NEWS DESK
Day of reckoning for pledge disguised as ‘The Prayer’ Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au FRIDAY is the deadline for public comments to be made about Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors beginning their meetings with a prayer or a pledge. Words of a pledge have been spoken since December last year (except for one meeting in February) but the agenda item is listed as Th Prayer, even though there is no mention of a god, deity or any other supernatural being considered divine or sacred. The word prayer was retained to describe the pledge following the shire’s in-house lawyer Amanda Sapolu advising that as long as what they were saying was called a prayer, there was no need to consult the public (“God purged from council ‘prayer’” The News 15/12/20). However, what seemed like a move to avoid seeking public approval to change a decades’ long tradition came unstuck at the council’s 9 February meeting when Cr Antonella Celi “reminded” councillors that “community consultation is foundational to local government”. The words “almighty God” were used in the The Prayer for that meeting but have been dropped ever since following councillors’ agreeing to test public feeling. The then newly elected Cr Anthony Marsh, who moved that the pledge be substituted for the prayer at his first council meeting in December, said he had been “listening to voices that aren’t heard; to people that are silent in our community that had a view”. Cr Marsh’s pledge has been recited ever since, but the wording of The Prayer agenda item is up for comment along with other amendments to
The Pledge
“We pledge that this council will act in the best interests of the entire Mornington Peninsula community. We will conduct our deliberations and make decisions with an open mind and on each item’s individual merit. We further commit to carry out our duties impartially and in good faith, treating each other with respect, dignity and kindness, and at all times, acting in accordance with the Councillor Code of Conduct and Governance Rules.”
The Prayer
Almighty God, we humbly seek Thy blessings upon this Council. Direct and prosper its deliberations to the advancement of Thy glory and the true welfare of the people of the Mornington Peninsula Shire. Give us the strength and courage to make wise decisions with grace and dignity. Amen.
the shire’s Governance Rules. If given the public tick of approval, The Prayer may be dropped from future agendas and replaced by The Pledge, which means it will no longer have to masquerade as a prayer. Other proposed changes to the rules involve: n Councillors attending meetings by teleconference. n Chairperson’s powers. n Chief executive officer powers. n Councillors introducing further amendments. n Notices of motion. n Inclusion of the “election period policy”. The deadline for comments and submissions is this Friday, 18 June. Go to mornpen.vic.gov.au/governancerules to have your say. Contact the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Governance team for further information on 5950 1000 or at customerservice@mornpen.vic.gov.au
Picture: Yanni
Lengthy rebuild for Rye pier RYE Pier will be closed for five months from late August-early September while a 270-metre section is replaced and widened from the foreshore to the low landing. The works will include a safety railing and solar lighting. The new section will also be “built to cater for future sea level rise”. “Parks Victoria is undertaking vital works at Rye pier to make it safer for locals into the future,” regional director marine and maritime Jo Richards said.
Honours for outstanding service NINE Mornington Peninsula residents were awarded medals in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, Monday 14 June. They were among 947 recipients in the General Division of the Order of Australia announced by the Governor-General David Hurley. Medals of the Order of Australia (OAMs), were awarded to Sarnia Birch, of Mount Martha, for service to veterans and their families; Richard (Dick) Cox, of Tyabb, for service to the community of the Mornington Peninsula; Barry Irving, of Rye, for service to the community of Rosebud-Rye; Tom
Sent – 15th Feb
How are you?
McCullough, of Mount Martha, for service to the galleries sector; Ross McKenzie, of Rye, for service to cricket and to the community of Rye; Catherine Norman, of Mount Eliza, for service to aged welfare; Patrick Smith, of Sorrento, for service to the print media as a journalist; and Victor Rodwell, of Mornington, for service to the community of Hastings and Western Port. “On behalf of all Australians, congratulations to all recipients. Each of these individuals are unique and their story deserves to be shared widely and celebrated,” General Hurley said.
Sent – 23rd Feb
Getting there.
Eliza (work) – 1st Feb
“Rye Pier is an important part of the Mornington Peninsula foreshore, and this work will go a long way to make it safer for the community.” The work may be suspended later in the year if it is considered unsafe to continue due to the expected influx of people over summer. Parks says assessments of the structure had shown that several piles had failed, compromising the pier’s integrity.
Glad I’m back!
Eliza (work) – 20th Feb
See you soon. Everyone Every workplace
The sooner you get in touch after an injury, the better the return to work journey. If you’re recovering from a psychological or physical workplace injury, or if you are an employer supporting an injured worker, make contact as soon as possible. It just takes a few simple words to make a big difference. The sooner, the better. worksafe.vic.gov.au/thesoonerthebetter
Southern Peninsula News
16 June 2021
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