False claims of unanimous vote for Harry Potter
It’s been a long time coming, but after receiving external advice on my obligations under the Local Government Act, I am now able to disclose that I did not vote in support of the resolution on 22 August 2023 [to allow the Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience to be staged in the wildlife sanctuary at The Briars, Mount Martha].
My vote was not a result of exceptional foresight or a comprehensive understanding of the issues that have since come to light. Instead, it reflected my consistent stance on various matters – a dissatisfaction with the depth and balance of the report presented, which led me to vote against the proposal as I couldn’t be sure I had all the necessary information to make an informed decision.
Regardless of our individual votes, we are all collectively accountable for council decisions (you could argue those who lose a vote should have been more persuasive). However, observing the public and misleading commentary by some councillors who claimed this decision was unanimous has been incredibly frustrating, as I’m sure it has been for others who may have voted against this motion. This claim has since been proven demonstrably false with the publication of the confidential minutes.
The Briars sanctuary was saved, the Harry Potter event is underway and, by many measures, a great success.
We must now move forward. However, we must also learn from this experience and change how we approach significant decisions on behalf of our community. It’s clear to me we still have a long way to go. “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light” – Albus Dumbledore.
Anthony Marsh
Briars Ward councillor Mornington Peninsula Shire
Transparency needed
While it’s not an easy task, it’s crucial for the public to understand how the [Mornington Peninsula Shire] council operates. Many groups attend council meetings to observe councillors’ responses to issues for ratification or further investigation. However, calling such groups a “watchdog” detracts from the empathy councillors deserve when faced with difficult situations.
Regardless of the label, the public’s understanding of the council’s operations is key. Greater council transparency is necessary to avoid such headlines such as “Watchdog’ may check shire budget moves” (The News 30/4/24).
It’s essential to know how budget funds are allocated in detail, as the council is responsible for distributing ratepayer money as evenly as possible.
Some suburbs may require more urgent attention than others but, overall, it’s crucial for good governance that ratepayers know how their rates are being spent.
Anne Kruger, Rye
Path ‘facts’ wrong
I’m writing in reply to a letter last week that stated the Beleura cliff path at Mornington was predominantly used by local residents as a short cut to their beach boxes (Resident observer, Letters 30/4/24). This is factually incorrect. By far the main users are walkers and joggers from all over Mornington, Mount Eliza and Mount Martha seeking a beautiful, in fact serene, walk with majestic views of the cliff, the rugged beach and the coastline.
The path is 750 metres long and has a good gradient for a walk, not too steep and not too flat. Many finish their walk at the pier or Main Street where they have breakfast, coffee or a glass of wine. The path is famously used to put babies to sleep.
Last December 340 supporters of the path came to the public meeting at Mornington Yacht Club to urge Mornington Peninsula Shire to get on with reopening the path. The Facebook page has 1600 members. (facebook.com/groups/beleuracliffpath). Members of the Friends of the Beleura Cliff Path who have worked for eight years to preserve the path and improve the ecology of the cliff are not all residents of the cliff path area.
Peter Nicholson, Mornington
Many walkers
I would say that the letter writer in his 47 years living in Mornington has not walked the [Beleura cliff] path often, if at all, because not only do residents use it to access the beach but many other locals and visitors walk it from the sand up and return down again (Resident observer, Letters 30/4/24).
The writer is obviously oblivious to all the hard work that volunteers do to save the 100 plus-year-old path that was built by hand for the people to walk, not just from the top but from the bottom too.
Catherine Warters, Mornington
Festival a ‘bestseller’
Those of us interested in literature, climate action, democracy, and reconciliation are very grateful to have the yearly Sorrento Writers’ Festival on our doorstep. As someone who has attended numerous writers’ festivals over the years, I agree with facilitators who describe the Sorrento Writers Festival as the “best writers festival in the nation”.
My thanks to Corrie Perkin and the board for another thought provoking and fun festival.
Those who missed out, I suggest saving the date for the next festival: 24-27 April 2025. You too may find yourself sitting beside Grace Tame, laughing with Niki Savva, crying with Thomas Mayo and discussing hope for our democracy with Don Watson. This year’s festival had something for everyone.
Sarah Russell, Mount Martha
Teach respect early
Fresh from reducing a “respect for women” rally organiser to tears and denying saying “I am the prime minister “ when asked not to speak, even though it was caught on television audio, the Prime Minister [Anthony Albanese] announced a nearly $1 billion fund to help women escape from domestic violence. What a crock. Bit like building an ambulance station next to a notoriously dangerous intersection. How about addressing the real problem, which is a total lack of respect in today’s society?
