LETTERS
Keep donations clean for the op shops In what kind of society do we live in where it is acceptable to dump bags of rubbish and broken furniture at op shops overnight so that elderly ladies have to rummage through filth and dispose of heavy items just because people are too lazy to go to the tip? I recently began volunteering at a Rosebud op shop, working with some lovely older ladies. These ladies have been volunteering for years and most are retired. Most of them are somebody’s mother and grandmother. I am in my 20s and would be mortified if my mother had to go through the “donation” bags. On my first day I reached into one of these bags to grab a pair of soiled men’s underwear. Yes, that’s right. The ladies tell me this is quite common: people don’t wash the items beforehand and some are usually and cannot be re-sold. One volunteer told me she reached into a donated handbag and pulled out blood stained underwear. Why am I telling readers this? Because I am wanting to raise awareness of this problem within our community. I urge the public to come into the store with their donated goods. Please do not leave rubbish outside op shops, some of these ladies have back ailments which prevent them from lifting heavy piles. If you witness people dumping rubbish outside business hours, please contact the police as it is an offense to dispose of rubbish in a public space. We can all help improve our community op shops by keeping then clean and safe for staff and public. Suni Shaw, Rosebud
Code of conduct I was concerned that four of our 10 Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors would vote against adopting a revised councillor code of conduct. To understand why this would be the case, I listened to the audio recording of the special meeting of 6 June. Regretfully, most the of debate was inaudible, as the majority of councillor’s comments were not captured on the tape. The key issue that I could glean from the limited audibility of the debate, which may well have been the reason why four councillors voted against adopting the code of conduct, was the proposed widening of the definition/interpretation of “confidential Information”. Under the revised code, councillors can effectively use their discretion as to what constitutes confidential information, rather than rely upon the Local Government Act definition. One real outcome of six councillors voting in favour of the code of conduct could well have been that we ratepayers would never have known anything about the recent embarrassing case of a councillor exceeding their expenditure entitlements. Councillors could easily have determined that matter to be confidential information, preventing the details from being made public. Is that the level of local democracy that we are after?
The Minister for Local Government is seeking more openness and transparency in the dealings of local government. However, it appears that a majority of Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors would prefer to have less material in the public domain. The recent media commentary concerning the City of Casey’s lack of openness and transparency should be well understood by our elected councillors. If this fundamental principle is difficult for some councillors to understand or appreciate, then we should strongly express our views on this subject with them in the appropriate way, should they re-stand for council at the October election. Stuart Allen, Dromana
Two rate state I see that the Mornington Peninsula Shire has replaced the $180 municipal charge with a $193 waste services charge on top of our general rates bill which is capped at a 2.5 per cent rise (“Rates capped to state’s order”, The News 28/6/16). This is effectively two rates: one capped, one not. The old municipal charge started out at $50. This new surcharge makes a mockery of the state government’s 2.5 per cent rates cap because the rates cap includes any “municipal charge”, but a service charge such as a “waste charge” is exempt. So, change the name of the surcharge and the effective rate burden can be whatever the shire wants. Nothing changes. Waste services are, of course, included in and paid for by the general rate. Even if our shire does not need the extra money, and it doesn’t, it will apply this surcharge simply because it can. I thought that the Victorian government was doing the right thing by reigning in excessive spending by councils, but it was all just a political stunt. Even if we vote in all new councillors in the November elections it will probably be to no avail. The state elections are still over the horizon but we need a leader who will do what Kennett did in 1994: sack the lot of them. Brian A Mitchelson, Mornington
Ward campaigners I have received a publication titled Nepean Ward News published and posted to residents by the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. This is the second such document distributed by the shire in relation to the Nepean Ward. I see this publication as a waste of ratepayers’ funds. It appears to be an electoral campaign brochure for the councillors. It is interesting that during their four-year term, we only received these documents in the past year, just before the [October municipal] elections. I also understand that such a brochure was only produced for this ward’s councillors.
