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Tuesday 2 September 2014
MPNEWS (1300 676 397) or email: team@mpnews.com.au www.mpnews.com.au
Arthur’s Seat comes alive with the sound of music CALLING all nuns, goat herders, young Von Trapps, captains, brown paper packages tied up with string or any of your favourite things… Rosebud’s Astral Theatre Society is performing one of the most beloved musicals of all time, The Sound of Music, over two weekends starting this Friday and running 5, 6, 7 September and 12, 13 and 14 September at the Rosebud Memorial Hall. A fun ‘sing-a-long’ night will be held this Saturday when audience members are asked to bring the hills alive as they yodel, boo the Nazis and sing their hearts out - all dressed as their favourite things. “The Sound of Music features the most irresistible score in movie musical history and includes a cast of characters known to virtually everyone,” director BillyJo Royle said. It will include favourites such as Do Re Mi, Favourite Things, Climb Every Mountain and Edelweiss. “I really enjoy working in community theatre with the opportunity to pass on my knowledge to young, talented up-and-coming performers along with working with well-seasoned thespians who, together, offer a great mix of youth and vitality and professionalism,” she said. “Our production of The Sound of Music is shaping up as a real hit and one we would love to share with our local community.” Details: astral.org.au or call 5986 3111. In tune: Maria - Darcy Cook, Liesl - Miranda Bonswick, Friedrich - Hayden Flynn, Louisa - Matilda-Pearl Muir, Kurt - Harrison Croft, Briggita - Ginger Sansom, Marta - Holly Baker, Gretl - Summer Baker. Picture: Yanni
Pittock guilty of conflict over gym David Harrison david@mpnews.com.au MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillor Graham Pittock has been found guilty of a conflict of interest for voting on SPA at council meetings while operating his Tonic squash-gym business in Dromana. SPA, the Southern Peninsula Aquatic Centre, to be built on the Rosebud foreshore, is intended to include a gymnasium. Cr Pittock’s Tonic centre is some 10 kilometres away in Dromana. The decision serves notice on every councillor across Victoria that courts are not prepared to tolerate what they decide are even slight conflicts between their civic duties and their pri-
Graham Pittock
vate interests. Magistrate Fiona Stewart applied this stringent rule to Cr Pittock but did not impose a criminal conviction, which would have barred him from be-
ing a councillor for up to seven years. But he will be unable to vote on matters affecting SPA. He has not voted on SPA since the conflict allegation was made anonymously more than two years ago. Ms Stewart took into account Cr Pittock’s good character and unblemished record in coming to her decision. But he faces a fine and substantial legal costs. The Local Government Inspectorate, which brought the case, told Frankston Court it would seek costs from Cr Pittock. The costs order will be made on 19 September. Mr Greg Elms, for the inspectorate, and Ms Peta Murphy, for Cr Pittock, were instructed to negotiate on costs before then. Ms Stewart
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conflicted in voting on SPA. It was, the magistrate said, not a “remote” possibility to expect that Tonic clients would join SPA and that therefore Tonic would suffer loss. Cr Pittock’s concern that SPA could severely affect Rosebud gyms was irrelevant, she said. The court was told that Cr Pittock had been advised by then shire governance manager Noel Buck he may have a conflict of interest on SPA but Cr Pittock had decided that he could safely vote on the pool project. Mr Elms told the court Cr Pittock had “proceeded headlong” in a way that “could result in court action”. He had brought the problem on himself, Mr Elms said.
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commended the two lawyers for their conduct of the case. Cr Pittock was not called to give evidence. The magistrate, in delivering her verdict, concentrated on the Local Government Act section dealing with direct or indirect interest. Section 77A states that “the relevant person” has no conflict if the matter “is so remote or insignificant” that the interest “could not reasonably be regarded as capable of influencing any actions or decisions of the relevant person in relation to the matter”. Ms Stewart ruled that Tonic customers living in Rosebud could well switch to the new gym at SPA, and that, because of this, Cr Pittock was
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