When will the peninsula burn like Los Angeles?
MANY of the “before” photos of homes in LA looked very like those on the Mornington Peninsula around – Frankston South, Mt Eliza, Mornington, Mount Martha, Dromana, McCrae and others all the way to Portsea. What can be done to ensure that these homes never look like the “after” photos following the awful fires there last week?
- Frankston and Mornington Councils need to review their rules about cutting down very combustible trees close to buildings.
- Residents need to be compelled to have more clear ground their homes and other buildings.
- Water storages and pipes to hydrants need to be assessed as “firefighting ready”, especially those on higher ground.
- With basically just two roads to leave the south end of the Peninsula, the freeway and the Nepean Hwy, plans for very early evacuation orders (not suggestions) need to be in place and understood.
- These congested roads are also how fire fighters and trucks would head south to protect homes and lives.
- Tyabb airport must have adequate fuel reserves, and water available, for fire-bombing aircraft.
- Campers on the foreshore areas of Dromana, McCrae, Rosebud, Rye and elsewhere, need to be “lectured” in fire prevention and evacuation procedures should a fire start amongst tents and caravans.
- Safe Evacuation refuges must be nominated and be ready.
- Clear plans must be drawn up, and shared at meetings and in the media, on how the Peninsula would manage fires like the ones we saw in LA.
It couldn’t happen here! That’s what the LA residents thought.
Brian Nankervis, Mornington
McCrae landslip
For a long time the local owners have been saying about the water flows and land moving in this McCrae area, it appeared that water has been flowing even in the absence of rain. Bit late to try and find out after the event. Why was there a shire employee on the deck of the house that slipped down the hill?
We now have a situation that has escalated to a disaster that is going to cost millions to rectify and make good. I suppose, we the suffering ratepayers and tax payers will foot the bill. How fortunate for the responsible authorities that the coroner is not involved.
It appears that proper road drainage and maintenance, difficult as it is in this area, has been an abject failure by those responsible, and the pleas of the local owners have up to now been mostly ignored.
Have the chickens come home to roost, and is it deja vue a la Beleura Hill cliff path, the Briars board walk and Birdrock beach stairs with very little or no action?
Gerard van de Ven, Mount Martha
Eagle expansion “risky”
If the lessons from the Los Angeles fires are teaching us anything about having to face fires of increasing proportion like we have never had to deal with before, then the land slides last week at McCrae (this one is not the first) are giving us another clear message.
The Eagle expansion application proposal, just above Dromana and McCrae on the slopes of Arthurs Seat, is too risky and must be rejected by the State Minister for Planning. It does not take much to think that construction disturbance doubling the size of the base station, digging out an underground “immersive experience” bunker, and installing the luge/toboggan base station, plus all the heavy machinery, earthworks and clearing required to install the bracing of the luge track framework from the base station to the summit, is potentially creating too much disturbance and possible disaster on the slopes of Arthurs Seat.
Also what guarantees of safety are there that ongoing impact into the ground by the luge when in constant operation won’t set off further land slide disturbances on such a steep slope? And who will be responsible and pay for damages? The risks seem way too high.
Esther Gleixner, Flinders
Peak performance
I was most amused to read an article in WA Today (16/1/25) about the McCrae landslip headlined: “We can’t put our head in the sand: High-profile local’s urgent plea after landslide”. The high profile local was Simon McKeon, described as “former Monash University Chancellor and 2011 Australian of the Year”. Mr McKeon urged the authorities to “get to the bottom of the long-running issue of underground flows and soil erosion in this highly urbanised pocket of the peninsula, before more damage is done”.
Of course he did. Not only does he live on the same hill, but unbeknown to many readers in WA, he is the driving force and co-owner of the Arthurs Seat Eagle – the chairlift built on that same hill despite public opposition and the loss of public amenity. He is also the one now wanting to build a luge ride, 25 metre viewing tower, restaurant and who knows what else, on that hill.
If it collapses, so do his plans.
Surely WA Today is not taking sides here? The media would never do that!
