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Tuesday 23 June 2020
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Cricketers face up to new season KEEN cricketers are being invited to pursue their passion with others at Mornington Peninsula Veterans’ Cricket Club. In the lead up to the season practice sessions for the over 60s team are held at Saxon Sports, Frankston, on days and times to be advised. New member Neville Smith is also keen to recruit players aged 50 and over to start up an over 50s team this summer. He said he was “welcomed with open arms” at the club and is keen to extend the courtesy to other new members. “Training has been exhilarating in the outdoors doing something we love,” he said. “I’m in my mid-50s so I’m ineligible for the over 60s but I’m determined to start up an over 50s team and am looking for players.” Details: Neville Smith 0421 839 451 or Ian Rowland 0490 964 375. Picture: Yanni
Shire seeks $320m rescue package Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au BOTH state and federal governments are being asked to launch a life raft to ease economic and social hardship on the Mornington Peninsula in the wake of the coronavirus emergency. The shire’s $320 million recovery wish list ranges from housing for the homeless to a technology park. Estimated costs are just as variable, with the homeless “package” put at $2.5 million, a plan to use recycled water coming in at $27.3m and road safety $130m.
In its approach to both governments the shire says the Mornington Peninsula has “suffered one of the heaviest hits to employment in the state”, with 6000 jobs lost and a 21 per cent fall in gross regional product, well above the 6.9 per cent drop for Australia. Hardest hit sectors across the shire are accommodation, food, retail, construction, arts and recreation. At the same time, there was a serious lack of testing centres for the coronavirus south of Frankston. The shire describes the outlook as “bleak” with “alarming [Australian Bureau of Statistics] and independent
research figures painting a dire picture for the region”. “This combined with a raft of social and economic challenges already faced by our residents creates significant roadblocks in our efforts to get back on road to economic recovery,” the shire states in its bid for government help. As well as the technology park , recycled water use and homeless housing, the shire’s suggested projects, include the Peninsula Bay Trail ($15m); The Briars ($10.6m); “better buses” ($10m); “community facilities” ($17.8m); and, pavilions ($18.5m). However, the shire’s plea for help
with projects costed at more than $320 million comes at a time when both state and federal governments are winding back their various stimulus packages. “We have identified a suite of shovel ready infrastructure and service projects that are ready to go right now and would create over 4770 jobs for our community and the Victorian economy,” the mayor Cr Sam Hearn said. “We invite our state and federal government colleagues to support these investment opportunities to kick start our recovery and support the local community and the state with much needed employment”.
Cr Hearn said the shire had “close to the lowest average rates and charges in Victoria” while demonstrating “high efficiency among the lowest employee costs”. “We have pulled a number of financial levers to manage our way through this challenging period but we need additional financial support to realise the significant community benefits this suite of ready to go projects will deliver,” he said. “We know both tiers of government are looking for opportunities to kick start the economy, so I urge them to talk to us, our projects can start tomorrow”.
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