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Tuesday 14 July 2020
5974 9000 or email: team@mpnews.com.au www.mpnews.com.au
Welcome time out from crisis THOUGHTS of the COVID-19 crisis and the latest restrictions were able to be pushed aside on Thursday (9 July) when word of a whale in Mornington harbour quickly spread. Hundreds of onlookers flocked to the pier and Mothers Beach cliffs as the whale took its time moving through the shallow waters. It is thought the whale was the same one that had attracted attention (including close-up canoeists and paddle boarders) the previous day off Aspendale and Edithvale. The state’s conservation regulator program manager Paul Hutcheson said recreational boaters must stay 200 metres away from whales and jet skis 300 metres. Swimmers must not go closer than 50 metres and drones and helicopters 500 metres. Pictures: Yanni
Outsiders stay away - mayor Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au THE Mornington Peninsula should be excluded from the metropolitan “lockdown” areas to prevent infected outsiders coming in, the mayor Cr Sam Hearn said last week. He fears residents from hard-hit areas of inner-Melbourne may interpret the “one-region” status as a “reason to travel to the peninsula and inadvert-
ently put our local community health containment at risk”. Cr Hearn was speaking after the state government reintroduced stage three COVID-19 restrictions and included the peninsula as part of the Greater Melbourne urban area. Television news bulletins on Thursday showed hordes of visitors making the most of the warm weather in peninsula towns and on foreshores. Cr Hearn said the council acknowl-
edged the appropriateness of the state government’s actions “given the grave urgency of the situation” and affirmed the shire’s commitment to supporting them over coming weeks. But he said a better approach to ensuring public health and safety would be to keep the areas separate so people could not travel here. “With no active cases on the peninsula we encourage everyone throughout greater Melbourne to do the right
thing and stay away for the next six weeks.” Cr David Gill agreed: “The peninsula is in lockdown again because we are classified as metropolitan. As a semi-rural shire, some distance from Melbourne, we do not belong in the suburban classification.” Cr Hearn said he was “encouraging our whole community to understand what the stay-at-home restrictions are and to use common sense over the
coming weeks”. “We have been through this before and I’m confident we will band together as a community and get through this,” he said. “The highest priority is to care for each other by remaining vigilant, continuing to keep 1.5 metres between yourself and others and practicing good hygiene. Staying the course during this next phase will make sure we all get through this.”
Peace of Mind Our comprehensive Warranty Statement means peace of mind for five years for new Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars purchased from authorised Mercedes-Benz Retailers in Australia. There’s no kilometre limitation and your vehicle is covered for parts and labour charges in rectifying a manufacturing defect relating to materials or workmanship. www.mbmornington.com.au
*Applicable to new and demonstrator passenger cars for 5 years from the date of first registration of the vehicle. Warranty start time may differ for demonstrator vehicles. Commercial application of vehicle is subject to 5 years from first registration date or 200,000km (whichever occurs first). Battery warranty periods vary. Excludes customers with specific warranty arrangements. For full terms, conditions and exclusions please refer to www.mbmornington.com.au
Mercedes-Benz Mornington 29-Mornington-Tyabb Road (03) 5973 9688 LMCT443 www.mbmornington.com.au