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Page 16 The Moorabool News – 14 June, 2022
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MN Disqualified driver fined
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By Lachlan Ellis
A woman has been fined and put on a good behaviour bond, after she was caught driving while disqualified in Ballan last year. Anmaree Abbott appeared at the Bacchus Marsh Magistrates’ Court on Friday 3 June via livestream, with Magistrate Hugh Radford hearing that Ms Abbott’s car was also impounded following the offence. “On the 21st of July 2021, police were patrolling on Old Melbourne Road in Ballan, with the automatic number plate recognition system alerting police to a white holden SUV, flagging that the registered owner was a disqualified driver,” Police Prosecutor Sergeant Aimee Heal said. “At 2:40 pm police spoke with the accused, she stated she was the registered owner of the car. Checks revealed that the accused had been suspended due to demerit points on the 10th of March 2021 for 6 months, so that would’ve expired on the 9th of September 2021. As her licence had expired during that period, it meant she was disqualified from obtaining a
licence until the end of the period. “The accused was very cooperative with police and made full admissions of driving while suspended. Her car was impounded for 30 days at cost of $1355. She stated to police that she was driving to get to the doctors,” Sgt Heal told the court. Supporting documents submitted by defence lawyer Matilda Jones confirmed Ms Abbott’s appointment with a doctor
on the day of the offending, which the Magistrate took into account. “I’m going to require you to be on good behaviour until the 16th of September 2022, and pay $500 to the court fund. I’ll adjourn this matter to the 16th of September for a diversion agreement,” Magistrate Radford said. “And I’m not going to interfere with your licence,” he said.
Increasing inflow: Cameron Steele, coordinator of People for a Living Moorabool, said the Moorabool is in desperate need of support. Photo: TIM BOTTAMS
Breath of fresh air for river
By Tim Bottams Moorabool River advocacy group People for a Living Moorabool have responded to a funding announcement in the 2022/23 State budget that will go towards supporting the waterway. PALM’s coordinator Cameron Steele said the backing is “heartening” and will allow pressure to be lifted from the Moorabool, currently regarded as Victoria’s most flowstressed river. “It’s certainly not all the answers we need for the river, but hopefully that will come when Geelong and Ballarat go towards a manufactured water source,” he said. “Whether that means a recyclable alternative or desalination, it will allow pressure to come off the Moorabool, so we hope this is a good first step to recovering the river. “There’s no doubt it’s currently dying.” Mr Steele said the water assessment report showed a 20 per cent less inflow over 15 years. “Fish are depopulating in some parts, and vegetation’s still encroaching onto it because of the lack of flow.”
The Moorabool River is just one of the waterways that will be supported as part of $30 million allocated for the draft Central and Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy, which aims to support rivers and catchments across the State. A further $26.6 million is pencilled in for the strategy next financial year, and Mr Steele said the group has been involved in the document’s drafting for about three years. “Of course, we’ve been asking for more environmental flows, and there’s an indication that our requests will make its way into the document,” he said. “We’re hoping once the draft goes through that it’ll help claw back some of the Moorabool’s water that’s been taken out of it with an upgrade to the Melbourne to Geelong pipeline. “We’ll be very critical if we think it’s fallen short.” Mr Steele said the Moorabool has been “dammed to death” along the northern regions and that 400,000 megalitres would be required to properly fill the river to accommodate for the region’s growing population. “What it really needs is more water, and it needs that water left in it. You turn a tap on, and a lot of that water comes from rivers like this so we need to make sure we can continue to provide for it,” he said.