More effort on cleaning up As a resident of many years here on the Mornington Peninsula, seeing the lack of care from the local shire in maintaining the suburb of Dromana has been really disappointing. We’ve been inundated with thousands of visitors this summer and the main pavement thoroughfare is incredibly dirty. It has been in need of cleaning for well over 12 months now. Residents submit requests for maintenance and things take months to be addressed. The urination from dogs, mashed in food and graffiti covering many surfaces of the sidewalk and side streets definitely isn’t the welcome I’d…
Browsing: Letters
Landslip mapping report Following the state government’s urgent direction from Minister Sonya Kilkenny to implement an Emergency Management Overlay (EMO), I wish to raise serious concerns. I thank the councillors for their positive and practical response regarding the potential landslide mapping for the Mornington Peninsula. However, I am astounded that a report containing so many apparent errors and/or misleading information could be considered acceptable as a basis upon which to draw sound or constructive conclusions, let alone expect ratepayers to fund it. MP Chris Crewther is cited as calling on the Minister for Planning to clearly explain how approximately 27,000…
Pothole of the Week Time to have a conversation about councillor election funding Debates about political donations often focus on state and federal elections. A recent vote at our local council, however, is a reminder that questions of democratic trust frequently arise at the level closest to home. A councillor proposed a motion seeking tighter donation rules for local government (Council rejects push for stricter donation rules, The News 9/12/25). It was not framed as an accusation or a challenge to colleagues’ integrity, but as an opportunity to reflect on whether existing arrangements continue to support public confidence. The council…
Tackling the cause of rubbish on our beaches There are various ways rubbish ends up on our treasured peninsula beaches. One of the most consequential – and fixable – is the contribution by individuals and groups who carelessly choose to leave their waste items behind after enjoying the natural coastal serenity. When it came to which method the shire should select for beach cleaning (mechanical raking versus by hand), they seem to have overlooked also tackling the causes. Council can’t control what washes up on our beaches that originates elsewhere in the bay and beyond. But they can implement the…
Junior school mayhem not acceptable As a Gen Xer, I am disgusted by the reoccurring stories about a particular junior primary school where the senior leaders, and particularly the principal, continue to show little regard for other students, teachers and teacher’s aides. Compassion and understanding seems only to be reserved for students that lash out, ruin and disrupt whole classrooms, damage thousands of dollars’ worth of resources, or bash other students or teachers. What is going on in schools when this type of behaviour is allowed? Which genius said it was okay, that no-one could intervene? The disgusting and anti-sociable…
A disrespectful tune As a musician, I know when something’s out of tune — and this proposed Arthurs Seat expansion hits all the wrong notes. Turning a State Park into a playground of luge rides, a 28 metre high tower and other theme park stuff and isn’t harmony, it’s noise. Arthurs Seat has its own natural rhythm — the rustle of the trees, the calls of the birds, the quiet stillness that locals and visitors come to hear. This development drowns out that song. It shows little respect for the land, the wildlife, or the community that treasures it. We…
McCrae Landslide Debacle I AM gobsmacked after reading the outcome (if you could call it an outcome) of the inquiry into the McCrae landslide on January 14 earlier this year (Inquiry finds burst water main caused McCrae landslide, The News 14/10/25).It appears that 40.3 million litres of water, the equivalent to approximately 16 Olympic-sized swimming pools leaked undetected from a burst water main owned (but obviously not managed) by South East Water.I had to re-read the article to make sure I was fully comprehending. The facts became even more shocking as I read on. The article revealed landslide risk was,…
A taste of the future? So there we were, cruising home after a delightful coffee in Dromana’s increasingly cosmopolitan dining capital of the peninsula. The Saturday was full of promise for the balmy summer season ahead. The weather glorious, the sea sparkling, and smiles everywhere. And then we saw it. As we approached the Nepean Highway and Marine Drive intersection, mayhem ahead.The jet-skis had descended on the service station. Vehicles towing them were in a scramble to re-fuel, without a thought of other traffic. They were in a tangle at the servo entrance, across the intersection, and waiting, not to…
Risk not properly addressed Last week’s story on the drainage pit lids by Raia Flinos was accurate (Rye Pit hazard raises questions over shire response, The News 30/9/25). Unfortunately, the shire’s response was anything but accurate.I had estimated that the original dislodgement of the pit lids happened about nine months ago. On checking back on my correspondence with the shire I was surprised to find the original incident happened over a year ago and the pathetic substandard attempt to remove the chance of the extremely heavy pit lids being blown off by water pressure happened then.The shire’s answer to this…
Pelican pool thanks Being back in the Hastings pool after the long closure is a real delight and relief for a body that requires non weight bearing exercise. The renovations are superb. Family/disabled change rooms have the kind of facilities much needed for people on sticks or using chairs, easy to use.We are so fortunate that Mornington Peninsula Shire invested in this pool when other councils have allowed theirs to disintegrate. Many regional pools have closed. They provide not only valuable exercise opportunities, learn to swim for kids and migrants from countries where swimming is not part of the culture,…
