NEWS DESK
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’
THE theft of dozens of brass plaques from gravestones at Frankston cemetery last week has shocked RSL president Kevin Hillier. “It is very disappointing for the community in this year of the centenary of Anzac,” he said. “We had such a good turnout for the commemorations and now I feel so sorry for their families.” Detective Senior Constable Mark Garrett, of Frankston Crime Investigation Unit, said 48 plaques were removed overnight on Tuesday 12 May from the north-east corner of the Cranbourne Rd cemetery. The damage bill to the graves is estimated at $24,000 yet the plaques would only return a fraction of their emotional value as scrap metal. Mr Hiller said he hopes “any scrap metal dealers will think twice” before accepting the plaques and make contact with police to help catch the offenders. Cemetery staffers believe 15 exservicemen’s graves were defaced, including seven Official War Graves which are cared for by the Office of Australian War Graves. Temporary plaques will be placed at the seven sites and permanent replacements ordered immediately. It is expected to take about a month for the new, permanent plaques to be made and installed. There will be no costs to the families affected. Detective Garrett said police were appealing for public help in finding the culprits. “If anyone saw any suspicious activity at the cemetery they should call police on 9784 5555 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.”
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
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 parcel 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]
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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”. Mike Hast
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Mornington News 26 May 2015
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Talk ends as reservoir land decision looms
Anger over theft of gravestone plaques