Embrace cultural heritage instead of a luge
I do love the Letters page! It stimulates community debate and better ideas. After reading ‘Support the RAP’ (Ralph Catts) and ‘Don’t mention the luge’ (John Weir) in last week’s Letters page, I came up with a better proposal for The Eagle development.
Arthurs Seat was called Wonga before colonisation. The history and culture of the local Bunurong/ Boon Wurrung people is awe-inspiring and important. It is of great interest to locals and tourists alike. It can be explored in an environmentally friendly way and is relevant for Australia today. An Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre beats a ‘luge’ hands down.
At a minimum, we need dual-naming. Arthurs Seat is nothing like the Edinburgh one. And 200 years pales into insignificance in comparison to perhaps 60,000 years of being called Wonga.
I recently walked the Tuckey’s Track (from Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club to Diamond Bay). Why is it named after a British seaman who was responsible (while on the equivalent of today’s home invasion) for at least one Aboriginal death and the injury of several others while exploring Corio Bay in 1803? Tuckey spent very little time on the Track unlike the First People who used it over a millennia. Let’s name it after the Bunurong / Boon Wurrung in tribute to a people who have survived more than 200 years of oppression and who are now trying to thrive.
Joan Doyle, Dromana
Compulsory forums
Most of the Mornington Peninsula electorate demand transparency, accountability, independency and honesty from all candidates nominating for the various wards in the Mornington Peninsula Shire. There has been too many advertisements and comments made that have incorrect information and are misleading, such as one that appeared on page two of last week’s Mornington News with the headline ““Councillors should be Transparent and Accountable – A message to ratepayers”.
I am standing as an independent and have no political aspirations. I did respond that I am a strong supporter to open the Beleura Cliff Path, having used it during school holidays in Mornington in the 1960’s, and oppose future development in the Green Wedge area in Mt Eliza. I will ensure that the council concentrates on local issues and does not waste expenditure on non-local issues. We need to ensure that all our wonderful beaches and coastal areas have pedestrian access.
I have lived in Mt Eliza for more than 35 years and am a daily supporter to local businesses. I am an active member of many local sporting and community associations and am extremely passionate about our coastal assets and the retention of our bathing boxes. In all of my literature I have included my mobile phone number and email contact details and have welcomed the many callers.
To ensure that there is not a repeat of false advertisements may I conclude by insisting that in future council elections we have mandatory community forums where residents can ask candidates a series of questions.
Please remember that voting is compulsory and the closing date is Friday 25 October.
Stephen Batty, Mt Eliza
Vital vote
The current council elections are vital so please everyone consider their vote carefully. The best way to judge the efforts of our councillors is by looking up the official response statistics kept in the council registration portal system online.
David Gill, councillor for Red Hill Ward (now renamed Coolart Ward) has successfully followed up 970 community requests in this term of council. The nearest number by any other councillor is 627, with the lowest being just 55.
David is totally committed to the community, the best Councillor by far (in my view) and no-one else works harder for council transparency and accountability with complete integrity.
Ranald Macdonald, former International Press Institute President, Flinders
Tether the lid
In reference to last week’s letter (Take responsibility for your own rubbish, Letters, 16/10/24). In Denmark it has been legislated that all plastic drink bottles must have the lid attached to the bottle when manufactured, thus avoiding bottle lids washing up on the shores of their beaches. It would help if we passed the same legislation here.
Marilyn Hoban, Mornington
Open access to Birdrock
Further to the recent front page article (Urgent call for stair repair, The News 24/9/24) relating to the fact that the stairway access to Birdrock Beach has been closed for over two years, it is such a shame that no action or response has been forthcoming from the shire or its officers.
The last two weeks of beautiful mid-spring weather should have seen children down on the beach after school finishes, families and our seniors walking doggies, people swimming, snorkelling and rock pooling, dedicated locals collecting plastics and fishing detritus, teenagers socialising and playing ball games, sporting and fitness groups using the 194 stairs for training to lose weight and get fit; and our local community chilling out, beachcombing, meeting friends, birdwatching, and simply enjoying the fresh air, watching sunsets and experiencing the healing power of water and nature.
For a council that stresses the importance of community health, exercise, and well-being, among their residents and ratepayers, the repair of one stairway, that the shire is solely responsible for maintaining, seems a minimal allocation of funds, compared to the huge benefits their local community would receive.
Sharon Forrest, Birdrock Beach Action Group
Parent Pace Cars?
While I can understand the good intentions behind Despi O’Connor’s call for ‘parent pace cars’ in school zones it really is a recipe for conflict and danger (Call for ‘parent pace cars’ to slow traffic to 30kph in Mt Martha, The News 16/10/24).
Some parents may heed the call but be over zealous in their ideas about what an appropriate speed might be causing aggravation to other drivers just trying to go about their daily lives. The consequences for the safety of the students could potentially be dangerous as other drivers try to avoid the ‘pace cars’. If an accident occurs what might be the legal implications for a driver who was seen as deliberately obstructing traffic?
It is best to leave such issues to the authorities responsible; the police. A few days with a hand held speed camera prominently positioned outside the school would get the message across far more effectively and more importantly legally.
