that coastal ecosystems and wildlife like little penguins are protected from the impacts of pollution and major industrial development.
Amy Hiller, Kew
More parking problems
Jackie Morris commented on the parking problems at the Sorrento ferry (Parking problems, Letters 5/5/26) and I agree that it is an absolute nightmare.
Luckily we allowed plenty of time for our Sail to Lunch booking. We met my daughter and husband in the car park and they had difficulty with the app trying to pay but finally managed after two attempts (they thought).
I tried to work out the parking instructions but failed so her husband called customer service for me who were helpful and 15 minutes after our arrival we finally walked to the terminal to enjoy our day.
When we arrived back to Sorrento my daughter discovered a parking ticket for $102. Apparently her payment wasn’t accepted but was not notified on the app.
She has contacted the council but of course there isn’t a receipt or anything to prove it. As Jackie said there must be a simpler way, we are all not tech savvy.
Ian Wilkinson, Capel Sound
Mother of the Year
One might be sceptical about Person of the Year awards, but never have I been so in awe of a winner’s life story and achievements: Hastings mum named 2026 Victorian Mother of the Year (Hastings mum named 2026 Victorian Mother of the Year, 12/5/26).
Sincere congratulations to Georgia Hocking. She undoubtedly will make the most of the position and its grant to benefit others.
My wish for her personally however, a more comfortable future. Life so far appears to have been a real challenge. I hope she gets a few lollies for herself before long.
Fran Henke, Hastings
Predictability
Love all the letters but a certain few seem to relentlessly beat their own drum. Come on everyone else have a crack.
Paul Haddock, Mornington
The budget
Negative gearing will be limited to new residential properties from July 1 2027. Currently negatively geared properties will be grandfathered. Watch the incremental increase in buying between now and then.
Of course politicians grandfathering themselves in: 94–96% of federal politicians own at least one property.
Private health insurance: The government will save $3b over four years from July by scrapping the private health insurance subsidy for people over 65 from April 1 2027.
Around 60–70% of Boomers receive a government pension. Current annual health insurance cost $4,930 after a government rebate of $2,337. So will now be $7,267be an increase of 47.4%. Welcome to the USA!
You can only imagine how many people this will drive into the public system and the estimate of 44,000 is a bit short.
Nuclear submarines: Australia’s nuclear submarine program will receive $863m over four years from July. With no refund when none show up. There is no penalty clause. The contract is skewed heavily to the US. The budget for Australia’s contentious Aukus deal has ballooned by more than $430m over four years. AUKUS averages roughly $12b–$13b per year over 30 years.
Victims of Bondi: There’s $219m over four years from now to support people affected by the Bondi terror attack. A further $207m is set aside for combating antisemitism more broadly, including responding to the special envoy’s plan. What about the rest of us who are subject to hate speech and actions?
MISSING : Means testing for benefits which is one of the best ways to close the inequality gap (see Private health insurance).
Joe Lenzo, Safety Beach
Arizona to Flinders
I just happened to be walking off my late Mother’s Day breakfast when I saw a very large sign sporting a giant cactus leaning in front of the Flinders Civic Hall.
I wandered across the road and started chatting to a handful of very warm and charismatic Americans who were milling outside.
It turned out they were members of ProMusica, an Arizona based choir and orchestra, in Flinders that day to perform a program of innovative and thought provoking choral works by Australian and American Composers in collaboration with Southern Peninsula Choir.
Tickets were booked on the spot and not an hour later, my husband and I were comfortably seated, happily enjoying the sweetest, smoothest, choral and orchestral compositions that explored the theme of resilience, exemplified by the Saguaro – the giant cactus of the Arizona desert as it faces the challenge of climate change.
The ProMusica Choir and Orchestra together with the Southern Peninsula Choir whipped up a whirlwind of emotion and passion. The concert was delivered with learned musical talent and love under the baton of Patti Graetz.
I spotted shire councillor Max Patton and independent candidate Tracee Hutchison in the audience also enjoying the collaboration of two wonderfully creative groups from the other ends of planet earth.
Thank you to those responsible for delivering such an uplifting, magical musical event for our local community to enjoy.
Tori Potter, Flinders
BarleyCharlie@90
Angus Taylor, presentable, predictable, as Australia’s Prime Minister, NEVER. Likewise predictable, Donald Tump’s backdown on Iran. And China sticking their bibs in? The merry-go-round continues, minus the MERRY?
As Mr Proust said “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes”.
No mention of taste buds? According to experts (?) in this case Rush University Medical Centre, Chicago, too much salt, leading to vascular dementia. According to their daily usage I have my limit in my porridge.
On the other hand some suggest I’ve been demented for years? My daughters’ strict on NO salt, thus their contributions to food supply (soups) require double (triple?) for my demented brain cells?
On the other hand the whole thing may well be connected with the depressing result of being a Collingwood supporter?
Lots of reasons why the One Nation support, the Farrer by-election, no mention of Liberal voters miffed at Sussan Ley’s departure? No surprise really; one track minds (anything but Labor), Albury and Nepean, not forgetting the underpaid migrant workers doing the jobs we prefer not to do?
Intergenerational inequality, the budget; we await, maintaining as always, positivity and hope, and my fully charged scooter. Gone Pies?
Cliff Ellen, Rye
