April 7th 2011

Mornington

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Cash flow hits radio deadline

Here is the news: from the front LETTERS and diaries from Gallipoli, the Middle East and the Western front of nearly 100 years ago tell the stirring and sometimes frightening tales of the Great War. The stories are in a new book to be launched mid-April, Our Boys at the Front, compiled and published by Mornington and District Historical Society.

Almost 700 “boys” from the Mornington Peninsula out of a population of 6500 went to war, and 118 were killed or died from wounds.

The letters reflect their courage, patriotism, humour and strong sense of mateship. The men appreciated parcels from home with garments, cigarettes and tobacco. Writing from Gallipoli, William Tope of Sorrento thanked his father for clothing, but wrote: “I will drop workers a gentle hint: do the mufflers in one colour: nothing looks more out of place than to see anything gaudy or striped here.”

Their experiences would have been forgotten but for the foresight of the

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The paper printed many reminiscences by the young men at war. Its reports provide a contemporary picture of how the war affected peninsula communities.

Our Boys at the Front: the Mornington Peninsula at War 1914-1918 through the pages of The Peninsula Post.

The book and DVD will be available from peninsula bookshops in time to commemorate Anzac Day.

By Mike Hast RADIO Port Phillip’s new home at the former Mornington Secondary College site in Wilsons Rd will not be ready

by Easter.

Cash flow problems have seen the builder, Point Leo-based Staff Building & Contracting, forced to take a three-week break. Building will restart on Monday 11 April.

Renovation of the last remaining classroom block at the old school, of which 3RPP will lease half from Mornington Peninsula Shire, is mostly being paid for by a raffle run by the Rotary Club of Somerville Tyabb.

Mornington Peninsula Shire gave the project $50,000 last year and is leasing half the building to 3RPP at a reduced rate.

The project is well advanced, but the studio complex will not be ready by the scheduled completion date of Easter Monday 25 April.

“Ticket sales have been slower than expected,” said project coordinator Dick Cox of the Rotary club. “People are suffering from ‘donation fatigue’.”

Mr Cox said floods in Queensland and Victoria, earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan, and other raffles

Live the lifestyle you deserve

on the peninsula had taxed people’s generosity.

“We had a licence to issue 150,000 tickets, but printed 100,000 and have about 60,000 out there, but not all have sold,” he said.

“With the benefit of hindsight, it would have been good to have 12 months to sell tickets rather than five.”

Tickets are $2 and there are four prizes – a Toyota Corolla valued at $26,000 and a Toyota Yaris ($19,500), both from Motor Court Toyota in Mornington; a cruise package ($10,000) from Travelscene Westernport; and a plasma television ($3300) from Rosebud Retravision.

Mr Cox said the odds of winning “are pretty good at the moment”.

Most of the tickets had been sold by Rotary people and 3RPP volunteers.

Four outlets have tickets – the shire’s office in Besgrove St, Rosebud; 3RPP’s current studio behind Moorooduc Coolstores in Eramosa Rd West, Somerville; and two places at Mornington’s Wednesday market, outside National Australia Bank and Farrell’s Bookshop, both in Main St. Continued Page 2

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NEWS DESK Proudly published by Mornington Peninsula News Group Pty. Ltd

PHONE: 1300 MPNEWS (1300 676 397) Published fortnightly. Circulation: 20,000

Editor: Mike Hast, 5979 8564 Advertising Sales: Carolyn Wagener, 0407 030 761 Production/Graphic Design: Stephanie Loverso Group Editor: Keith Platt, 0439 394 707 Publisher: Cameron McCullough, 0407 027 707 REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Neil Walker, Barry Irving, Cliff Ellen, Frances Cameron, Peter McCullough, Stuart McCullough, Gary Turner, Jaime McDougall, Marilyn Cunnington, Brad Stirton, Fran Henke.

ADDRESS: Mornington Peninsula News Group, PO Box 588, Hastings 3915 E-mail: team@mpnews.com.au Web: www.mpnews.com.au DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE: 1PM ON THURSDAY 14 APRIL NEXT ISSUE PUBLICATION DATE: THURSDAY 21 APRIL

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To advertise in the next Mornington News please contact Carolyn Wagener on 0407 030 761

Scrap bonuses to shire executives, says union Savings could boost staff pay packets

By Keith Platt UNION organisers say Mornington Peninsula Shire could pay its staff more by dropping executives annual bonuses.

At a series of meetings this week the Australian Services Union will tell staff that the shire’s 3.9 per cent pay offer could rise to 4.7 per cent just by cutting bonuses and gratuity payments.

