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Teacher’s aim to be top of class LONGSTANDING Hastings Primary School teacher Julie Bryant, right, has been selected in the top three primary teachers in Victoria for this year’s Victorian Education Excellence awards, to be announced on Friday (28 October). She is also in the running for the Lindsay Thompson Award as overall state winner in all nine categories. Hastings Primary School principal Sue Lyons said staff at the school worked hard to ensure the community “knows about us and takes pride in the education local schools have to offer”. “In the recent nominations for the Victorian Education Excellence awards I nominated long standing early childhood teacher Julie Bryant for the Primary Teacher of the Year award,” she said. “Ms Bryant has taught in the Hastings community for over 30 years and made significant contributions to the children and families in Hastings. “We are thrilled that of many nominations across the state, she has been selected in the top three primary school teachers.” The education department’s overview described Ms Bryant as having a “deep understanding and regard for the children that enter her classroom every day. “She recognises that not every child progresses at the same rate – some need more time, others more support,” it said. “With a special interest in the early years, Ms Bryant has led key transition and wellbeing programs that are giving every child at Hastings Primary School the very best start. “Through her own research, further studies and a commitment to improving outlook and outcomes for local families, Ms Bryant has been instrumental in delivering practical strategies such as Kidsmatter, Linking Schools and early Years partnership and Flying Start at her school. “She has worked tirelessly with school colleagues, early educators and allied community services to continuously improve student development, well-being and learning outcomes.” Stephen Taylor
Week wait for poll result THE results of the weekend’s council elections will not be known until more than seven days after polling day. Voters had until 6pm on Friday (21 October) to complete and return ballot papers to the Victorian Electoral Commission to be counted but the election overseer will also count any votes received before midday on Friday 28 October to account for any postal delays. Mornington Peninsula Shire council votes will be tallied by computer count. Provisional results are expected between noon on Friday 28 October and Sunday 30 October and will be listed on the VEC’s website. Results for all elections are provisional until the official declaration of results, between Monday 31 October and Friday 4 November, for all council elections across Victoria.
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Elections to vote for councillors to represent the community at councils in Victoria are held every four years. Fifty candidates ran for 11 seats at the shire.
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Cricketers hit – again CRIB Point Cricket Club has been hit by intruders for the third time in the past few months. No cash was stolen in the early morning Friday 21 October break-in but Senior Sergeant Allan Paxton, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said $2000 damage was caused when thieves forced the front sliding glass door and then smashed an internal roller door and shelving. CCTV footage is being examined. It is believed to show two men wearing hoodies inside the building at 4.30am. Club president Ricky Thompson said the club had learned from the string of break-ins in March, August and, now, October, not to leave any cash in the clubhouse. He said the robberies were an “expensive inconvenience” for club officers who were called out in the middle of the night to meet police on site. “The thieves don’t get anything out of it except causing damage to the clubrooms,” he said. More security upgrades are planned at the club.
Crews halt shed fire MT ELIZA Fire Brigade members extinguished a potentially dangerous shed fire on Saturday afternoon last week. Lieutenant Mark Turnham said the shed was “fully involved” when the two Mt Eliza trucks and one Frankston truck arrived at the Winona Rd property. The shed containing garden tools was next to a garage and house and the blaze took 15-20 minutes to control. The cause is unknown. “The crews did well to protect the garage and house,” Lieutenant Turnham said.
Cost threat to Somers paths appeal Continued from Page 1 Dr Atmore said the groups representing more than 300 Somers property owners say the footpaths as planned by the shire “will destroy vegetation, compromise habitat for wildlife including koalas, and will detract from the character and amenity of Somers”. “Each of the three applicant groups has in the last few days been told by VCAT that we will have to pay $783.90 each for each day of the four-day hearing,” she said last week. “This comes to a total of $3135.60 for each group and a grand total of $9406.80 for the community. The council is not required to pay hearing fees.” Dr Atmore said the groups budgeted for their legal costs in August after the failure to reach agreement at a compulsory case conference. “As a community group with limited funds, we had sought confirmation of the costs at each stage of the VCAT process,” she said. “On 24 September we sought and received clarification about the daily fees for the expected four-day hearing - $341.50 a day, totalling $1366 each for the proposed four days of the hearing. There was also a possibility that this cost would be shared among the three groups, but as we
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weren’t sure, we budgeted for $1366 for each group and hence sought funds from individual donors - mainly the signatory applicants - to cover this.” Dr Atmore said it had since been confirmed that the costs would have been shared “if the proceedings hadn’t been reclassified as complex”. “However, on Friday 14 October we received an email from VCAT informing us that the matter had been deemed a complex case, which attracts much higher fees. “The new total of $9406.80 is nearly double what we have expended on legal advice, while council pays for its two lawyers out of our rates, and up to nearly five times the cost of what we might have expected to pay after being informed by VCAT on 24 September.” David Gill, a candidate for the Red Hill ward in the current council elections, said the footpath protesters “want a delay with the hearing”. “This [fee rise] is an example of how difficult it is for ordinary people to win at VCAT,” Mr Gill said. “For them to win is almost a miracle. “The price has been put up at short notice and I believe the council has used the system to stop the residents from having a fair hearing.”
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ESTABLISHED
1980
Western Port News 25 October 2016
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