Paula Polson, Dromana
Beach cleaning
In Spring last year when visiting Mt Martha beach on a number of occasions I was shocked at the state of the sand. I have never before seen it in such a poor condition with it covered with seaweed and litter. I now know why; the hand beach cleaning trial. This matter should be urgently reconsidered by the shire.
Merrilyn Beeny, Mt Martha
Do our part
We all want clean beaches. It is therefore pleasing that Mornington Peninsula Shire is spending time and resources exploring the best approach to beach cleaning (Tide turns for beach cleaning, The News 14/1/25).
But where does the waste come from? Bottles and other rubbish could be washed in from the ocean, but, most likely, they’re being dropped by all of us. If we, the community, are the cause, would a community driven approach to solve the problem be appropriate? How about each time we visit, we pick up more litter than we leave? Take three for the beach?
Mornington resident Melanie Bird’s passion and volunteering efforts to clear waste and make our beaches clean and safe are an example to us all. Thank you, Melanie.
Amy Hiller, Kew
Knee jerk on cleaning?
It is most disturbing to see the new councillors reaction to the beach cleaning issue (Tide turns for beach cleaning, The News 15/1/25). The shire moved to hand cleaning after a thorough review of the mechanical cleaning showed it resulted in increased microplastics and missed 60% of litter. Josie Jones who conducted the review received an award for that work. I have been delighted to once again see seaweed on our beaches (heads up, it’s a natural phenomenon, not litter). The councillors who asked for the review cited only anecdotal evidence. I hope they will now take a considered approach and look at all the evidence instead of what appears to be a knee jerk response.
Marg D’Arcy, Rye
What’s in a name?
There is apparent 120 ways to spell the phonetic sounds of Patton, so I’ll forgive The News for the misspelling of my name in the recent article about the Dromana housing development (Dromana Housing Development Approved Despite 79 Objections, The News 15/1/25). What’s more important is the misquote of my question to the developer – which fundamentally changes the intent of my question.
In brief, I actually asked why the developer had chosen not to make a voluntary contribution to affordable housing not if they were including affordable housing in the development itself. It is common practice across the state that councils ask for voluntary donations from developers to fund affordable housing – sometimes they oblige.
As a new councillor, I am learning more about the processes and mechanisms at play and was simply curious as to why this multi-million dollar project could not spare a cent to help tackle the housing crisis we face on the Mornington Peninsula.
My dissent was unrelated to this and based upon the traffic and transport issues noted by the shire’s own transport team and the continuous attached built form being at odds with the surrounding neighbourhood.
I appreciate the opportunity to clarify both my name and my position on the matter.
Cr Max Patton, Benbenjie Ward Councillor
Unsafe intersection
Urgent alterations need to be made to the intersection of Lonsdale Street and South Road Rosebud. All the locals hate it! It is so dangerous now with so much traffic from the freeway. The stop sign installed has only made it worse. It needs temporary traffic lights in place and made permanent or a roundabout built.
Mary Yorke, McCrae
Costly savings
John Blogg did well listing the many uncosted costs of nuclear energy (Cheesed off, Letters 15/01/25). But he forgot two very important costs – the potential health cost and the enormous cost of accidents should they occur.
A 2024 investigation, Health Effects of Occupational and Environmental Exposures to Nuclear Power Plants published in the highly rated journal Current Environmental Health Reports, “identified 47 studies, 13 with worker and 34 with resident samples, covering 175 nuclear power plants from 17 countries, encompassing samples of 480,623 workers and 7,530,886 residents.” The study found “Residents had significantly higher risks for all-cancer, thyroid cancer, and leukemia. Notably, children under 5 years old showed the highest risk for all-cancer.” Health costs like these are lifelong and indefensible.
While disasters are rare, when they happen, costs are gargantuan. The cost of the 2011 Fukushima disaster, for example, is estimated to be currently about US$200b including US$50b compensation payments to the evacuees and businesses affected by radiological releases. And after Fukushima, the US set up 61 “FLEX” centres just to respond to accidents costing about US$30m per centre, not to mention annual running costs.
