Our coasts are fragile
The recent landslip at McCrae once again illustrates the delicate nature of many coastal areas of our Peninsula. In the past there has been numerous slips along the Esplanade between Mornington and Safety Beach. There was a large slip at Oliver’s Hill that closed part of the Nepean Highway. We also have futile attempts to rectify the Beleura Hill pathway that has slipped numerous times in the past and will inevitably slip again.
Keith Humphreys, Mornington
Time for a change
Being of retirement age (& some!), I’ve seen my fair share of elections. I believe this time around Independent candidate Ben Smith will be an ideal representative for the Flinders electorate in Canberra. Ben consults with and listens to the community. He understands the impact of the rising cost of living, the need for affordable housing solutions and improved healthcare. Ben acknowledges the need for Climate Action to preserve our planet for future generations. He isn’t tied to the dictates of party politics or policies and has practical ideas to tackle these issues. The winds of change are blowing and Ben Smith is the breath of fresh air needed to make a real difference for the Peninsula.
Susan Hillman Stolz, Rye
Christian values
It might be a good thing if we had an ordained minister representing us who actually followed “Christian Values”. We had John Howard who proclaimed it was an act of God that made him PM and look at the ungodly “Christian Values” he embraced. By the way Trump is now claiming the title to the latest act of God.
“The separation of church and state” is a myth, there is very little separation. Australia claims to be a Christian nation and shoves those values, whenever convenient, down our throats and ignores them wherever it is not convenient. Australia does not tax churches or their business assets and forks out our tax dollars to support religious schools at the demise of public schools.
I have never heard Ben proselytise and have only heard him express values that would be considered good Christian, moral and ethical values. There is no indication whatsoever that Ben’s goal is to represent his church. Ben Smith’s leadership qualities – rooted in community, empathy, ethical behaviour, and action-oriented thinking – stand apart from his religious background. His focus on building a better community and treating others with respect makes him a leader who will listen to his electorate. By prioritising universal values and practical solutions, he exemplifies the kind of leadership that transcends faith and fosters a united, progressive society.
Ben would be the ideal MP to drive another nail into the coffin of the political duopoly whose main purpose is to maintain power with party politics, manipulation, misinformation and outright lies.
It would really be nice to be represented by someone with the values Australians claim to embrace: integrity, honour, ethics, and morality and actually listens to us and votes for us not the party.
Joe Lenzo, Safety Beach
Times are changing
I realise, from all the letters printed in the letters page, there are many ongoing and quite serious problems with infrastructure on the Mornington Peninsula, but surely the clocks in the centre of Main and Barkly Streets in Mornington cannot be that hard to fix… or are they? They have not worked correctly for months and months, ages in fact , despite several visits from men with ladders!
Just before Christmas all four clock faces were removed, aha progress, they were duly reinstalled where they worked for a couple of days and since then don’t bother checking the time because all four faces have stopped and all show a different time.
I don’t know how long this clock tower has stood there but I moved here in 1976 and don’t recall it being out of action so often or for so long.
Why, it even used to be decorated at Christmas time…but that’s another story…
Carole Saunders, Mornington
Sympathy for fined
I sympathise with the tradies over their parking fines for parking on the nature strips in a narrow street (Builders fury over ‘unfair’ parking fines, The News 21/1/25). It simply highlights the complete lack of consistency over parking in the shire. In Mount Martha it seems to be a free-for-all, with parking on nature strips, driveways and double or triple parking are all condoned. In Watson Road and Bay Road at the beach end on a warm days I am sometimes amazed at the spots people manage to call a parking space.
The shire seems quite OK with all of this and frankly it does little harm as there are few alternatives.
But woe betide anyone who dares park on the small median strip at the beach end of Watson Road. This is apparently some form of sacred ground and parking there almost guarantees a ticket.
Given the lax attitude to parking everywhere else in the vicinity surely the shire could at least install a No Parking sign on the median strip to warn wary visitors, there is a pole there already making the job a little easier.
