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Wednesday 7 October 2020
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Artist’s tribute to fallen officers
In memory: Former police officers Susan Norman and Constable David Ness honour deceased colleagues at the Hastings cenotaph last week. Picture: Gary Sissons
FORMER police officer Susan Norman has found that art helps relieve the stress and sense of isolation among those suffering from trauma and PTSD. On Victorian Police Remembrance Day, Tuesday 29 September, she used her painting skills to honour the memory of the four police killed on the Eastern Freeway, Kew, in April. On the same day, Victorian police held a virtual service to honour the fallen officers, as well as the other 19 Victorian officers, public service staff and police chaplains, who died in the past year. “I painted the picture in memory of the four police officers killed on the freeway,” Ms Norman, of Balnarring and a former senior constable, said. “Each hat represents the vintage of the police officer with their registered number. “The eyes [represent] someone always watching over them and the hands [are] releasing light so they aren’t left in the dark.” Ms Norman was stationed at Knox and Moe where, she says, colleagues took their own lives due to suffering PTSD and accumulated mental health issues, as well as at Traralgon and San Remo. She was retired due to injury and PTSD after 12 years in the force. It was not an easy transition. “It’s a rough playing field,” she said. “Things play on your mind. It can lead to breakdowns because you can’t un-see what you have seen. “I found art helps with the way I deal with situations.” Ms Norman said serving and non-serving police officers shared a tight bond: “We feel what our brothers and sisters in blue are feeling.” The Code 9 Foundation, which helps police, emergency services workers and their families in their time of need, had been especially helpful. “They saved me. I was close to the edge, but now I’m coming out the other side and am ready to go back.” To help the work of Code 9 former Ms Norman is breeding border collies to be trained as assistance dogs. Meanwhile, children and teachers from the Creative Kids Early Learning Centre and Kindergarten at Mornington sent tributes to honour police on National Police Remembrance Day. Stephen Taylor
Pro-airfield candidates want state to act Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au FIVE candidates in this month’s Mornington Peninsula Shire Council elections have signed a petition calling on the state government to reject changes to planning regulations affecting Tyabb Airfield. The petition claims the changes wanted by the shire will force “unworkable and invalid operating restrictions” at the airfield. “These amendments will cause significant limitations to flying and maintenance operations, leading to closure of businesses and loss of jobs,” the petition states. The president of Peninsula Aero Club (PAC) Jack Vevers is the first of 5470 signatures on the electronic peti-
tion, which was tabled in the Victorian Parliament’s Upper House on Wednesday 18 March. Council candidates who signed the petition are Julia McCarthy (Briars Ward), Darren “Daz” Barnfield (Cerberus), Bernhard “Ben” Loois and Paul Mercurio (Watson), and Tim Davies (Red Hill). The petitioners’ request for Planning Minister Richard Wynne to reject the planning scheme amendments follows years of dispute between the shire and PAC over the operation of the airfield. In April 2019 the shire hired a QC to investigate planning permits and businesses operating at the airfield, which led to several businesses being briefly shut down. Negotiations then began with the shire to bring activities at the airfield
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into line with the planning scheme. The two sides have yet to be reconciled and several skirmishes have already been fought at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal over relatively minor planning matters, with a major hearing scheduled for April next year (“Shire, aero club head for VCAT showdown” The News 18/8/20). One councillor seeking re-election has warned that having a majority of pro-airfield councillors could eventually lead to government intervention. “It’s not very usual for a pressure group to attempt a council takeover,” Cr David Gill said. “A single issue group is unlikely to listen to other issues concerning the community. “But there is a big change likely with a push in every seat to get control of council by Tyabb Airfield people.”
The shire’s 11 seats across five wards are being contested by 43 candidates, including five existing councillors. Many of the candidates have ties to the airfield as PAC members, former members or family who are members. Some candidates work or have worked at the airfield. A questionnaire sent to candidates by The News asks if they are or have ever been PAC members. Of the 32 candidates who responded, Watson Ward candidate Bernhard Loois, who unsuccessfully stood for council in 2008, 2012 and 2016, said he is an associate member and Belinda Rodman (Briars) said she was a former PAC member. Candidates who have not responded to the questionnaire are Peter Orton, Anthony Marsh (a pilot), Andrew Ward, Stephen Batty and Peter Fitzger-
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ald (all Briars Ward); Neil Biggins and Lisa Dixon (Cerberus); Susan Bissinger (Nepean); Tim Davies (Red Hill); Simon Galli (Seawinds); and Paul Mercurio (Watson). Cerberus Ward candidate Darren Barnfield did not answer the PAC question and subsequently asked The News to “identify your agenda for asking these questions? I see these were not asked of the candidates 4 years ago”. Mr Barnfield was told that the airfield was a current issue. Mr Vevers, in an email, told The News that “a pseudo PAC takeover of the Shire … is a fanciful notion” and that any article “singling out the PAC … is undermining the democratic process of people and organisations voting rights”.