Council should stay neutral in election
The Mornington Peninsula Shire has announced that it will again host and moderate forums for candidates contesting the Victorian state election.
While I support residents having the opportunity to hear directly from candidates, I question whether it is appropriate for local government to take on the role of organiser and moderator of state or federal election forums.
At a previous federal election forum hosted by the shire, concerns arose about the fairness of the process, including the order in which candidates were required to respond to questions.
The shire subsequently advised me that the order of responses was rotated “to ensure fairness”. However, based on my review of the forum, with one exception, one of the two major candidates consistently responded first, leaving the other to respond second. This gave the second speaker the opportunity to build on, challenge or rebut the preceding answer and creates a perception of favouritism.
In an election forum, where candidates are being directly compared by voters, speaking order is not necessarily a trivial procedural matter. The candidate responding second had the opportunity to build on, challenge or rebut the answer given immediately beforehand.
The council should not place itself in a position where its procedures can reasonably be perceived as advantaging one candidate over another.
There are three levels of government, each with distinct roles and responsibilities. While the shire has an important role in advocating for the peninsula, it should maintain political neutrality.
With the shire now announcing another series of state election forums, this is an appropriate time to ask whether lessons have been learned from previous forums. In my view, the shire should not have a role in organising or facilitating political forums, given the importance of maintaining public confidence in its neutrality.
Anja Ottensmeyer, Mt Martha
Ratepayer rage
Does the rest of the population agree with me that the Mornington Peninsula Shire does not understand financial accounting? We are now getting our 2026/27 rate notices with capitol improved value going up on most properties (at least all the property owners that I have spoken to tell me their rates have all gone up). All while property values are declining rapidly throughout the shire which tells me they have no idea what they are doing.
The shire tells us our properties are worth more but trying to sell means we need to drop the price to sell it.
If you talk to the shire you cannot get them to look at it just because it has gone up (property price ) you need to show there is a change in the value.
I think it is time to start a petition questioning the methods the council uses to value properties so as to be more in line with what is happening in the market.
It is no wonder that One Nation is getting such a strong swing of support as most people I speak to are fed up with the status quo of the major parties and their harebrained ways to spend our money (its not theirs).
Barry Kirkpatrick, Mt Martha
Buck passing
I read with a smirk on my face your article last week (“Passing the Buck”, The News, 22/9/26).
A magnificent example of bureaucratic behaviour and buck passing.
It served to remind me of an interaction I had with the council regarding the condition of the median strips in the shire.
When I asked why when the grass was cut the edges were not trimmed as well, I was informed that the grass cutting contractor did not do edges and that was the responsibility of another contractor.
When asked about the weeds between the concrete guttering and the road asphalt I was informed that this the responsibility of VicRoads.
You couldn’t make this stuff up and we are paying for the incompetence.
Bruce Cornelius, Mornington
Over the ‘duck shoving’
I’m over it – the tit for tat between the Mornington Shire and the state government/VicRoads duck shoving responsibility to each other for maintaining our roads, repairing of potholes, removal of rubbish from roadsides and the mowing of median strips.
While these two organisations point fingers at each other as to who needs to fix these issues – nothing gets done. How pathetic!
Why do we have to put up with local infrastructure falling into such a state of disrepair?
My husband recently took a photo of a pothole in Main Street Mornington, that sat untouched for weeks (despite phoning both the shire and VicRoads) and promises that VicRoads would repair it within 24 hours, it was only repaired a week and half later after it was highlighted in The News.
Councils are responsible for roads, rates and rubbish. Clean up your act and please look after our beautiful peninsula. We deserve better.
Lauren Chionna, Mornington
Potholes
Marg D’Arcy should read her leaders’ comments made on the state of Victoria’s roads before putting pen to paper (“Potholes not the only priority”, Letters, 15/9/26).
On 30 August Premier Carroll pledged $352m to double the state’s road-repair targets and fix 500,000 potholes by the end of January 2027.
Ms D’Arcy obviously believes the $352m expenditure is not warranted after her experience of travelling recently on Victoria’s pristine roads.
William Holmes, Sorrento
The peninsula pays, the rest of the state collects
The Mornington Peninsula has one of Victoria’s largest short-stay rental markets. We welcome visitors and value tourism, but the housing pressure here is real.
Since January 2025, the Victorian government has charged a 7.5% levy on short-stay bookings. It raised $85.8m in its first year, all directed to Homes Victoria for social and affordable housing.
Regional Victoria is guaranteed 25% of the levy. The peninsula, classed as metropolitan, has no guaranteed share at all, despite a holiday rental market that looks far more like Lorne than Lalor.
Meanwhile, Geelong, a region of similar size, has received $214.5m from state housing programs. The peninsula got $10m.
So basic questions remain. How much has been collected here? How much has come back? What will the government pay for, and when?
Only 1.4% of peninsula households live in social housing, compared with 2.3% across Greater Melbourne. The housing and homelessness crisis is visible in every township.
The government promised that the levy revenue will help fund supported housing on the peninsula. That’s welcome, but the announcement gave no local funding amount, no number or location of homes, and no delivery date.
