Forum a chance to protect Western Port’s future
The upcoming Future Forum by the Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula (CFMP) will provide an opportunity for the Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny to announce new funding for our region, including funding to protect our local environment.
Since 2014, the state government has deprived the Mornington Peninsula of infrastructure funding while providing hundreds of millions of dollars around the Geelong region – this is unacceptable. However, any new developments must not be at the expense of our green wedge zone or marine and coastal environment.
The Port Phillip Bay Fund has provided over $13 million towards protecting and enhancing the bay’s natural environment, yet there is no funding for Western Port – this must change. The new Western Port framework developed by Victorian National Parks Association, Phillip Island Conservation Society, Save Westernport, Western Port Biosphere Reserve Foundation and other groups provides a strategy to protect our region beyond 2040.
A “whole of bay” approach would protect Western Port’s marine and coastal environment while encouraging sustainable industrial development and guidance for government, councils, tourism, boating and fishing.
Baseline environmental studies will be necessary before any new industrial development commences around Western Port.
The Ramsar information sheet for Western Port has not been updated since 1999. The government has legal obligations under the Ramsar Convention to protect internationally significant wetlands and an inquiry by the Victorian Auditor-General’s office in 2016 found “… there is limited evidence that all Ramsar sites are being effectively managed and protected from decline. The governance, coordination and oversight of Ramsar sites must improve overall for Victoria to effectively meet its obligations”.
The federal government, Victorian government and local councils must ensure that Western Port is protected today and beyond 2040.
Dale Stohr, Crib Point
‘Crackle’ clean-up
Ah the sweet relief of no crackling from the high voltage wires. On Good Friday, yes you heard right, actually on Good Friday, teams of skilled workmen, trucks and cherry pickers replaced the insulators on the high voltage wires on a part of our street. And so, for a number of days there has been silence from the wires, and no fireworks at the top of the poles to entertain us at night. It has been bliss.
The insulators are meant to be self-cleaning. Google tells me the crackling is caused by “corona discharge” which causes minor degradation to insulators over time. Apparently some years ago (probably lots of years ago now) the insulators were cleaned regularly to reduce the degradation of insulators, thereby reducing noise. How I wish that practice could be reinstated. The noise is very, very irritating.
We all need power, but those of us with high voltage wires in our streets are subjected to sometimes very loud crackling. So, thanks for this brief respite whichever electricity provider organised this. The workers were very pleasant and professional. I’d love it if the cleaning could be reintroduced. It could be cheaper than doing the work on Good Friday.
Vicki Colegrave, Rye
Parking confusion
In this mundane photo, is a dilemma. Check out the parking restrictions for this section of Nepean Highway in Rosebud. The sign on the left indicates you can park for one hour while the sign on the right says 15 minutes.
I expect better from Mornington Peninsula Shire.
David Ross, McCrae
Parking predictions
Did I ever mention several times that the “paid parking” trial was designed to fail?
Ever think it is not the “paid parking” but the cost of living crisis causing the problem of business profits (Paid parking hits business profits, The News 2/4/24)?
Joe Lenzo, Safety Beach
Editor: Cr Susan Bissinger emailed The News: “It seems every other bayside council has paid parking working successfully, hopefully [shire] officers will manage to overcome the hurdles our residents are facing.”
Government blowouts
It seems to have been forgotten that the performance of the Andrews and Allan governments has led Victoria into a state debt of $170 billion and heading the $200 billion, an unassailable black hole, an amount greater than Queensland, NSW and Tasmania’s total debts (Missing in action, Letters, 2/4/24).
Currently and in the immediate past we have FYI issues relating to COVID, red shirts, Commonwealth Games debacle concluding with a scathing by the Auditor General, East/West connector ($1billion for 1c), COVID hotel quarantine a questionable $20 million, billion dollar short falls in major projects costs. If I continued with the list my pen would run dry.
Added to the above are newspaper headlines warning regional hospitals face “inevitable closures”, coupled with ambulance wait times exceeding one hour at hospitals.
The latest polls claim the current trends indicate the loss of popularity by the ALP has been created by voters losing confidence in our dysfunctional and inept State and Federal Governments.
Bruce White, Safety Beach
Liberals improving
The Labor Party’s Mornington Peninsula supporter has twice in recent weeks been banging their drum again (Missing in action, Letters 9/2/24). He can’t understand why the Liberals are improving their position. Give it up.
John Hodgson, Balnarring
