Frankston
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15 September – 28 September 2011
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Weekend at the opera FORGET a night at the opera, Frankston and district residents can enjoy a weekend at the opera next month when the Victorian Opera and Frankston Arts Centre join forces. The “opera-tunity” starts at 8pm on Friday 21 October with a gala concert conducted by Richard Gill. It features a night of favourites called “Opera to Broadway”, a program of popular arias, duets and ensembles from opera as well as songs from famous musicals ranging from Carmen to Oliver and accompanied by a full orchestra. On Saturday from 10am-1pm budding opera singers from secondary schools will take part in a masterclass led by Victorian Opera chorus member Angus Grant. On Sunday from 1-8pm, anyone can test their vocal skills at “Sing Your Own Opera”, a vocal workshop for all skill levels with Mr Gill. To reserve a place or find out more, call 9784 1060 or go to www.artscentre.frankston.vic. gov.au.
In full voice: Under the direction of Richard Gill, Frankston Arts Centre comes alive to the sound of big voices and a full orchestra at a weekend of opera next month.
City centre ‘bushfire prone’ By Keith Platt NEW state government bushfire building regulations are likely to add between $3000 and $10,000 to the cost of an average house. Maps released last week show more than half of the city of Frankston as being bushfire-prone, including much of the central shopping and commercial district. While the new regulations are not retrospective, they would apply to any new or replacement buildings in the city’s centre. The percentage of designated bush-
fire-prone areas are even higher on the Mornington Peninsula, although some scrub-covered areas at Mt Martha have been given the all-clear. Building surveyor Tony Wishart of Frankston-based Plan Scan said his company’s two-storey office in Young St was now within a bushfire prone area. “They say the bushfire maps were scientifically developed, but they seem pretty crazy and defy logic,” Mr Wishart said. “Ninety per cent of jobs in housing estates will now be classed as bushfireprone, requiring at least $5000 extra
for a 20 square house.” Included in the new regulations is the need to install protective mesh on roof vents, evaporative cooling units and exhaust vents; all above-ground water or gas pipes must be metal. Mr Wishart said his company had rechecked its most recent 10 jobs and all would have been required to meet the new minimum requirements. “Borrowing an extra $5000 for 25 years is a heck of a lot of money,” he said. “Protecting houses from ember attack in the middle of an estate will be to no avail. There are never ember at-
tacks in those estates. “Everyone in the business is saying this is ridiculous and makes no sense.” Frankston Council’s acting planner Fiona Johnstone said councils were given details of the new building permit requirements just days before they were announced by the government. “It wasn’t much of a heads up, but we weren’t being asked for comment, either,” Ms Johnstone said. “They are now part of the building controls.” Ms Johnstone said the government was “only trying to protect people, and that’s a good thing”. The new bushfire-prone areas are a
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direct result of recommendations made by the Black Saturday royal commission. The entire state was declared bushfire prone in the wake of the disastrous February 2009 bushfires, and the Department of Planning and Community Development, the Department of Sustainability and Environment, the Country Fire Authority and the Building Commission were told to investigate what changes were needed to building regulations. Designated bushfire-prone area maps are available at www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/ bushfireproneareas.
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