ANALYSIS THE state government’s recent move to tighten rules to control councillors and council staff raises some interesting issues, the basic one being: how much control should one level of government have over another? And secondly, how much control should council bureaucrats have over councillors? If, for example, federal politicians enacted a law giving them the power to stand down or suspend state MPs, how would the “inferior” state legislature react? Yet the Andrews government, through Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins, intends to do precisely this with new laws to “strengthen local governance and reduce councillor misconduct”. The legislation received…
Day: December 22, 2015
A SOMERVILLE Auskick Access All Abilities Family Day in March will feature live bands, rides, market stalls, free kids’ activities and dance performances. The free day will be held 10am-9pm on the Labour Day Weekend at the Fruitgrowers Reserve, Somerville. The day is being presented by Somerville Auskick to bring together members of the community to showcase the local area and the talent available. Proceeds raised this year, at what’s hoped will become an annual event, will help initiate the Somerville Auskick Access All Abilities program. Coordinator Felix Arena said organisers were seeking sponsors for the family day, an audiovisual…
ONE of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, will be staged at Coolart Homestead and Wetlands, 4pm, Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 January. It is being put on by OZACT as one of its 40 productions and 500 outdoor performances over the past 20 years. Coolart, at Somers, is regarded as an idyllic setting surrounded by lawns, floral borders and gardens. The talented and energetic cast will take audiences on a delightful journey: from the majestic court of Duke Theseus to the woodland home of the Fairy King and Queen. “This production is a wonderful introduction to…
GRATEFUL families and many smiling young faces brought Hastings hall to life last week as part of the Western Port Christmas Giving Program. Four hundred food hampers – weighing in at seven tonnes – as well as 1000 toys and other gifts for children made their Christmas one to savour. Western Port Community Support coordinator Mike O’Grady said the hampers and toys were collected with assistance of the Salvation Army, churches, service organisations, businesses, schools and individuals from around the Mornington Peninsula. But the real heroes are its volunteers, who run the program and manage the donations. It receives no…
FILES containing sensitive personal details of 37 men and women have been found dumped on a nature strip at Somerville. The details were provided to a gymnasium on handwritten “athlete’s personal profile” forms. The dumped paperwork, which comes from a gymnasium, also includes invoices and notes detailing how much money has been paid to employees, including the manager’s take home pay. The files were contained in a pink plastic bag, one of several left next to a rubbish bin outside a factory in Speedwell St. The owner of the factory said the bags would probably have remained on the nature…