ALP ‘lawyers up’ LABOR has chosen lawyer Peta Murphy to contest the seat of Dunkley at the next federal election. Business Minister Bruce Billson who holds the seat with a 9 per cent majority. Ms Murphy will be the second lawyer to go head-to-head with Mr Billson in consecutive federal elections. Sonya Kilkenny, now state MP for Carrum, is also a lawyer and was the ALP’s Dunkley candidate at the 2013 election. Mr Billson increased his majority by about 4 per cent.
Decision time: South East Water’s decommissioned reservoir in Mt Eliza has become a haven for flora and fauna but a state planning panel is about to decide its fate. Picture: Yanni
Reservoir land decision talks over Mike Hast mike@baysidenews.com.au ARGUMENTS for and against the rezoning of South East Water’s decommissioned reservoir land in Mt Eliza for housing were put to a state government planning panel meeting in Rosebud last week. The panel has 30 business days to prepare its report and the planning authority will have a maximum of 28 days to release the report to the public, says Mornington MP David Morris who has taken a keen interest in the matter. Late last year he asked Mornington Peninsula Shire to extend its public consultation period. The shire refused. In early 2014 the government water authority asked the shire to rezone its old reservoir land of 2.8 hectares on the corner of Barmah and Kanya roads, east of Kunyung Rd, for 24 blocks of about 1000 square metres each, worth about $450,000 a block or $10.8 million in total. The dam was decommissioned
in 1999 and has become a haven for wildlife. Residents, environmentalist and others want the land to be a nature reserve as this part of Mt Eliza has just two inland reserves – Bruce Cameron Reserve (site of Kunyung Preschool) and an uninviting, flood-prone area next to Gunyong Creek. Reservoir neighbours formed a lobby group, Kunyung Residents Group, in late November to push for a reserve and sought expert guidance and assistance from individual wildlife experts and groups. Mr Morris said the panel had heard presentations from the “shire council, South East Water, Mornington Peninsula Human Rights Group, Mornington Peninsula Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association, Women’s Property Initiative and Kunyung Residents Group”. Individuals addressing the panel included former Mt Eliza Ward councillor Leigh Eustace, who has been pushing for more open space for many years. The shire requested South East Water set aside a substantially larger par-
Executive decision
cel of land for parkland than was originally allocated, Mr Morris said. The shire asked for one hectare of open space, more than a third of the SEW land. The panel was asked to recommend that two blocks be allocated for public housing. Rebecca Taylor of Kunyung Residents Group told the panel SEW had the opportunity to put forward a positive image to the region as it comes closer to moving its headquarters to Frankston from the City of Kingston. SEW is building an eight-storey tower next to Kananook Creek, which will house about 600 employees. “We ask that you [panel members] please recommend to council that they not be hasty in their rezoning of this property, and that the land be further assessed in regards to the environmental impact on the local flora and fauna and the significance on the surrounding natural corridors,” Ms Taylor said. In March, South East Water stated that it had a responsibility as an essential service provider to ensure “efficient operation of infrastructure and use of land owned by the corporation”.
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past two years will also get priority at the same kindergarten. “The feedback told us this was important to maintain family connections at local kindergartens, especially when social networks have been formed with staff and other parents who might also have further children reaching kindergarten age,” Cr Mayer said. Families who have registered their child to attend three or four-year-old kindergarten in 2016 will be notified of the changes and given the chance to change their preferences.
THE executive of the Frankston branch of the ALP resigned this month. The five members of the executive handed in their resignations at Labor’s latest Frankston branch meeting. Branch executive members, including president Chris Ryan, quit their positions amid ongoing claims ALP members are not being listened to by party HQ. Mr Ryan lost out to Peta Murphy this month for selection as Labor’s candidate for Dunkley at the next federal election. Frankston Labor MP Paul Edbrooke seemed unperturbed by the mass resignations at the party’s Frankston branch. “We are getting on with the job by reinvesting in the Frankston community by funding amongst many other things, schools, TAFE, and the Young St precinct renewal,” he said.
Kinder enrolments CHANGES to Frankston Council’s Kindergarten Central Registration System have been finalised before the allocation of next year’s places in late July. Most of the existing system has been kept with 97 per cent of on-time registrations getting an offer for a preferred kindergarten but two amendments have been introduced. “A key part of this review was listening to the views of families who have or would be using the registration procedure, and we felt it was very important we took this feedback on board,” Frankston mayor Cr Sandra Mayer said. “As a result, the family’s proximity to a kindergarten and their family’s recent history at a kindergarten will now be factored into the process.” Under the proximity clause, priority will be given to children who reside in the same local area as their preferred kindergarten for both three and four-year-old kindergarten. There are four defined local areas within the Frankston City municipality. Children with siblings who have attended four-year-old kinder within the
Snake shock find COUNCIL workers got a shock last Monday (18 May) when they discovered a large boa constrictor nestled in a Seaford building. The snake is believed to have either escaped or have been dumped by an irresponsible owner. “Council officers were inspecting the council-owned property adjoining Seaford Wetlands on Monday morning when they discovered the boa constrictor inside a shed,” Frankston mayor Cr Sandra Mayer said. “A snake catcher was immediately called to handle the snake.” Boa constrictors are native to in North, Central, and South America and some Carribbean Islands. Foreign snakes such as boa constrictors can carry a virus called Inclusion Body Disease which is fatal to native snakes. The 2-metre long boa constrictor found in Seaford will be euthanised by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
Join Youth council YOUNG people interested in giving advice and suggestions to Frankston Council about youth matters in the community can apply now to join the Frankston Youth Council. Frankston Youth Council representatives must be aged between 12-23 at the time of appointment and must be able to attend monthly meetings and additional meetings as required. Each representative is appointed on a twoyear basis. Applications close Monday 30 June. Call council on 9768 1366 for further details.
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BLAIRGOWRIE • DROMANA • MORNINGTON • ROSEBUD • SEAFORD • TOORAK BLAIRGOWRIE • MORNINGTON • ROSEBUD • SEAFORD • TOORAK Frankston Times 25 May 2015
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