NEWS DESK
VCAT to decide retirement village
Cleaning goes
Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au
THE Western Port Biosphere is recruiting adjoining landowners to help clean up Watson Creek which runs from Baxter through to the bay. The biosphere wants the managers of farms, plant nurseries, schools and other landholders along the creek and within its catchment “to be at the forefront of water stewardship”. The role of the biosphere is to encourage partnerships within the community to foster conservation and sustainable development in the Western Port catchment. The biosphere covers the Mornington Peninsula and takes in the municipalities of Frankston, Casey, Cardinia, Bass Coast and French Island. Benefits of being a water steward can include cost savings through more efficient water and fertiliser management, more secure water future and the possibility of being funded for on-site works. Western Port Biosphere’s Water Stewardship project officer Lance Lloyd said he would work with landholders to develop a site water stewardship plan, which includes specialist training from Water Stewardship Australia. The project uses an international water stewardship standard “as a tool” for businesses and land managers that use water to address the shared and site-specific challenges of the catchment. “The Watson Creek catchment is the initial focus for developing site water stewardship plans with landholders, organisations and businesses,” Mr Lloyd said. “Eventually we will be offering opportunities across the Western Port Biosphere area.”
THE developers of a proposed $47 million retirement village at Somerville – knocked back by the shire in June – are appealing to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The 223-unit development at 16 Graf Rd proposes 11 separate buildings over two and three storeys, with parking for 279 cars. Lawyers acting for developer CBG Architects, of St Kilda, have applied for a Review of Refusal hearing, under the tribunal’s List of Major Cases, on 25 November. They are contesting the shire’s decision not to grant a planning permit under Section 77 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987. Grounds of appeal claim the scale of the proposed development is compatible with the role and character of Somerville and its township, that its visual bulk is not detrimental to the amenity of the area and is consistent with the expectations of a residential zone, that it demonstrates a reasonable level of amenity for residents, that its den-
sity will not result in unreasonable and adverse impacts on adjacent dwellings, that additions, alterations and vegetation removal will not detract from the significance of heritage-listed homestead Seaton Carew, and that vehicle access is compliant with the planning scheme. The shire refused the application in June after objectors slammed it as not being in keeping with the character of the town, that its height would be visually overpowering, and that infrastructure, such as roads and drainage, would not be able to cope with the extra demand. Cr Lynn Bowden said at the time she was “concerned about the height of the proposal” and was “taking steps to ensure consideration of the proposal comes before the full council and not just the officers”. The three storey buildings are proposed for the highest parts of the 3.2 hectare site, which has a 105 metre frontage to Graf Rd and 109 metres to Eramosa Rd. It is on the western edge of the town’s commercial activity centre. “Somerville’s nature is a single-storey rural town,” Cr Bowden said then. “There’s very little multi-storey development here and, while we may
need another retirement village, it has got to fit in with the town’s character.” She said other retirement villages on the peninsula were all single storey. “If you put three storeys here then all of downtown can go to three storeys – and how many rural towns have three storey buildings? It’s not a major activity.” Cr Bowden said the height of some of the buildings and their elevation would make them higher than the Centro shopping centre. “They’ll overlook the whole town.” The centrepiece of the proposed complex is Seaton Carew, which would be refurbished and extended to include a hairdresser and florist, administration and medical facilities and a community area. The development would be built in five stages “in line with market demand”. Applicant CBG Architects said in June the site “could be defined as a strategic redevelopment site as defined in the shire planning scheme”. It said the retirement village proposal “represents an appropriate development outcome for the site” supported by Clause 16 of the state planning policy framework.
Two on the move to beat arthritis By Ian Munro* AS he pedals out of Dimboola with three days’ cycling from Melbourne behind him, Stan Proctor will be just beginning to enjoy himself, which is just as well because his destination will be Darwin. His experience of long distance riding tells him that by the fourth day he will be riding for the pleasure of it. “It’s pretty tough for the first three days regardless of the preparation you do,” says Proctor, who has previously ridden from Melbourne to Sydney, and on 27 September will set out to ride to Darwin. “For the first three days your body is asking ‘why are you doing this?’ By the sixth day, when we got to Sydney, I could have kept on going at 150 kilometres a day, which is what we are going to do on the Darwin ride.” The first answer to the “why” of it is that, for Proctor, of Mornington, the 3750 kilometre ride over 30 days is “kind of like my Everest. I am closing on 65 so there’s not going to be too many more years I can take on a challenge like that”. But the bigger reason is that he is doing it to support his riding mate, fellow Mornington resident Mike McKenzie and his son Bradley, who have both been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory form of arthritis that attacks the joints of the spine. Riding to raise awareness about arthritis and funds for arthritis research
Darwin bound: Stan Proctor and Mike McKenzie are riding their bikes to Darwin to raise awareness and money for arthritis research. Picture: Meredith O’Shea
projects will likely help to sustain them on the ride, says Proctor, a 47year RACV member. Bradley McKenzie was 28 when he was diagnosed with spondylitis, and since then his father Mike has been diagnosed with the same form of arthritis at age 64. Proctor also knows the pain of ar-
thritis. A veteran of the squash court, he has it worst of all in his right wrist, but also in his hips and shoulders. “It’s been a learning exercise for me. I had not realised arthritis affects people right across every age range. It can be people as young as Bradley, and younger still, that suffer.” The fundamental message that
Proctor and McKenzie want to demonstrate is that once you have arthritis it is important to maintain as much movement as possible. As a result, their theme, supported by Arthritis Victoria, is the “make a move ride”. “However much you are able to move is going to be beneficial. Sometimes it’s really hard to start your joints moving. After a lay-off they can be very hard to start, but as much mild exercise that you can fit into your life is going to be hugely beneficial.” The two riders intend to use every seventh day as a rest day and, like footballers, will be seeking out cold water pools to revive their muscles after each day’s riding at an average speed of around 26kkph. All going to plan, Proctor and McKenzie will be in Darwin on 25 October. For more about the ride visit makeamoveride.org.au. *First published in the July 2015 RoyalAuto, the RACV's member magazine.
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Western Port News 25 August 2015
up the creek
Meeting tackles traffic woes SINCE the opening of Peninsula Link, traffic through and around Tyabb has increased and issues need addressing, say members of the Tyabb and District Ratepayers’ Group. They are planning a traffic forum on Tuesday 13 October at the CFA rooms in Mornington-Tyabb Rd to address problems and come up with some fresh ideas to tackle traffic issues. At the forum, residents and authorities from state and local government and others responsible for traffic management will get together to discuss concerns and start putting together some solutions. It is hoped representatives of VicRoads, Roads Minister Luke Donnellan, RACV and local politicians will attend. Those wanting to contribute their thoughts and comments prior to meeting can email tyabb_and_district_ratepayers@yahoo.com.au or post their comments to PO Box 155, Tyabb, or drop them into the box at Tyabb post office.