New ward boundaries outlined Brodie Cowburn brodie@baysidenews.com.au
RESTRICTIONS put in place to stop the spread of coronavirus will start to ease from 11.59pm, 12 May. The Victorian government had outlined food and supplies, medical care and caregiving, exercise, and work or education as the only reasons to leave home during the pandemic. At a press conference on 11 May, Premier Daniel Andrews added “visiting friends and family” to the list of acceptable reasons to leave home. Gatherings of up to ten people outdoors, and up to five visitors at home will be allowed. “I know this will come as a welcome relief, but I need to be clear. Although these are our first steps back towards normalcy, they are not an invitation to host a dinner party every night of the week,” Mr Andrews said. “We’re asking Victorians to limit their circle to just family and friends. That means that when we do have outbreaks and positive cases, and we will, we can test and trace and effectively contain the spread.” Walking groups, fishing, hiking, and golfing will all be allowed after the restrictions are relaxed. Up to ten guests are allowed at weddings and 20 at funerals. Up to 30 people are allowed at a funeral if it is held outdoors. There have been 26 Kingston residents test positive for COVID-19 as of 11 May. The revised restrictions will be in place during a renewed state of emergency, which lasts in Victoria until 11.59pm 31 May. On the spot fines of up to $1,652 for individuals and up to $9,913 for businesses are applicable if social distancing guidelines are violated.
THE state government’s proposed boundary changes for the Kingston municipality have been released. After the passage of the Local Government Act 2020 earlier this year, the state government mandated that Kingston Council would move to a single member ward structure at the 2020 local government elections. Kingston Council currently has nine councillors, spread across three wards. After the next election they will have 11 councillors representing around 11,000 residents each in 11 separate wards. Kingston Council will have until 25 May to make comments and suggestions about the names for the new wards. The maps will then be finalised and gazetted before the planned October poll date. The subdivision of local government wards is usually decided after the completion of a subdivision review by the Victorian Electoral Commission. After the completion of that review, the VEC would then make a recommendation to the local government minister. In October 2019 the VEC finished a review of Kingston Council’s ward structure, and recommended that council expand to eleven councillors spread across just three wards.
THE new proposed ward boundaries for Kingston Council.
Police patrol
Restrictions are relaxed
with Brodie Cowburn
Hit and run charges A MAN has been charged in relation to a hit and run that left a man dead in Dingley Village last year. On 20 December 2019, around 4.30am, a man’s body was spotted by a passerby on Spring Road. Emergency services attended but the 53-year-old man from Dingley Village had died at the scene. A few days later, a 19-year-old Dandenong South man handed himself into police and was charged with culpable driving, dangerous driving causing death, and fail to stop and render assistance. Last week a second man was arrested by police. On 6 May a 19-year-old Diamond Creek man was also charged with culpable driving,
dangerous driving causing death, fail to stop, and fail to render assistance. He was bailed to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 11 May. Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are handling the investigation.
Officers remembered POLICE officers at Moorabbin formed a guard of honour outside their station last week to remember the life of a police officer killed while on duty on EastLink. Constable Josh Prestney was laid to rest on 4 May. His funeral was the last of the four police officers killed in the horror smash. A Cranbourne truck driver was charged with four counts of culpable driving after the fatal crash, which occurred on 22 April.
MOORABBIN police members paid tribute to four officers killed on duty last month. Picture: Supplied
Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News 13 May 2020
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