NEWS DESK
Park talks continue Batteries need a pole to fit after 10 years PLANS to expand Eco Park, Mount Martha, will be brought back to Mornington Peninsula Shire Council for approval before tenders are called for its construction, despite the project being in the pipeline for 10 years. A $5000 to $10,000 sound impact study on noise emanating from the park will be completed and brought back to the council detailing possible sound mitigation techniques after the active recreation hub has been built. At the council’s 30 August meeting Cr Steve Holland spoke in support of nearby residents who asked for noise barriers to be installed at the $700,000 Eco Park project, which includes a sunken concrete skate bowl. “It’s been a long journey,” Cr Holland said. “The origins were that Mount Martha residents were desperate for a skate park because they were lacking facilities. “It’s turned into a recreational hub that is ideal for children under 10; it’s not really a skate park. “Once the sound study has been done we can inform the detailed design. I agree with residents that the sound study is the least we can do. It will ensure the nearby residents are happy.” Cr Holland said once the project had been completed “we can then turn our attention to a full skate park for older teenagers elsewhere”. However, the council voted to complete the sound study after the Eco Park project has been completed. Cr Antonella Celi said there was “no reason for more delay” in getting the project going. “It is appropriate for the area,” she said. “I frustrates me how stigmatised skate parks are. We don’t need a fully blown one. “The community has already been consulted.”
Cr Anthony Marsh said the sound test was being held after construction “so we are testing a physical thing that’s already been built”. “To add a sound wall will not be too difficult after the event,” he said. Sport and recreation team leader Mark Stahel told councillors that community engagement on the Eco Park active hub project “has been extensive over the past 10 years”. Discussions on the “final concept” design from November 2019 to August 2020 included a dropin session at Mount Martha Community House; school workshops; and 188 submissions – with 32 per cent of those participating against and 68 per cent supporting the project. Consultation sessions were also held with residents and students and as well as six focus groups with unsupportive submitters in small groups meeting with shire officers and the three previous Briars Ward councillors. In August 2020 the council endorsed the hub’s location and the final concept plan and instructed officers to start a design process and seek tenders for its construction. Detailed design is now nearly complete, Mr Stahel said, with a “fly through” video to go on the shire’s website to show what the park will look like. He warned that details in the design could be confidential and disclosure potentially placing the council in breach of its obligations. Also, that more community engagement and/or design changes could delay the project, incurring added design and construction costs. Stephen Taylor
COMMUNITY batteries each able to power up to 280 homes could be installed across the peninsula as part of a $150,000 Neighbourhood Battery Initiative. It is part of a feasibility study being developed by United Energy and financed by the state government. It aligns with the views of Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and community energy and greenhouse alliance groups across Victoria. Work on the study will begin this year and be completed in 2022. Determining the best locations for the onground batteries will take in factors such as the community benefits and local power demand and constraints. United Energy general manager Mark Clarke said the study would “bring together network engineers and communities to collaborate and explore the potential of installing community batteries at scale”. “By combining this work across so many different groups and different council areas we can be much more efficient and create a better understanding of how community batteries can best support our customers,” Mr Clarke said. The larger batteries would allow homeowners to export excess rooftop solar, mitigate the need for costly network upgrades and reduce greenhouse emissions, Mr Clarke said. Mornington Peninsula Shire is one of 12 councils and groups involved in United Energy’s community battery feasibility study. Electric Avenue program The study will complement the company's installation of 40 smaller batteries on power poles, nicknamed the Electric Avenue program, over the next 18 months. The 30kW batteries will each have the capacity to service up to 75 homes. They will be 3.6 metres above ground on standard poles and support 50-75 homes nearby with reliable stored energy for two hours at a time.
Pole batteries sites include large parts of the Mornington Peninsula on United Energy network. Image: Supplied
Several sites are earmarked on the peninsula, which is prone to strong demand over short durations, especially on hot days in the holidays. “Community batteries are a way of storing energy that can then be used locally when it is needed,” Mr Clarke said. “They are a great way of ensuring solar PV exports from homes are consumed locally. They also help defer traditional investment so we can save money for customers on future network tariffs.”
Share your opinion:
Pets on the Peninsula The new draft Domestic Animal Management Plan outlines our approach to animal management services, programs and strategies across the Peninsula over the next four years, including: • Responsible pet ownership • Promoting compliance and enhancing education • Improving animal welfare • Supporting a consistent approach to leash free and dog prohibited areas • Increasing pet registration and opportunities for lost pets to be reunited with their owners • Decreasing dog waste in public places • Reducing dog attacks.
We want to hear from you. Whether you own a pet or not, we encourage you to provide your feedback on the draft Plan to help us understand what’s important to you.
How to provide your feedback Online
Hard copy plans and feedback forms available on request. Email
Mornington News
14 September 2021
DAMP@mornpen.vic.gov.au
Write to us Domestic Animal Management Plan Mornington Peninsula Shire, Private Bag 1000, Rosebud, Victoria, 3939
Community consultation is open until Wednesday 22 September 2021.
PAGE 4
mornpen.vic.gov.au/DAMP