NEWS DESK
Western Port
Proudly published by Mornington Peninsula News Group Pty Ltd
PHONE: 03 5973 6424 Published weekly. Circulation: 15,000
Journalists: Stephen Taylor, Neil Walker 5973 6424 Photographers: Gary Sissons, Yanni Dellaportas Advertising Sales: Martyn Ashton 0481 289 154 Real Estate Account Manager: Jason Richardson 0421 190 318 Production/Graphic design: Marcus Pettifer, Danielle Espagne Group Editor: Keith Platt 0439 394 707 Publisher: Cameron McCullough REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Peter McCullough, Stuart McCullough, Andrew Hurst, Craig MacKenzie. ADDRESS: Mornington Peninsula News Group PO Box 588 Hastings 3915 Email: team@mpnews.com.au Web: www.mpnews.com.au DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE: 1PM ON THURSDAY 15 MARCH 2018 NEXT ISSUE PUBLICATION DATE: TUESDAY 20 MARCH 2018
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Call for fox watchers THE Western Port Biosphere organisation wants volunteer citizen scientists to help keep an eye on foxes. The biosphere has been given a government grant for a two-year fox “monitoring and control” project in the northern coast area of Western Port. “Our aim is to abate the predation pressure by foxes on stock, small native fauna and ground dwelling shore birds,” executive officer Cecelia Witton said. “Photo-monitoring in the first year will assess the distribution and abundance of the red fox, which will determine the most effective areas to undertake control activities in the second year,” she said. Ms Whitton said volunteer citizen scientists would be trained to ensure the success of the program. “Landholders and community groups will be empowered to build pest monitoring and management into routine farm/land management,” she said. “Volunteers from the broader community will be trained to assist landholders and to undertake fauna identification.” The training would include using and maintaining motion-sensing cameras (supplied by the biosphere). Up to four cameras may be positioned on a property depending on its size. A workshop would be held to teach volunteers how to download photos from the cameras, identify fauna and record them on the Atlas of Living Australia. Help would also be provided to a qualified fox control contractor in the
Signs to cut roadkill
Caught on camera: The Western Port Biosphere is about to start monitoring the movements of foxes. Picture: Keith Platt
second year. “The extent of involvement will be tailored to suit individuals,” Ms Whitton said. “In the long term, through coordination of biodiversity monitoring and fox control activities by citizen scientists, integrated with other stakeholder fox management, this project will contribute to a landscape scale map of all management activities, which will identify gaps in control, and determine the effectiveness of control techniques; predator/prey relationships and, the effectiveness of control activities on target species populations.” To join the Western Port Biosphere’s fox control project email admin@biosphere.org.au or call 5979 2167. Keith Platt
KANGAROOS and wallabies may be more safely crossing Mornington Peninsula roads at night thanks to a trial of electronic signs warning road users to their presence. Mornington Peninsula Shire’s traffic transport office has agreed to install temporary signs at high risk zones on Purves Road, Arthurs Seat and Jetty Road, Boneo. Similar speed indicator signs are being used for the second year running to caution motorists on the Esplanade, Mt Martha about pedestrians visiting The Pillars rock jumping site. Results of the wildlife trial will be evaluated and, if acknowledged as a success, may lead to permanent and more informative signs being installed. The Australian Wildlife Protection Council and the Mornington Peninsula Branch of the Victorian Greens pushed for the trial. “In certain areas of the peninsula, wildlife – especially kangaroos and wallabies – regularly cross roads,” Nepean Green's candidate Paul Saunders said. “This endangers the wildlife and also car users, particularly around dawn and dusk.”
FRANKSTON
CAR PARKING CHANGES – NEW FRANKSTON STATION WORKS Free all-day commuter parking
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Western Port News
13 March 2018
Legend Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne
Additional council parking
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contact@levelcrossings.vic.gov.au 1800 105 105 levelcrossings.vic.gov.au
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For your safety, please observe any signage and instructions put in place during these works.
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The level crossing will be closed to traffic from now until Friday 16 March. Pedestrain access will be maintained.
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Additional free all-day parking is also available in the Mechanic’s Institute car park, located at Plowman Place/ Bay Street, approximately 600m from Frankston Station.
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Due to construction activities in and around the station, some car spaces will be closed in the Fletcher Road car park. To ensure there is no loss of parking for rail passengers during construction, alternative free allday parking has been provided in the Playne/Young Street (Old Law Courts) car park, just 400m from Frankston Station.
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From now until end of November 2018
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