NEWS DESK
Buses get a Budget boost Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au THE state government has allocated $13.85 million in the Budget to improve timetables and the frequency of bus services on Mornington Peninsula. Services on Route 788 from Frankston to Portsea will soon run every 30 minutes on weekdays and every 40 minutes on weekends – instead of the previous 40-50 minute frequencies – to tackle overcrowding and give passengers more choice about when they travel. Mount Martha bus users will have better bus access with an extension of the Route 781 service to Dromana, while Route 887 – between Rosebud and Frankston – will be redirected along the Mornington Peninsula Freeway to reduce travel times for some passengers. The better bus services comes after a long campaign by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council: “Businesses, community back Better Buses push” The News 4/11/2019 and “Support for Better Buses campaign” The News 8/10/2019. Public transport minister Ben Carroll visited Rosebud to announce the changes alongside Nepean MP Chris Brayne last week. Mr Brayne said the state government had “listened to the community who have been calling for better bus services”. “Peninsula locals will soon be enjoying more frequent and more reliable buses on the busiest routes in the
All aboard: Public transport minister Ben Carroll visited Rosebud to announce the changes alongside Nepean MP Chris Brayne last week. Picture: Supplied
area,” he said. “We know the peninsula gets busy in the warmer months – that’s why these extra services over summer are so important, giving passengers more choice about how and when they travel.” The men said the new timetables would suit those who rely on buses to get to work, school or university, as well as medical services and social events. Also, tourists will be better connected to popular attractions and to Frankston station. As a major holiday destination because of its beaches, food and wine
tram services. Planning for the network changes will begin early next year, with time frames publicised in coming months. Minister Carroll said: “We know buses are an important service to Victorians – which is why we’re making a significant investment to improve bus networks across the state to help get passengers to where they need to go on time.” “These changes will help to encourage people to leave their car at home – connecting them to important services and tourist attractions right along the peninsula.”
venues and markets, the Mornington Peninsula is often affected by travel time increases and overcrowding – especially in summer. The funding aims to ease these concerns by increasing summer weekend services on Route 788, as well as updating the timetable with more accurate journey times to reflect the increased traffic that can slow down buses. The Bus Network Improvements program aims to give passengers more choice about when they travel, and improve the connectivity of bus services to train and, further along,
Renovators: Beware of deadly asbestos RENOVATORS of holiday houses and beach boxes on the Mornington Peninsula need to be aware not to disturb dangerous asbestos particles in the process. They should engage a professional to properly assess the risks. Gordon Legal senior associate Tess Dickey said most structures built before 1987 contained asbestos – especially holiday shacks and beach boxes. The substance was used in bathrooms and kitchens, laundries, meter boxes, eaves and under cladding, tiles and linoleum flooring and in sheds, fences and chicken coops. “Any amount of asbestos is dangerous and, while it won’t always cause asbestos-related conditions, even brief exposure could result in mesothelioma and cancer,” Ms Dickey said. “Even small jobs that could potentially disturb asbestos fibres – such as drilling, cutting or sanding – should be assessed by a professional. Contact a licensed contractor ahead of beginning any renovations, no matter how preliminary they may be.” The danger is amplified by exposure to coastal weather conditions which accelerate the erosion of old facades. “In the case of beach boxes, it is more often than not the responsibility of the owner to ensure this is rectified,” Ms Dickey said.
‘Worst year on record’ – More support for women facing family violence PENINSULA Community Legal Centre has received extra funding to fight rising levels of family violence on the Mornington Peninsula. This comes as the United Nations declares the global increase in domestic violence for women and children a “shadow pandemic”. “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 will be remembered by many of those working in the family violence sector as the worst on record,” PCLC’s CEO Jackie Galloway said. “Our family violence team has not only seen an increase in the frequency and severity of family violence across the Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne’s south east, but also a surge in people affected by family violence for the first time.” To meet this demand the centre,
which has branches and outreach services at Rosebud, Frankston, Hastings and Cranbourne, has doubled the size of its specialist family violence team in the past two months. “Families being stuck at home, job losses and increased financial stress have contributed to increased violence in many households”, Ms Galloway said. “International Human Rights Day (Thursday 10 December) marks the culmination of the United Nation’s 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. This highlights the urgent need for better support for the increasing numbers of women affected by the scourge of family violence.” PCLC’s new family violence lawyers have been recruited to play an
integral role in the implementation of the new specialist family violence courts at Frankston and Moorabbin. These courts are intended to take a more therapeutic and specialist approach to family violence matters. Jane’s (not her real name) story is typical of many women helped by PCLC’s family violence lawyers. The Mornington Peninsula resident suffered a long history of psychological abuse and controlling, coercive behaviour at the hands of her long-term partner and father of her two young children. After years of “walking on egg shells”, the turning point came when his aggressive verbal outbursts escalated into physical violence against her and the children. Jane realised that she needed to act to stop the physical and psychologi-
cal harm being done to her kids and that she needed professional help. Jane contacted PCLC to help her through the legal system to escape her violent partner. “The PCLC team has been by my side helping me every step of the way through this nightmare,” Jane said. “It’s hard to list all the ways they helped me get through: from putting intervention orders in place to keep me and my kids safe; settling the separation and divorce; arranging for my lease to be broken when my former partner tracked us down and terrorised us at our new home; providing a financial counsellor and social worker to help us get on our feet again; as well as referring us to family violence support services to help with new accommodation when
we had to keep moving to get away from him.” Jane’s nightmare came to an end recently with the finalisation of all the legal proceedings, meaning she and her children were free to move on with their lives. A survey by the Australian Institute of Criminology found that almost one-in-10 Australian women in a relationship experienced domestic violence during the coronavirus crisis. Anyone needing free confidential legal advice on family violence, family law or other general legal issues is urged to contact the Peninsula Community Legal Centre on 9783 3600.
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9 December 2020
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