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Wednesday 7 October 2020
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No masking of this kind act
Kind gesture: Volunteer mask maker Karen Langdon and Vinnies’ Kitchen president Andre Linnell. Picture: Yanni
KAREN Langdon made the most of a supply of cloth left over from the temporary closure of Boomerang Bags’ Rye branch to make face masks for the homeless. The Rye resident last week presented up to 60 masks to Vinnies’ Kitchen in the band hall, Point Nepean Road, Rosebud. “We can’t deliver the Boomerang Bags because of COVID-19 but we are still happy to help,” Ms Langdon said. “Everyone is looking for masks; it’s a huge problem for the volunteers and the homeless at the kitchen.” Ms Langdon made three designs to Department of Health and Human Services’ standards: one for the averagesize face, another for a man with a beard and another for women’s faces. They come in blues, checks and “pink for the ladies”. “As long as I can get the right fabric, such as pillow cases or doona covers, I’ll keep making them,” she said. President of Vinnies’ Kitchen Andre Linnell praised Ms Langdon’s generosity. The masks will go to volunteers and clients of the kitchen which feeds a three-course meal to an average of 28 people each day. “It’s always a tough call to say how many meals to prepare because we never know exactly how many people will turn up,” Mr Linnell said. “One night we had 68, which really put the pressure on us.” Lunches – which these days are takeaway – are served 11.30am-12.30pm Wednesdays and Fridays, 12.30-1.30pm Sundays and dinners 5-6pm Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Lunches will also be served on the first Saturday of the month from this week.
Pro-airfield candidates want state to act Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au FIVE candidates in this month’s Mornington Peninsula Shire Council elections have signed a petition calling on the state government to reject changes to planning regulations affecting Tyabb Airfield. The petition claims the changes wanted by the shire will force “unworkable and invalid operating restrictions” at the airfield. “These amendments will cause significant limitations to flying and maintenance operations, leading to closure of businesses and loss of jobs,” the petition states. The president of Peninsula Aero Club (PAC) Jack Vevers is the first of 5470 signatures on the electronic peti-
tion, which was tabled in the Victorian Parliament’s Upper House on Wednesday 18 March. Council candidates who signed the petition are Julia McCarthy (Briars Ward), Darren “Daz” Barnfield (Cerberus), Bernhard “Ben” Loois and Paul Mercurio (Watson), and Tim Davies (Red Hill). The petitioners’ request for Planning Minister Richard Wynne to reject the planning scheme amendments follows years of dispute between the shire and PAC over the operation of the airfield. In April 2019 the shire hired a QC to investigate planning permits and businesses operating at the airfield, which led to several businesses being briefly shut down. Negotiations then began with the shire to bring activities at the airfield
into line with the planning scheme. The two sides have yet to be reconciled and several skirmishes have already been fought at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal over relatively minor planning matters, with a major hearing scheduled for April next year (“Shire, aero club head for VCAT showdown” The News 18/8/20). One councillor seeking re-election has warned that having a majority of pro-airfield councillors could eventually lead to government intervention. “It’s not very usual for a pressure group to attempt a council takeover,” Cr David Gill said. “A single issue group is unlikely to listen to other issues concerning the community. “But there is a big change likely with a push in every seat to get control of
council by Tyabb Airfield people.” The shire’s 11 seats across five wards are being contested by 43 candidates, including five existing councillors. Many of the candidates have ties to the airfield as PAC members, former members or family who are members. Some candidates work or have worked at the airfield. A questionnaire sent to candidates by The News asks if they are or have ever been PAC members. Of the 32 candidates who responded, Watson Ward candidate Bernhard Loois, who unsuccessfully stood for council in 2008, 2012 and 2016, said he is an associate member and Belinda Rodman (Briars) said she was a former PAC member. Candidates who have not responded to the questionnaire are Peter Orton, Anthony Marsh (a pilot), Andrew
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Ward, Stephen Batty and Peter Fitzgerald (all Briars Ward); Neil Biggins and Lisa Dixon (Cerberus); Susan Bissinger (Nepean); Tim Davies (Red Hill); Simon Galli (Seawinds); and Paul Mercurio (Watson). Cerberus Ward candidate Darren Barnfield did not answer the PAC question and subsequently asked The News to “identify your agenda for asking these questions? I see these were not asked of the candidates 4 years ago”. Mr Barnfield was told that the airfield was a current issue. Mr Vevers, in an email, told The News that “a pseudo PAC takeover of the Shire … is a fanciful notion” and that any article “singling out the PAC … is undermining the democratic process of people and organisations voting rights”.
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