NEWS DESK
Councillors least expensive
Schools’ gongs for environment
AN analysis of councillors’ claimed expenses in the previous 2012-16 council term found Kingston councillors are the lowest spenders compared to neighbouring Frankston and Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors. Kingston’s nine councillors, including seven re-elected to council at 22 October council elections, collectively claimed $101,807 for expenses over four years compared to $205,329 for nine councillors at Frankston Council and a whopping $616,712 at Mornington Peninsula Shire for 11 councillors. Kingston and Frankston councils publish councillors’ expenses figures in council’s annual report each year. Mornington Peninsula Shire only began publishing councillors’ ex-
SUSTAINABILITY efforts at schools in Mentone and Aspendale have been recognised in a Victorian awards program to highlight and promote sustainable education. Mentone Primary School’s sustainability leader, Maree Bailey, won sustainability primary teacher of the year and St Louis De Montfort’s at Aspendale was named the primary school of the year in water section of the Sustainability Victoria awards. Ms Bailey has embedding sustainability practices into many school operations, from teaching and learning to school community engagement. She co-ordinates the ResourceSmart Schools program, leads the student sustainability club, plans school working bees, and builds partnerships with organisations such as the Dolphin Research Institute, Coastal Ambassadors and Kingston Council. St Louis De Montfort’s is well known for its water initiatives and ongoing sustainability achievements, and its water conservation programs across the curriculum are supported by a new water habitat. Students learn how to reduce and monitor water usage through experiential, participatory and multidisciplinary approaches to water responsibility and knowledge. They link the school environment to local wetlands and monitor water usage through ResourceSmart Schools and SWEP.
penses in its annual report in 2014-15, the first financial year it was forced to make expenses public after a legislative change by the state government. Kingston Council’s 2015-16 annual report listed individual councillors’ annual remuneration as $29,943. The elected representatives are also paid superannuation at a 9.5 per cent rate. Councillors can claim expenses for telecommunications costs, meals, drinks and parking when on council business and travel expenses. Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors, including eight newly-elected councillors, this month agreed to review the shire’s councillor expenses policy. Neil Walker
Kayakers rescued AN air ambulance rescued three men in Port Phillip Bay off Aspendale last Thursday morning (17 November) after an emergency call at about 11.45am. Paramedics found the men, who abandoned their kayak, were not injured after they went into the water. None of the men was wearing a life jacket. One the trio, Nick Cardona, later told 3AW the men had got into “pretty big trouble” before being plucked from the ocean. He admitted they had been “stupid” to not wear life jackets while kayaking. Maritime Safety Victoria advises anyone boating to wear a life jacket and have a means to easily raise the alarm if they get into unexpected strife.
Sustainable success: Mentone Primary School’s Maree Bailey with sustainability primary teacher of the year award.
Glenice Whitting
Author talk
AUTHOR Glenice Whitting will speak at Mentone Public Library’s Author for All Seasons event on Saturday 26 November, 11am. She will discuss her latest novel Something Missing and also touch on her previous novel Pickle to Pie. Mentone Public Library is at the rear, 36 Florence St, Mentone. See mentonepubliclibrary.blogspot. com.au or call 9583 8494 for bookings.
Saints try to block pokies appeal Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au OBJECTIONS against the redevelopment of St Kilda Football Club’s Moorabbin Reserve hang in the balance. The AFL club and Kingston Council are trying to strike out opposition to pokies at the venue struck out ahead of a possible VCAT hearing next year. Lawyers for the Saints and Kingston Council argued at a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal practice day session last Friday (18 November) that the demolition and rebuilding of premises at Linton St should not mean the club must reapply for a licence for its
83 pokies machines at the venue. Objectors say a new gaming venue needs to apply for a fresh planning permit for the electronic gaming machines. They note only the oval and street address will remain once the $28.4 million redevelopment is complete. Nicholas Tweedie, SC of Bazzani Scully Priddle spoke on behalf of the AFL club and Maddocks lawyers represented council at Friday’s pre-hearing at VCAT in Melbourne. Anti-gambling activists, including Saints member Paul Bendat, have criticised the retention of pokies at Moorabbin Reserve since children will visit the new sporting precinct when it is used by Kingston junior sports clubs. Mr Bendat, who is not a party to the
ber has reserved their decision and will provide it to parties at a later date, as is standard practice,” club spokeswoman Leah Mirabella said in a statement. Kingston Council said it is had attended the VCAT practice day session last Friday. “As is standard practice, council appeared at the tribunal in its role as the planning authority to present the reasons it had resolved to approve the planning application for the Moorabbin Reserve redevelopment project,” council planning and development general manager Jonathan Guttmann said. Legal fees to Maddocks cost ratepayers $2964 for council representation at the pre-hearing.
VCAT appeal, has previously said the pokies should be removed since taxpayers and ratepayers are pitching in the majority of funding for the multimillion dollar refurbishment. The $28.4 million redevelopment, that was due to start this year, is being funded by Kingston ratepayers via Kingston Council ($5 million), taxpayers via the Andrews Labor state government ($4 million) and a pledge by the previous Napthine Coalition government ($8 million), the AFL ($5 million) and the club itself ($5 million). St Kilda Football Club confirmed a pre-hearing took place last Friday. “Following a recent practice day hearing regarding the Moorabbin Reserve redevelopment, the sitting mem-
Pokies at Linton St raked in a $2,222,365 jackpot in punters’ losses in the 2015-16 financial year, up from $1,048,688 in 2014-15 and $1,174,966 in 2013-14. It is believed that a delay in construction of new premises at Moorabbin Reserve until a proposed VCAT hearing in June next year could add at least $500,000 to the cost of the Linton St redevelopment. All parties, including objectors, are keen for any VCAT hearing to be brought forward to avoid project cost overruns. The Saints, council and objectors were given no indication on Friday of when VCAT will decide if objectors will be granted a full appeal hearing.
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www.hiddenhearing.com.au • Mornington • Rosebud • Seaford Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
16 November 2016
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