Parks close early
THE owners of the tightly knit caravans and annexes on Dromana foreshore reserve have been told it’s time to go home in the face of the spreading COVID-19 pandemic. They have two weeks to clear their sites but are not allowed to stay overnight. Picture: Yanni THE Dromana Foreshore Reserve Caravan Park closed earlier than normal for the year last week following state government directives aimed at limiting the COVID-19 pandemic. The management committee acting on advice from the [state’s] chief health officer closed the park on Wednesday 25 March saying it regretted the inconvenience adding that “the welfare of campers, our staff and our contractors must be paramount”. The closure came three days after Mornington Peninsula Shire closed its foreshore camping grounds at McCrae, Rosebud Rye and Sorrento,
sending campers packing just weeks before the Easter holidays. The 47-site caravan park at Dromana runs from 1 December to 30 April each year. A notice on its website says: “Due to the ongoing risks associated with the rapidly evolving coronavirus crisis and the state of emergency declared by the Victorian government, the [committee] is closing the park.” The closure covers water, power and amenities blocks within the caravan park. Campers are being allowed to remove their equipment over the next two weeks but are not allowed to stay over-
night while packing up. Some of the annexes are prefab sheds and take some time dismantle. The committee has gone some way towards compensating disadvantaged campers by not charging deposits to those planning to return for the 2020-21 holiday season. Public toilets in the area are still open. WhiteCliffs and Camerons Bight camping grounds, with 43 sites, are “closed until further notice”. WhiteCliffs Campground (formerly Tyrone) is about one kilometre from Rye township. Stephen Taylor
Flower farm fined for 2017 oil spill A commercial flower farm that allowed thousands of litres of fuel oil to spill into a Moorooduc waterway has been ordered to pay Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) $500,000 in compensation and fined $150,000. On Wednesday 11 March, Aaree Pty Ltd and its director Admir Isovski, faced five charges under the the Environment Protection Act 1970 at Frankston Magistrates Court for causing environmental hazard, pollution of water and failing to comply with the requirements of an EPA notice The incident occurred in July 2017 at Barakee Reserve Outfall Drain, Moorooduc when a greenhouse on the Coolart Road property, which used a water heater fueled by waste oil, caught fire causing damage to the generator which then started to leak oil into the nearby drain. EPA received calls from concerned residents who reported seeing black oil in the drain and a private drain leading to the reserve. The resulting clean-up by Melbourne Water took two months to remove 1.2 million litres of liquid waste, 687 tonnes of soil waste and 45 tonnes of other contaminated waste from one kilometre of the waterway. The court also ordered Aaree to pay EPA costs of $11,663 and sentenced Admir Isovski to 200 hours of community work. EPA Southern Metropolitan regional manager Marleen Mathias said it was the responsibility of the duty holder to have controls in place to manage environmental risks and on this occasion a lack of controls resulted in a major pollution event. “In this instance, the community has carried a large part of the cost of the clean-up and the fine and the compensation will help redress some of this imbalance,” Ms Mathias said.
WHAT’S NEW...
Fresh food from the farm TEMPORARY CLOSURE
IN these uncertain times, there is one thing we can be sure of – that we are so lucky to be able access amazing fresh food, right here on the peninsula. Hawkes Farm is restocked daily with all your produce needs, including meat, dairy, honey, flour, eggs and a full array of seasonal fruit and vegetables. A lot of the produce for sale is grown on the Boneo property, and it is supplemented by products from a great selection of local producers. Our local growers are working around the
clock to ensure that there’s plenty of food for everyone, and if you don’t want to get out of your car, check out the Hawkes Farm online store, pre-order your produce and the friendly staff will bring it out to your car for you. If you prefer to have a look around, the farm shop is still open every day from 8-5. www.hawkesfarm.com.au 03 5988 6785 enquiries@hawkesvegetables.com.au
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life” – Pablo Picasso
Thank you to our audiences for your
understanding during our temporary closure. All ticket holders are being contacted in date order to arrange credits or refunds for cancelled events. We look forward to welcoming you back to the theatre soon!
thefac.com.au
Southern Peninsula News
1 April 2020
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