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,…
Browsing: Letters
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…
A Verse for the ‘The Parties’ For goodness sake, don’t vote Independent.We have a two party system, we have to defend it.The rich from both sides, we must hold the power.We’re under attack at this critical hour. At stake is our very way of life.The helicopters, the polo, they’ll all be in strife.How will hospitality survive without corporate lunches?Labor and Libs, we must pull out all the punches! We must work together, have a planning retreat.Let’s head to Sorrento, to a clifftop, and meet.Labor bring caviar, Libs bring champagne.We’ll make up a plan, and start a campaign. The time has…
A cross–generation take on IWD WHEN Southern Women’s Action Network (SWAN) member Maureen Donelly and 83-year-old Marg Madge joined ten young people to prepare for an International Women’s Day (IWD) craft activity at Mornington Peninsula Shire Youth Services “Corner Youth Hub” in Mornington, it soon emerged that an intergenerational approach was the way to go.The two groups came together over an IWD community consultation project conducted by SWAN’s Women Against Gender-based Violence group. For the craft component of the project the young people created the letters EQUALITY in the IWD theme colours: green, purple and white.“During this activity we exchanged…
Cat o’ nine tails? Victoria’s current crime epidemic is out of control. Premier Allan and the Victorian government must urgently stop it. Our police and judiciary need much stronger powers than they currently have to help them deal with this epidemic. Our current bail laws are quite inadequate. So bring back something really strong. Bring back corporal punishment. Bring back flogging. “What a really cruel thought” some might say. But are such punishments as cruel as having family members killed or maimed for life by unlicenced teenaged thugs causing major car accidents in stolen cars? The answer is a very…
Ask these questions of election candidates Congratulations and thank you to the Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula on the excellent federal election candidate forum held on 14 February in Mornington.Southern Women’s Action Network (SWAN) was very pleased to attend and hear all candidates acknowledging the critical issue of the housing and homelessness crisis on the Mornington Peninsula.The plight of our homeless, the lack of social housing and the unfairness of housing affordability is a huge problem both for our business sector trying to attract a stable well-trained workforce, and for our community support organisations trying to find homes for…
Putting the case for hand beach cleaning I was relieved to read that the council plan to scale back hand beach cleaning has been postponed.As a coastal ecologist I first observed the impacts of mechanical raking in the 1990’s at Seaford Foreshore when it was introduced in response to syringes, later found to be sourced from a medi-vac company dumping them, washing up on the beach.At that time I had the job of collecting rubbish along that 3.5km section of foreshore. The benefits of hand collection were many. I was a presence on the beach which made people feel safer;…
Thanks to the brave and selfless firefighters A huge thank you to all the fire brigades from around the peninsula who arrived quickly and put out the lightning lit grass fire adjacent to Nepean Highway at Mt Martha last Sunday night. Luckily the grass had been cut for hay and bales moved. Volunteers arrived within minutes of my triple zero call and worked for hours, amidst frightening lightning. You people are so generous, kind and professional.Ann Scally, Mt Martha Dodgy donations It is interesting that in last week’s edition featured two different aspects of political donations. At the local government…
Landslide blame game The catastrophic landslide at McCrae on 14 January has receded from the front pages and the TV news reports but that is of little comfort to the 19 owners evicted from their homes. In the meantime, South East Water has been active in examining their areas of responsibility but the shire is strangely silent.To any long time resident of the area the shire, over many years, is the body clearly at fault. It is the one responsible for drainage, issuing building permits and tree removals. The hillside at McCrae has had natural springs emerge for over 100…
Our coasts are fragile The recent landslip at McCrae once again illustrates the delicate nature of many coastal areas of our Peninsula. In the past there has been numerous slips along the Esplanade between Mornington and Safety Beach. There was a large slip at Oliver’s Hill that closed part of the Nepean Highway. We also have futile attempts to rectify the Beleura Hill pathway that has slipped numerous times in the past and will inevitably slip again.Keith Humphreys, Mornington Time for a change Being of retirement age (& some!), I’ve seen my fair share of elections. I believe this time…
When will the peninsula burn like Los Angeles? MANY of the “before” photos of homes in LA looked very like those on the Mornington Peninsula around – Frankston South, Mt Eliza, Mornington, Mount Martha, Dromana, McCrae and others all the way to Portsea. What can be done to ensure that these homes never look like the “after” photos following the awful fires there last week? It couldn’t happen here! That’s what the LA residents thought.Brian Nankervis, Mornington McCrae landslip For a long time the local owners have been saying about the water flows and land moving in this McCrae area,…
Sound financial management essential for council Good to note mayor Cr Marsh and deputy mayor Paul Pingiaro (Council Rate Cap Set, The News 7/1/25) are keen to focus on core services and to eliminate unnecessary spending. Perhaps the mayor and council can address the excessive salary paid to the previous CEO when seeking a replacement CEO. A cut of at least $100,000pa would seem in order and would both provide additional funds for community use, and I believe would still attract quality candidates.Bureaucracies at all government levels tend to grow and get bogged down with meetings, committees, reports, and assessment…
Big barrier bungle Brendan Rees’ article (Residents call for removal of ‘unjustified’ road barriers, The News 18/12/24) is a balanced summary of the bewildering “Full Metal Motor Racing Circuit” treatment of Red Hill’s 60kmh hub. The shire seemingly forgot the Harvard Business School’s aphorism, “Consultants like to solve problems and can create them if none exist.”Somebody will have to develop a super-creative vindication if BITRE (Bureau of Infrastructure & Transport Research Economics) assesses the Arthur Seat Road Black Spot project’s presumed benefit-to-cost ratio and actual crash data.Best of luck with that.Russell Kenery, Red Hill Important issues Several readers have expressed…
Development for development’s sake THE proposed redevelopment of ‘The Eagle’, atop Wonga, must not be given the go-ahead by Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny. In 2020, the shire declared a Climate Emergency both as a responsible measure to limit climate impacts to these beautiful lands and under pressure from the community. We know that as part of actions to reduce greenhouse emissions and strains on the natural environment, we must reassess our use of material resources.This redevelopment is development for development’s sake. The current set up is fit for purpose – people experience the view, enjoy the quiet ride, and sit…