Shire’s advertisement lacked information
It should be noted that Mornington Peninsula Shire Council had a full page ad in this newspaper only a few days before the free green waste weekend (News dumped, Letters 12/3/24). This ad raved on about all the services the shire had to offer and all that it was doing, but not a hint of the approaching “freebie”. The council never mentioned its previous free weekend either, so I’ve been monitoring its home page on the internet ever since.
The lack of the normal traffic congestion made it easy to get to the check-in point but you still had to show evidence you are a resident of the shire and not some freeloader who has snuck their trailer load over the bay and back on a ferry or dragged it all the way from Frankston or beyond to save tip costs.
Fred Wild, Rye
Day of mourning
As 2024 celebrated International Women’s Day I wonder just what there was to celebrate: 2023 saw 64 women killed by males and, so far in 2024, there have been nine. So, I hope you’ll excuse me from wondering just what there is to celebrate.
Let’s start naming violence for what it is – not domestic violence, but criminal assault. How many names of murdered women can we recall from 2023 or even 2024? All these women were someone’s mother or daughter. All the perpetrators were some mother’s son. And still we see 8 March as a day of celebrating. I see it as a day of mourning.
Mel Farnbach, Balnarring
Thanks for the news
Just a brief note to say “bouquets to youse” for continuing your unique role in keeping our elected representatives accountable. The lack of transparency at Mornington Peninsula Shire continues to be very alarming, most recently regarding The Briars and the Harry Potter Show.
I have long followed The News and admired your courage and commitment to reporting the news that many people in positions of power would prefer you didn’t, and I’d never taken the time to say thanks. Until now.
Keep up the good work.
Melissa Roffey, Crib Point
Left in free fall
With the left side of politics in free fall both here and overseas and the Albanese government lurching from one disaster to another on top of the Greens reeling from a drubbing in Dunkley and their leader raking up a $15,000 private jet bill to, among other things, the party election launch in Brisbane, it’s no wonder the keyboard warriors are clutching at straws.
A letter was published last week about a photograph showing Flinders MP Zoe McKenzie congratulating newly elected [Labor] MP for Dunkley, Jodie Belyea (McKenzie colleagues not in same class, Letters, 12/3/24). The letter quotes several of the “boorish, born-to-rule, dullards” as saying “we are at war with Labor” and “an act of absolute naivety” among others.
The problem was on page 3 of the same edition of The News where journalist Liz Bell reported on the same subject, naming two of Ms McKenzie’s [Liberal] colleagues who gave a glowing endorsement of her actions. Ms Bell also named other prominent people supporting Ms McKenzie and stated that “More than 140 other people from both sides of politics praised her actions.” Apparently White King can remove egg stains from the shirt collar.
Michael G Free, Mount Martha
Light solution
This will make [Flinders MP] Zoe McKenzie happy – she no longer needs to bang on about the Jetty Road, Rosebud overpass, because we have a solution in the placement of traffic lights there and they are working quite well in the traffic management department.
But then again, it might make her sad because she’s got nothing to blame the ALP about. What she could do though is, not concentrate on LNP fake promised money and for her and [Nepean MP] Sam [Groth] to go and approach the state ALP and ask (nicely) for some dosh to provide noise barriers down to Dromana.
LNP supporters believe anything their party tells them. I was discussing the magnificent job former Labor MP for Nepean Chris Brayne did on refurbishing our schools. This person told me he was using LNP money that they had been allotting over several years for the project and they were going to do the repairs after the last election. What rot. If the funds were there, why didn’t [former Liberal MP for Dromana] Martin Dixon release them earlier when he was able?
Typical Liberals, treating the electorate like fools. We don’t matter down here, but they still get voted in.
John Cain, McCrae
Hypocritical planning
It is not Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s responsibility to be involved in creating energy infrastructure (Solar charge unfair, The News 5/3/24). There are already rebates at the state level for solar generation.
Offsetting the cost to ratepayers openly discriminates against those people that are unable to install solar panels.
The council would be better served by creating planning laws that stop over shadowing of neighbours’ properties and include solar potential assessments for any new development.
We fought for a long time to have a neighbour’s development reduced in height but council allowed the development, thus removing our opportunity to install solar panels. This is quite hypocritical.
