NEWS DESK
Clearing the air for takeoff, or not A SCHEDULED five-day hearing at the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal may help clear the air over the ongoing operations of the Tyabb airfield. The hearing began on Monday (28 February) and follows an application by Peninsula Aero Club (PAC) and Westernport Airfield seeking declarations from VCAT clarifying their rights. In a statement last July, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council said, “it has been agreed that PAC’s VCAT application for a declaration will provide clarity about the ongoing operation of the airport, thereby providing certainty for the airport operators, businesses and the community” (“Airfield, shire in permit formation” The News 3/8/21). It stated that previous efforts to end confusion about PAC’s permits “have created misunder-
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standings and frustration for the local community”. One year earlier, the aero club was warning that actions being taken by the shire, including issuing a stop work order, would “strangle airport operations”. As part of the sometimes bitter dispute over the airfield permits, the shire was last year ordered to pay $32,000 to PAC for costs incurred (“Shire’s $32,000 payout to aero club” The News 23/2/21). This week’s hearing basically picks up where that hearing ended, with subjects under dispute including what constitutes ”existing use rights”; is it an airfield or airport; use of the east-west runway; night flying; use by helicopters other than those acting in an “emergency” role; and pilot training. Keith Platt
Mountain racing to find Stoke THE second In Search of Stoke female gravity enduro event will be held at Red Hill on 23 and 24 April. Last year’s mountain bike race attracted more than 100 entrants and was the first event of its kind in Victoria. Gravity enduro mountain biking - where the downhill segment is timed, and participants have to ride back up the hill each time in between downhill segments - and downhill mountain biking, are historically heavily maledominated sports. Organiser Kathryn Visser said the event seeks to address these barriers by creating an all-female, super welcoming and inclusive environment to demystify the race scene for women and help them to build friendships, networks, community and experience. She hopes this year’s event will be a bigger and better than in 2021, with Saturday featuring a race for the “fellas and kids” so the whole
Resting up: Lailah Baker (lying down) with friends Ashtyn Williams, Ashtyn’s mother Prue Williams, Ines Kessler and Naomi Wilson, made last year’s Search of Stoke as a bit of girls’ day out. Picture: Supplied family can join in, and Sunday featuring the women's race. The event is run in conjunction with Red Hill Riders (the Red Hill MTB club). Liz Bell
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THE FESTIVAL WILL COMPLY WITH THE RELEVANT VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS REGARDING COVID-19 AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT. PAGE 8
Western Port News
2 March 2022