NEWS DESK
Adding a name to sustain an image THE self-described “sustainable” Mornington Peninsula Shire has a neighbour that’s now officially known as the “sustainable city” – Frankston. While the peninsula gave itself the title of sustainable, Frankston has been named Sustainable City of the Year by Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria. Frankston earned its right to use sustainable through its 10-year plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2025. Frankston has also pipped the peninsula on naming rights with the September 2014 opening of its $50 million Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre built close to the city’ central commercial area. The shire has dropped its plans for a $44m Southern Peninsula Aquatic Centre on the foreshore at Rosebud,
but remains committed, on paper at least, to a pool being built as part of the redevelopment of the Rosebud Central Shopping centre, which it bought in 2012. Meanwhile, the peninsula’s latest crop of councillors (and a new CEO) last year voted to strip the shire of its sustainable tag, although the cost of replacing existing signs, stationary and vehicle liveries was seen as too expensive to replace overnight. “Committed to a Sustainable Peninsula” remains ubiquitous throughout the shire and its website. Peninsula residents are this month invited to “drop-in information sessions” to “have a say about Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s carbon neutral options report and the Sustainable Peninsula symbol associated with the shire logo”.
They can also save fuel and time by completing an online survey by 7 July on the shire’s website www.mornpen. vic.gov.au under the YourSay tab. The peninsula’s carbon neutral report lists ways of achieving carbon neutrality “to ensure council and its community reduces risks associated with climate change, lowers energy costs, and minimises impacts of shire activities”. A council news releases says the
move towards carbon neutrality “is an opportune time to review the Sustainable Peninsula symbol associated with the shire logo, and how it could be amended or removed to better reflect council’s future direction”. Unusually for the shire, no councillor, or officer was quoted in the release. “The Sustainable Peninsula symbol was added to the shire’s logo in 2001 and reflects the social, environmental and economic elements of sustainabil-
ity coming together on the Mornington Peninsula.” The information sessions will be at: Somerville Recreation and Community Centre, Edwards St, Somerville, 5.30–6.30pm Tuesday 23 June. Meeting Room 2 – Rosebud Shire office, 90 Besgrove St, Rosebud, 6-7pm Wednesday 24 June. Mornington Library Meeting Room, 2 Queen St, Mornington, 5.30–6.30pm Thursday 25th June. Residents can also make verbal submissions at the Tuesday 14 July Forward Planning Committee Meeting which starts at 5pm at the Rosebud council chambers, call Linda Yorke on 5950 1000. Shire officer are also available to speak to community groups or committees, call Jess Wingad on 5950 1000. Keith Platt
Maps show lie of the land Continued from Page 1 Mr Cowley said the maps would not be perfect but would reduce worries for the building industry overall. Certificates would be issued to indicate the status of land. “In terms of individual properties, the purpose of mapping is to seek [to establish] a floor level, so when people come to build they seek that floor level and if there is a dispute there is an appeal process,” he said. The shire is using a computer program that combines a topographical map with an image showing the location of buildings. Rainfall is modelled at varying levels of intensity and run-off tracked. Mr Kotsiakos said flash storms must generate a certain water depth to be classed as flooding. Rising water caused by blocked drains was not classed as a flood, but if an area’s drain network was undersize, the affected area could be classed as flood-prone. Cr Tim Rodgers drew attention to a disclaimer on the maps, which states that Victoria and Mornington Peninsula Shire “do not warrant the [maps’] accuracy or completeness of information ... and any person using or relying upon such information does so on the basis that [Victoria and the shire] shall bear no responsibility or liability whatsoever for any errors, faults, defects or ommissions [sic] in the information.” Mr Kotsiakos said this was a standard statement. Cr Rodgers queried difficulties with loading the maps on to the shire website, asking shire CEO Carl Cowie if he had a comment on the website. “Not a polite one,” Mr Cowie said, saying the files “are massive; very, very substantial.” Crs Antonella Celi and Anne Shaw, supporting the map plan, said it was a significant step forward and provided certainty for builders and property owners. It was part of the shire’s extensive drainage strategy and was just a stage in a continuing program.
Flood map: The pink areas show land where flooding may take place under extreme weather conditions.
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Western Port News 16 June 2015
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