NEWS DESK
Beach box owners dodge fee rise Keith Platt keith@baysidenews.com.au THE owners of beach boxes on Crown land managed by Mornington Peninsula Shire have succeeded in preventing their annual licence fees being increased to $1200. The shire has agreed to charge $990, with a further discount to $700 if the beach box is less than five square metres. In a submission to the council Mornington Peninsula Beach Box Association vice-president Mark A Davis said the proposed $1200 licence fee plus other shire-based fees meant that “in most cases” beach boxes were “higher than those applied to a resident’s residential property”. He said providing a weekly waste service to beach boxes contradicted the licence requirements which banned the storing of waste. Mr Davis also called for a review of the CIV rate which was applied equally to residential properties and beach boxes which he said received “little or no service” from the shire. In arguing for licence fees to be based on value, Mr Davis said beach boxes at Rosebud “could be valued at less than $100,000” which was likely to be much less than that of one at a Portsea. However, council is yet to decide on more far reaching changes to its beach box policy which could ultimately lead to a ban on their ownership by non-peninsula property owners (“‘Locals only’ rule for beach boxes” The News 1/6/20).
Gallery’s anniversary
BEACH box owners have persuaded Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors against a steep increase in their annual licence fees, but the future remains cloudy over other regulations, including restricting ownership to peninsula property owners. Pictures: Keith Platt
Cr Antonella Celi said her motion for council not to proceed with its 2020/21 draft budget plan to increase beach box licence fees was being made as a result of the submission from Mr Davis. Council officers said shire’s estimated income would drop by $121,800 if Mr Davis’s suggestion was adopted. In a comment attached to Cr Celi’s notice of motion at the 23 June online council meeting, the officers said that “from a good governance perspective it is preferred practice to consider or
conduct budget matters … when the budget is presented for adoption rather than via notices of motion”. After the meeting Cr David criticised the cut in beach box fees, saying it had halved the amount of money available to spend on “community submissions”, many of which “would involve jobs for our community”. He told The News that the decision to drop beach box licence fees would lessen opportunities for much needed job-related community projects during
the pandemic emergency. The decision to effectively “give away $195,000” to a non-productive lobby group did not take the crisis situation into consideration “especially its effect on those that cannot afford the luxury of a beach box”. Cr Gill said one councillor had already suggested another community project as worthy of being financed by the shire “but, in reality, we’ve already spent that money on a luxury item for a small group”.
MORNINGTON Peninsula Regional Gallery is set to reopen to celebrate its 50th anniversary with an exhibition that follows the development and growth of its collection, 1 July-22 November. The FIFTY exhibition features about 100 works, including eX de Medici’s Red (Colony) 2000, detail above, Arthur Boyd’s iconic Mt Martha from Rosebud Beach 1938, Lisa Roet’s giant primate finger Orangutan Index 2001-03 and Locust Jones’ epic Geronimo 2011. Founded in 1969 by Alan McCulloch, the-then Mornington Peninsula Arts Centre acquired its first artwork in 1970. Its collection has grown to include more than 1800 paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures. An online launch of the MPRG: FIFTY exhibition and 50th publication will be streamed live from 6pm, Thursday 23 July. Afterwards a weekly in-conversation series will be presented 7.30pm, Thursdays. Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery is on Civic Reserve, Dunns Road, Mornington. Open 10am-5pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Details: Visit mprg.mornpen.vic. gov.au or call 5950 1580.
Alarm over whale-chasing boats Keith Platt keith@baysidenews.com.au RESEARCHERS from the Dolphin Research Institute are worried about the welfare of a southern right whale mother and her calf after they were harassed by a vessel near Cape Schanck on Sunday. A volunteer citizen scientist with the institute’s Two Bays Whale Project was watching the whales as they appeared desperate to evade a harassing vessel. The normally slow-moving southern right whales were seen travelling fast and frequently changing direction as the boat maneuvered in an apparent attempt to photograph of the pair. There were so many reported incidents of whales and boats being pursued boats in Port Phillip and near Phillip that the institute closed own its online whale alerts. Research officer David Donnelly said the whales at Cape Schanck were the first validated sighting of such a young southern right whale in the records of the Two Bays Whale Project for Victoria’s central region. “Southern right whales are a critically endangered species in Victorian waters and are part of a genetically distinct population of less than 300. They are making a slow recovery from the brink of extinction,” he said. “It is very disappointing that a mother with a young calf at their most vulnerable time should be placed under such unnecessary stress.” Institute executive director Jeff Weir said the boat’s skipper “could be subject to a significant fine”. “Yesterday we had sightings of killer whales, humpback whales, southern right whales and dolphins in our
CITIZEN scientist Barb Wallace took this photo closer to shore of the southern right whale and its calf which was pursuded by a boat off Cape Schanck on Sunday. coastal waters,” he said. “We also had many other reports of harassment from Port Phillip and along the Phillip Island coast. The Dolphin Research Institute was so concerned about the situation that it shut down its online whale alert to avoid encouraging more harassment. “It’s almost like the first calm day
for ages made some boaters lose common sense,” Mr Weir said. “It is remarkable to have these animals in our marine backyard, and we must respect them by obeying the marine mammal regulations,” he said. “It’s not about spoiling the remarkable experience of seeing whales and dolphins, just showing common sense.”
Regulations state that “people shouldn’t deliberately approach dolphins closer than 100 metres (whales 200m) in boats, 300 metres on jet skis or 30m for paddlers and swimmers”. “If dolphins or whales pop up close to you or approach your vessel, then ideally stop if safe to do so and watch, or slow down and keep your direc-
tion,” Mr Weir said. “Enjoy and value our remarkable marine treasures, then let them swim off, without following.” To report sightings of whales or dolphins go to www.dolphinresearch.org.au or call 5979 7100. Frankston Times
30 June 2020
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