The above costs were not factored into the Coalition’s nuclear costing done by Frontier Economics. It’s difficult to do, but the Australian people deserve the full story. Fortunately, with the world’s best solar and wind, Australia does not need to go down the risky and expensive nuclear pathway.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn
Rosebud parking trap
Responding to article from this weeks paper re school parking fines (School parent calls out ‘unfair’ parking fines, The News 14/1/25). It’s the same situation at most schools down here. We were fined for illegal parking in the street behind Rosebud Primary last year on two occasions. Because we couldn’t pay the fines in time they ended up almost tripling. It’s ridiculous how the shire can lay in wait for parents to park when spots are so unavailable.
My grandson is in Grade 1 and needs to be met in schoolyard, therefore a 5-10 min park. They are happy to allow another childminding centre to be built adding to the number of parents requiring parking while collecting kids, in that same area. To add to the loss of parking spaces, Woolworths were constructing all year and their carpark was largely unavailable for school parking.
We need all schools to have adequate parking to enable students living further away to be safely taken to school. Parking is a joke at Rosebud Primary. Six hundred students and no dedicated carpark! C’mon council stop fining parents and refund the thousands you’ve made from us!
Toni Mcguinness, Rosebud
Dromana parking trap
I note your story in last week’s paper (School parent calls out ‘unfair’ parking fines, The News 14/1/25). It may be worth alerting motorists to a related issue in Dromana. On Point Nepean Road in front of the Thai Beach House and Pinnacle Physiotherapy, three or four parking spaces have been converted into a “no stopping” section. I only became aware of this when I received an infringement notice issued by the shire for parking there on 7 January.
When I was there again a week later, three cars were parked in adjoining spaces – which is quite understandable because the white lines delineating the previously legal parking spaces are still on the road surface. The only indication of the new status is the overhead signs on the footpath where 1P has been replaced by S.
My enquiries at Pinnacle indicated that the change took place around October 2024 without any advice or consultation. They were alerted by a client and contacted the shire which responded that “it’s a VicRoads matter”. Similarly, VicRoads advised that “it’s a shire matter”.
I wonder how many other motorists have fallen into this trap? If I have to dispute the fine in court, I hope that a fair minded magistrate will agree that this doesn’t pass the pub test!
Peter Howard, Arthurs Seat
Beach boxes
I wish Peter Clarke well in his role as the President of the Beach box association (New beach box president unveils top priorities for better beaches, The News 14/1/25). He will certainly have his work cut out for him. With climate change inevitably raising sea levels and increasing weather events, those boxes in low lying areas, like Mount Martha North, will be even more vulnerable than they already are.
Peter claims that the beaches are being “washed away by storm water” which is a rather remarkable claim as most stormwater enters the bay via the various creeks of which only one (Balcombe Creek) could be described as a substantial waterway. Furthermore the volume of storm water entering the bay is miniscule compared to the volume delivered onto the beaches by wave action and the tides.
Peter may be better served promoting support for climate action as climate change will, and is, doing more damage to the boxes than “storm water” is ever likely to.
Ross Hudson, Mt Martha
Celebrate better
We all like a day off, a barbeque or picnic in the sun with friends and may also enjoy national pride celebrations. I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade but personally, during this year’s 26 January celebrations, instead of waving flags I will be reflecting on the things that would actually make me proud of my country: an end to gendered violence, an end to discrimination against different ethnic groups, an end to poverty and homelessness, and reconciliation with the First People of this land.
Let’s unite in reflecting on the changes needed to make us a truly fair nation.
Maureen Donelly, Southern Women’s Action Network
Change the date
While many people take the view that “a troubled history should be forgotten”, this never works because the consequences of injustices of the past always arise. We need to show respect to First Nations peoples by changing the date of Australia Day. They surely can only view January 26 as a date that brought disaster and anguish to their people.
How can we fail to imagine these things that were done to them being done to ourselves and our families? Our colonists stole their beautiful land, wouldn’t allow them to speak their own languages or practice their culture, brought disease and hunger, killed and raped and stole their children.
Are Aboriginal people our neighbours, our fellow country men and women? If so, why can’t other Australians identify with them and feel their pain? We cannot disown what has been done in Australia by Australians to Australians.
We can’t celebrate who we are and be all together on this date!
Joan Doyle, Dromana
