Along for the ride: Hayley Bennetts, 12, enjoying time in the saddle at a Riding for the Disabled Western Port ride.
home consists of two fenced paddocks of 9.4 hectares and 8.4 hectares. The land is cleared and abuts the southern boundary of the reserve. Access to the land is from Stony Point Rd and through the reserve. “There have been no issues to date with the [riding group’s] use of the land and it does not interfere with the use of the adjacent reserve,” property operations team leader Greg Collins told council. The use of the land by the riders is consistent with the Woolleys Rd Bushland Reserve master plan adopted by the council in 2013.
Council seizes 29 ‘campaign’ dogs TWENTY nine dogs have been seized from a property owner at Blind Bight for contravening a local law that limits the number of animals allowed to be kept without a permit. Troy Scoble was found guilty at the Dandenong Magistrates Court in late June 2016, of keeping too many animals on his property and failing to meet basic registration requirements. “Council is in regular contact with the owner of the dogs, who are being vet-checked and will be cared for until a decision on their future is made,” Casey mayor Cr Sam Aziz said. “Council acted as swiftly as it could within the bounds of the law and in the best interests of the dogs. Dogs being kept at the property featured as part of the 2 July federal election campaign of Animal Justice Party candidate for Flinders, Ben Wild, who attracted 4.2 per cent of votes. The seat was retained by Liberal Greg Hunt (51.6 per cent of votes). Mr Wild distributed images of dogs chained to kennels to illustrate the need for a federal office of animal welfare. He said the department should stand apart from the agriculture department and be in a position to strengthen the powers of animal welfare organisations, including the RSPCA. ”This case began in February this year when Oscar’s Law broke the news of up to 40 dogs being held on small chains, in muddy bushland out the back of Mr Scoble’s property in Blind Bight,” Mr Wild said last week. “Since this time there have been a number of campaigns to save the dogs,
Unchained: Vets are checking the health of unregistered dogs being kept on a property at Blind Bight after they were seized by Casey Council. Picture: Oscars Law
with police, the RSPCA and the council visiting the property on numerous occasions. “In the end it was a council by-law that eventually got these dogs out of there.” Mr Wild said that the seizure of the dogs was “truly a tremendous outcome … we are only part way there”. During the election campaign Mr Wild had nearly 16,000 signatures on a petition asking for any level of govern-
Pokies losses on the rise POKIES losses across Frankston rose slightly in the past 12 months and still topped $63 million despite the introduction of voluntary precommitment cards for gamblers last year. Pokies punters in neighbouring Mornington Peninsula Shire and Kingston lost $82,381,143 and $83,473,105 respectively in 2015-16. The Labor state government launched a $197 million YourPlay scheme in December last year allowing pokies players to preselect losses limits using a swipe card to gamble on poker machines. Critics of YourPlay note gamblers can simply increase the preselected limit if they want to play on. Uptake of the scheme has been slow. Just 8130 YourPlay cards have been registered and 15,274 casual cards are in circulation according to state government figures released in May. “The Andrews Labor government shares the community’s concerns about problem gambling. We are focused on reducing the harm
caused by problem gambling,” Liquor and Gaming Regulation Minister Marlene Kairouz said. “That is why we have invested $150 million over the next four years to support problem gambling services and YourPlay. “Whilst gambling is a legitimate industry, we will continue to take an evidenced based approach to addressing the harm caused by problem gambling.” Upper House South Eastern Metropolitan region Greens MP Nina Springle says voluntary pre-commitment has failed to curb problem gambling. “Pokie losses continue to grow bigger and bigger. Voluntary pre-commitment has had absolutely no effect, as predicted,” Ms Springle said. “Pokie machines are designed by experts to be highly addictive, so it’s hardly a wonder that voluntary betting limits are having zero effect. The Greens MP said only mandatory precommitment would help problem gamblers.
ment to come to the aid of the dogs. “After all the community outrage and concern, it was a simple council by-law regarding registration that saved these dogs. Once again this highlights the absolute gulf developing between community expectations regarding animal welfare and the actual laws that govern them,” he said. “But it’s not over yet for these poor animals – with months of rehabilitation expected ahead.
“These dogs have endured both physical and psychological trauma over this last year and will take some serious rehabilitation before they can be re-homed. “But in the end this is exactly what we have hooped for since the plight was brought to our attention.” Mr Wild said he was grateful that the City of Casey had had “the foresight to develop stronger by-laws on animal”. Keith Platt
Ombudsman looks at municipalities Continued from Page 1 Mornington Peninsula shire’s communications and media manager Mark Kestigian said the Ombudsman’s visit was made “as part of a report being developed into the issue of transparency of local government decision making”. “According to the Ombudsman’s office, the report will consider councils’ decision making processes and seek to find out more about how often council meetings and special meetings are closed; processes regarding confidential matters; handling of delegations relating to decision making; and, the nature and quality of records kept and the public availability of those records.” Mr Kestigian said the shire was “one of many local councils who were interviewed”. Ms Glass said her report would “seek to inform the process” of a review into the Local Government Act 1989. In June, the mayor Cr Graham Pittock said that while he did not agree with some of the amendments to the code of conduct, councillors had no choice but to sign it and “just agree to abide by
it” (“New rules take the personal out of council debates”, The News 14/6/16). In March the state government required all councils to revise and adopt their code by 4 July. Among the 10-page list of expectations and behaviours, the code makes it punishable for councillors to divulge confidential information, accept gifts other than of “token value”, “malign” other councillors for their decisions, and use council resources such as mobile phones and cars, for personal use. The code backs up state government reforms introduced last year to deal with rogue councillors, who will now face an independent conduct panel that can impose six-month suspensions. Before the new laws, the government was only able to sack an entire council if there were ongoing problems. Councillors who voted for the code were Bev Colomb, and Anne Shaw, Antonella Celi, David Gibb, David Garnock and Andrew Dixon; opposed were the mayor Cr Pittock and Crs Fraser, Tim Rodgers and Tim Wood.
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2 August 2016
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