LETTERS
Letters - 300 words maximum and including full name, address and contact number - can be sent to The News, PO Box 588, Hastings 3915 or emailed to: team@mpnews.com.au
Money is misused on overseas trips After what I regard as the scandalous misuse of ratepayers money by councillors in recent years for overseas trips and personal education, I really thought that Mornington Peninsula Shire Council would stop it, out of shame. But no, alas, it’s continuing, with more overseas ventures funded, I would say, by the $197 unnecessary surcharge on our rates. Study tours? Fact finding missions? What rot. These are simply simple councillors charged with looking after the needs of ratepayers and prohibiting fun, unless it’s council fun, allowing pubs to spew out violent drunks at 3am and encouraging tourists to swarm all over our beaches to such an extent that local ratepayers cannot enjoy a day at the beach except in winter. Worse, we have fantasies and obsessions by some councillors which we have to pay for too. A “carbon neutral peninsula” is a prime example. While reducing carbon production by installing LED lighting council encourages and funds tourism, so that we now have four to five million extra exhaust pipes emitting huge amounts of carbon dioxide every year. I don’t see many governments in the world (really) serious about reducing the 0.04 per cent of carbon dioxide in the planet’s atmosphere (compared to 29 per cent oxygen) because nature takes care of the balancing of that and, anyway, other gases are far worse than carbon. Governments see windmills and solar as good economic activity to replace the car manufacturers and industrial might that we used to have. What right, what intelligence, do councils think they have to enter this arena, especially with overseas trips? We are just a tiny Hicksville, not a world power.
At the very least we have to abolish the $16,000 expense account (slush fund) that not every councillor uses and abuses. Brian A Mitchelson, Mornington
Tourism strategy needed [Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park director] Michael Johnson (“Foreign tourists ‘generate jobs and money’” The News 16/10/2017) is misguided in thinking I was criticising the influx of international tourists or that I wasn’t aware tourists and other holidaymakers are valuable sources of revenue and jobs. My comments were about highlighting the social and environmental impact of mass tourism (“Tourism can have downside” The News 10/10/17). Mass tourism occurs for instance between Christmas and New Year when there are so many people there is hardly any room to move on a pavement, when rubbish, including mounds of plastic, litter the beach and foreshore, when people are rude and aggressive at the supermarket, the parking areas, the petrol station, on the road and on the water. That time when historic and community built buildings are covered in graffiti. That time when long-stay campers believe they have the right to cut the tops of indigenous trees, tear out native vegetation and plant their dahlias/tomatoes/pumpkins. That time when streets away from the bay you can have an outdoor dinner or lunch ruined because of the whine of jet skis drowns out every other sound. It was at that time last summer when visitors left rays and banjo sharks mutilated and dying near Rye Pier. Most visitors of course don’t do any of the above, but with the increasing volume of visitors
there is a proportional increase in the number of hedonists who do. As Mornington Peninsula residents we passively accept the label of Melbourne’s Playground and therefore suffer the consequence of what being that playground means. The wrong message is being sent. Mornington Peninsula Shire has a duty of care to protect local communities, conserve the natural environment and to ensure the spirit of the peninsula’s planning scheme is adhered to. It is irresponsible of council to encourage more and more visitors and building development yet only have in place reactive ad hoc strategies. The peninsula, and certainly its southern end, urgently needs council to develop a tourist/ holidaymaker management plan that contains a coherent set of strategies that don’t restrict visitor enjoyment but do protect local communities and the natural environment. This is what I have asked council about. Mechelle Cheers, Rye
Ban jet skis Today was a beautiful balmy day. The first day warm enough to attract people to the beach at Mt Martha. Driving past the beach, the umbrellas and people dotted around enjoying the water made a colourful sight. Everyone enjoying a beautiful peaceful late spring afternoon. Until some jet skis started up, screaming and thumping back and forth up and down the beach. I for one had gone into my garden in Bay Rd where the sound was demonic. Heaven help the people on the beach. Would we allow a trail bike to scream up and down the beach? The sound of jet skis is worse and not helped by the people who drive them at full speed and in endless circles. It’s time for a complete ban on jet skis in Port Philip. Ken Anderson, Mt Martha
Loss of Sisters view
would have had) from the Eastern Sister over the original camp area, now the Sullivan Bay (old Tideways) picnic area, the only part not built on. All you can see now is a thin strip of beach, very sad for the historic site. It is noted the path cost three times the developer’s contribution. At least it is now possible to walk around the bay from the visitors centre to the picnic area. Keith Murley, Collins Site volunteer, Blairgowrie
All ‘coal’ fired up Despite 12 months having passed since I raised the problem of a seemingly black hole of information getting through to the Balnarring area, it seems nothing has been done. Rupert Steiner (“Attention seeker” Letters 17/10/17) and Esther Gleixner (“Back renewables” Letters 17/10/17) look to be the latest victims of this problem. Mr Steiner wrote “the age of coal is truly finished” followed by Esther with “Australian miners know the coal industry is on the way out”. Luckily, the majority of us do have access to modern technology, so here are the facts: At present, world wide, there are currently 5973 units of coal fired power generation in operation. There are 621 units under construction and due to come online in the next 12 months. Even countries like Japan and South Africa have 21 under construction and a small nation, Vietnam, has 34 (sourced from the Australian Parliamentary Library). And by the way, contrary to a rumour doing the rounds of the Dava Hotel bar, I was not the one who placed the plastic handcuffs in the “Asylum seeker” bin outside the Mt Martha supermarket a couple of months ago, but I will admit to a chuckle when I saw them. Michael Free, Mt Martha
The article “Eastern Sister path open” (The News 17/10/17) mentioned a block on the old Sisters area with a 270-degree view. Wonderful for the block, but the big house, large umbrellas and 2.7 metre high fence for house privacy now block the original clear view (Collins and now visitors
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THE PRO PE R TY INSI G HTS SITE
Southern Peninsula News 24 October 2017
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