Mornington
Mornington
Blakes’ heaven
17 January
2017
> Page 3
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Arcto back for his summer break SPLENDID scenery, soft sand, lapping water and – mostly – friendly locals have made Dromana an ideal regular holiday destination for Arcto. The Australian fur seal, aged about seven, is back for perhaps his fourth annual visit to the foreshore. He uses it as a base to search for fish and crustaceans, often at night, and returns in the early morning to rest. Curious onlookers are being urged to stay away as the 250kg adult bull, like all seals, is protected under the Wildlife Act. Authorised officer Abbey Smith, of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, said sightseers should stay at least 30 metres clear, with dogs kept 50 metres away and preferably on a leash. She said it was also an offence to feed, offer food or touch a seal without authorisation. DELWP and the AGL maritime response unit will monitor Arcto’s situation and allow him all the time he needs to get back into the swim of things. Details: visit delwp.vic.gov.au or call 136 186. To report sick, injured or distressed marine wildlife call the AGL Marine Response Unit on 0447 158 676. Sealed with a selfie: Arcto the seal seems unperturbed by the attention he’s receiving while holidaying at Dromana. The seal has become a favourite with photographers. Picture: Gary Sissons
The problematic Pillars Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au THE overwhelming stench of urine and cigarettes greeted Mt Martha resident Peta Donaldson and her eightyear-old daughter when they visited the Pillars after a heatwave weekend’s crush of young visitors had departed. “The weather was calm, with not a breath of wind, yet the Pillars literally smelt like a hideous concoction of a public toilet and an oversized filthy
ashtray,” she said last week. “Thousands of cigarettes were left on the cliff. Wafts of urine hit us in the face as we climbed the coastline. So strong was the stench my daughter dry wretched – not ideal for a supposedly idyllic natural wonder for all to enjoy. “It is blatant. There is no respect, no regard, no care, no love.” Ms Donaldson, her husband Scott and neighbour Ben Davey collected 19 bags of rubbish over two hours on Monday left behind by crowds of visi-
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tors to the site. “It was strewn along nearby streets within walking distance of the Pillars and on the Pillars themselves,” she said. “We were shocked, disgusted, angered, bewildered and dismayed by the amount of rubbish left behind. The litter included glass and plastic bottles, thousands of cigarette butts, aluminium cans, towels, underwear, clothes, thongs, sanitary pads, food wrappers/take away containers, Coke bottle full of urine, bags of litter col-
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lected but left behind, and pizza boxes. “Not only were we overwhelmed by the amount of rubbish, but we discovered that the Pillars has now been graffitied by vandals,” Ms Donaldson said. “Again, this simply reiterates several issues that are clearly not being addressed by council.” Ben Davey, of Deakin Drive, said he had been threatened by a group of young men parked in his street after they saw him speaking with police. “I felt intimidated,” he said. “They
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said they know where I live and they’d be back.” He said cars were blocking driveways – including 27 cars parked in his street on Thursday – and actions being taken by the shire were “pushing the problem into local streets”. “On the one hand the council says it is making the area safer for visits by installing bollards and reducing speed limits, but there are no bins, no toilets, signs or pathways saying where the Pillars are,” he said. Cont. Page 7
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