Everybody needs good neighbours Liz Bell liz@baysidenews.com.au KINGSTON is the place to live if you seeking life satisfaction, good health and neighbours you can trust, according to data just released by the state’s health watchdog, VicHealth. Kingston scored slightly above average in many of the areas in the 2015 VicHealth survey, including general well-being, personal safety and “resilience”. Data for the indicators survey was collected through telephone inter-
views of people 18 and over, to help councils and organisations provide evidence-based health planning and programs. In Kingston, 79.3 per cent of residents felt their neighbours would help each other out, an increase on the state average of 74.1 per cent. Seven out of 10 people felt they lived in a “close-knit” community, significantly more than the state average of 61 per cent. They also reported lower levels of harmful alcohol consumption, with 27.2 per cent reporting “at-risk” levels of excessive drinking, compared
to the state average of almost 30 per cent. In contrast, just down the road in Frankston, residents reported feeling more unsafe and less satisfied with their lot than many Victorians but reported slightly higher levels of resilience, which suggests a “tough” approach to their situations. Kingston’s results are more in line with those of people living on the relatively wealthy Mornington Peninsula, who self-reported very high community feelings of safety and scored 7.8 out of 10 for life satisfaction, the same as the Victorian average.
Public health consultant and Kingston resident Rebecca Zosel said Kingston’s favourable rating would provide important data for future planning. “It provides Kingston Council with useful evidence to inform their municipal public health and wellbeing plan and to make ongoing improvements throughout the community,” she said. “We know that the places where we live, work and play have a big influence on our health and wellbeing,” she said. See vichealth.vic.gov.au for the full 2015 VicHealth survey.
Stolen cars linked to Coles robbery
Life savers: Soap can stop fatal hygiene-related diseases in third world countries and indigenous communities.
Rotary helps with clean idea THE Rotary Club of Chelsea has partnered with a Braeside businessman to save the lives of underprivileged children through an everyday household item -- soap. The club is working with Michael Matulick, founder and CEO of Soap Aid, and hotels around Australia, to improve hygiene for communities in need around the world. The innovative charity collects, sorts and even cleans up discarded soap from hotels and produces hygienic bars of soap for redistribution, coupled with education on hygiene practises. Rotary Chelsea president of the club Peter Batten said the club was proud to be partnering with Soap Aid in humanitarian and environmental efforts, with members personally driving to hotels to pick up used soap bars. “Our passionate and dedicated volunteers organise with local hotels, motels, resorts and other accommodation providers to collect their discarded or partially used soap and send it to Soap Aid’s depot in Melbourne,” he said. Mr Matulick, who runs Concept Amenities, a hotel supply business which partly funds Soap Aid, said 1.4 million children under the five died every year due to the hygiene-related
diseases diarrhoea and pneumonia, which could often be prevented by the simple act of hand washing with soap. As a witness to the waste in the hospitality industry, five years Mr Matulick had a vision to develop a soap recycling program that would save lives, and Soap Aid is today an independent charity managed by a board of experts and focused on life-saving missions. Soap Aid has produced more than 440,000 recycled bars of soap and has distributed soap to communities in India, Cambodia and Indonesia, as well as 50,000 soap bars to Fiji to support relief efforts after Tropical Cyclone Winston. This year Soap Aid has also partnered with WA Country Health Service in its two-year ‘Squeaky Clean Kids Program’ to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases, particularly trachoma, a contagious eye infection that can result in blindness. In Australia, infectious diseases such as trachoma are causing serious health issues in remote Aboriginal communities. Hotels that would like to donate their waste soap can sign up at soapaid.org online.
SIX cars stolen from a Mentone car yard after hours, Tuesday 22 November, may have been used by thieves to later steal up to $60,000 from a Mentone supermarket. The cars were stolen from James Michael of Mentone, Nepean Highway, after a chain was cut and offenders jemmied open a metal framed door to enter the office area. Here, they allegedly stole six sets of keys and drove the cars – including a BMW and a Mercedes – away. In the early hours of Wednesday 23 November, a staff member at the Coles supermarket in Mentone Pde alerted police after he heard offenders jemmying open the automatic doors to the store. Kingston CIU detectives say two offenders stole four cash cartridges from the self-service area using jemmy bars and a battery-powered angle grinder around 1.53am. They were gone within minutes. At 4.37am, units from Moorabbin fire brigade and Dingley CFA attended and found the severely-damaged car beside a burnt-out Mercedes at Elm Tree Drive, Dingley Village. In the afternoon, police “blocked in” a Holden utility in the car park at Carrum Downs reserve, Wedge Rd, to prevent it being driven off. Searching the driver, and a passenger who they allege ran from the car, they allegedly found $17,000 cash, tools and clothing similar to that involved in the theft of cars at Mentone the day before. A BMW parked next to the utility was identified as being stolen from the car yard. The driver of the utility was interviewed and released pending summons. Another man, 23, of Carrum Downs, has been charged with burglary and remanded to appear at Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court, Tuesday 13 December.
Handy market THE annual Kingston Makers Market will be held on Saturday 3 December at Kingston City Hall to offer a twilight shopping experience in the lead-up to Christmas. Handmade goods from Kingston artists and designers will be on sale at more than 90 stalls featuring art, paintings, candles, jewellery, leather goods, beauty products, homewares, child and baby products, cards, stationary, ceramics, fashion, plants, food and a range of creative design pieces. Entertainment will also be available on the day with live music, arts and craft workshops for kids, and snack food from a range of food trucks. Kingston Makers Market is on Saturday 3 December, 4pm-9pm at Kingston City Hall carpark, 985 Nepean Highway, Moorabbin. Entry by gold coin donation.
Holidays fun SUMMER school holidays are looming but children can be entertained at Kingston Council hosted programs over the school break. Kingston mayor Cr David Eden said council offered a range of activities every school holidays to help families. “Kingston offers free events at your local libraries, fun activities at our leisure centres, arts-based workshops at Kingston Arts plus an action-packed all-day School Holiday Program,” Cr Eden said. See kingston.vic.gov.au/kingstonforkids or call council on 1300 653 356 for full program information.
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BLAIRGOWRIE • DROMANA • MORNINGTON • ROSEBUD • SEAFORD • TOORAK Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
30 November 2016
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