Author: Keith Platt

VOTING patterns in the Voice to Parliament referendum on the Mornington Peninsula were close to those recorded across Australia, resulting in a clear No. The latest counting on Monday morning showed 57.89 per cent of No votes on the peninsula (60.59 nationally) and 42.11 per cent Yes (39.41 nationally). Neighbouring Dunkley, which includes Mount Eliza, recorded 50.07 per cent No and 43.61 per cent Yes. There were some pockets on the peninsula where Yes votes triumphed – Mount Martha and around the Red Hill area – but No votes dominated elsewhere, from Portsea and Sorrento to Dromana and across to…

PENINSULA Aero Club says that it has applied for a planning permit to “carry out maintenance works” on Tyabb Airport’s north-south runway. PAC president Stephen Braim said work on the runway’s 21-year-old sealed bitumen section of would ensure that it “remains safe and operational for many years to come”. He said the 45 metre wide runway was included a 10 metre sealed bitumen section with three meter rock shoulders and a grass section on the remainder of that width. Flyers distributed to residents by Tyabb resident Brewis Atkinson say that widening the. Runway “paves the way” for more aircraft movements…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors may hold discussions in secret about whether they should publicly release advice they receive during their scheduled secret briefings. A bid by Cr David Gill to have the issue debated at the council’s Tuesday 3 October public meeting was stymied when the mayor Cr Steve Holland ruled that it could not be discussed in urgent business. Holland quoted part of the council’s governance rules which stated, “the chairperson must not accept any motion which is vague or ambiguous or outside the powers of council and … must not accept any motion question or statement which is…

WITH voting already under way and Saturday being the final day for Yes or No votes to be cast in the Voice to Parliament referendum, four Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors have publicly stated their views. Just four of the shire’s 11 councillors issued a declaration stating they will vote Yes, although all of their colleagues were given the opportunity to add their name in support of the Voice. The four councillors – Despi O’Connor, Sarah Race, Simon Brooks and David Gill – are urging ratepayers to follow their lead and also vote Yes. A statement issued by the four councillors…

PENINSULA Aero Club wants to widen the north/south runway at Tyabb Airport. In a planning application to Mornington Peninsula Shire Council PAC asks permission to add three metre wide constructed shoulders to either side of the 10 metre wide runway. Long time airport watcher Brewis Atkinson believes the widened and strengthened runway will lead to more commercial and training aircraft using the airport. Atkinson wants objectors to the plan to urge the shire to impose curfews on the use of the airport by non-emergency flights; set an annual cap of 18,000 take-offs and landings (with touch-and-go counting as two movements);…

A FRIDGE magnet is being used to let vulnerable people and families know where to get help. The magnets being distributed to all households in Capel Sound are designed for those “struggling with social isolation, ageing, mental health issues and economic concerns”. A small sub-group within the Capel Sound Community Group identified people facing those issues as being the most vulnerable and also the most likely to not know where to find help. “Our local community centres can help with that, but people needed support to even find who to ask,” group secretary Bettyanne Foster said. “We had lots of…

THE Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula wasted no time last week in congratulating Jacinta Allan on her new job as state premier. The lobby group said Allan’s appointment was an opportunity to “collaborate” with the government on a “long list of major advocacy projects” for Frankston and the peninsula. “The committee seeks a renewed focus and consultative approach by the state government on addressing the major challenges and opportunities within our region, including better connectivity and public transport, more funding for housing on the peninsula, unlocking port-zoned land to create local jobs, better access to health and education opportunities,…

THE search is on for a builder to take over the partially completed clubrooms at Civic Reserve, Mornington following the collapse of the of the project’s main contractor, Allmore Constructions. A decision to wind up the Tullamarine-based company on 7 September has forced Mornington Peninsula Shire to find a builder to take over and complete the multi-million dollar project. Last Friday, a uniformed guard was the only person near the unfinished building. The mayor Cr Steve Holland said a new builder would be appointed “as quickly as possible”. “It is yet to be determined whether there will be any shortfall…

A PROMINENT Liberal Party leader and the CEO of the Hastings-based Willum Warrain Aboriginal Association joined forces last week in urging a Yes vote in next month’s Voice to Parliament referendum. Former Liberal ACT Chief Minister, Kate Carnell AO, said it was “a very Liberal thing to do, to vote Yes on 14 October”. Willum Warrain Aboriginal Association CEO Peter Aldenhoven said the referendum offered “hope, change, opportunity and possibility”. Carnell and Aldenhoven spoke at the second Voice public forum held at Rosebud by the Southern Women’s Action Network (SWAN). SWAN member Judith Graley said all speakers at the forum…