Firstly. Women are not equal to men. The fastest woman runner would be beaten by the 1000th fastest male and when it comes to physical violence women don’t stand a chance. That’s why we all have to speak up.
So, what has changed in the last 60 years? Children in prep lined up before class and then it was girls in first and then boys and this practice went right up to year 12. Mondays were flag raising and the singing of the National Anthem. Police and the courts were held in high esteem.
Boys and men stood back and let girls and women board busses and trains first. Boys were taught not to swear in front of women. Women were protected by their partners and young men were influenced by watching the behaviour of their dads to their mums. So, trying to educate today’s youth and men is probably too late. Get the little preppies letting girls go first and start the road back to respect from the youngest first.
Michael G Free, Mount Martha
Clear the air on port
Indeed, it would be helpful if the state government developed a strategic framework for Western Port (Calls for Western Port ‘framework’, The News, 30/4/24). Some clarity and facts and intentions would assist and enlighten us all.
How many offshore wind turbine generators, big ones of maybe 18 megawatt capacity, are going to be assembled and shipped from the Port of Hastings, even though this has been deemed “unacceptable”? I understand that planning is now for one gigawatt capacity in the first year, then annual increases (Gippsland and elsewhere) to a total of 25 gigawatts. This first year will require about 55 turbines in the sea, generating up to one gigawatt (when and if the wind blows).
Two ordinary steam turbine generators in one shed in the Latrobe Valley will generate one gigawatt of reliable, constant power 24/7; modern generators can produce one gigawatt each. Not 55 to 100 in the sea, plus huge batteries.
Of particular interest is the brown coal to hydrogen project, this gas to be ultra cooled, compressed, liquidised, then loaded onto special tankers bound for clean Japan; all at Hastings. Governments are very quiet about this project. Not a word. If it cannot capture and store the enormous amounts of CO2 emissions will it still go ahead anyway and emit as much CO2 as the brown coal generators did?
Signs are that it will. Note that if it does then the state government’s intention to stop all households from using natural gas is worse than ludicrous; it would be insane. It could cause people to disbelieve the theory that CO2 high in the sky is causing planetary warming.
Brian A Mitchelson, Mornington
Oil’s mysterious past
Some 20 years ago in Mount Eliza, after an auction of household items, I bought a small, 300-year-old unsigned oil painting depicting a River Thames view of a Geogian age St Paul’s Cathedral. Since then, it has stayed in my home collecting dust and deteriorating and now requires restoration and a more suitable home.
This miniature from the mid-1700s has an intrinsic antique value being in its original stucco egg and spoon frame, penciled words and horse shoe tacks complete its backing securing the plywood base on which the egg tempera paintwork has been so beautifully painted.
I am interested to know if anyone can recall ever seeing this small artwork at a friend’s or relative’s home 20 or 30 years ago? I am in the process of giving this oil painting to St Paul’s cathedral and provinancing would assist and ensure the correct dating of this small but significant oil painting, with its arrival possibly aboard an early mid-19th century schooner bringing goods and settlers from London and possibly resulting in the owner’s last resting place in the Canadian Bay area.
All supposition, but a possible indicator to jog memories of such a combination of circumstances. I face some small conservator’s costs to make this art work last another three years but, back in London rather than here where it has rested temporarily for more than 100 years.
Rather like the current interest in returning colonial booty – Aboriginal material and not to mention the Elgin Marbles – I would like to hand it over to the British later on this year thanks to the support of the Australian War Memorial and encouragement from Mount Eliza church and historical interests. I may be contacted through MEAFEC, SECS or MECA or Mornington Peninsula Shire.
Ian Morrison, retired Melbourne Town Crier, Mount Eliza
Residents ‘go elsewhere’
The decision by VCAT to approve the building of the 14-storey building at 446-450 Nepean Highway, Frankston for the planning scheme to modernise the central business district, is a reality of the housing crisis.
The mayor of Frankston Cr Nathan Conroy has been quoted in the media as saying that he supports the decision, and that development will increase the foot traffic within the CBD to increase business activity and employment opportunities. But this is not necessarily so, as new residents who reside in the developments still stay loyal to their previous business locations. Also, many Frankston residents do not do their business and entertainment in Frankston but go to the Mornington Peninsula.
Is the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council being sneaky by introducing a property investment tax to stop high-rise developments being built in the shire (Views sought on 3.3% development levy, The News 23/4/24)? Developers are very wary that a tax will increase the cost of building the developments and will increase the cost of the apartments to potential buyers which will deter investment in multi-story developments.
Russell Morse, Karingal
