NEWS DESK
Border keepers call for baywatch help Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au BORDER Watch officers have asked Mornington Yacht Club members to “look out for anything suspicious when [they are] out on the bay”. Club office manager Sarah Grant said the Border Watch officers appeared to be focusing on public boat ramps. “They were not after anything specific and they were in and out [of here]
very quickly,” she said. The club regarded the advice as “general information for members”. The visit was part of a general sweep of the bay’s boat ramps. Officers handed out leaflets headed “Small craft border crime – Know the Flags” which said criminals “may attempt to use small craft to bring drugs, illegal tobacco, weapons and dangerous chemicals into Australia”. They referred to “suspicious” ves-
sels as those anchored or operating in unusual areas; meeting other vessels at sea; displaying unusual draughts; not displaying navigation lights; going out in bad weather; returning to dock in a damaged condition or with scrape marks on their hulls; or those with unusual modifications. Boaters were urged to alert Border Watch officers of “skippers or crews inquiring about Australian Border Force, police or other law enforce-
Parking fine remains A MOTORIST who copped an $85 fine for parking in a space reserved for boat trailers at Safety Beach may have to pay up. Warren Renton said he had been unaware that the area near the Safety Beach boat ramp was off limits for vehicles not towing a trailer. He said the trailers-only car park at the boat ramp was more often than not empty during the week while parking spaces outside the shops opposite were in short supply (“Fine time not had by all” The News 26/5/20). The nearest side street has limited parking. Mr Renton, who lives at Safety Beach, said there was only one no-parking sign in the car-and-trailer parking area. “I checked the other signs in the carpark, and there is no mention of fines being issued within the car parking area,” he said. “This is totally inadequate, considering that the shire is conducting random raids to catch unsuspecting motorists parked there. As far as I am concerned it [the sign] doesn’t clearly state anything.”
ment activities, or those lacking local knowledge or unable to operate their boats properly”. They were asked to “be on the lookout for unusual radio activity, such as cryptic radio messages or vessels not responding to radio contact; unusual objects at sea or washed up on shore, or hidden campsites or fuel dumps on beaches or in remote areas”. A spokesperson said Australian Border Force officers “routinely undertake
land and sea patrols to ensure the integrity of the … border, including on the Mornington Peninsula and the Port of Hastings”. “These patrols include interactions with other vessels, boating and yacht clubs, and will include providing information and education about Border Watch.” The Border Watch number for reporting “anything suspicious” is 1800 06 1800.
Team approach to check COVID-19
The shire’s environment protection manager John Rankine confirmed the boat ramp parking area on Marine Drive, opposite Victoria Street, was set aside for vehicles and trailers. Drivers of single vehicles parking there were “committing an offence and liable for an infringement notice – regardless of the level of occupancy of the car park” – as the no-parking sign indicates it is reserved for vehicles with trailers. However, Mr Rankine allowed that: “Shire officers may use their discretion on occasions based on occupancy levels and the likelihood of the car park becoming closer to capacity.” With the relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions around recreational boating and fishing there has been a significant increase in demand for boat ramp car parks, Mr Rankine said. “The shire has an obligation to ensure these areas are enforced so vehicles with trailers can park without the risk of the carpark being full.” Stephen Taylor
TEN five-person teams are out disinfecting “communal touch points” throughout the Mornington Peninsula to lessen the spread of COVID-19. The teams are being paid for by the state government through Citywide, a “physical services company” and work in conjunction with the shire’s Clean Team. The teams are cleaning public seating, bike hoops, playground equipment, bins, pedestrian signal buttons, handrails, street furniture and bus shelters. “This was a quick turnaround initiative of the government to support our community in feeling safe and secure in public and provide some additional support to council and business as restrictions are eased,” the mayor Cr Sam Hearn said. “This extra cleansing and disinfecting service by Citywide is additional to our own Clean Team that patrols high profile areas and focuses on cleaning and picking up street litter. Together, both teams will help set our community up for success as restrictions ease and our public spaces become busier.” The shire is one of 27 municipalities where Citywide teams have been sent under the state’s $500 million Working for Victoria program which matches people who have lost their jobs, including those affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19, with employers who need staff. Keith Platt
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Southern Peninsula News
3 June 2020