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NEWS BRIEFS Morwell man’s truck seized
Valley
Council plans for future floods By Cherry Prior
cherry.prior@lvvoice.com. au
By Tristan O’Kane
tristan.o@lvvoice.com.au
POLICE seized a semitrailer driver’s truck after members of the Port Phillip Hwy patrol intercepted him Wednesday night. A 35-year-old man from Morwell was stopped by police following calls to triple zero complaining about his behavior on the roads. He was stopped on the Monash Fwy near Blackburn Rd in Glen Waverley about 7.30pm on Wednesday, March 23. Police discovered the man’s licence was suspended. This has been extended for a further six months. His semi-trailer was impounded after the owner was issued with a notice to surrender the vehicle within 48 hours. The man is expected to be charged on summons with offences including driving in a dangerous manner.
PROPOSED changes to the Latrobe City planning scheme have identified an additional 1,403 properties as being at risk of flooding, while 248 other properties have had their risk downgraded. Planning scheme amendment C9 – currently before the Minister for Planning and on public display until the end of May – uses the latest data from the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) to accurately map flood-prone properties. The amendment seeks to apply “land subject to inundation” or the more hazardous “floodway” overlays to more than 2,200 properties. Properties subject to the
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overlays will have additional planning requirements for all new developments, such as higher minimum floor levels. But overlays will also assist with planning of flood mitigation, emergency management and drainage works. The overlays will apply to properties near the Latrobe River, Traralgon Creek, Narracan Creek (Moe), Morwell River, Waterhole Creek (Morwell), Eelhole Creek (Churchill), Toongabbie Creek and Eaglehawk Creek (Glengarry). Many of the properties affected by the amendment were already subject to flood overlays but others, such as properties surrounding Waterhole Creek in Morwell, have been added. WGCMA strategic floodplains officer Wayne Gilmour said residents were often concerned about the
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Chester told more Mining funding With P:a (03) strong in the corporateMrcharter, ‘FlyParliament in Fly Out’ 5176presence 4443 Kununurra was needed to train doctors in country areas Market and Regular Passenger Transit, enticecarry doctors over to move800,000 to the country. Would you like to advertise? and to we passengers annually, servicing business travellers, tourists and to be better Broome Mr Chester said there needed Stand out from the crowd rewards for health professionals who service regional communities. country areas. Port Hedland we don’t charge for colour TheE:flsales@lvvoice.com.au eet consists of Fokker 50 turboprops and Fokker “There should100 be ajetdedicated regional Karratha health minister in the Cabinet to stand up and aircraft. Airbus A320 which P: Skywest (03) 5176recently 4443 acquired its first fight for country communities,” he said.Exmouth is fitted with 162 seats, bringing Skywest’s totalneeds fleettotobe18an overhaul of the “There regional incentive programs to attract and 30,000 copies aircraft. retain health professionals in rural and distributed free regional communities. Skywest is a member of Velocity the award-winning each weekRewards, “The current of using the Australian Nowpartnered that’s a by Virgin customer loyalty program Blue,system allowing ▪ Latrobe Regional Hospital. Standard Geographical Classification AreaGeraldton VOICE passengers to earn Velocity Points on Skywest’s domestic network. simply does not work for many of our regional Kalgoorlie towns. The system has created some quite doctors and other health professionals who move to some of the more difficult to service We pride ourselves on our superior unusual in flightanomalies service where - every small regional Melbourne Perth P areas and then choose to stay there.” Ravensthorpe towns…are placed in the same category Skywest service offers a quality product of meals, snacks, 20kg as some of the outer suburban areas for Mr Chester called for a greater focus on Esperance of baggage allowance (10kg for infants) and theofmost spacious the purpose calculati ng any financial training new doctors from country areas. Albany compensation or incentives for doctors. “We also need to make sure that we are legroom in its class of any Western Australian airline... all at no “I believe there needs to be a better providing opportunities for students from Latrobe extra cost! targeted system of payments which rewards regional communities to achieve the marks to Valley VOICE
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impact of flood overlays on property prices. “Our experience is that they don’t have a longterm economic impact,” Mr Gilmour said. He said more properties had been identified as being subject to flooding “not because things have changed, just because there’s better information”. Latrobe City strategic planning coordinator Jason Pullman said councils were legally obliged to consider flooding and drainage issues within their planning schemes. “The provisions do not prohibit any development at all. “What they do is put the flag up for…the WGCMA to consider the relevant impact.” Latrobe City has written to all landowners affected by the amendment.
Chester calls for health overhaul
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March 30 2011
go on to study medicine,” Mr Chester said. “It has been proven over many, many studies that students who have some origins in a regional community are more likely to come back and practise in those communities in the future.” The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has backed the call for a health overhaul.
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