NEWS DESK
Mobile laundry help wanted A CHARITY helping the homeless population in Frankston and Chelsea is calling for volunteers. Orange Sky is a not-for-profit providing mobile laundry and shower services to homeless people. Their mobile site has helped out homeless people at Frankston, Dandenong, Cranbourne, Pakenham, Chelsea, and Doveton. Orange Sky volunteer Belinda said lending a hand was a good feeling. “I didn’t think I’d love it as much as I love it, I can’t wait for Wednesdays when I get to volunteer. I’ve always wanted to find a way to give back, a friend of mine taught me that you can get more from charity than what you give,” she said. “It’s just nice to be able to help someone who doesn’t have clean clothes. We take our clean clothes for granted, whereas our friends don’t. The thank you that you get, you can see it in their eyes, it’s the most amazing thing. “It’s really nice and it’s only two hours and you actually have great conversations and you learn about different people which I find very fascinating. The conversations take your breath away. You learn about people who live in their car or people who live in shared housing who don’t even have a heater, they’ve just got a tiny little room and literally all they walk in with is the clothes on their back and a mattress. They don’t have sheets, they don’t have doonas. What we can give them though is dry, warm clothes. “If you have two hours, that’s all it takes, you’ll get more than two hours
Ward meeting A NORTH-West Ward meeting will be held on 3 September. Ward meetings allow residents to meet councillors and discuss concerns with them. The North-West Ward covers Seaford, Frankston, Frankston North, and Karingal. The meeting will be at Orwil Street Community House, 16 Orwil Street Frankston, from 7pm to 9pm 3 September.
Grants closing soon APPLICATIONS for the next round of the Stronger Community Grants program close 10am, 31 August. Dunkley MP Peta Murphy said the grants, for between $2500 and $20,000, are for “funding small capital projects, for example, upgrading the local community hall or sporting facility, building new bike paths, or providing essential equipment for the local SES.” Applications at business.gov.au/scp
Poet speaks at library POET and writer Fiona Wright will speak at Frankston Library on 7 September. Ms Wright will be interviewed by freelance writer Elizabeth Flux. Libraries coordinator Tammy Goodwin said “Fiona and Elizabeth will discuss Fiona’s latest collection of essays The World Was Whole, which was recently longlisted for the 2019 Stella Prize.” “We are pleased to again be a part of the Melbourne Writer’s Festival and we look forward to hosting such an award winning author.” Ms Wright will speak at the library from 1pm. Bookings for the free event at library.frankston.vic.gov.au
Helping hands: Orange Sky volunteers sort through washing. Volunteer Belinda (inset) said helping out is “the most
amazing thing”. Pictures: Supplied
back.” Orange Sky cofounder Lucas Patchett said that they were looking to bring in new volunteers. “The south east is one of our longest running services, we launched it ex-
actly one year after Orange Sky did its first ever wash on the streets of Brisbane,” he said. “There’s massive potential for the service to grow, but we need more people to jump onboard and sign up
to volunteer. You don’t need to be a laundry expert, you just need to love a great chat and have a few hours to give every fortnight.” More information at orangesky.org. au/volunteer
Shire pushing hard line on jet skis Stephen Taylor steve@baysidenews.com.au MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council wants residents to back its hard line against jet skiers on Port Phillip beaches. It is urging them to speak up in a Maritime Safety Victoria survey on a proposed rule change aimed at prohibiting irregular riding – such as wave jumping and freestyling – of jet skis in shared zones. The rule would also require jet skis riders to steer a direct course offshore so other water
users to better predict their course. The proposed rule follows the shire losing its bid to reign in dangerous behaviour by jet skiers near bathers. The shire sees the proposed rule as a watered-down version of what is needed. “The proposed rule doesn’t go far enough in addressing broader community concerns about jet skis,” the shire stated in a full page newspaper advertisement in the Mornington News last week. The advertisement describes the rule as “only addressing a small component of beach safety which is
Valid until 30th September 2019
a major issue for peninsula residents and visitors”. The shire has long advocated for changes to improve beach safety, including trial zones separating swimmers from jet skis, stronger enforcement of the rules and bans on jet skis. The mayor Cr David Gill said on Friday he was “bitterly disappointed with the state backing down on what we thought were very good ways to ensure public safety”. He said the shire had wanted a trial of jet skis being banned from some beaches. Other beaches would remain open to all users.
Cr Gill said the state’s idea of restricting jet skis to “go straight in and out” at any beach would still pose a risk to swimmers, canoes, kayaks and paddle boards. “What the state is proposing still allows jet skis on any beach, to be parked in the shallows and to be refuelled on the beach,” he said. “It’s a big danger to toddlers. “This does nothing for safety or to address noise problems. The state has gone for the softest option and is giving in to the boating industry by protecting jet skis. “It is showing its true colours and
not protecting the hundreds of thousands of people who use the peninsula’s beaches.” Rye Community Alliance’s Mechelle Cheers said communities in towns such as Rye have “made it very clear they want jet skis controlled”. “Council is now doing its bit to represent the views of peninsula communities, so it is way beyond time for the Andrews government to act without any more procrastination.” The survey is open until midday Wednesday 4 September at engage. vic.gov.au/pwc-regulatory-reform
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Frankston Times
27 August 2019
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