Gatehouse’s mismanagement
Whoever is responsible for the upkeep of this heritage listed and protected building should be ashamed (Demolition order issued for historic gatehouse, The News 20/8/24). The people of the Mornington Peninsula, together with all Australians, trust you to preserve our history especially the old buildings, and we have been let down.
I pass the gatehouse at least three times a week and over the past 20 years have noticed the gatehouse, surrounding entrance, including the adjacent period fencing has deteriorated to its present condition.
A couple of kilometres down the highway towards Mornington an historic iron fence was damaged when a large tree fell demolishing about 20 metres, which has been restored replicating the original fence, while a similar fence at the Norman Lodge gatehouse is neglected, overgrown and broken.
This scenario is one we hear too often regarding historical buildings, left to determinate by those responsible for their upkeep but neglected till it gets so fragile it must be demolished. One would expect those responsible for the upkeep do regular inspections and arrange any remedial work, if required.
It appears, the only option left will be to rebuild on a slab beside the current structure and restore the surrounding area including the gate and fence.
James Ewenson, Mt Eliza
Vote for Gill
The local council elections programme has begun. And so the race starts. No doubt, in earnest, once the Potter review is released, before the election. That way, each councillor can explain their stance on this hotly debated issue.
New candidates should concentrate on social life on the peninsula and what they bring to the table. Their fresh perspectives and innovative ideas can genuinely shape the future of our community.
Any candidate can put forward their desires for the betterment of the residents. It’s quite another thing once on the council. There are other ideas and suggestions to consider, and it can become quite heated. But that’s what good debate is about.
By November 15 we will know who will guide us over the next four years. One bright light has emerged: Cr David Gill is renominating for the forthcoming council election. His voice is that of an accurate and fair councillor who thinks first, considers the residents, and then decides. This balanced approach is what we need on our council.
Anne Kruger, Rye
Standing again
Serving as your councillor and mayor over the last four years has been a tremendous privilege. It’s been an honour to witness the collective strength, dedication and compassion firsthand, making this the best place to live, work and play. I’m so proud to belong to this fantastic community where I grew up and am now raising my own family. It has been humbling to receive countless messages of support, with so many asking me to continue on the council.
I’ve always said this was a one-term thing, and I meant it, but after speaking with so many of you over just the past week and reflecting on the issues we’ve faced as a community and as a member of council, I’ve decided not to leave the future of Mount Martha to chance.
I am so excited to announce that I am running again as the local Mount Martha councillor candidate (new Briars Ward) in the upcoming Mornington Peninsula Shire Council elections.
Cr Anthony Marsh, Briars Ward
Representative figures
With the forthcoming Mornington Peninsula Shire Council elections and the publicity surrounding the search for an independent candidate to represent the federal Flinders electorate, I have been musing on how best our region could be advocated for. I briefly considered running for council and attended the information evening held earlier this year for prospective candidates. It was a demoralising experience.
It seemed very clear to me from the attitude of council executives who spoke that they consider the local government area to be their fiefdom and that the council is simply there to rubber stamp whatever plans they want to enact.
I have no desire to be a useless cog complicit in someone else’s machine.
As for our federal representation, the fact is that only the Liberal Party has consistently fielded a credible candidate in the 15 years since I moved to the area. The lack of any credible opposition candidate has been an insult to the good citizens of the peninsula.
There has been an independent federal candidate for the past two elections with no traction with the electorate – it’s not clear how that would change in the future despite the recent teal wave. It’s also not clear that an independent would be truly independent. It feels like there is a very specific ideological agenda that the proposed candidate would be expected to conform with.
Ideally, the Mornington Peninsula would be considered a marginal seat in order to get meaningful funding for needed projects (Rosebud Hospital) but this will never happen until the left side of politics takes our region seriously. However, given the fact that they have ignored the electorate here for decades I suspect that it will be a very long time until some kind of trust is established.
Bianca Felix, Bittern
Influential independents
I agree the people of Flinders voted for the Liberal Party, and are now represented in Canberra by Zoe McKenzie (Democracy manifest, Letters 20/8/24). However, I doubt the people of Flinders voted for the Liberal Party divisiveness during the referendum, the dismissal of the climate challenge faced by the world or the lack of compassion towards war afflicted refugees.
