Tenants left to pay after failing to save tree Liz Bell liz@mpnews.com.au A RESIDENT of a block of Mornington flats has failed in a last-minute legal bid to save a liquid amber tree and is now facing an almost $200 bill for disrupting workmen. The tree in Downward Street is the centrepiece of a common courtyard on the block of four units but had become the centre of a disagreement between the owners’ corporation and tenants who did not want it chopped down. On Thursday, the day the tree was originally due to be removed, tree loppers were forced to walk away after several residents parked their cars around the tree to protect it. The owners’ corporation had received Mornington Peninsula Shire Council approval to remove the tree after its roots continued to raise some of the surrounding concrete. But when tenant Samantha Grant heard of the plan, she rallied other neighbours and applied to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal for a stay of works under section 89 of the Environment Act. Grant also hired an arborist who told the tribunal the tree’s roots were established and no longer spreading and could remain in place while the concrete was repaired. That matter was heard late on Thursday, with the tribunal ruling the tree posed a health and safety risk and could be removed.
It also found that while the tenants wanted to keep the tree, the owners’ corporation – which has an obligation to act for unit owners to maintain common property - wanted it removed. Grant said she was devastated, as the tree had provided shade, a play area for tenants’ children and a home for wildlife. “I admire the tree every day - tenants wanted to keep the tree and we even had our own arborist attending, but we are just tenants and so it didn’t matter,” she said. “I am truly heartbroken, I cried all evening, coming to terms with its removal is hard.” The single mother of three said to make matters worse she was now facing a compensation bill of $176 for holding off the tree loppers on Thursday. “If I petition and hold works off what will happen, I get fined and fined until I get arrested,” she said. “I just think it’s unnecessary to cut down a perfectly healthy tree that gives us so much joy when there are other options.” Spokesman for the owners’ corporation administration, Richard Reed, said all unit owners were contacted over the tree’s removal. He said all legal processes were followed. The shire’s planning services team leader David McPherson said removing the tree was “not contrary” to the planning scheme and a condition of the permit required it to be replaced by a native canopy tree.
George Amanatidis, Samantha and Elsie Grant and Beverley Stacey besides the tree that has now been cut down outside their units in Mornington. Picture: Yanni
Channel swim to raise money for charity NICK Martin, of Portsea, is no stranger to open water swimming and will take it to the next level when he attempts the gruelling English Channel crossing on 1 August. Martin, a life member of Portsea Surf life Saving Club, a regular swimmer at Portsea front beach, is increasing his training regime in the weeks leading up to the swim to around 50 kilometres a week with a mix of open water and pool swimming. The Dover (England) to Calais (France) channel swim is 34 kilometres, but Martin knows that the tides and the weather can extend both the distance and the difficulty of the swim. He said the idea for the challenge arose out of lockdown when he was swimming with some mates who were egging each other on about swimming further. “That’s where the idea came from, but I wanted to complete a challenge that had a purpose, that helped the community,” he said. Martin is using the swim to raise money for a capital project at the Portsea Camp, which he said was a well deserving charity that had supported hundreds of children over its 70 years of operation. “I swim past the Portsea Camp often and I think it does great things for sick children, but without a lot of fanfare, so I think it is a very worthy charity that I’m happy to help.” While he knows it will be a tough swim and not everyone completes the crossing, Martin says he
refuses to let doubts get the better of him. “There can be no doubts, I’m going and I’m going to finish,” he said. “I’m not stopping half way, I’m going the whole hog.” With Europe facing a heat wave at the moment, Martin says he expects the water to be a “comfortable” 16 degrees. “The rules around the swim are quite strict. There are no wetsuits allowed and you can only wear speedos, which means you have to apply a greasy mix of lanolin and Vaseline to your body,” he said. “Once in the water I’ll feed every 30 minutes from the pilot boat that will accompany me, just to make sure I’m getting enough sugar, nutrition and hydration.” As tough as it sounds, last week before he flew out to England Martin said he was looking forward to it “even though it’s taken some time to get my head around it”. Martin has started a GoFundMe campaign and is more than half way to his $100,000 target. The Portsea Camp runs camps for rurally isolated, disadvantaged and special needs children who need a break. The Portsea Camp runs four-night camps in the school holidays for 8 - 12 year olds, and one for 13 - 16 year olds in September. To support the swim and donate to the Portsea Camp go to gofund.me/72001496 Liz Bell
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NICK Martin is about to attempt to swim the English Channel to raise money for the Portsea Camp. Picture: Supplied
All aboard for murder mystery A MURDER on the waters of Port Phillip is the mystery inside a new fiction novel. Death on the Ferry Hygeia is a new novel by Langwarrin author Will Spokes. The murder mystery is set just after World War I during a charity event aboard the Port Phillip excursion ferry Hygeia. Spokes said that the novel is inspired by the works of legendary author Agatha Christie. “I’m a fan of crime and murder mysteries like most people. One of the great titles in this genre is Murder on the Orient Express. Because of my interest in the old ferries, I thought maybe I could write a mystery murder story based on the most famous of the old fleet Hygeia.” Spokes said that his work on the Mornington Peninsula also served as inspiration for the setting. “There are a number of quality books recalling the bay and coastal steamers. I have spent a lot of time in places like Port Fairy and King Island, Tasmania. I have been associated with the famous couta boats as the race director for the club at Sorrento and Mornington Yacht Club. Also, as a member of the Classic Yacht Association and visiting the wooden boat festival in Hobart regularly,” he said. The book is available at booktopia.com.au
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26 July 2022
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