THE state government has announced that a terminal to assemble offshore wind turbines will be built at Hastings while at the same time saying there will be “a thorough environment effects statement (EES) process” before the project progresses. In a statement issued on Sunday (10 September) the government says the terminal will be built at the Old Tyabb Reclamation Area and be equipped “for the receival, assembly and installation of offshore wind foundations, towers and turbines as a multi-user facility, with new berths, heavy duty pavements and major supporting infrastructure”. Energy and Resources Minister Lily D’Ambrosio and Ports and Freight…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have rejected a call that would have allowed officers to be questioned in public about the contents and possible consequences of their reports. The bid by Cr David Gill to clear the way for the public questioning of officers was defeated last week on the casting vote of the mayor, Cr Steve Holland. With one councillor absent, the vote was tied five all and Holland, in line with accepted procedure, used his extra vote as meeting chairperson to retain the status quo, which prevents the officers being questioned at public council meetings. In the lead up…

PETER Dawson readily admits to joking when he says members of the Flinders Icebergers are “the real icebergers, because we swim in the ocean”. He’s admiring and complimentary of everyone who swims all year. A year-round swimmer, or iceberger, for 30 years, Dawson started at Mentone and says the Flinders group grew as people sought companionship during the COVID pandemic. There are now 65 members of the “unofficial” Flinders group, with as many of them as possible taking the plunge at 7.30am daily near the pier. Individual swim distances vary from 600 metres to two kilometres and the only major…

Review results delivered behind closed doors MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors are being urged to improve “transparency” in the wake of the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission’s investigation into allegations of corruption at the City of Casey. IBAC’s Operation Sandon report tabled in state parliament on 27 July this year “found clear evidence of two [Casey] councillors accepting personal benefits from making or influencing council decisions related to planning or land use”. IBAC’s launch of Operation Sandon saw Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors order a review of development planning decisions made by the shire over the past two decades. The move directed that…

THE unpredictability of the trajectory of a small round ball after being hit by a flat surface has been highlighted by the need for a safety net on one of the Mornington Peninsula’s prestige golf courses. The owners of the two-course Moonah Links in Fingal say insurance companies have demanded a 13 metre high net be installed on the sixth hole of the championship Legends Course to protect a house in The Ridge Road from errant golf balls. The decision to allow the net could have been made under delegation by Mornington Peninsula Shire officers but Cr David Gill “called…

ALTHOUGH it has refused to drop Flinders from its paid parking trial, Mornington Peninsula Shire has refined its approach to make the experiment more acceptable to residents. Changes to the rules include a business parking permit for “select volunteers and club members” and a permit for staff of “directly adjacent businesses”. As well as near Flinders pier, the parking trial will be held over summer at Schnapper Point, Mornington, and Sunnyside Beach, Mount Eliza. Peninsula residents can apply for up to five permits a household but must abide by parking time limits. Anyone else parking at the three beach side…

ALTHOUGH Mornington Peninsula Shire has found little joy in the results of its the past two annual community satisfaction surveys, the same cannot be said for one of its most high profile contractors. Waste collectors Solo Resource Recovery has been able to issue a news release saying the latest local government community satisfaction survey “highlighted the exceptional success of waste management services [in the shire], rating second overall behind art centres and libraries”. The news release From trash to treasure: waste management services praised by locals, from Brisbane based BBS Communications Group, said the peninsula’s community, “young and old, have…

THE now-amalgamated committees for greater Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula appear to have the endorsement of MPs from state and federal governments and both major parties. Josh Sinclair, CEO of the Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula, said “extremely supportive comments” had been received from the seven MPs whose electorates cover Frankston and the peninsula. “This level of support from our local Labor and Liberal MPs shows the committee is bipartisan and a serious advocacy body for our region,” Sinclair said. “It also comes in addition to the significant membership/partnership the committee now has with corporate gold member, Mornington Peninsula…

THE state government has nominated the Port of Hastings as the best place for a terminal to assemble and from where ship offshore wind farms. A decision has yet to be made on whether an environmental effects statement (EES) will be required, although the government has been warned that any delays could adversely impact on meeting timelines for its offshore power generation targets. The planned Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal’s inland buildings and quayside assembly area cover 43 hectares with a 600 metre long by 100 metre wide wharf. If approved, the terminal will be the largest industrial development at the…

CARRUM Downs artist Jaq Grantford’s portrait of a actor Noni Hazlehurst has won the People’s Choice Award in this year’s Archibald Prize. The win marked Grantford’s first time as an Archibald Prize finalist and her work will be on display with 56 other portraits at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery from 15 September to 5 November. Events being held at the gallery to align with the Archibald Prize: The gallery’s cafe partner Commonfolk will serve coffee and “seasonal tucker”. The Archibald Prize 2023 will be on display at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Civic Reserve, Dunns Road, Mornington from 15 September to…

A MAJORITY of Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors have emphatically shown that they want car parking near Flinders pier to be part of a paid parking trial. A move by Cr David Gill to have Flinders removed from this summer’s trial was defeated by a vote of seven to two at last week’s public meeting (8 August). Cr Antonella Celi was Gill’s sole supporter. Councillors against excluding Flinders from the trial were Despi O’Connor, Anthony Marsh, Lisa Dixon, Susan Bissinger, Debra Mar, Simon Brooks and the mayor Steve Holland. Parking at Flinders, Schnapper Point, Mornington, and Sunnyside beach, Mount Eliza will…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have been told that investigating dropping the car park near Flinders pier in a paid parking trial would have “serious implications” for the entire project. Flinders, Sunnyside Beach, Mount Eliza and Schnapper Point, Mornington are the three car parks earmarked for the paid parking trial over summer. Major project coordination team leader Marcus Harris, in a report to this week’s public council meeting (Tuesday 8 August) said excluding Flinders from the trial would delay quotes for the vehicle identification cameras to be used in the paid parking trial. Harris said Flinders and Sunnyside car parks were…