Liberal Party MPs have the ability to cross the floor during parliamentary votes. The MP for Flinders should canvas a broad sections of her electorate for guidance in some of the contentious issues confronting the current parliament.
As for one trick ponies, I would prefer many ponies with one trick each to one pony holding all the tricks.
A couple of examples of community independents work:
- The National Anti Corruption Commission is the product of a private members bill brought by independent Helen Haines.
- The abolition of the HECS debts of three million Australian students was the result of a campaign led by Monique Ryan.
- The government has had to amend many of its Bills to accommodate improvements put forward by the cross bench independents.
- Since the community independents have arrived in Canberra the tone of question time and parliamentary debate has been improved by their articulate input and respect for ideas.
A community independent takes the electorate’s voice to Canberra, Party aligned members of parliament bring the party voice from Canberra to the electorate. I want to be represented in Canberra by a strong, intelligent, moral, ethical and independent individual.
Rosemary Bates, McCrae
Fines invalid?
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council during its 30 May 2023 meeting voted to approve a visitor paid parking pilot at three locations including the carpark for Sunnyside North clothing optional beach in Mt Eliza. The motion was very specific that the paid carparking trial was approved for a nine month trial. No extension was authorised.
Paid beach carparking commenced on 1 December 2023. Therefore the authorised trial is only until 31 August 2024. Any continuation of paid beach carparking onwards from 1 September 2024 has not been authorised and any fines could potentially be invalid.
Michael James, Frankston
The wrong way around
Commenting on the proposed new bus route directly linking Mornington and Hastings, MP Paul Mercurio says it will enable people in Hastings and surrounds to directly access all that Mornington has to offer (Next stop for bus route plans, The News, 27/8/2024).
It’s the other way around. In the tourist terrorism season when Mornington is inundated with the plague of tourists, we residents can escape to Hastings and surrounds, have a peaceful shop, a quiet beer or coffee, enjoy the park and facilities there.
As well, there are some very good well paid skilled jobs in the Hastings area, if you’re good enough. It would probably be beneficial if the bus route did a little detour on the way to include Somerville.
Brian A Mitchelson, Mornington
Grateful at action
I initially alerted the shire some three months ago of two road hazards in Watsons Road, Mount Martha. As nothing was being done I revisited the shire office in Mornington, and was attended to by a young lady who in formed me that the previous contractor had inspected the two sites and had reported no action required. At my insistence, the shire officer resubmitted the traffic hazards in Watson Road. Lo and behold the sites were marked up two weeks ago and a week later have been professionally corrected in a proper and workman like manner.
Thank God we now appear to have a professional contractor to handle our road maintenance. Keep up the standard!
I had been expressing my frustration for a long time regarding the previous contractor. I’m very happy they are gone.
Gerard van de Ven, Mount Martha
Gaza disaster
I write this letter with a deep sense of shame and sadness at the behaviour of our government in relation to what is currently occurring in Gaza. It feels to me that I am being asked to close my eyes to what I am seeing and hearing reported daily, by reputable sources, including our own ABC and the UN.
How many more schools, shelters, hospitals shall we see blasted to pieces by the IDF and still call this a legitimate response to terrorism, or the ‘right to self-defence’? It feels like being a participant in the old story of ‘the King without his clothes’; have we gone collectively blind?
What we are witnessing is genocide, or at the least, the collective punishment of a whole people for the behaviour of a segment of its population. How else can this be described? Is every small child killed or maimed a Hamas terrorist? Has Israel killed 40,000 Hamas terrorists?
I am shocked by our government accepting that there is some sort of justifiable equivalence at play here. The taking of Israeli hostages and the killing of innocent Israeli civilians is barbarity and to be called out as such and utterly condemned. But is not the killing of innocent Palestinian civilians and the total destruction of the infrastructure of its society, also barbarism?
At what point did our civilization degenerate into the acceptance that evil and barbarism, is to be met with evil and barbarism? Is not the whole trajectory of our evolution as a species, about the transcendence of meeting barbarity with barbarity, evil with evil?
