NEWS DESK
Clean-up for Australia Day
Code brown for peninsula
MORE than 50 volunteers assembled on the Flinders foreshore for a beach clean in preparation for this week’s Australia Day holiday. More than 100 kilograms of waste was picked up, sorted, categorised, recorded and then removed, preventing the rubbish being washed back out to sea. The beach clean-up was organised by the Flinders Community Association and Sea Shepherd’s marine debris team as part of its campaign to draw attention to the historic Flinders pier, which is under threat of partial demolition by Parks Victoria. Among the items cleared from Flinders beach were: 123 cigarette butts; 12 Hungary Jacks cups and food trays; 37 plastic drink bottles; 80 glass stubbies; 84 aluminium cans; 37 metal caps; 12 face masks; 15 items of clothing; one alloy wheel with tyre still attached; about 20 metres of rope; and one wooden table. Flinders Community Association’s Mary Iles said the clean-up was intended to remove debris and rubbish at low tide to stop it being washed back out to the habitat of the weedy seadragon and fish living near the pier.
PENINSULA Health has enacted its own code brown in line with the state government’s emergency alert to relieve pressure on the hospital system. From Wednesday January 19, Peninsula Health has been able to redeploy workers to areas of greatest need, postpone leave to boost staffing numbers and redistribute resources to ensure critical patients are prioritised. It can also call on Australian Defence Force personnel for help and to drive ambulances. Peninsula Health’s acting executive director medical services, Dr Chris Bowen, said the organisation was managing the pressure on its health system, but was asking the community to keep COVID-safe as that would make a “significant” difference to the hospital system. “We strongly encourage everyone to wear masks, practice good hand hygiene, and get your booster vaccination as soon as you are eligible,” he said. “If you had your second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine more than three months ago, you can now get your booster vaccination to protect yourself and our community. Our vaccination clinic at Frankston is open for bookings, including for children aged five to 11. “We have plenty of appointments available for children in this age group, who are now eligible for their vaccination. “People can book an appointment for children online at coronavirus.vic.gov.au/book-your-vaccineappointment or by phoning Coronavirus Victoria on 1800 625 389. There is no need for adults to make an appointment. Dr Bowen said the hospital had strategies in place to manage the demand, which he described as “stable”. Liz Bell
BAZ Basil, Richard Whitehead and Martin Ramos helped to clean up the beach at Finders.
Volunteer call to help ‘save’ kangaroos Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au VOLUNTEERS are being sought to help ensure the safe transfer of about 600 kangaroos from a private property at Cape Schanck into the neighbouring Greens Bush section of Mornington Peninsula National Park. Campaigners to save the kangaroos have praised the property’s manager for relinquishing the permit he had been given to shoot the kangaroos. “The hard work … has paid off and the newly formed Save the Kangaroos of the Mornington Peninsula (SKOMP) thoroughly welcome the recent development of the manager of the Cape Schanck property deciding on 13 January to withdraw the kangaroo shooting permit,” group spokesperson Mary Waterman said.
“I believe that our advocacy along with community pressure influenced the manager in his decision.” Ms Waterman also praised Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors, “particularly David Gill who brought the dire situation of the peninsula’s kangaroos to the council’s notice in 2020” and shire CEO John Baker “for advocating for the Cape Schanck kangaroos not to be shot and to be released … with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning”. However, “the fight is not over yet” and volunteers were needed to help release the kangaroos. She said Mr Baker confirmed on Friday 14 January “that he will ensure that the SKOMP group and volunteers are involved in the Cape Schanck kangaroo release plan process”. Ms Waterman said the group
believed kangaroos “could be a huge tourist drawcard” for the peninsula. “We want to bring kangaroos into the hearts of the people. Kangaroos are the most beautiful, intelligent and extremely family orientated native animal that we should be extremely proud of. “We only have to look at how the [Phillip Island] penguin parade is now a huge international tourist attraction for Victoria.” While welcoming a review of the Wildlife Act 1975 announced in May 2020 by Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, Ms Waterman hoped the independent panel would investigate “the continuing pressures our local kangaroo population faces due to DELWP issuing shooting permits without necessarily doing the checks before and after [they] are issued”.
The group believed shooting permits would continue to be issued “because some landowners (and DELWP) believe our native kangaroos are pests and are in plague proportions”. “It is baffling to understand that kangaroos are protected under the Wildlife Act until a shooting permit (ATCW) is applied for. This seems to be a contradiction in itself.” Cr Gill also welcomed the review announced by Ms D’Ambrosio, saying “we need accurate population figures and enforceable powers over habitat retention and control of pest species”. “Any review should ensure mechanisms are in place for sustainable sources of private and public finance for programs to ensure the long term viability of our precious wildlife.” Cr Gill wants Nepean MP Chris Brayne to make sure action was taken to ensure the survival of kangaroos on
the peninsula. He said DELWP “grossly overestimates” the number of kangaroos on the peninsula because it relied on aerial counts of kangaroos in Gippsland. “The kangaroo food industry has decimated kangaroo numbers in New South Wales, leading to a parliamentary inquiry,” Cr Gill said. “Now the industry has moved into Victoria with the blessing of the state government. Once established, the industry requires a constant supply of kangaroos and threatens the viability of kangaroos in Australia and now Victoria.” Cr Gill predicted that “the more concisely contained kangaroos on the peninsula will be a prime target”. Details about releasing the kangaroos at Cape Schanck: peninsula. kangaroos@gmail.com
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Southern Peninsula News
26 January 2022
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