Ross Hudson, Mt Martha
Transparency, accountability
Elections should be about ideas and policies that take our community forward. J Hansen of Rye the authoriser of adverts continues a paid advert campaign of deceit and is anything but “transparent” or “accountable” in an effort to have their preferred candidates elected.
Hansen’s preferred candidate in Tootgarook ward is an endorsed Greens candidate as listed on the Greens website . Hansen fails to mention this transparent fact. How many other candidates Hansen prefers fit the same mould or worked for Labor members of parliament. There seems to be a trend here. Don’t be fooled.
To clarify the inuendo and gossip Hansen seeks to pedal I can confirm that over a decade ago I was appointed as chairman of Vicurban, the state government’s developer of land that the state owns and in 1994 I was the executive director of the Property Council of Australia in Victoria. A group which represents the property owners where a lot of our superannuation funds are invested.
It’s important that both entities are successful for the benefit of our community. I have not been involved with either entity for over ten years. Just being “transparent” and “accountable”.
Peter Clarke, McCrae
Political donations
It’s interesting that Climate 200 continues to be criticized for donating to independents. Even more so, that an organization on the front foot on climate change is criticized politically and even by many who are not climate change deniers who see climate change as a major challenge.
There does not seem to be much outrage about the hundreds of millions “donated to” the two major political parties from special interest groups who are actually contributing to climate change but want a seat at the table in making policy and decisions on the issue. Nor any outrage about all the “dark money” going to the two major political parties.
Just for the record: Simon Holmes à Court says there is no good reason for Australia’s ongoing nuclear prohibition, he just wants the facts and a proper analysis of the issue. Good luck on that!
Relatively, Climate 200 donations are not even on the same planet as special interest groups and “dark money” going to the two major parties. It is a drop in the bucket. No outrage about “political donation reform” where it seems the main thrust is to make it harder for Independents and minor parties to get funding while basically protecting the two major parties who can certainly work together on this issue if nothing else.
Democracy is broken in Australia where our choice is to elect the least offensive party.
Joe Lenzo, Safety Beach
Bending the truth
Rupert Steiner, in his letter (Violating international law, Letters 16/10/24), claims that Israel has deliberately attacked UN “positions known by Israel’s out of control army.” Surely this very short letter could have been filled out with some rudimentary information about the attack presumably in question. Mr Steiner is surely referring to the UNIFIL compound, right next to which the IDF found, subsequent to to their having bombed adjacent to it and issued warnings for all UNIFIL staff to evacuate prior to having done so, a ruddy great Hezbollah tunnel.
Anthony Clifford, Blairgowrie
Help, but not at home
News this morning, Australia sending $425 million aid including our old tanks, as well as all the Bushmaster armoured vehicles already sent, to a country on the other side of the world in a war that has nothing to do with us.
Bad news this morning, this household urgently needs My Aged Care support because of disastrous medical happening, My Aged Care recommended service provider, not for profit, had to turn me down because they have run out of government funding and cannot accept any new clients.
In this world of equal opportunities for everyone being enforced, how about an equal opportunity for really intelligent people to fill the jobs of political government at the three levels and all of the the public services at all levels?
Brian A Mitchelson, Mornington
Fact checking
Like some other community groups on the Mornington Peninsula, Southern Women’s Action Network (SWAN) surveyed candidates in the forthcoming Council election. Candidates were asked their reasons for standing and their views on housing, First Nations people and gendered violence.
Responses to this survey helps SWAN members such as myself to make an informed decision when we vote. Anthony Marsh, candidate for Briars Ward, declined to respond to this survey. He explains on Facebook that he did not respond because the “only other candidate in my ward sits on the SWAN committee”. Was Marsh aware that Despi O’Connor had resigned from her voluntary position on SWAN’s committee at their AGM to avoid a conflict of interest? Marsh goes on to say “It is reasonable to assume there is a lack of impartiality”. This is insulting to SWAN members – intelligent women who are genuinely interested in the responses of all the candidates.
SWAN members are in the dark about Marsh’s reasons for standing and his views on housing, First Nations people and gendered violence. We live in the Trumpian era of needing to fact check politicians, including candidates in Council elections.
Dr Sarah Russell, SWAN member, Mt Martha
Root of the issue
Just a small matter, but life consists of a myriad of small matters. There is an informal path in Somers that has recently been designated as part of walking “Trail”. This concerned me as the path had a number of exposed tree roots which I considered a trip hazard. I notified the shire and was told that the path was on private land and not a council responsibility. I then contacted our councillor David Gill who promptly replied and informed me of a formattable list of regulations associated with maintenance of paths and agreed that he would look into the matter.
I am pleased to report that the path has now been made safe. Thanks David.
Kevin Sack, Somers
Stand out suggestion
Your article (Motorcycle fatalities ‘concerning’, The News, 15/10/24) reminded me that earlier in the year the Herald Sun had a similar one. At the time I wrote to the Minister of Transport and asked the question: “Why do motorcycle learners have to wear high vis clothing?”. The answer was: “So that they stick out and are visible in the traffic”. I replied “So why not make it compulsory for all motorcycle riders to wear high vis clothing? Their normal clothing is often black, which blends into the surround”. The answer from the minister was the typical: “Bla, bla bla”. If the high vis clothing would save just one life it is well worth it. It should not be difficult to introduce the law.
Peter Scharpenack, Mornington