Pothole situation dire I too was a victim of the neglect by road authorities to repair the ever increasing number of serious potholes on Mornington Peninsula roads (Drivers fury over pothole damage, The News 3/9/25).I am sure many others reading the article have also been inconvenienced and put at risk and unnecessary expense. In fact the tyre repair business where I had the tyre replaced advised me that in one week they had serviced over 30 clients with the same issue.The monetary issue is annoying, but far more worrying is the thought that there will be a serious if not…
Social housing needed on the peninsula I am a retired public servant who was with what is now DFFH. A project I initiated a few years before Covid looks to be replicated (Agencies unite to fix Main St public housing troubles, The News 5/8/25).My project, which was multi-partnered with the department (Housing Manager Frankston) , the Salvation Army, the Community Support Centre, Mi Health, Bolton Clarke, WAYSS, VicPol, Mornington Peninsula Shire and others was very successful.Monthly meetings identified issues and encouraged the partner agencies to take action. DFFH purchased a barbeque. Monthly estate barbeques and coffee cart (funded and hosted…
A tree planting photo op won’t save our wildlife Councillor’s tree planting efforts might make for a nice photo op, but it’s a hollow gesture when so many trees planted by the shire along our roadsides are already dead, ripped out, or doomed from the start – shoved under powerlines or too close to footpaths where they’ll be hacked back before they can ever cast a shadow.While the shire pats itself on the back for planting saplings, the sound of chainsaws tells a different story. Mature, life-sustaining habitat trees are being felled or butchered constantly, leaving native wildlife homeless, displaced,…
Homeless action needed National Homelessness Week is commemorated annually from August 4-10 to raise awareness of homelessness. The theme this year is Homelessness Action Now. It is with much sadness and of great concern that the latest figures available show the rate of homelessness here on the Mornington Peninsula continues to increase. According to the shire, 900 people have experienced homelessness in our community in the past 12 months. It is particularly disturbing that the number of women sleeping rough is getting worse, second only to the City Port Phillip (Housing crisis, Letters 29/7/25).Southern Women’s Action Network (SWAN) would like…
Keep questioning Writing to the local newspaper can stem from frustration, pride, curiosity, or the need to question certain decisions. Some of these letters reflect a community seeking to understand and make sense of council’s actions. When issues arise, they often become the focus of our complaints. We ask whether we are truly unhappy with council, or do they attract frustration? It’s common to grumble, “What are they doing now?” when we encounter a poorly placed roundabout. There are many reasons to write, such as a sense of civic duty or simply the need to express your feelings after encountering…
Why all the flags? The official Australian Flag unites us all just as the Stars and Stripes united the multi-cultural USA.We were disturbed to read and hear of the current flag controversy in Mornington Peninsula Shire – so much so much so that I drove down from Melbourne to check our Australian flag and pole proudly flying at our heritage home on Mornington’s Esplanade.The property was owned by A.B. Balcombe, the founder of Mornington, and was a crown grant from Queen Victoria in 1860. I then attended your Queen St offices to put in a complaint about your divisive flag…
More needs to be done on speed limits The Shoreham Community Association has taken its concerns about speeds permitted on major roads on our side of the peninsula, and the danger to wildlife that these present, to the Mornington Peninsula Shire repeatedly over many years. It is heartened by progress on that now (Speed limits slashed on Frankston-Flinders Road, The News 16/07/25).The SCA concerns also go to the safety of human life. It regards the intersection at Byrnes Road and Frankston-Flinders Road as “an accident waiting to happen”. Drivers coming out of Byrnes Road and from Shoreham Road very often…
Respect all of the peninsula’s heritage Renée Gatt (Peninsula no place to be if you’re a heritage building, The News 1/7/25) notes the issue of loss of heritage buildings. I agree with Renée that heritage buildings should be saved to celebrate our history. But that only celebrates the colonial history. There are very few places on the peninsula that celebrate or recognise the tens of thousands of heritage sites for pre-colonial Australia. There is more recognition of the failed attempt to establish a colony near Blairgowrie. That settlement did not even last one year and yet it is deemed worthy…
Open letter to the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council I’m writing to you about the recent decision to cut funding across several areas of the arts within our region. While the arts may be a “soft target”, this perception fundamentally underestimates the wide-ranging and long-term value that a thriving creative sector provides to the peninsula.If the council aims to spend ratepayer money wisely, cutting the arts is a false economy. Investment in the arts consistently delivers strong returns – in terms of cultural enrichment, economic stimulus, tourism, job creation, community wellbeing, and regional identity.Consider the example of South Korea, where a…
Why choose Somerville for a Urgent Care clinic? The town is 10kms from Frankston Hospital, and Frankston also already has an Urgent Care Clinic, while Rye/Rosebud with a larger population in total area is over 40kms to Somerville, and has no direct public transport for all the Pt Nepean road townships.The poor Rosebud Hospital has to cater for the annual influx from Xmas to Easter and is not able, nor suited, to handle such and would be greatly assisted by an Urgent Care Clinic to reduce their non-emergency work load. It would to more sense to establish an Urgent care…
