Dust suppression regression
I too have been impacted by the rather staggering increase in dust suppression for our little road (Dust suppression hike “doesn’t pass the pub test’, The News 26/11/24). The council tells us that the new contractor would be “better for our community in terms of cost-effectiveness, sustainability and level of service”. I suggest those at council who made this decision should consult a dictionary to look up the meaning of “cost-effectiveness”.
I was not aware of any concerns over the old contractor, but if the new contractor was responsible for the recent regrading of our street the council clearly needs to keep a closer eye on what the new contractor is doing as the grading was a fairly poor effort compared to previous years. Perhaps our new mayor can ask the council officers to revisit this baffling decision.
Ross Hudson, Mount Martha
Make recycling a win-win
It was pleasing to read that recycling is working well on the Mornington Peninsula via the container deposit scheme (Shire in ‘top ten’ for container returns, The News 26/11/24). I know many residents will be saving their containers for the grandchildren, but there is another avenue for the refunds. That is to send the money to a charity. Maybe take the grandchildren and show them how they can share some of those 10 cent refunds with those less well off.
I volunteer with Peninsula Transport Assist (PTA), a local charity providing transport to residents of Frankston and the Peninsula who lack transport for whatever reason. We are registered with the CDS, and would appreciate any extra funds raised through this scheme. When trying to deposit to a charity, it is necessary to quote a “Zone ID”. For PTA that ID number is C2000010904. I have found the best option is to ask the workers at the deposit place for help. I go to the Mornington premises in Watt Road and must congratulate the staff there as being very pleasant and helpful.
It seems everyone is feeling the pinch at the moment, and that applies especially to small charities, so please think of us before discarding a refundable container.
Jack Wheeler, Mornington
Esso ethane concerns
Mr. Hudson’s letter on the recent launch of the Esso ethane power station at Hastings (Ethane power, Letters 27/11/2024), I would like to highlight some issues about the project. The new $200 million ethane power station is expected to operate for only ten years until gas reserves in the Gippsland Basin are predicted to end around 2033 – according to Esso.
Since 1972, the ethane gas has been transported via a 78km pipeline from Hastings to the Qenos (formerly Union Carbide) plastics facility at Altona. (Over 3000 people protested against the new BHP-Esso ethane pipeline at Mordialloc beach in 1972 due to environmental risks but that is another story!) The ethane gas was not burned, or ‘flared’, every day at Hastings as Qenos has always taken the volumes of ethane that Esso could supply. Flaring may continue at Long Island Point in the future if the new gas turbines receive an excessive amount of ethane. Due to rising gas prices, Qenos has recently entered voluntary administration and the plastics plant will close in 2025.
One issue is that the air pollutants that were emitted by Qenos in Altona will now be brought to the Mornington Peninsula. Esso predicts that the new ethane gas turbines will emit up to 195,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
This is just under the 200,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum required for an environmental effects statement (EES) which was requested by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. The other issue is excessive noise from the new ethane gas turbines.
EPA Victoria has recently amended Esso’s development licence for the ethane power station to allow Esso to identify the cause of tonal noise and rectify the problem. Residents concerned about air or noise pollution from the Esso ethane power station should contact EPA Victoria on 1300 372 842.
Dale Stohr, Crib Point
Neglect
Why is it that an air of utter neglect hangs over the roadsides of Rosebud and surrounding areas and dead grass and weeds seem to be the order of the day. And then we have McCrae foreshore which seems to be covered in some sort of invasive vine, but at least it covers the dead and dying trees.
Why not some flowering plants on roadsides and roundabouts. A little bit of care and attention can go a long way.
And it might be better spent than employing yet another overpaid (and useless) CEO. I thought we were meant to be a tourist Mecca and an attractive area. I was wrong …. so very wrong.
John Shorter, McCrae
Cliff road deterioration
As noted over past two years, the cliff road (Esplanade) skirting Mt Martha continues to be neglected.
Foot traffic and dodgy parking has hammered the remaining vegetation, leaving one section adjacent to Deacon Drive with the erosion now touching the bitumen . The subsidence at the foot of Hearn Road appears to have sunk still further. It does raise the questions. Have any local counsel members ever actually driven this road? And if so, were they blindfolded at the time?