It would also be far more beneficial to the environment if the shire restricted the size of new developments. Often a simple holiday home with a very small energy footprint is replaced by a fence to fence build that would consume many factors more of energy. It would also make more sense to encourage new developments to plant more trees as a part of the development.
You can save energy by not creating hot suburbs. Fence to fence box design of new developments is not consistent with climate change or being environmentally responsible. Council has the ability to make an impact there. Leave energy generation to the state and federal governments.
Chris Brand, Sorrento
Solar money grab
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council imposing a levy on households in their rates for not having the means to install solar panels is just another money grab on ratepayers who cannot afford to install these panels (Unjust burden, Letters 13/3/24). I guess the shire needs this extra income to pay their already overpaid councillors.
Last week I read an ABC News article that stated that the amount of rebates going to residents with solar power/panels would stop because too much is going back into the grid and the power companies are losing money.
So, tell us MPSC, what will you then charge the residents on their rates for this dilemma? So many overeducated, unrealistic boffins in council and parliament these days.
Gail Turner, Rye
Power not needed
Ignorance is bliss I thought when I read of Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s proposal to give ratepayers a 20 per cent discount off their rates if they install 5kw solar panels and to offset this by increasing the rates of those who don’t (Solar charge ‘unfair’, The News, 5/3/24).
The feed-in tariff paid to households to buy their excess solar power is soon to be reduced from the present pittance of a minimum 4.9 cents per kw-hour to 3.3 cents. The big tariffs of years ago are no longer. At the very best of high noon sunshine, one hour of this solar system earns 16 cents – kids can do better cashing in a couple of empty beer cans for the deposit refund.
For me to install 5kw of solar panels, even if my neighbours are forced to give me several hundred dollars, is still a very poor investment and I would not do it As well, I detect faint odours of fraud, blackmail, bullying, unlawfulness, and I might have to pay that money back.
Solar power generated 9am to 3pm is not really needed, particularly in households where there is no one home 8am to 5pm; the power generated is useless, or nearly so, five days a week.
Electricity companies and the grid electrical system do not want any more household solar electricity, hence the minuscule feed-in tariff which discourages new installations.
The maximum 5kw solar panel capacity is not always reached and cannot be sustained all day, particularly through the winter. And don’t forget to pay income tax on your solar earnings.
Brian A Mitchelson, Mornington
Nuclear a non-option
Politics aside, our need is for secure, affordable and clean energy now and an end to unnecessary roadblocks and delays, not a nuclear crusade that appears incapable of delivering power before 2040.
Jim Allen, Panorama SA
Warming problems
News that ocean temperatures near Sydney have reached nearly 27c is of great concern, even to us who live on the Mornington Peninsula, as the water is warming here too.
While humans can enjoy the balmy water as they feel inclined, the aquatic life in the ocean is not afforded such a luxury. Fish depend on the ocean temperature to maintain their body temperature. Getting too warm can be fatal. Yes, they can swim to cooler areas, but their natural food supply may not come with them.
Furthermore, as the water gets warmer the vital oxygen content in the water gets lower again compromising the lives of fish and other oxygen dependent creatures. If that were not bad enough, warmer water also expels into the atmosphere more carbon dioxide, further exacerbating the problem.
Dr Ross Hudson, Mount Martha
Access lacking
We live in a region renowned for its beaches. However, none of them are genuinely accessible, so we can never enjoy a full family day out at the beach – our family member who relies on a wheelchair is always left behind.
It’s not just about beach matting and getting into the water. There is also having access to shade – even if we set up our own shade we would need matting to wheel them to it. There is having access to suitable parking, and then access from the car park to the beach. Thus, our family is excluded from a pastime that many of you take for granted.
I have just become aware of a charity that is working towards making many more beaches in Australia genuinely accessible. I signed its petition and encourage readers to consider adding their names at: accessiblebeaches.com.
The current goal is to reach 5000 signatures, and they need more support. While petitions on their own don’t mean much, it shows a level of support that the charity can leverage in its advocacy with various levels of government.
In the meantime, seeing as Mornington Peninsula Shire Council is asking what it can do to be more inclusive, I would argue that a tangible step is to identify 20 beaches around the peninsula and develop them into fully accessible all-year-round venues. This will mean locals and tourists respecting infrastructure – like designated parking – in order to ensure that as many people as possible are able to participate as fully as possible in beach life.
Bianca Felix, Bittern
