NEWS DESK
Call for state to look into trust placements Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au THE state government has been asked by Mornington Peninsula Shire to investigate how appointment are made to the Bass Park Trust by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP). The request follows the appointment to the trust earlier this year of the mayor, Cr Anthony Marsh and claims by DELWP that Cr David Gill had resigned. The shire has told the Premier Daniel Andrews and the Victorian Governor Linda Dessau that Cr Gill was never officially appointed to the trust during his four years as the shire’s chosen delegate “and therefore has not resigned and did not have the ability to resign”. The trust was established nearly a century ago to protect land occupied by Flinders Golf Club and nearby foreshore from developers. In mid-June it asked council to revoke its decision to appoint Marsh and continue with established protocols by having the Red Hill Ward councillor (Gill) as its delegate on the trust (“Trust says ‘no’ to council’s chosen delegate” The News 15/6/22). Council took no action. The shire’s 5 April decision to call for an inquiry by the government was sent to Andrews and Dessau by Marsh on 18 May. Marsh’s letter included a copy of the shire’s decision (which he opposed) as well as a copy of his official appointment to the trust signed under seal by Andrews and Dessau.
Council chose Marsh as its delegate to the trust in June 2021 and the confirmation by Andrews and Dessau arrived in March this year: “I said I’d give it a year, and I’m happy to report that the Premier and Governor have signed off my appointment to the Bass Park Trust with a few months spare,” the triumphant mayor stated in an email (“Mayor claims record in trust appointment” The News 26/4/22). His appointment ends on 30 June. The council’s call for an investigation into the appointments to the trust says Gill has been “misrepresented and treated with disrespect” by DELWP. “Council wishes to have a state government investigation of the process and procedures involved in appointments to the Bass Park Trust and that this include the appointments of other trustees and the recent but very late appointment of mayor Cr Marsh after many months of waiting,” the shire states. “That the relevant history regarding appointments also includes the resignation of trustees that have been ignored, sometimes for years which also happened to former Cr Tim Wood who had to wait two years for his appointment and two years after ceasing to be a councillor for his council delegated position to be revoked by the Governor in Council as required by an Act of Parliament.” The council’s decision said the Bass Park Trust was an “important committee” whose members were concerned by “the perceived jeopardy that DELWP’s process in recommending appointments has had on the legal status of the trust”.
We’re here to help Do you have a wastewater system on your property? The Shire can provide information on the type of wastewater system at your property and the maintenance requirements. It’s important to ensure the health of your wastewater system. A poorly maintained system is a health risk to your family, neighbours, our waterways and the wider community. As part of the Environment Protection Regulations 2021, from 1 July 2022 property owners will need to notify the Shire of septic tank system failures or issues as soon as possible. We want to work with you to help manage your wastewater system, so together we can protect the health of our Peninsula.
To learn more or to book a free wastewater system health check: mornpen.vic.gov.au/septictankmaintenance septics@mornpen.vic.gov.au PAGE 4
Southern Peninsula News
1 June 2022
PORTSEA Surf Life Saving Club members showed off their inflatable boat rescue skills recently to achieve some impressive scores.
Portsea powers to a win COMPETITORS from Portsea Surf Life Saving Club and Seaford Life Saving Club headed to Anglesea for the second 2022 TRE Motorsport inflatable rescue boat Premiership Season on Sunday 22 May. Portsea and Seaford’s competitors joined 14 other clubs from across the state who showed off their skills in small but consistent waves, using one of the most popular pieces of modern lifesaving rescue equipment in a competitive setting. Portsea’s under-23 men’s IRB tube rescue team Niklas Rathmayr, Finn Nicholas and Andrew May - won its division and came second in the open
event, behind Barwon Heads 13th Beach. The team’s results helped the club to come seventh in the under-23 division, eighth in the open and eighth for the combined score tally. LSV manager aquatic sport Simon Butterly said IRB racing was a thrilling spectator sport “but facing these conditions is also great practice for our lifesavers, who are the same lifesavers you see on patrol across the state during the summer”. “The IRB is known as the workhorse of lifesaving rescue equipment, used for rescue, retrieval and surveillance, and were used for 142 rescues during the 2021-22 Victorian patrol season.”