David Martin, Mt Martha
Rise in Trumpism
Trumpism is insidiously finding its way into Australian politics. The rising support for far-right parties worldwide is rooted in a deep-seated disillusionment with traditional political systems and media. Factors such as economic uncertainty, concerns about national identity, and widespread distrust in mainstream institutions are among the drivers of this shift. As more people feel left out or ignored by established parties, they become more receptive to the emotive messaging employed by far-right groups, who often position themselves as anti-establishment champions of the neglected masses, promising bold action to “make everything great again”.
In Australia polling shows that over 25% would back Trump if given the choice. This mirrors trends in Europe, where far-right parties have gained traction across numerous EU member states including The German AfD’s and the National Rally’s success in France. The results of the EU parliamentary elections have moved in the same direction.
A significant part of the problem lies in the erosion of public trust. According to recent data, only 34% of Australians trust political parties. With such low confidence in traditional institutions, people are seeking alternatives they believe will address their frustrations more effectively. This trend has led to a “reluctance to act” by mainstream parties as they adopt safe positions to avoid upsetting any constituents, only fueling the perception that the political establishment serves its own and lobbyist’s interests rather than the public’s.
To counter this shift, I believe Australia needs a stronger presence of independents in parliament to represent diverse voices, insist on evidence based policy making and initiate action on the many community concerns the existing “political duopoly” is avoiding. Independents offer a pathway for those disillusioned with traditional options, countering the trend toward extremism by giving voters more choices that reflect their values and concerns.
Gerard Heijden, Rye
Candidate wait
After months of excruciating teasers, finally, there is a Flinders candidate. I look forward to knowing who it is.
Of course, I would know immediately if I bought a ticket to the launch (I4F choose candidate, The News 27/11/24).
Thankfully, The News will be there for the photo call. And then all we do is wait for the paper to hit the streets before knowing who has been chosen.
Anne Kruger, Rye
Where’s Zoe?
I write to concur with Ross Hudson of Mount Martha who implied that Flinders MP Zoe McKenzie has been virtually invisible to the people of her electorate until she popped up last week seemingly promoting gas at a time when the existence of life on earth is threatened by fossil fuel expansion (Ethane-generated power facility opens in Hastings, The News 20/11/24).
It would be interesting to know much more of Zoe’s activities over the last three years – what policy development committees she may have been involved in – perhaps one contemplating a nuclear power plant in Western Port? Or a committee investigating aged care services and homelessness on the peninsula?
And I would certainly like to know whether she will front up to candidate forums before the forthcoming election, which I gather she failed to do before the 2022 election? Or will she just rely on Liberal Party advertising to get over the line rather than agreeing to answer policy questions in person at properly constituted candidate forums?
Peter Monie, Flinders
Cultural change
Interesting to see the new mayor, Cr Anthony Marsh, talk about the shift in direction of the Council (New mayor flags ‘cutural change’, The News 26/11/24). I note that one area of structural change that the mayor ignores is that there is a huge step backwards in having only two women councillors. This means that the councillors must take special care to consult with the 51.7% of the Mornington Peninsula who are female when making decisions about the structural changes that the Mayor thinks are necessary. It will also be important that those of us who make up the 51.7% work to hold the new councillors accountable.
Marg D’Arcy, Rye
Protests continue
So, Frankston police are protesting for their wage and conditions dispute with the command of the Victoria Police. Command will have to payout around $800m to meet the demands of the police association who firstly agreed to improved conditions, but they were rejected by members. The command are under stress to pay for existing services and keep stations open and no longer while not guaranteed the required budget increases.
The bottom line is that the state government cannot pluck another billion dollars out of the air as they did for the nurses and therefore the police association needs to go to Fairwork Australia to get the umpires decision. Frankston is becoming a protest city with environmentalist protesting, protests against high-rise developments and teachers from Chisolm protesting not enough teachers are being hired to fill the shortage of teaches. Frankston institutions are becoming increasing unhappy with the Labor governments.
Russell Morse, Karingal
Thank you
Thank you to my friend Barb and to other people that came to assist when I collapsed outside Centro late Monday afternoon (25 November). Thanks also to the ambulance teams that took care of me.
Sue McKay, Mornington