Clifford Woodward, Rosebud
Crime doesn’t pay
Interesting that criminals cost us $1.3 million over their lifetime (Plea for resident to take simple steps to deter thieves, The News 20/8/24). Surely a lifetime income of $2,4M ($60,000 per annum over 40 years) would be healthier, more productive and safer for them and us? In fact the majority of culprits could expect $20-60,000 more each year than this gendered minimum. Crime does not pay.
Funding public schools according to Gonski would produce a far more inclusive, mature and skilled population to overcome this personal and social damage. Thus by shifting funding from the private to the public arena we could disband the excessively costly surveillance and non-rehabilitating prison systems also.
Instead successive governments fund failure with our taxpayer dollars for private interests by whipping the convicts.
Kaye Mackay, Rye
Beach lookout
No longer on my daily walk along Fishies beach (Mornington) can I look out across the water. These days I keep my eyes down for fear of stepping in something left behind by a dog. This is an ever increasing problem and I don’t see it improving any time soon. Perhaps if the dogs on the beach were on leads the owners would know their four legged friends had left a deposit. Today’s poo count was five, although the tide was in, so who knows how many had already been swept into the bay.
James Whelan, Mornington
The forest from the trees
What does Amy Hiller (Take heed, Letters 20/9/24) say about the huge swathes of koala and other wildlife habitat that is being cleared for Wind Turbines, especially in Queensland?
Sue Glenn, Mornington
Black Caviar
I applaud Mimi Bekhechi for her letter (Caviar died early, Letters 27/08/24) in which she stated the awful truth about the forced breeding of race horses, which resulted in Black Caviar’s untimely death, and I applaud the newspaper for publishing it. Most media totally ignores the behind the scenes cruelty endemic to horse (and dog) racing, preferring instead to focus on the glitz and glamour.
Unless we do our own independent research, we remain completely ignorant of the staggering amount of suffering, exploitation, and ultimately the neglect of horses and dogs forcibly bred into the racing industry. It is refreshing and heartening to finally see the truth published. Thank you Mimi.
Susan Buckland, Seaford
Time and tide
Cr Susan Bissinger makes some sweeping generalisations in downplaying the possible consequences of climate change in terms of coastal building permits (Building for climate change, The News 27/8/24). For example, in citing images that haven’t changed much in 20,30,40 or 50 years ago she makes no allowance for what time of the day any of the images were taken. Were they high tide, low tide or somewhere in between? Without such information comparisons are pointless.
However, Cr Bissinger does make the good point that it would be better to err on the side of caution. If people have to build houses to withstand an 80 centimeter sea rise when it turns out to be less will do no one any harm compared to the reverse happening.
Dr Ross Hudson, Mount Martha
Costly performance
So, Mornington Peninsula Shire council is set to consider a proposal for a performing arts centre to be built on five acres of shire land at Hastings (First steps towards a performing arts centre in Hastings, The News 27/8/24) . As pointed out by Cr Susan Bissinger “There has been, or already will be, $1.5 million spent just thinking about this project” unquote. The whole project would cost in the vicinity of $92 million. Really? The ratepayers are not interested in councillors who want to pat themselves on the back and say “ooh, ahh, look at the lovely monument that I/we achieved during our time as councillors”.
Here is a suggestion to councillors as to what they could do with $92 million. Use the money to create 200 jobs to repair every pothole on shire managed roads. Use the money to lower the cost of tipping fees and investigate a better waste management system. Use the money to fire clear all the land that they own. This would also create employment
There are limitless ways that they could use the money to enhance the amenity of the peninsula.
And rather than the residents have fundraise or council borrow money to finance this project, which would be thrown back upon the ratepayers, I suggest the council pressures the state government to rezone hundreds of acres it owns throughout the shire back to residential development. Moorooduc Plains exempted.
I declare a pecuniary interest in this proposal, unlike one of the councillors who could gain from the proposal of a performing arts centre within Hastings. It will be interesting at the next council elections to see who will retain their seats if they pitch this proposal as their vote winner.
Michael Binney, Bittern