happen federally with a Bill Shorten-led Labor government. Daniel Andrews and Bill Shorten share the same common, overriding Labor mantra - “whatever it takes”. They will do and say anything, the facts notwithstanding, to achieve their socialist goals. Neville Congress, Rosebud
History lessons
Why does the council deem it necessary to produce this publication when it already produces at great cost a newsletter for the whole municipality? From what I have been told the campaign brochure has cost the ratepayers of the council many thousands of dollars. The contents of the brochure relate mainly to proposed projects as opposed to achievements, which is further indication that it is campaigning material. Bryan Payne, Sorrento Editor: The shire’s communications and media manager Mark Kestigian said four editions of PeninsulaWide were being published a year (instead of the previous six) and each ward had been offered one newsletter a year. With graphic design being done in-house print costs were about .15 cents for each newsletter, with slight variations due to the varying population of each ward. The Nepean Ward News had cost $1900 to print and distribute to the ward’s 8000 residents.
CFA hoodwinked I wonder if the CFA volunteers now feel hoodwinked into giving Malcolm Turnbull their imprimatur to dabble in the workplace laws? I feel sure that the full time and casual workers of Australia will be over the moon to know that a volunteer work force could create uncertainty for millions because they feel hard done by. Julie Bishop, when she insinuated herself into one of the CFA rallies, made a passing reference to workplace laws, now Turnbull has come right out and said he will change laws to “give certainty to the volunteers”. What’s the bet he won’t stop there? As far as costing Labor votes is concerned, I don’t think there are many Labor supporters within the volunteer ranks. Rest assured that if Turnbull gets re-elected the CFA volunteer issue will be forgotten along with other promises. He’ll be too busy dismantling Medicare and cutting funding to health, education, pensions and the environment. How can you trust a multi millionaire? John Cain, McCrae
Union power Over past weeks we have all witnessed the power that the unions can exercise over a state government. The United Firefighters’ Union has “called in their marker” from Daniel Andrews and he buckled to their obscene demands. Imagine the Victorian scenario multiplied 10 fold and you have a picture of what could
In about 1059 the economy of Europe grew. Marsh land was drained, land cleared and cultivated. This time has been called the Medieval Warming Period, because between the 11th and the 12th centuries world temperatures rose about one degree celcius above what it was in 900. A change of 0.5 C of air temperature either up or down had its consequences. If down, the frost period was extended by about 10 days. Crops were destroyed. Death from starvation followed. An increase in temperature of 0.5 degrees increased the quantity of crops resulting in more food. Children survived, the population increased requiring more food and more land clearing. In 2016 food can be preserved. Will we learn from the 11th century experience? Rises in temperature as small as 0.5 C can, and are, having disastrous results on our farming communities as well as the natural environment. Where is the commitment and proof of same by our political leaders to protecting our environment. Even in the electorate of the Minister for the Environment the term is but just another word. Peter Strickland, Balnarring
Keep gallery Ann Thornton (“Smarter to keep gallery and broaden its use” Letters 28/6/16) makes very valid points about the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington, about increasing the facilities and attendance numbers rather than moving it to another location. In my opinion, based on its current position and proximity to other visitor attractions, ease of parking, room for expansion, light and airy building with good acoustics and infrastructure, it ticks all the boxes. Surely the large amount of money being spent on architects’ feasibility studies into finding a new site for the gallery would be better spent on improving the facilities at the existing one and its immediate surrounds and by innovative marketing to encourage more visitors and greater use of it. Ms Thornton has outlined many practical ways in which this could be achieved, to which I would add that art teachers at local schools could conduct class visits to MPRG, Probus clubs might organise group outings and greater use be made of Facebook as a promotional tool. I am all in favour of MPRG continuing to be a fine attraction on the peninsula but can see no obvious reasons for moving it to another location. Tim Acton, Mt Eliza Letters to the editor can be sent to The News, PO Box 588, Hastings 3915 or emailed to: team@mpnews.com.au Letters should be kept to a maximum 300 words and include name, address and contact phone number for verification purposes.
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Trading Hours Monday - Friday 8am - 8pm, Saturday 8am-7pm, Sunday 9am - 7pm Mornington News 5 July 2016
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