NEWS DESK
Consultation needed before card rollout
BEVERLEY Allen, Bill Driver and Ann Simic prepare for the Mornington Peninsula Writers Festival. Picture: Gary Sissons
Writers return for second festival THE Mornington Peninsula Writers Festival is set to return for a second year. The festival, hosted by the Frankston Writers and Poets Society, will take place at Functions by the Bay on 19 and 20 October. A range of speakers will be appearing over the course of the weekend. Reverend Tim Costello will open the festival talking about his latest book. Professor Ross Garnaut will also be
there to discuss his book on climate change. John Hookham, Gary Disher, Amy Bodossian will also speak over the weekend. Beverley Allen, president of Frankston Writers and Poets Society, said that the festival would also mark the launch of the group’s first anthology. “We’re launching our first anthology, that is being printed at the moment,” she said.
“It’ll be a compilation of our member’s works, a collection of short stories.” The Frankston Writers and Poets Society meets regularly at Bentons Square. The event runs from 10am-4pm on each day at the corner of Plowman Place and Young Street, Frankston. More information at mpwritersfest.org. Tickets: trybooking.com/ BEDWI
DUNKLEY MP Peta Murphy says that there are “serious doubts” about the effectiveness of the cashless welfare card. The cashless welfare card system sees 80 per cent of money from Centrelink payments received by welfare recipients placed onto a card, where it cannot be withdrawn. The money on the card also cannot be used to buy alcohol or on gambling products. The program has been trialled in four regions across Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia, and the government moved to expand the trial further last week into Cape York and the Northern Territory. Ms Murphy said “income management can work in some circumstances, but not broad-based compulsory programs that catch and disempower the wrong people. If a community genuinely wants to use the card, then they should be properly consulted with and provided with the necessary supports. Our Frankston community has not been consulted.” “Labor opposes any compulsory national rollout or extension of the cashless debit card. There are serious doubts as to whether it works. The evidence showed that it’s stopping people from purchasing basics and essentials at affordable prices and small businesses are concerned about the impact this card will have on their clientele and the cost of non-cash transactions,” she said. Although no announcement has been made that Frankston would be
Plant Sale
a target for a future trial of the card, former Dunkley MP Chris Crewther supported the idea before he lost his seat. He said the Frankston area would make a good location for a trial due to it having “one of the highest levels of welfare, much like Blacktown in NSW and other discussed trail locations.” Brodie Cowburn
Death prompts road concerns A PETITION requesting a safety audit of the pedestrian refuge on McCormicks Road, Skye has amassed over 552 signatures. A safety audit of the crossing point “to improve pedestrian access and safety” has been labelled “urgent” after the death of an elderly woman earlier this year. A woman believed to be in her 80s was struck and killed on 29 July. Emergency services attended the intersection of McCormicks Road and Ballarto Road at around 6pm, but the woman died at the scene. The petition was presented to Frankston Council by Cr Colin Hampton at a recent public meeting.
Nominations open
DO you know somebody who is worthy of the title of Frankston citizen of the year? Nominations for Frankston’s Australia Day awards have opened. Categories include citizen of the year, young citizen of the year, senior citizen of the year, and community event of the year. Nominations are open until 25 October, with winners announced on 26 January. Email nominations to councillors.office@frankston.vic.gov.au
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24 September 2019
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