Western Port
Features inside
Western Port
realestate
Luxury that’s > Page 3
FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT
24 Septemb er
2013
all yours
PAGES 50–53 CLASSIFIEDS
PAGES 57–58 (03) 5979 80 03 btre.com.au
WESTERN PORT SCOREBOARD
PAGES 59–62
An independent voice for the community
Your weekly community newspaper covering the entire Western Port region For all advertising and editorial, call 1300
FREE
BTRE YOU’LL SOO
N BE H
Shop 1/34 High Street, Hastings,
24 September mber – 30 September Septembe berr 2013 201 20 013
MPNEWS (1300 676 397) or email: team@mpnews.com.au www.mpnews.com.au
Westpark’s got talent STAR power wowed the crowd at Hastings Westpark Primary School’s concert last Thursday night. The Dream Catcher was the culmination of two terms of creative workshops run by MusoMagic, founded by ARIA awardwinner and former Chocolate Starfish frontman Adam Thompson. Pupils performed in the packed hall in front of parents, staff and friends of the school as well as Mornington Peninsula Shire CEO Michael Kennedy and Cr David Garnock. Principal Mark Watters said the school’s 90 pupils as well as teachers had been working with MusoMagic to learn music-making including composition, production, event management, software skill development, creative writing, filmmaking, visual art and stagecraft. The workshops were part of Arts Victoria’s “extended school residencies”. “Just to see all the kids grow and be able to perform in front of so many people made me so proud and meant all the hard work was so worthwhile,” coordinator Sheryl Forrester said. Assistant principal Nicky Fammartino said “what they achieved was quite amazing and blew me away”. School’s name change on Page 9. Wow power: Pupils follow their performing dreams at Westpark primary last week. Picture: Gary Sissons
West Park to Wallaroo By Mike Hast WEST Park Estate in Hastings could be renamed Wallaroo with the change being proposed by Hastings Community Alliance and West Park Residents Action Group. The proposed change follows Hastings Westpark Primary School’s announcement last week that it will change to Wallaroo Primary School for the start of the 2014 school year (see inside). Alliance co-chairman Brian Stahl said there had been a certain amount of stigma associated with the public housing estate since it was built in the early 1970s. “The estate was isolated from the
main part of Hastings due to lack of public transport and was built on floodprone land,” he said. “Housing Commission contractors had to stabilise roads to even allow access to the estate.” He said Hastings-based developer Don Hodgins once lost a cow in mud in the area before it was bought by the government for public housing. The state government has spent millions over the years repairing roads, footpaths, drains and homes. Mr Stahl, who moved to Hastings in 1966, said the Housing Commission of Victoria built estates in the region at Frankston North (Pines Forest Estate, 1950s and 1960s), Hastings (West
SUPPLIERS OF WORK CLOTHING & PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
PHONE/FAX: 03 5979 4562
WE HAVE MOVED TO: 1905 Frankston-Flinders Rd, Hastings www.westernportworkgear.com.au New trading hours: Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm NOW OPEN SATURDAY 8.30AM TO 12.30PM
Park Estate) and Mornington (Tanti Park Estate, 1960s and 1970s) as well as further afield, which created pockets of disadvantage. He said public housing should have been built throughout Hastings rather than in one area, “which is what is done nowadays”. The government started selling West Park homes to individuals in the 1980s, he said. Now only about 28 per cent of homes were owned by the state government. Mr Stahl said the Victorian government’s Hastings Neighbourhood Renewal project started in 2005 and had improved West Park as well as the town as a whole.
“There has been a big increase in community pride,” he said. Mr Stahl said West Park’s negative reputation was undeserved. “There are many families who have contributed to our community over many years.” Following the end of renewal project funding in June, the state government promised $80,000 and Mornington Peninsula Shire $40,000 to revitalise West Park Reserve, an under-utilised area in the centre of the estate. Area councillor David Garnock, also co-chairman of the alliance, said the project would “provide a familyfriendly environment for local people for many years to come”. It will include park furniture, more
lights, improved paths, planting of indigenous flora, creating a “village green” where residents can socialise, and installing a range of community art. When announcing the state government money, Hastings MP Neale Burgess said “residents involved in the Community Safety Working Group and, more recently, West Park Residents Group indicated they did not feel comfortable using West Park Reserve in its current state due to a lack of adequate lighting, ageing pathways, no seats or tables and past instances of vandalism”. The work is scheduled for completion mid-2014.
REPAIRS PLUS
BRAND NEW
PRESENT THIS VOUCHER
BRAKE SPECIAL • Front or rear disc brake reline • Quality brake pads • Brake rotor machining • Fitting (Covers most cars)
$198 *Conditions apply
CUSTOM BUILT
CARAVANS All sizes and styles available
Ensuite vans from
only $45,990 Visit our family run business in Somerville.
Phone Chris & Ellen on 5977 8194
$5
MAIN MEAL
Buy one main meal and receive a second meal for $5* From the selected menu (Valid Mon to Fri)
WESTERNPORT HOTEL 16 High Street, HASTINGS Phone 5979 1201 for bookings Not valid public holidays. *Conditions apply. Valid until 8th October 2013.
11 Glendale Ave, Hastings
Ph: 5979 1074
WESTERNPORT CARAVANS
CNR HIGH & SALMON STREET, HASTINGS. PHONE 5979 1201