Mornington Peninsula Shire shifts away from community values The recent decisions by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council signal a worrying departure from the community-focused leadership many of us have come to expect. The Council has disbanded the Citizens’ Panel — a group of 50 local residents who provided vital community input to the Council. This move shuts down an important channel for genuine public consultation at a time when transparency is crucial.Adding to this, the new requirement for pre-registration and photo ID to attend Council meetings feels like a barrier designed to limit public participation rather than encourage it. Local democracy…
Has climate change vanished from the peninsula? It’s difficult to understand why six of the eleven Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors voted to scrap the climate declaration and plan rather than amend it, as Rod Knowles suggested (Climate plan canned, Letters 5/6/2025). As Kaye Mackay pointed out (For real or wrong?, Letters 5/6/2025), climate-fuelled weather events are becoming more frequent and severe.Most perplexing were mayor Cr Anthony Marsh’s comments that the decision would instead focus on “better drainage, protecting our coastline, sustainable infrastructure, and practical, measurable, community-linked climate initiatives” (Shire pulls plug on climate emergency plan, The News 29/4/2025). These are,…
Coastal towns, not concrete jungles Nearly 700 people have now signed my petition calling on Mornington Peninsula Shire to halt the widespread and aggressive clearing of native roadside vegetation — a policy that is destroying habitat and leaving our once-leafy coastal towns stripped and lifeless.What I’ve since discovered is even more disturbing: our local towns are being treated as part of metropolitan Melbourne when it comes to road clearance rules. This “one-size-fits-all” approach has no place in small, coastal communities like Tootgarook — where nature strips once supported thriving native trees, birds, and wildlife, and where most roads don’t even…
A culture war in our shire council During last week’s council meeting, the deputy mayor, Cr Paul Pingiaro moved a motion that included the funding of Creative and Performing Arts be completely cut and six councillors supported it. As the founder of poetry event Poets’ Corner and a creative living on the Mornington Peninsula I think it is incredibly disappointing that the council don’t see the multitude of values, including economic, in funding creative and performing arts.By no longer offering the Creative and Performance Arts fund our shire is effectively removing opportunities for many individuals, local groups and organisations which…
Bring back the Baxter to Mornington train line The Frankston to Mornington line was cancelled after WWII and reinstated in 1966. In 1978 the line was replaced with a bus service. Now in 2025 the demographics of the Mornington Peninsula are radically changed in both numbers and age demographics. With retired and senior citizen demographics having increased, not only on the Port Phillip Bay side but the Western Port side as well, access to public transport for retired and aged citizens is becoming a major issue. Medical facilities and their supporting services in Mornington need to be accessible, hand in…
Call to pause and rethink tree destruction policies THE Mornington Peninsula is being stripped bare under the shire’s current tree management regime.This week, I returned home to find contractors savaging the once-thriving nature strips on my street. When I questioned the workers, I was physically pushed and had branches cut dangerously above me, striking my body. I have video footage of the incident, which left me shaken and dismayed.Beyond personal safety concerns, the greater tragedy is the devastation of habitat for our local wildlife — possums, birds, bats, and insects who depend on these trees for survival. These are not…
The strength of our vote As the federal election draws closer, all eyes turn to Canberra – but here in Flinders, the decision is ours. Our voices will shape the next chapter for our towns and coastlines, and the nation itself.This campaign has been lively, passionate, and – at times – sharp around the edges. That’s to be expected when the stakes feel high. People care. They’re paying attention, asking questions, and getting involved. And that’s something to celebrate, not shy away from. Flinders is no stranger to strong opinions and spirited debate. We’re a region of thinkers, doers, and…
Letters with lies Several recent letters, especially regarding Ben Smith’s candidacy, have contained demonstrably false statements (formerly known as lies), e.g. regarding Climate 200. Could The News please vet letters to the editor and either refuse to publish those containing demonstrably false statements or add an “editor’s note” to such letters pointing out the falsehoods? Lee Seldon, Somers Editor’s note: We get questioned about our approach to the letters page. We try and intervene as little as possible save for the most blatantly offensive, inappropriate or deceptive. To us, the letters page is the “Town Square” where people can mount…
A eulogy for the major parties Ladies and gentlemen, we gather to mourn our beloved major parties, who after decades of dedicated service to themselves, have finally succumbed to terminal irrelevance. Born of lofty ideals, they mastered the art of disappointing voters across the entire political spectrum. Their remarkable ability to transform idealists into bureaucrats was matched only by their talent for being simultaneously for and against the same issues. They leave behind a legacy of corruption investigations and parliamentary behaviour that would get kindergarteners expelled.In lieu of flowers, they request donations to their donors, Coles and Woolworths. May they…
Electioneering heats up Wandering through Dromana community market on Saturday (29 March), I was disappointed to see a Young Liberal Party campaigner and a Labour Party campaigner in a heated argument at the station where they were handing out flyers and tote bags. Accusations of “well you’re not doing this” and “you’re doing terribly at that” went back and forth – it was like watching my kids argue over Lego.I remarked “This isn’t a good look you two, no wonder people are sick of your parties when you can’t even be civil to each other at a community market. No…