November 1st 2011

Page 1

Southern Peninsula

Features inside: SPRING HOME & GARDEN PAGE 40 HEALTHY LIVING PAGES 39 – 41 FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT PAGES 42 – 44

Local news for local people

Your FREE Fortnightly Community Newspaper covering Safety Beach to Portsea For all your advertising and editorial needs, call us on 1300

FREE

1 November – 14 November 2011

MPNEWS (1300 676 397) or email: team@mpnews.com.au www.mpnews.com.au

On track searching for artefacts HERITAGE archaeologist Mark Dugay-Grist checked for Aboriginal artefacts at sites beside Portsea’s Back Beach Rd last week. The archaeological digs were the first step in the construction of a 1.6-kilometre long footpath between Point Nepean Rd and the start of the car park at the back beach. The $360,000 path will make it safer for pedestrians, says Nepean Ward councillor Tim Rodgers. “Back Beach Rd has always been a dangerous road for walkers, especially during the summer,� he said. Mornington Peninsula Shire received a petition from residents calling for the footpath in February and allocated the money in the 2011-12 budget. The petitioners asked the council to take action to provide safe access for pedestrians using the road between Point Nepean Rd and the national park and Portsea Surf Life Saving Club. Cr Rodgers said the path would not be ready for summer but would likely be completed by mid-year at the latest. The residents also asked for the speed limit to be cut from 60 to 50km/h. Cr Rodgers said this would take some time as VicRoads would have to approve the lower speed. Continued Page 9

The searchers: Adam Edwards Magennis, left, Phaedra Murray and Mark Dugay-Grist hunt for Aboriginal artefacts at Portsea.

Plans split to aid pool By Mike Hast THE shire council has split its two long-term plans for Rosebud, fasttracking its foreshore management plan and shelving the Rosebud Activity Centre Structure Plan. Resident lobby groups are accusing the shire of splitting the plans to fasttrack the foreshore aquatic centre. The plans had been processed together for more than five years until late last month. In August, Environment Minister Ryan Smith invited the shire to com-

plete and submit its Rosebud Foreshore Reserve Coastal Management Plan, which earmarked a site for the pool next to Rosebud Memorial Hall. The invitation was the first sign for more than five years the government would allow a pool on the shire’s preferred foreshore site. Since 2006, the shire had repeatedly been told by the Department of Sustainability and Environment – Victoria’s foreshore manager – a pool on the foreshore would not be approved. DSE guidelines state buildings on

Port Phillip foreshore must be coastal dependent, for example, a life saving club or yacht club. Intense lobbying this year by Nepean MP Martin Dixon, shire CEO Michael Kennedy and councillors Graham Pittock and David Gibb plus a change of policy – which appears to have been forced on DSE by the new state government – makes a foreshore pool more likely than ever. Five lobby groups have written letters of protest to Dr Kennedy, Cr Pittock and the state government, saying

Marshall’s HOLIDAY RENTALS

FREE RENTAL APPRAISAL

SORRENTO OFFICE WE WILL NOT BE BEATEN ON PRICE OR QUALITY $FFUHGLWHG ,QVWDOOHUV (VWDEOLVKHG \HDUV

Ph: 5977 0878

We are the largest on the Mornington Peninsula

9best service 9best ROI

9biggest team 9100% holiday focus

1R 2EOLJDWLRQ )UHH 4XRWDWLRQV

&DUV +RPHV 2IĂ€FHV

AN W S TS E E RT I Y G U E S

TED

IT P P R O OR QUAL F

5984 5955 1000a Nepean Highway, Mornington

www.MyRentals.com.au 119 Ocean Beach Rd. Upstairs (cnr. Darling Rd.)

the uncoupling of the plans has been done to avoid further public consultation and scrutiny of the foreshore management plan. Councillors will vote on the foreshore plan on Monday 14 November. It is likely to be approved and sent to Mr Smith. The five groups – Mornington Peninsula Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association, McCrae Homestead Coastal Group, Southern Peninsula Flora and Fauna Association, Friends of Rosebud Beach Foreshore and Coalition of

VICTORIA’S BEST RANGE OF WATER FEATURES, POTS, PLANTERS, STATUES, ELITE HOME & GARDEN DÉCOR

16 Mornington – Tyabb Rd Tyabb Phone 03 9397 6644 Open Thurs – Sun 9.30am - 4.00pm

www.topez.com.au

Concerned Rosebud Foreshore Groups – claim the community will have no chance to object to important elements of the foreshore management plan. The main objection by conservationists has always been that the site of the proposed Rosebud pool is vulnerable to sea level rise and increased storm surges. All governments in Australia now accept there will be a sea level rise of 80cm by the end of the century. A secondary objection is the loss of vegetation and precious foreshore land.

1

NO.

IN SALES Jan 2009 Current 2011!

HOLIDAY & PERMANENT

Thankyou for making us the NO1 selling agency locally again!

We need properties NOW to meet seasonal demand in Portsea, Sorrento, Blairgowrie, Rye and St Andrews Beach. Call our rental Managers on 5984 4388 for a FREE appraisal, excellence in service and competitive fees!

Call Troy Daly (Principal) on 0418 397 771 for a free appraisal & property report and experience the difference...

Our strength however means we urgently require stock across Sorrento,Portsea, Blairgowrie, * REIV SALES Rye and St Andrews Beach. RESULTS 2009 – CURRENT

109 OCEAN BEACH ROAD SORRENTO 5984 4388 www.jpdixon.com.au www.jpdixonportseasorrento.com.au


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
November 1st 2011 by Mornington Peninsula News Group - Issuu