Ross Hudson, Mt Martha
No sympathy for fined
I have no sympathy for tradies being fined for illegally parking on nature strips. But I find it very rich of the shire, selectively targeting some and not those owners whose vehicles are continually breaking a bylaw by parking on nature strips all over the shire. There is rich pickings for the shire’s parking officers if they were to exercise the fining of hundreds of vehicles which are breaking the law daily, not just a select few.
Illegally parked nature strip vehicles have created bare ruts and tracks and some others are there for months hardly moving, with dead unsightly patches and grass growing up the side of them. This detracts from the attractive streets and well kept neighbourhoods, that is part of the beautiful shire we live in.
Gerard van de Ven, Mount Martha
Good riddance
The decision of Council to abolish the Citizens Panel is one of the better ones made in recent years.
We have a council composed of elected individuals yet these non-performers have to spend $140,000, plus perks, on another bunch of their favoured supporters and do-gooders to tell them how to do their job.
The current group of rehashed wards has shone the light. If councillors want to get ratepayers views on any topic why not set up a card table and chairs in any one of the numerous shopping centres in the shire and devote a few Saturday mornings in exchange for their generous stipends. The fact that previous councils sought to have refuge in these unrepresentative committees is proof enough of the need to get rid of local councils altogether in favour of state government appointees.
The council has budgeted income this year of $295.6 million and to manage and oversee this huge sum we have a collection of estate agent, school teachers and otherwise idle housewives with the power to extract more from ratepayers. The mind boggles at the stupidity of this system.
Let’s hope the current mob is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Barry Rumpf, McCrae
Expensive consultation
The arguments against continuing with a Shire citizens’ panel are compelling and logical (Plug Pulled on Council’s Costly Citizens’ Panel, The News 21/1/25). As Cr Allen pointed out, some advisory groups are aligned with the council and do not receive compensation; their reward comes from knowing that their input is valued. If engaging the public requires offering gift cards as incentives, it suggests that the core issues have been lost.
Anne Kruger, Rye
Beach cleaning
Why would Paul Pingiaro move beach cleaning as urgent business when the beaches are still being cleaned and the trial of hand cleaning is still being evaluated? It’s as if he is wanting to bulldoze his opinion through, without giving people in the community or the shire officers time to hear evidence and have a different perspective to him.
In regards to seaweed being an issue on the beaches doesn’t he (and those that don’t think it looks good) realize that seaweed is a natural part of the beach environment and, as Josie Jones states, helps stop erosion which is a major concern for all coastlines?
Also when Pingiaro states that mechanical raking supports the picking up of microplastics in its sieve – how can it when microplastics are as small as a grain of sand? Apart from this incorrect statement of his, in my discussions with other beach goers, previously when raking was used syringes were still found on the beach. It is high impact to have these heavy rakes on our beaches, negatively impacting the environment and to still have them not do the job!
I have noticed that our local beaches this season have looked their best compared to the previous years when mechanical raking was used.
Jill Stanszus, Mornington
Gas bans
The gas ban has come to Frankston with planning applications now saying that there will be no gas connections. Even though residents may wish to object and possibly protest to keep to try and keep their gas supply connected they will fail as the government will simply cut supply.
Joe McCraken of the Liberal Party says that there will be government cuts which will mean cuts to government services and they will push for nuclear power stations but in the end gas will not be available to consumers.
Property owners in Frankston are cashing in on the housing crisis by splitting their properties into two titles which will assist in the creating of housing in Frankston and give property owners a nice return. Rent gouging is going on in Frankston as rooms in rooming houses are being rented out for around $500.00 per fortnight.
Russell Morse, Karingal
Unnecessary oven?
I have been agonising over whether to respond to your article (Vinnies Kitchen pops up in Rosebud, The News 21/1/25). I now find that I must.
Your article rightly celebrates the community’s generosity, as it informs readers that Rosebud food charity – Vinnies Kitchen – is set to receive a brand-new $30,000 commercial oven, paid for by donations via GoFundMe, and a further $10,000 donated by Bendigo Bank for its installation.
However, I am unable to understand why such an oven is necessary.
