Why overcomplicate it? I have been emailing the shire since January 2023 with suggestions as to fixing the damages sections of the Briars boardwalk (Calls for boardwalk fix as shire proposes options, The News 14/11/24) after the wild weather back in 2020 where a section was damaged and fenced off. However after the 14 November 2022 event there are now other sections that have been damaged.This is a very popular walk so my question is – when does the shire expect to complete the repairs of the whole section of the Boardwalk? I note that BERG repairs damaged planks and…
Browsing: Letters
The scene of the crime When you throw out your rubbish, do you know where it goes? It’s like sweeping dust under a rug – just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s gone. The rubbish gets taken to a landfill where it’s buried in the ground, but it stays there, polluting the earth for years, sometimes forever. Plastic can stay buried for millions of years, hurting the planet as if giving it a good hard jab.Instead of hiding our waste, we should try to recycle and reuse more. Otherwise, we’re just leaving a big mess for future generations…
‘The News’ not the place to debate international issues I am not clear why correspondents (R. Steiner and H. van Leeuwen et al) feel the need to prosecute the merits or otherwise of any foreign nation generally – and Israel in particular – in the pages of The News.I am not clear why the atrocious conflict in Sudan is not arousing the same passion… Or the deaths of 17 children in 2023/24 who were known to Victorian Child Protection Services is not arousing the same levels outrage.I am clear that the UN is not a bastion of moral clarity, but…
Time for shire to seek financial solutions There is no doubt that the shire is headed for the perfect storm financial crisis. They are being hit with the same cost of living pressures that we are. Recently I have been hit with two insurance increases of 26% and after almost doubling last year, my gas rates have increased between 18% to 23% from August.Rate capping certainly plays a part, just like my pension increases do not cover my increased costs. At the time, rate capping was the only way to stop the abuse of raising rates by the sire and…
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…
Focus on local issues Candidates running for council (Candidates face more questions than there are answers, The News 8/10/24) should remember that their primary duty is to their community. The decisions of a local council member have an immediate and direct impact on local concerns, which is what matters most to their residents. By focusing on these local priorities, candidates can better serve their communities and significantly shape their future.Anne Kruger, Rye Take responsibility for your own rubbish As one who often collects rubbish from the Mt Martha cliffs and beachfront, I too despair at all the plastic, especially bottle…
Helping hands I am 92-years-old, disabled, and living alone in Rosebud with no family I can call on in times of need. I thought it was terrible when the bush rats moved into my garden, but then came the wind! On 1 September, the howling gale brought a huge ivy covered pine tree down into my back garden. It lay across the roof of my shed, my clothesline and back window. I rang the SES and they were helpful, removing it from my back window, chopped it up, but then had to go to another job, as they were flat…
Thanks to Keith Platt for being a ‘truth seeker I would like to express my sincere thanks to editor Keith Platt for all his work at Mornington Peninsula News Group (Retirement marks the end of an era, The News 4/9/2024). His commitment to the truth and reporting the facts on issues around the Mornington Peninsula has been outstanding.We are very, very fortunate to have an independent newspaper that puts our community first, gives a voice to the people and shines a torch on individuals or organisations who require investigation.Best wishes to Keith on his retirement – he will be greatly…
Gatehouse’s mismanagement Whoever is responsible for the upkeep of this heritage listed and protected building should be ashamed (Demolition order issued for historic gatehouse, The News 20/8/24). The people of the Mornington Peninsula, together with all Australians, trust you to preserve our history especially the old buildings, and we have been let down.I pass the gatehouse at least three times a week and over the past 20 years have noticed the gatehouse, surrounding entrance, including the adjacent period fencing has deteriorated to its present condition.A couple of kilometres down the highway towards Mornington an historic iron fence was damaged when…
Toilet closures unacceptable I was flabbergasted to read the article (Cr Holland creates stink with toilet motion, The News, 7/8/24) outlining Cr David Gill’s attempt to raise the issue of closed toilet facilities on the Mornington Peninsula. This seems a perfectly reasonable motion from Cr Gill, yet not one councillor supported the motion. And for Cr Steve Holland to consider an amendment to the motion accusing Cr Gill of wasting everybody’s time, is extraordinary. For Cr Holland’s information, there are many people who read our local newspaper – sometimes that is the only way we find out what is going…
Trust: easily lost, hard to regain The relocation of the Harry Potter Experience to a less sensitive location at The Briars will come as a great relief to those who pressured Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to reconsider its decision. A new ecological report for this community forest (dog walking park) will be published on the shire website soon. This new location is 500 metres from the nearest point of the wildlife sanctuary and, we are told, will have minimal effect on the fauna and flora. CEO John Baker acknowledged that the community backlash definitely influenced this decision to change the…
Peta Murphy: fondly remembered … as an exceptional role model I am writing to express our sincere condolences concerning the tragic passing of Dunkley MP Peta Murphy. She was much loved and deeply admired by all the members of The Southern Women’s Action Network (SWAN). Peta was a woman of great integrity, strong convictions, kindness and compassion. Like so many others who met her, we truly appreciated Peta’s warm and engaging personality, her willingness to listen and delightful sense of humour. Most especially we admired her determination to advocate for justice, particularly in support of those who were marginalised. Peta’s…
Vandalising Yes signs is anti-democratic Many community members have been saddened by vandalism to vote Yes signs across the Mornington Peninsula. This vandalism is not just random tagging by kids, it seems to be an organised campaign by people who, for some reason, are angered by the democratic process and the right of everyone to express their opinion. This has ranged from painting No across the signs to actually cutting the Yes from real estate type boards. This process would take some time and effort and property owners report feeling unsafe and violated by such a concerted effort to deface…
Parking questions Cr David Gill valiantly tried to get the Flinders pier paid parking pilot removed, but seven of the nine [Mornington Peninsula Shire] councillors preferred the “not in my backyard” principle and thought Flinders was an ideal site (“Flinders keeps its spot in paid parking trial” The News 15/8/23). How the parking fees for 90 spaces is going to make much of a contribution to the $1,000,000 cost to the rate paying residents beats me. And how meaningful will the data be and relevant to the rest of Western Port? We have asked the shire if sailing visitors who…
I have been made aware that Willum Warrain Aboriginal Association is concerned by my reference to them when addressing the Indigenous Voice to Parliament in my speech in parliament on 22 May (“Elders ‘misrepresented’” Letters 6/6/23). In my speech, I said: “Today, the Indigenous people of the Mornington Peninsula include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders from across the nation. It makes for a warm, inclusive, wise, curious and open community with remarkable cultural leaders, like Peter Aldenhoven and Lionel Lauch, and those who embody that warmth and welcome in their every breath, like Uncle John McLean and Aunty Helen Bnads.…