NEWS DESK
Bank withdraws from Dromana branch ELDERLY customers of the Commonwealth Bank’s Dromana branch will be disadvantaged with its closure on Friday 3 May. Disappointed manager Jeff Cornish, who has been at the Pt Nepean Road branch for 13 years and who lives at Dromana, confirmed the shock news last week. He said staff heard about the closure two weeks ago and it was hoped most would be redeployed to the Rosebud branch. “I’m hopeful everyone will be found a place somewhere,” he said, although, after 38 years with the bank, he admits he is unsure of his own future. The branch’s customers were told of the closure by letter saying they could do their banking at either Rosebud or Mornington. But that’s cold comfort to the suburb’s mainly elderly residents who don’t drive and prefer to do their banking face-to-face with branch staff near where they live.
Long-time customer Gladys Reardon, who has been a Commonwealth Bank patron “for about 100 years”, said many elderly customers didn’t have cars and wouldn’t know how to get to the other branches. “I’m really peeved about the whole thing,” she said. “I started banking there when it was the State Bank and we had bank books.” A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson said the branch opened in 1991 but that over-the-counter transactions had “declined significantly over the past few years” with customers increasingly choosing to use mobile, online and phone banking services. She encouraged customers to come in to the branch to learn about the CommBank app and NetBank and the ATM. National Australia Bank and Bendigo Bank have branches at Dromana. Stephen Taylor
Closing: Last days for Commonwealth Bank branch at Dromana. Picture: Yanni
Racing launch for business lobby group Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au A NEW business-based lobby group being formed on the Mornington Peninsula automatically includes its $21,000 a year “platinum” members on its strategy and policy committee. The group’s $7000 “corporate gold” and $3000 “corporate” packages can nominate for membership of the key body that will steer the Committee for Mornington Peninsula. A $1000 “small business package” buys the “ability” to join one or more
“round tables”, while the $500 “not for profit” membership level comes with the “ability to join one round table”. While the strategy and policy committee is described driving “hands on policy decisions” the round table discussion groups take “deep dives into sub topics that form a theme”. The Committee for Mornington Peninsula wants a “membership base of local, national and international organisations and individuals”. Among those behind the formation of the CfMP are former Liberal MP for Dunkley Bruce Billson, CEO of the Sorrento to Queenscliff ferry ser-
vice Matt McDonald and Mornington Regional Tourism Board chairman, Tracey Cooper. The committee publicly launched itself at Mornington Racing Club last month as “a visionary, strategic and forward-looking organisation” aiming to “establish itself as a respected and authoritative advocate with direct access to key policy and decision makers with the power to influence the Mornington Peninsula’s future”. “Unashamedly, we believe sustained economic prosperity and long-term transformational government investment in key initiatives, consistent with
sound environmental considerations, is the driver of the lifestyle we all wish to continue enjoying in this great region. “The CfMP exists to provide the strategic leadership needed to ensure that all levels of government leverage the potential for out region and to ensure it’s a safe, prosperous and progressive place to live,” printed information handed out during the launch on Friday 28 March stated. Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr David Gill, who did not attend the lunch said he had been briefed, along with other councillors, about the CfMP’s aims.
“I have no problem with business lobby groups, but I think anyone who claims to represent the whole peninsula should be elected.” Council has not taken an official position towards the committee, but “if they’re not a business lobby group I don’t think they should be exclusive”, Cr Gill said. Without stating sources or figures, the committee’s information package says the “greater MP region scores very poorly” in family violence, labour productivity and acceptance of multiculturalism. Continued Page 7
Road poll promises Continued from Page 1 “This funding is the direct result of the people’s decision to elect me in November and show that our Mornington Peninsula can’t be taken for granted anymore,” Mr Brayne said. “We are, however, cautious that the money allocated in the budget is not scheduled to come into effect for some time. We are also disappointed that IT seems everybody is coming along to the party with promises of money to fix a long-known problem at Rosebud. State Roads Minister Jaala Pulford and Nepean Labor MP Chris Brayne with Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr David Gill provide a photo opportunity. Picture: Yanni
only now is tangible action happening on Jetty Road, 18 years into the member for Flinders’ term.” Flinders Labor candidate Joshua Sinclair said while he “welcomed any sort of roads investment from the Commonwealth here in Flinders, this one comes five minutes to midnight before an election”. “I think voters will be rightly cynical about this announcement coming just days before an election is called and after nearly a decade of congestion woes at Jetty Road. “The problem … didn’t appear overnight – it’s only since the state election that the federal member has decided to take interest in it.”
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10 April 2019
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