Vinnies Kitchen has been in operation since 1992, and the Mornington Peninsula Shire has given them virtually exclusive use of the Youth and Band Hall. Currently, Vinnies Kitchen operates efficiently with the resources provided by the shire. The hall is rented for a peppercorn fee, electricity is free, and they have two modern fan-forced ovens. These ovens are more than adequate for their needs, as they only reheat pre-cooked defrosted meals for an average of 30 people per service.
So, it is incomprehensible why they need to spend $40,000 to remove these shire-provided ovens and replace them with a complicated, commercial steaming oven just to reheat food. Indeed, will this oven become the property of the shire, as it will now be a fixture of their hall? And will the upkeep of this oven now fall on the charity’s shoulders?
This project has all the hallmarks of a vanity project. The charity’s committee’s decision undervalues the impact of $40,000 on the number of meals they could have provided instead of a single, unnecessary oven. Having to “… wait 45 minutes for each tray of food to come out …” makes no difference as there is no rush to supply. The volunteers arrive 90 minutes before service, to prepare the meals. Plus, they have three convection microwave ovens if there is ever such a rush.
The current Vinnies Kitchen Committee has lost its raison d’etre.
Michael Scotts, Rosebud
Unsustainable future
I find it incredible that the Federal Government permitted Australia’s Net Immigration to reach 445,600 for the year ending 30/6/24, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The rationale seems to be importing people for their wealth and plugging areas where we “lack” skills. It’s a “dog chasing its tail” mentality, lacking foresight and sustainability. Such figures can only maintain pressure on housing and rental affordability, infrastructure and arable land close to major cities. As such, the wonderful Australian dream of home ownership will continue to remain a mirage for young people.
I believe, with greater populations also come greater problems and demands. Individuals will have even less input into the future direction of their country. I would suggest reducing the figure to 40,000, with a clear strategy of what Australia needs to maintain its unique advantages and encouraging students to move into employment fields, where we are lacking.
Henry Kelsall,
The Sustainable Future Association
Celebrate Australia Day
The call to cancel celebrating Australia Day on 26 of January each year is becoming a pain from those who cannot or will not recognise what a wonderful country we have become in a relative short period of time.
I find many reasons to reinforce the call to maintain this special date in stone. As a descendant of a marine who came to our country on the First Fleet and married a convict woman who arrived on the Second Fleet, together, they raised 12 children.
The First Fleet consisted of 11 ships carrying approximately 1400 people, which included 200 marines and 200 sailors of the 1400 about half lived on the ships until November 1788 while the others built a basic infrastructure.
My great grandparents were one of many families sent to Norfolk Island during a drought in late 1700s to farm vegetables to support the Sydney colony, they were returned to Tasmania and were given 100 acres to farm at O’Briens bridge now Glenorchy, my great grandmother lived to 84 her headstone and work within the community are recognised in a local church.
Along with my two great grandparents thousands of people followed spending three to four months on a sailing ship to build a better life for their families and built the corner stones to our wonderful country.
During my 78 years I have seen, met, laughed, worked and cried with family and friends from all the worlds countries who came to Australia and like my early arrivals all have worked hard to make our country greater and their families safe and comfortable.
Why would anyone what to change the date that celebrates the success of the past and the opportunities of the future.
Bruce White, Safety Beach
Acknowledge the past
Another Australia Day has been and gone demonstrating that our history provokes a range of emotional responses – pride, sorrow, happiness, anger and guilt.
If you accept – as I do – that the Australian frontier was a violent place, and many aboriginal lives were lost in this violence, and that aboriginal Australians have suffered because of the loss of livelihood, disease, and poverty, then there is much to provoke a sense of guilt. Guilt, however, prevents constructive dialogue.
Instead, I want an honest conversation between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians about our shared past and its consequences. I want to have this conversation in ways that enable us all to address a legacy of the past and create a shared future.
Whoever we are – indigenous, descendants of Settler Australians, migrants or refugees – we all have a stake in our nation’s future. A generous approach to dialogue based on empathy, respect and compassion, would seek to find a date to celebrate our nationhood that is inclusive of all Australians.
Sarah Russell, Mt Martha
