ROSEBUD residents have won the first step in their battle against a multi-unit development, with Mornington Peninsula Shire reversing plans to support the proposal when it goes to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in August. At last Monday’s meeting, residents pleaded with councillors to reverse their support for the application, arguing that traffic congestion would make the area unsafe and higher density would be out of character and lead to costly environmental problems. The 12,141 square metre site at 46-469 Waterfall Gully Rd, at the junction of Bayview Av, has had a long planning history, with the shire originally…
Author: Liz Bell
A MORNINGTON Peninsula artist has an ambitious plan to sell his three metre by two metre canvas for $1.6 million. Philippe de Kraan says his online “offer” is receiving attention around the globe. The Gathering, an eye-catching expressionist work in bold, bright colours, took de Kraan almost four years to complete using a miniature paintbrush. While most people who have viewed the work would have difficulty scraping together that kind of money, de Kraan said interest from overseas was encouraging. “The news is getting around and I’ve had feedback from people in London and Dubai,” he said. “I’m very confident…
MORNINGTON Peninsula councillors are divided over a revised code of conduct that discourages them from making personal attacks on each other and sets out the process for dealing with bad behaviour. However, shire CEO Carl Cowie told The News he expects that the version of the code of conduct adopted at last week’s special council meeting will be signed by all councillors before the end of June. On Friday, the mayor Cr Graham Pittock said that while he did not agree with some of the amendments, councillors had no choice but to sign the code and “just agree to abide…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is about to appoint an in-house lawyer to provide “risk-based” solutions for its legal dilemmas. The “corporate counsel” will report to the chief financial officer – currently Matthew Hubbard – and be responsible for legal advice and representation on a such issues as planning, commercial contracts, property transactions, governance, employment law, freedom of information and privacy. While no salary range had been provided, The News believes an in-house lawyer is considered to be more cost-effective than the bills being clocked up by the shire from private lawyers. Shire CEO Carl Cowie sees hiring a lawyer as being…
A BLAIRGOWRIE resident upset the coming ban on dogs in Mornington Peninsula National Parks claims that Parks Victoria is ignoring the “major problems” of foxes, cats and weeds. Dogs will be banned from the national park from November in a bid to protect the nesting areas of the threatened hooded plover. Peter Hill, a Blairgowrie resident of more than 30 years, says Blairgowrie’s rocky beach is not a nesting ground for the sand-dwelling birds and accuses Parks Victoria of focusing on dogs because they are an “easy target”. “Blairgowrie is a rocky beach and we don’t have any hooded plovers,…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council’s reversal of a decision not to pursue Cr Antonella Celi for thousands of dollars she allegedly spent over her allowances has sparked an intense backlash through social media. Since the decision was published by The News social media came alive with descriptions of the backflip being “disgusting” and “double standards” to questions of whether residents should be pursued for not paying rates (“Council drops costs recovery bid” The News 31/5/16). At their 23 May meeting, a majority of councillors voted to reverse an earlier decision for the shire to seek repayment from Cr Celi of what appeared to…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has decided against pursuing Cr Antonella Celi for thousands of dollars she allegedly spent over her allowances. Councillors last week reversed an earlier decision for the shire to seek repayment of what appeared to be about $9000 over what was allocated to her for conferences and seminars. After the meeting, Cr Hugh Fraser told The News that the matter had been a ”whitewash”, with no information provided on the management decisions surrounding Cr Celi’s expenses claims. However, the matter is unlikely to be resolved soon, with Cr Fraser already planning to move a rescission motion at next…