Southern Peninsula Your guide to what’s on this weekend for peninsula families
An independent voice for the community
FREE
Your weekly community newspaper covering Safety Beach to Portsea For all advertising and editorial needs, call 1300
Tuesday 16 September 2014
MPNEWS (1300 676 397) or email: team@mpnews.com.au www.mpnews.com.au
Home schooling EDUCATION Minister Martin Dixon has been a busy man of late travelling around the state to announce a raft of school upgrades in the lead-up to the November election. So he was especially pleased to not only be back on home ground last week on the Mornington Peninsula, but to also be able to unveil a major upgrade to a school in his own electorate – a $3 million redevelopment of Rosebud Primary School. The funding includes master planning and a complete stage one rebuild, with six new classrooms for the junior school and the refurbishment of the original school building to house a dedicated music space for the whole school. Mr Dixon took some time out to read a story with pupils Kieley, Ethan, Zack and Cassidy during a tour of the new facilities on Friday. He said the project would provide a significant boost to the students, staff and families of Rosebud Primary School for years to come. Principal Tony Short said the new learning spaces had made a “massive difference” to the school. “It has allowed the teachers to be more flexible in how they teach, which has led to the children being more calm and relaxed,” Mr Short said. “The building is spacious, light and bright and is just fantastic. The children love learning in their new facility.” Picture: Yanni
Bid to reverse ‘stop SPA’ order David Harrison david@mpnews.com.au A COUNCIL decision last week to stop work on the contentious Southern Peninsula Aquatic Centre was stymied just hours later by the lodging of a rescission motion, proposed to be considered at Mornington Peninsula Shire’s 13 October meeting. Outraged pro-pool councillors accused their opponents of unethical and unfair behaviour in bringing on the “stop work” matter while the project’s chief advocate, Cr David Gibb, was on holiday.
MORNINGTON
BEDSHED'S
9TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
30% OFF STOREWIDE! NO EXCEPTIONS!!
THE BIGGEST ST
DISPLAY OF
MATTRESSES ATTRESSESS THIS ND /9/14 BEDROOM LE E YFURNITURE 21 A S AND N ACCESSORIES DA
SU
MORNINGTON PENINSULA ON THE MORNINGT BEDSH BEDSHED MORNINGTON SUPERSTORE Peninsula Homemaker Centre, Cnr Nepean Hwy & Bungower Road Phone 5973 6333 • www.bedshed.com.au
The rescission motion to reverse the resolution passed on 8 September was lodged the next day, putting on hold all work “progressing” the SPA until at least the 13 October meeting. This date was chosen because all pro-pool councillors will be able to attend. With Cr Graham Pittock unable to vote on the SPA because of a conflict of interest, the mayor Cr Antonella Celi may be able to use her casting vote to reverse the 8 September decision. Announcing the rescission motion, the shire website states: “If a rescission motion is lodged prior to the resolution having come into effect, no further ac-
tion can take place until the rescission motion has been considered.” Considerable legal doubt surrounds this statement. One legal expert asserts that a motion takes effect at the time it is passed. The “stop work” resolution instructed the mayor, Cr Celi, to inform the state government of council’s decision and to “respectfully” ask Minister Ryan Smith to “withdraw his consent to the proposed use of the Rosebud foreshore for the location of the SPA” in his letter to the shire on 25 January, 2012. This letter has not been sent. The res-
WHAT’S ON AT NEPTOURS
Marshall’s HOLIDAY RENTALS
*CROWN CASINO – MONTHLY* STITCHES & CRAFT SHOW Casino’s bus program with a Caulfield Racecourse Thu 23 great BUFFET lunch (all) $35. Oct All $55 Only persons over the age of 18 permitted. LAST THURSDAY EACH HEALESVILLE SANCTUARY MONTH Tue 11 Nov Adults $70 (p/s) $60 (ch) $50 QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET Tue 14 Oct - all $30. STRICTLY BALLROOM Shop for all the bargains we do not have down here. We Wed 25 March even supply a couple of Eskys Adults $125 (p/s) $110 for some of your perishables. MATTHEW BOURNE’S SWAN LAKE Wed 22 Oct (matinee) (a) $120 (p/s) $115
THE LION KING Wed 11 March (matinee) (a) $120 (p/s) $110
Neptours Phone: 5987 2011
www.neptours.com.au
SORRENTO OFFICE
olution specified that it be sent “on or before 5:00pm on 9 September, 2014”, the day after the meeting. The legal expert said: “The proposition that the resolution did not come into effect immediately or was contingent on the letter being sent by the Mayor – which is mere machinery to communicate the resolution to the Minister – is nonsense.” The rescission move will itself halt important SPA matters, including progress on the design competition and a delay to a report due to go to councillors that will result in appointment of the preferred architect to begin work
on detailed drawings for the SPA. With the rescission motion listed for 13 October, all SPA work could be on hold until the meeting after that, on 27 October. Then comes the annual meeting, at which a new mayor will be installed, ending Cr Celi’s ability to use her casting vote on SPA and other matters. The 8 September blow-up came during discussion of a Notice of Motion “that nothing further be done by Council and management” on the SPA “on the foreshore Crown land reserve at Rosebud”, lodged by Cr Hugh Fraser. Continued Page 8
appraised
We are the largest on the Mornington Peninsula
9best service 9best ROI
9biggest team 9100% holiday focus
NT S WA
PR
RT I E G U O P E UALITY FOR
ED
ESTS
Q
5984 5955 www.MyRentals.com.au 119 Ocean Beach Rd. Upstairs (cnr. Darling Rd.)
Thinking of selling? Call Director Troy Daly for a free property appraisal and report on 0418 397 771.
Property to lease? Holiday and permanent rentals are urgently required. Call our rental managers for a free appraisal now. Portsea-Sorrento 109 /CEAN Beach Road, Sorrento 5984 4388 buxton.com.au buxtonportseasorrento.com.au