WHAT’S ON AT NEPTOURS RUSSIAN HERMITAGE *CROWN CASINO – MONTHLY* Casino’s bus program with a EXHIBITION great BUFFET lunch (all) $35. Tues 20 Oct (a) $60 (p/s) $55 Only p/p over the age of GEORGIE GIRL 18 permitted. Her Majesty’s LAST THURSDAY EACH MTH Wed 16 Dec (numbers permitting) (a) $110 (p/s) $100 QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET CATS - REGENT THEATRE Tue 13 Oct ’15 - all $30. Wed 13 Jan 2016 Shop for all the bargains we (a) $130 (p/s) $120 do not have down here. SINGING IN THE RAIN We even supply a couple Wed 18 May 2016 of Eskys for some of your (a) $125 (p/s) $115 perishables. BAW BAW GARDEN & HOME EXPO Sat 10 Oct All $60
SOUND OF MUSIC Wed 25 May 2016 Adults $125 (p/s) $115
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NEWS DESK
Burn off restrictions eased for October BURN off restrictions on properties less than 1500 square metres will be eased throughout October to allow residents to burn off for fire prevention purposes. For the whole of the month, open air burning will be allowed on land less than 1500 square metres, but only 9am-4pm, Fridays and Saturdays, provided that: No more than one cubic metre of vegetation is burnt at any one time, the fire is not within 10 metres of a neighbour’s house, and the general fire safety provisions are followed at all times. Open air burning is prohibited
on properties smaller than 1500 square metres at all other times. Shire fire prevention officer Damien Taylor said the easing of restrictions on land less than 1500 square metres would assist owners of smaller properties to reduce fine fuel in the lead up to the fire season. “Residents are reminded that burn-off material should not be wet, or green, and that general fire safety precautions should be taken at all times,” he said. “It’s a great chance to clean up around your property, but ensure you do it responsibly and safely,
and keep your neighbours and local authorities informed.” Landowners burning off should follow the general fire safety provisions which include giving notice to adjoining landowners/ occupiers 24 hours prior to the burn, calling 1800 668 511 at least two hours prior to the burn to log your fire with CFA, as well as establishing a fire break of no less than three metres cleared of all flammable material. Landowners should ensure the fire is supervised by an adult at all times, that there is sufficient fire protection equipment on hand,
that vegetation being burnt is dead and dry prior to lighting, and that the fire site wind speed is not more than 20 kilometres per hour. Open air burning regulations for blocks more than 1500 square metres and more than 40,000 square metres remain the same. Details: visit mornpen.vic.gov. au To determine the size of a property visit the shire’s PenMaps site at gisweb.mornpen.vic.gov.au/ penmaps or call customer service on 1300 850 600 or 5950 1000.
UN IT S
Tug-of-war over reef and coal
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ANTI-coal activists have rallied outside the Hastings office of local MP and environment minister Greg Hunt for the third time this month. Last Wednesday morning, members of national lobby group GetUp held a “friendly tug-of-war between ‘Team Coal’ dressed in black and ‘Team Coral’ in tropical colours” as part of a campaign to “protect the Great Barrier Reef” and protest about Mr Hunt and the Coalition government allowing more coal projects in the Galilee Basin in Queensland. Sam Regester of GetUp said the playful tug-ofwar game “highlighted the serious decision the minister had to make between greater action to protect the Great Barrier Reef and allowing more coal projects that placed the icon at risk”. “Minister Hunt must decide which side he’s on – will he stand with the community and protect the reef or side with the vested interests of the mining industry and risk its ruin,” he said. “Mr Hunt has vital decisions to make on whether he should approve the massive Carmichael mine in the Galilee Basin and a proposal for two million tonnes of dredging in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. “The Queensland government’s own report card into the state of the reef’s health released last week found our natural wonder wasn’t doing well. We need greater action to protect the reef, not more dredging, ports and coal projects that will threaten its future.” The first protest this month was on Wednesday 2 September when protesters from GetUp carried a crate of coal into Mr Hunt’s office, which elicited the now-famous comment from one of his staff members, executive officer Denise Garnock, “so you’re going to pollute our office with coal?” and a furious reaction from Mr Hunt who accused protesters of intimidating his staff. Peninsula GetUp member Simon Hawking hit back, saying there were three police officers “happily chatting to the crowd” and they would have been called in to the office if intimidation had occurred.
Persistent: GetUp members opposing new coal mines in Queensland have again protested outside the Hastings office of peninsula MP and environment minister Greg Hunt, the third time this month. Picture: Yanni
The second protest was on Wednesday 16 September, a bit of a fizzer as few people turned up although GetUp members and sympathisers have been stopping residents in Hastings’ main street and talking to them about the reef and coal on several days during the month. Queensland environment minister Steven Miles last week released the annual report about the health of the reef, which stated the overall condition of its inshore marine environment remained poor. The report assessed run-off and the reef’s condition between 2009-14 and found that sediment, nutrients and pesticide loads had decreased but had fallen short of meeting targets. Mr Miles said there was more bad news than good in the report. “The results are far from our targets, and progress to these targets flatlined in the period 2013-14,” he said. In July, the United Nations World Heritage Committee decided not to list the reef as “in danger” but Mr Miles said international concern about the reef was justified. “The report shows progress on meeting targets has stalled, and UNESCO’s interest was the right thing,” he said.
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Mornington News 29 September 2015
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