Reeling

Morwell branch’s closure a cruel blow

By LIAM DURKIN

LONG-TIME Morwell resident Arie Van Der Stoep has spoken up in opposition to the impending closure of the town’s Bank Australia branch. Mr Van Der Stoep, who has carried the nickname ‘Harry’ since his younger days for reasons of simplicity, felt compelled to say something after seeing a letter in The Express urging Bank Australia to reconsider its decision. Bank Australia plans to close the branch at the end of the month, amid what it has described as “changing needs and expectations of customers”. Mr Van Der Stoep however believes the needs of many that use the bank have not changed at all, and said the closure of the branch will be a cruel blow for the community. “There are still a lot of people I know that are going to that bank,” he said. “That is the only bank, there are no other banks in Morwell.” Having been in Morwell since 1954, Mr Van Der Stoep has seen the customer-owned Bank Australia branch grow from humble beginnings. The bank also holds a special place in the former SEC worker’s heart, as he played a role in helping establish what was to become Morwell’s Bank Australia. “The SEC guys initially started it, then it became the co-op and it grew from there,” he explained. “Now a Johnny-come-lately comes to town and says ‘shut it down’ - no way (can that happen).” Bank Australia was formed in 1957 which over time merged credit unions and co-ops such as the one formed in Morwell. Mr Van Der Stoep said it was unreasonable to expect other pensioners to travel to Bank Australia branches in Moe and Traralgon just to “get their pocket money”. Determined: Arie Van Der Stoep is calling on Bank Australia to reverse its decision to close the Morwell branch.

photograph liam durkin

“It is a crazy thing to go to Moe or Traralgon,” he said. “I know a lot of people pay by card, but we are old fashioned - we pay by cash.” With calls within the community for Bank Australia to reverse its decision, the sprightly Mr Van Der Stoep said he was up for the fight. “I’m 91, but you don’t walk over me,” he said defiantly. “We have to make noise.” The Morwell central business district has already lost three bank branches in the past 12 months. The ANZ on Commercial Road and Bendigo Bank on Tarwin Street closed, while the Commonwealth Bank relocated to Mid Valley. Bank Australia was contacted for comment.

Health needs priority when it comes to planning provisions

By MICHELLE SLATER

LATROBE City councillors are continuing their push for the Victorian government to include human health outcomes under state planning provisions. Latrobe City will ask the Municipal Association of Victoria to take up the issue at a state council meeting in November. It will ask the MAV to advocate to the Victorian government to include a greater focus on community health and well-being in the state’s planning provisions and decision-making. Cr Tracie Lund raised the motion at Latrobe City’s September meeting, on the back of a similar motion she had raised earlier this year. It comes after the issue had been rigorously discussed in the wake of a controversial planning application for a used lead acid battery recycling plant in Hazelwood North. Planning Minister Richard Wynne approved the development under the state’s planning provisions, despite local opposition which campaigned on adverse community health outcomes. Cr Lund said economic, environmental and social considerations were included under the Planning and Environment Act, but “health is not on an equal footing with these other objectives”. She had previously asked the state government to clarify “the principles that exist in legislation to ensure the health of Latrobe City residents” in regards to the Health Innovation Zone. Part of her motion also included asking for local municipal public health and wellbeing plans to be linked into state planning schemes. She said the Latrobe Planning Scheme included a number of policy documents that included health as a guide for assessing planning applications. “Unfortunately though, this is not the same recognition as being an objective of an Act or including specific health clauses in the Victorian planning provisions,” Cr Lund said. Cr Kellie O’Callaghan said taking the issue to the MAV meeting would allow it to be discussed with other councils facing planning challenges. “This isn’t easy and it’s an ongoing difficulty for council. Changes that happen at state level directly impact what happens in our community in relation to planning,” Cr O’Callaghan said. “We often find ourselves as a council in a difficult situation where we don’t have the level of influence we need in terms of the works that needs to be undertaken in regards to community health and well-being.”

GEST’s relocation at the hub of recent council discussion

By TOM GANNON

LATROBE City Council will produce a report looking into ways it can assist Gippsland Employment Skills Training (GEST) after the service was forced to relocate from the former Moe Community Groups Hub. On July 5, GEST, who held the commercial lease at the former Moe Library along with other community groups were told to vacate the premises by August 20. Cr Dale Harriman moved the motion citing the short notice and impact on GEST as a reason for wanting to see if council could provide any financial or funding based assistance. “This has had a huge impact on GEST, they had to at very short notice attempt to find alternate accommodation and move a vast array of services, equipment and furniture from Moe to the only location they were able to find which was in Morwell,” he told council’s recent monthly meeting. Cr Harriman said he believed the July 5 decision did not meet with the resolution of council that was made during a closed session and had not been “dealt with in the manner that we councillors had decreed they should be”. “On the fifth of July (GEST) were advised they had to leave, that does not meet with the resolution of council that was made in a closed session, therefore I’m asking my fellow councillors to allow a report to come back so we can determine how much of a financial implication or costing implication this had,” he said. Although the motion was ultimately carried, Cr Brad Law opposed the motion stating it would be a “disservice to ratepayers if we funded them (GEST) any more” and that Latrobe City Council had met their obligation under the lease. “While they’ve been tenants of that building GEST have been the beneficiary of, depending on what type of commercial rate you want to put on it, have been the beneficiary of probably $170,000250,000 in funding so for us to fund them again is just not on,” he said. In response, Cr Harriman said council should consider assisting GEST as it had been a council decision which saw the Community Groups Hub originally established. “It was a decision of council to agree to a peppercorn rent, it was a decision of council to set up a community hub, GEST fulfilled those, they were meeting the requirements of a council decision,” he said. The report is due to be presented at council’s next meeting on October 4.