NEWS DESK
COMMENT
Winter raffle
Region status confusing and costly
THE winner of this year’s Mount Martha Lions Club winter raffle receives $1000 worth of motor vehicle fuel at the service station of their choice. The $5 tickets (or three for $10 and seven for $20) will be drawn at midday on Father’s Day 4 September. Buy tickets at: raffletix.com.au/?ref=dhdg4 Proceeds from the raffle will go to Lions club community projects and local emergency requests. The club is seeking new members to ensure the continuation of Lions works in aid and support of community projects, including the Mornington Police Senior Citizens registry, Mornington Details from club president John Thomas 0474 828 740 or 5986 2261.
The Italian way THE Italian and Ethnic Seniors Citizens Club of Flinders (also known as the Rye Italian Seniors Club) has elected a new committee: president, Nerina Berni, vice-president, Nicola D’Agostino, secretary, Rosa D'Agostino and treasurer, Romano Buonazinga. New members are welcome to attend club meetings, 11.30am to 2.30pm Tuesdays and Thursdays at Rye Civic Hall in Napier Street. The club also regularly organises traditional Italian lunches and dancing. For more details call Nerina Berni on 0481 300 639.
Early morning hit SORRENTO Police are investigating an incident that occurred in St Andrews Beach about 1.30am on Friday 5 August. Police said a Toyota Landcruiser allegedly lost control on a corner of road causing extensive damage to the front fence of a house, vegetation and the vehicle. Police are asking the public to be on the lookout for a Toyota Landcruiser with extensive damage, including a smashed window, a damaged roof rack, damage to a bull bar and smashed indicator and headlights. All information to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
By Zoe McKenzie* IN Canberra last week, I was delighted to learn Flinders is a regional seat within the Coalition party room, giving our residents input into regional policy and priorities. While this might not surprise many locals, it jars with the ongoing classification with the Mornington Peninsula as “metropolitan Melbourne” by the Victorian government. For decades, the classification of the peninsula as regional or metropolitan has been contested, with residents suffering the worst of both worlds. Regionality has been an issue for many of my predecessors. Peter Reith’s burning passion as a newly minted MP for Flinders was to exempt the area from subscriber trunk dialling rates in the 1980s - achieved when Australia moved to eight-digit phone numbers in the 1990s and intra-state STD rates disappeared. Today, the peninsula is considered regional for some things but not others. For example, our local arts bodies can seek access to federal funding if they are located in Cape Schanck, Flinders, Shoreham, Red Hill South and Merricks, but not if they are in Main Ridge or Fingal. Similarly, we qualify for some telecommunications assistance, like the peri-urban mobile program, which will shortly start improving mobile reception in Main Ridge, Merricks North, Mount Martha and Rye, but other peninsula regions cannot be considered. It is both confusing and frustrating for anyone trying to improve the lives of our residents and businesses. All the more so when we consider Geelong - a city of some 250,000 residents – which receives all the benefits of regional status, despite being closer to Melbourne’s CBD and having a
higher population than the peninsula. After a decade’s policy experience across education, health, communications, tourism and the arts, and 262 days of studying freedom-land as I came to think of the Bellarine Peninsula during lockdown, I know with some certainty that regional areas do better than metropolitan areas when it comes to the public dollar. Following a two-year investigation of the relative advantages and disadvantages of being classified as regional or metropolitan, the Committee for Mornington Peninsula found that the peninsula was worse off than our regional neighbours. (By way of disclosure, I served on the committee’s board throughout 2021). The assessment concluded that we were worse off in transport, education, road funding, health, tax, stamp duty, planning levies, immigration, and skilled workers. Most significantly, the report concluded that we are not just worse off when compared to “regional Victoria” but we are worse off when compared to the rest of “metropolitan Melbourne” as well. For example, we remain the only metropolitan area with a diesel VLine train service, instead of electrified metro trains. For many, including myself, the most important factor when it comes to our future regional status, is securing the long-term future of the Mornington Peninsula Green Wedge. The committee’s work included an investigation of the measures required to protect the green wedge, in the event of a status change. Legal advice was sought from a prominent planning Queen’s Counsel, which concluded that in amending the Planning and Environment Act 1987 to classify the peninsula as part of regional Victoria, the Victorian parliament could equally “amend Part 3AA of the
Act to put beyond doubt the maintenance of the existing protection for green wedge land in the shire”. Such an amendment is much easier than creating any new sub-category which appears in no grant program, at either the state or federal level. The Mornington Peninsula Shire and Yarra Ranges Shire have proposed an alternative: “peri-regional” status. I welcome and encourage their exploration of ways to gain greater access to grants, but it is important to remember that “peri-regional” does not exist as a substantive category for funding at any level of government. A cynic would suggest the peri-regional focus is a “look, an eagle” tactic by those unable or unwilling to advocate successfully for a ready alternative which would produce immediate eligibility under existing grant programs. Regional in name, perhaps, but not regional in the bank account. There is no reason to think that peri-regional will improve our outcomes unless the existing funding streams are redefined to be for both regional and peri-regional, and that is not on the table. Despite the loud and passionate protestations of the public, including by my predecessor Greg Hunt and the long-standing MPs for Mornington, David Morris and Hastings, Neale Burgess, the Victorian government has shown no interest in making the peninsula regional. We know it is under active consideration within the Victorian Coalition, and their local candidates are vocal about it - we will have to wait and see if the peninsula receives a regional classification that better reflects our community and improves the way we live. • Zoe McKenzie is the MP for Flinders.
WHAT’S NEW... MORNINGTON PENINSULA BUSINESS AWARDS
Supporting and celebrating local business mpbusiness.com.au/businessawards
Mornington Peninsula Business PAGE 8
Southern Peninsula News
10 August 2022
Looking for tourism and hospitality excellence MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire’s inaugural Business Excellence Awards are open, celebrating local business and industry. If your business has demonstrated excellence, innovation and sustainability over the past two challenging years, then throw your hat in the ring in one of nine different business categories. Hospitality and tourism employ thousands of local people on the Peninsula and are two of the categories on offer. Our local cafes and restaurants bring us together. They allow us to share meals with friends and family, celebrate milestones, and connect us to our neighbourhood. If your hospitality business consistently delivers high quality food or beverage experiences and prides itself on excellent customer service, you are encouraged to enter the awards in the Hospitality category. Some points to consider for your entry are: n How do you make your customers feel welcome? n What new ideas have you pulled together to address recent challenges? n How are you connected to your local community? The Peninsula is also home to many awardwinning and world-class tourism businesses. Everything from swimming with dolphins or bike riding tours, to relaxing in hot springs or a round of golf -we are lucky to have it all in our backyard! If your tourism business provides exceptional services or experiences to visitors and the local community, you’re encouraged to enter the Tourism category of the awards. Some things to think about are: n What do your customers love about your business? n How do you provide memorable customer
experiences? n Where do you demonstrate industry leadership? Hospitality and Tourism are only two of nine possible categories that businesses can enter in this year’s awards, with award category winners also eligible for selection as Business of the Year. Entries close Sunday 11 September. The entry process is short and easy, and it’s all online. The results will be announced at a gala blacktie presentation event on Wednesday 19 October at Mornington Racecourse, when our business community will come together to celebrate the successes many businesses have achieved. INFORMATION SESSIONS To learn how to enter your local business or ask questions face-to-face, there are two information sessions planned. In person: Wednesday 17 August, 6–8pm at Mornington Library. Online: Thursday 18 August, 10–11am please see website for links. To enter or find out more please visit: mpbusiness.com.au/businessawards