Mornington Peninsula Shire last week injected a bit of showbiz into its lobbying for money and support from the state government. The mayor Cr Steve Holland and CEO John Baker last Wednesday took to the stage in Queen’s Hall, Parliament House to remind MPs and anyone else moving through the hall that the peninsula has problems as well as drawcards. Baker told the assembled audience – including councillors and council officers – that about 4000 of the peninsula’s 170,000 residents were experiencing homelessness. “Predominantly it’s women sleeping in cars with kids,” he said. “Typically, they’re divorced, they’ve been left with…

COUNCILLORS have warned that the planning powers of all Victorian municipalities are threatened following the release of a report by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) and the influence of former Mornington businessman John Woodman on several planning decisions by Casey Council. Mornington Peninsula mayor Cr Steve Holland says the state government will use IBAC’s Sandon report to “further centralise power. The worst possible response”. The Premier Daniel Andrews said he would follow the IBAC report’s recommendation of setting up an inter-departmental taskforce to coordinate the implementation of 34 “recommendations to promote transparency in planning decisions; enhance donation and lobbying…

CONCERNS have been raised over a planned reduction in car parking spaces on the Blairgowrie foreshore. Plans on the Whitecliffs to Camerons Bight Foreshore Reserve management committee website show the revamped car park will have 44 parking spaces, 13 less than at present. An aerial photograph of the car park in summer shows 60 cars parked there with one unoccupied disabled space. The committee says the Sevilles car park, off Point Nepean Road opposite The Loop, needs a “facelift”. Plans drawn up for the committee include a new toilet block, landscaping, better separation of vehicles and pedestrians, “a proper bay…

SAUSAGE sizzles and a “community walk” are planned to raise money and highlight the plight of an estimated 1000 people on the Mornington Peninsula who each night struggle to find somewhere to sleep. Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Steve Holland said there had been no response to pleas for more state government help from the council and the municipality’s three community support centres. Nothing has changed since outlining the problem to the Premier Daniel Andrews last October, but the shire will continue its lobbying for more government help as part of this year’s Homelessness Week (7-13 August). “The continued lack…

SUE Black, of Langwarrin is one of 1500 participants in the Legacy Centenary Torch Relay that started in France in April and will end at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne on Friday 13 October. The relay, which will see the torch being carried for more than 50,000 kilometres, through 100 stops, in a bid to raise more than $10 million for Legacy. King Charles gave the torch relay a royal welcome when it visited Buckingham Palace at the end of April, at the start of its journey though London before landing in Australia. The King was presented with a…

FLINDERS Community Association has lodged a freedom of information application with the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to find out more about the proposed paid parking trial on Flinders foreshore. The association’s president Mary Iles said the council had “surprised residents” in May with a plan to implement paid parking at Flinders, charging visitors $6.20 an hour using camera technology and a mobile phone app. The association wants council to release a consultant’s report that questioned the viability of paid parking at Flinders foreshore and the council’s business case that recommended the paid parking trial go ahead. The shire is also…

THE leaders of 15 churches are urging “the Mornington Peninsula community” to “carefully listen” to the stories of First Peoples’ leaders in the lead-up to the referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. In a signed “open letter” the church leaders describe the “paradoxical relationship” the Christian church has had with Australia’s First Peoples since the arrival of white settlers in 1788. Some churches had good intentions while others “shared the values of the emerging colonial society, including paternalism and racism”. The letter does not advocate a Yes or No vote and its signatories acknowledge that they do not represent…

THE inaugural Mornington Peninsula Small Business Festival is predicted to “inspire and upskill small peninsula businesses”. Mornington Peninsula Shire says the festival held throughout August “will boast inspiring presentations, engaging activities and practical workshops on topics such as staffing challenges, sustainability, marketing, financial advice and so much more”. “The curated program has been developed by the shire, with events run by the Shire as well as expert agencies including Small Business Mentoring Service, FMP Jobs and Skills Working Group and Chisholm,” is one of the unattributed quotes in a shire news release. “Small businesses are welcome to ‘pick and mix’…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council has been asked to reconsider its plans for a paid parking trial at Flinders pier. “There are no pristine sandy beaches, walking trails, bike paths or cafes to justify the charge in the same way as other seaside locations where parking fees have been introduced,” chairperson of the Save Flinders Pier campaign Charles Reis said. Reis, named by the shire as its 2023 Local Champion, said that council’s plan for charged parking at Flinders was problematic and parking should remain free. Parking areas at Flinders, Sunnyside North Beach, Mount Eliza and Schnapper Point, Mornington are included…