I’m not arguing every dollar must stay where it’s collected. But a community doing the heavy lifting, with serious housing needs of its own, deserves a fair return and a clear account of the money.
The peninsula shouldn’t be a cash cow for the state, then expected to be grateful for vague promises.
As an independent, I’ll keep asking publicly until Nepean gets its fair share.
Kim Robbins, Safety Beach
Independent candidate for Nepean
Public transport
It appears that One Nation is not interested in public transport as they do not have a policy on public transport.
One Nation has the same philosophy as Donald Trump’s “old capitalism” where government is completely evil, laws and regulation are an absolute abhorrence as they are hurdles to wealth creation by the individual.
If One Nation wins government then the public transport system such as trains and trams would be privatised.
Jess Wilson wants to purchase trains manufactured overseas and assembled in Victoria for rural services even though trains are manufactured in Victoria.
At the state election if the polls are right then One Nation may win government or have a coalition with the Liberals and the Nationals but it will be interesting to see if One Nation wins both houses or the Victorian people give the upper house to either the Liberals or Labor and the Greens and independents to keep control of One Nation for insurance.
If the Liberals and Nationals want to gain better support they should stop using the term “community” and start using the word “individual” which Menzies and Bolte used in their days of leadership of Australia and Victoria.
November is coming fast and we will soon know if the polls are right and the speculation will come to an end.
Russell Morse, Karingal
Immigration debate
An observation about the present-day immigration debate. The same message is resounding down through the ages. Whereas the first “invasion” was essentially a form of punishment, the current one reflects a people searching for a better life.
Which is the more honourable, and what does it teach us about hypocrisy?
Hank Biesterbos, Frankston
Hate speech
I am writing to say how saddened and disappointed I am regarding a letter you printed in last week’s paper (Election time, Letters, 22/9/26).
I have no issue with the majority of the letter but the statement “cannot tell the difference between a person who sits down to pee or a person who stands up…” is both hateful and transphobic.
Publishing this opinion is harmful to the LGBTQIA+ community and encourages hate speech. It makes that community feel unsafe and misunderstood.
I understand that people are entitled to their opinion but publishing such a statement is unacceptable. I sincerely hope you will consider the LGBTQIA+ community, or any other persecuted groups, when deciding whether to publish any future letters.
Lisa Binks, Mornington
Transparency needed
Voters on the Mornington Peninsula deserve complete transparency ahead of the upcoming election. None of the candidates running under the “Independent” banner locally have been upfront about their core backing.
If a candidate is sponsored, funded, or supported by Climate 200 – making them part of the “Teal” movement – they should state it clearly. I call on every so-called Independent candidate to explicitly declare this connection on all their posters, sandwich boards, t-shirts, signage, and marketing materials.
Voters shouldn’t have to guess who or what is funding a campaign. Genuine independence requires total honesty right from the start.
Jutta Chatto, Mornington
Fashion forward
Congratulations to Regis Aged Care homes for their sustainable fashion showcases (“Regis aged care homes put on sustainable fashion show”, The News, 22/9/26).
Per capita, Australia is the world’s biggest consumer of clothing items.
On average we each purchase 56 items per year or 27 kilograms of clothing, of which 93 per cent ends up in landfill.
In short, our fashion choices are terrible for the environment.
It’s therefore good to read about initiatives like Eco Fashion Week and Regis’ sustainable fashion showcases. Empowering folk to come together to create and repurpose materials is a positive response to the fast fashion crisis.
Amy Hiller, Kew
BarleyCharlie@90
Big Brother is here forever, recalling ASIO, grew like topsy, 1950’s onwards; now AI’s; perish the bloody thought, spooks, U choose, suggest ignore, tomorrow?
Albo says “Humans remain in control” but neglected to tell us WHICH humans, recalling Tony Abbott’s lost promises upon being elected?
Health and wellness predominant, fear of mosquitos, in readiness to attack, increasing numbers, and September’s conclusion, resembling females in my day, aka time on planet Earth; hot one day, cucumber cold the next, no?
Suggest watch The Real Housewives of New York City, deleted at the halfway mark, or upgrade my Vegemite intake, sardines, supposedly a cure?
Add in sharks and bullants, in disguise, as Woolworths, Coles; are the chickens smaller? Reality, the more you examine, the more likely to go bananas.
Currently the phrase “Ahead of its time” meaning? The Greens, Northcote, banning Maccas, banning choice?
My first 20 years, working class mainly renters a memory, swamped, by that “we know best, bugger the rest” group.
Recalling the phrase “Blue and Green should never be seen” SPOT ON! Will try Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, movie, “Moving on”?
Always had a deeper Aussie accent, medical problems as a toddler; at last, compensation, AI fitting into someone’s body, including the voice, BUT, not into mine!
“Practising an Art is a way to make your soul grow, sing in the shower, dance to the radio, write a lousy poem, you will have created something.” Kurt Vonnegut.
Better still, his book on Player Piano, 1952, society replacing machines? The bigger question: Should I extend my RSL membership for another year?
Positivity forever, one day at a time? Nick Daicos, star!
Cliff Ellen, Rye
