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Looking to future: Sarah Dawson and Environment Victoria’s Stella Patience with at a model of a solar power station at the newly reopened Frankston Enviro Hub. Picture: Gary Sissons
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Marginal calls for an ‘environment election’ Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au ENVIRONMENT activists are targeting the Dunkley electorate in the run-up to this year’s federal election to raise awareness of political parties’ climate change and environmental policies. Environment Victoria has reopened its Enviro Hub in Frankston, mothballed after the 2014 state election, as a base of operations to urge voters to think about the environment when casting their vote on polling day. Blue colour-clad volunteers will call and speak to Dunkley voters about environmental concerns in the months before the federal election. Frankston City citizen of the year David Cross, secretary of the Friends of Wallace Reserve, cut the ribbon at the Wells St office last Thursday (31 March) to officially reopen the Enviro Hub. The not-for-profit non-government organisation targeted the marginal seats of Frankston, Carrum and Mordialloc before the previous state election that saw the Labor government win government. All three seats swung to Labor from Liberal on slim majorities. Environment Victoria community organiser Adele Neale said the group is “jumping right in” to speak to Dunkley voters now instead of waiting for an election date to be confirmed. The electorate includes the suburbs Frankston, Langwarrin, Mt Eliza, Mornington, Seaford and Skye. Ms Neale believes Environment Victoria’s phone call and door knocking efforts before the state election made a difference to the outcome of the result in the three marginal seats and could again prove to be pivotal in the chances of Labor candidate Peta Murphy winning the seat from the Liberal Party. Incumbent Liberal MP Bruce Billson will leave the political stage after this year’s federal election and Chris Crewther has been chosen by the party to fight to retain Dunkley. Mr Billson held the seat with a 5.6 per margin last time out but this may be eroded or even overhauled since Mr Billson has been personally popular with a majority of voters over two decades as the member for Dunkley. Environmental Victoria is not aligned with any political party but a statement on its website herald-
ing the return of the Frankston Enviro Hub makes it clear the group is less than impressed with the Coalition federal government’s environmental credentials. “For the last three years, our federal government has attacked clean energy, looking after irresponsible big polluters at the expense of a clean energy industry that is ready to go,” a statement on the website says. “They’ve cut our clean energy target, removed the laws that reduce pollution and tried to dump the investment bank that supports new, clean technology. “Instead of protecting our natural places they’re letting big polluting companies open new coal mines, dredge the Great Barrier Reef and log our national parks.” Ms Neale said the group encourages all political parties to take action to protect the environment. ““We do have a good working relationship with the local Liberal candidate Chris Crewther,” she said. “We’re meeting and arranging meetings with local volunteers so they can tell him their concerns about how the government has been performing so far. “We support good strong policy on environmental issues from every party and we encourage the Liberal Party, as we do any party, to have good policies.” As for the Labor side of politics, Ms Neale said the Andrews state government has “promised to be a leader on climate change and renewable energy”. “We haven’t seen a whole lot of results just yet. We are really hoping that they’ll pull through and have something to show for all the reviews and consultation processes,” Ms Neale said. “We haven’t seen any policy we’re impressed with coming through yet but we’re hoping and showing community support in this area for a strong renewable action plan in the upcoming state budget.” Ms Neale said Environment Victoria has been working in the local area for three years. “People in the Frankston area love our beach and parklands and love clean energy. We are putting solar panels on our roofs and we are keeping our foreshore clean. We’re doing our bit – it’s time for politicians to catch up.”
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