Happier days: Premier John Brumby was all smiles when he turned the first sod for the controversial Peninsula Link freeway project at Carrum Downs but months later was defeated at the November state election and resigned before Christmas. Flightless: Southern Peninsula Rescue Squad sold its Bell Longranger helicopter, ending 34 years of the community-supported air rescue service. It will return to being a sea-based rescue squad.
School principal Liz Klein sparks a statewide debate when she bans groups of three or more pupils from wandering around the school grounds at breaks “harassing others”, a first for Victorian state schools. While group games are encouraged, pupils engaging in “annoying and silly behaviour at the expense of others” will be separated. Mud map: Melbourne Water starts work on a map to show which houses on the peninsula would be subject to flooding by predicted rising seas and more frequent storms and rains. Poll push: Victorians returned to voting centres, this time for the state election, at the end of the month with the peninsula’s three Liberal MPs, Martin Dixon in Nepean electorate, Neale Burgess in Hastings and David Morris in Mornington, all recording resounding victories as the Ted Baillieu-led Liberal National coalition pushed John Brumby’s Labor government from office. Dixon was later appointed education minister and Morris parliamentary secretary
for local government, assisting the minister Jeanette Powell. In Frankston, the ALP’s Alistair Harkness was a surprise loser, well beaten by the Liberal’s Geoff Shaw, a Frankston accountant, and further up the line Labor lost Carrum, Mordialloc and Bentleigh, with the former Bentleigh MP Rob Hudson blaming problems on the Frankston rail line for voters deserting the ALP and political analyst Nick Economou of Monash University saying the Peninsula Link freeway, north-south pipeline and Wonthaggi desal plant debacles cost Labor dearly. Perhaps surprisingly, the Greens were disappointed with their vote compared to numbers gained at the federal election in August. Landmark on market: Frankston’s tallest building, the 12-storey Peninsula Centre once described by comedian Barry Humphries as Melbourne’s ugliest building, goes back on the market after owner Asian Pacific Building Corporation scraps plans to turn it into a 140-room
luxury hotel. The firm bought it three years earlier for $11.25 million. It comes with concept plans for 90 apartments and ground floor shops. Butt out: Frankston Council starts its smoke-free trial in Shannon St Mall, Station St Mall, parts of Young St and two smaller streets. Cop shop: The $8.4 million Carrum Downs police station opens with the state government promising 35 officers, some of whom will no doubt improve their fitness for chasing miscreants by using the station’s gymnasium. Firsts among equals: Frankston councillors vote Defence Department recruitment officer Kris Bolam as their new and youngest-ever mayor at 24, while the Mornington shire councillors hand the robes and chain to Dromana pest controller Graham Pittock. Chopper off: Sorrento-based Southern Peninsula Rescue Squad sells its rescue helicopter for $900,000, marking the end of a 34year era for the community supported service that had the only rescue
aircraft in the region. Citing reduced need due to government agencies having seven helicopters as well as rising running costs, the squad put its Bell Longranger on the international market in May for $1.8 million. It will revert to a sea-based service. DECEMBER Hot seat: Main Ridge winery T’Gallant, owned by brewing giant Fosters Group, submits a new plan to the shire council seeking a 150seat restaurant and cellar door area for 40 after failing to win approval for a 274-seat eatery earlier in the year. Opponents claim the winery has consistently exceeded its 60seat capacity and chide the shire for failing to issue fines. Councillors will consider the new application in February. Enough already: Shire council CEO Michael Kennedy rejects a pay rise as part of his 2009-10 performance review. Cynics point out that Dr Kennedy, who is on an annual package of $319,000, received a rise of $19,000 in April backdated to July
2009 and probably reckoned he had enough to scrape by. Bay blitz: Fisheries Victoria officers blitz Port Phillip and Western Port boat ramps, handing out 57 fines to anglers with too many or undersized fish, and continue to target abalone poachers with two men from the southern peninsula caught red-handed with abalone and diving gear in the car park of a Chinese restaurant in distant Sunshine. Where do they all sleep?: The peninsula prepares for its annual influx of holidaymakers as the Christmas and New Year break looms. Its permanent population of about 145,000 soars to more than 250,000 with caravan parks bulging at the seams and the area’s 25,000 holiday homes filling with owners and their guests. Locals not involved in tourism grit their teeth and plan survival tactics like early morning trips to the shops to avoid traffic congestion, while tourism operators rub their hands and hope for a bumper season. Happy holidays!
Talk to the Home Lender of the Year today. As your local ANZ Mobile Lenders, we’ll come to you wherever, whenever and provide you with a range of flexible home loan options. To arrange an appointment at a time and place that suits you, please call us.
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Rocco Cirillo
ANZ Mobile Lender Mornington, Mount Martha and The Peninsula brian.mein@anzmortgagesolutions.com 0458 55 45 45
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anz.com All applications for credit are subject to ANZ’s normal credit approval criteria. Money magazine and CANSTAR CANNEX’s Home Loan Lender of the Year 2010. These Mobile Lenders operate as ANZ Mortgage Solutions Mornington and Frankston, an independently operated franchise of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) ABN 11 005 357 522. ANZ’s colour blue is a trade mark of ANZ. Item No. 77842 12.2010 W213668
Mornington News 27 January 2011
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