Last year the shire paid 47 executives a total $281,344 in bonuses and $132,000 in gratuities to staff who “perform at an exceptional level”.

The executives, who all have $100,000 plus salaries, received an average $6000 bonus while the 46 gratuity payments were just under $2900.

ASU lead organiser Michelle Jackson, who is negotiating a new staff pay agreement (EBA) with the shire, said there were many staff deserving of a gratuity payment who did not receive one.

“Under council’s offer, most of you will get a pay increase of $2080 to $2500 (pro-rata for part time staff),” Ms Jackson stated in a circular to staff.

“Including bonuses, gratuity payments and pay increases 93 of the highest paid staff in council will receive between double and triple the amount that you are being offered. “How is this a fair and reasonable offer?”

The union will this week meet staff at the shire’s Hastings, Rosebud and Mornington offices to discuss the pay offer and decide on further action.

Ms Jackson said she had met several times with council negotiators since receiving the offer on 7 December “but council refuse to increase the offer” which amounts to about $40 a week.

Non-union members can attend the meetings but will be unable to vote on any response or industrial action.

The mayor Graham Pittock told The

News in February that he was satisfied with the bonus scheme for senior officers.

While insiders have claimed the bonus appears to be paid as a matter of course, Cr Pittock says he is satisfied “everything is above board”.

A policy information memo written by team support and development manager John Rankine says pay and conditions at the shire are good and “generally” meet the needs of staff “but they are not the best in local government”.

He said bonus and gratuity payments are one of the most common features of wages and salaries in local government.

However, neighbouring Frankston has no bonus scheme for executives and the Shire of Cardinia abandoned a similar scheme two years ago.

Councillors’ pay goes monthly, in advance MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have voted to pay themselves monthly instead of quarterly as has been the practice for many years.

The allowance is paid in advance, $24,200 for councillors and $77,300 for the mayor.

Did you know...

Councillors are in the highest pay category in Victoria and are not expected to receive an increase until after 30 June 2013.

Governance manager Noel Buck told councillors earlier this week it had been the shire’s practice to pay allow-

ances quarterly in advance, but there was no legislative reason to do so.

“The original Ministerial orders setting allowances many years ago, specified ‘quarterly in advance’ but that is no longer contained in current orders,” he stated.

Cities still backing Labor’s CAD plan FRANKSTON and five other metropolitan cities have commissioned a study that backs up the previous Labor state government’s decision to develop them as central activities districts (CADs).

The Liberal government elected last November has stated that it will review Melbourne’s metropolitan strategy – which includes the CAD proposals.

The study by SGS Economics and Planning will form the basis of a joint submission to the state government by the six councils: Frankston, Greater Dandenong, Maribyrnong, Hume, Whitehorse and Maroondah.

It is seen as the first towards attracting government investment by demonstrating where the greatest need exists and where that investment will yield the greatest return economically, socially and environmentally.

A study shows that improving transport infrastructure within the six cities could lead to a $900 million benefit in labour productivity.

Another $1.3 billion could saved by building 42,000 “infill dwellings” instead of developing new suburbs on Melbourne’s fringes and expanding “radial road and public transport infrastructure”.

Having Melbourne surrounded by six minor “capitals” – defined as a polycentric urban

structure – was a central plank of the former Victorian Labor government’s December 2008 Melbourne@5million policy statement.

Exactly a year later COAG (Council of Australian Governments) agreed that by 1 January 2012, all capital cities will have long-term strategic planning systems that meet nationally consistent objectives, with a core commitment to promote the three themes of productivity, sustainability and liveability.

COAG said the plans would include climate change, improving housing affordability and tackling urban congestion and it would consult local government which it saw as key partners.

The COAG Reform Council was established by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) as part of the arrangements for federal financial relations to assist COAG to drive its reform agenda. It reportts to COAG on reforms of national significance that require cooperative action by Australian governments.

The decision by the six cities to hire SGS Economics and Planning to investigate the CAD plan was made by the mayors of the six designated cities.

Radio faces opening delay Continued from Page 1

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PAGE 2

Mornington News 7 April 2011

Mr Cox said the raffle would still be drawn at the new studios at 3.30pm on Monday 25 April.

Winners will be notified and the result published in The Age on 30 April and local newspapers in early May. Good news this week for 3RPP is that

BlueScope Steel Western Port has donated thousands of dollars worth of ColorBond roofing steel for the project.

Mr Cox said it was the latest gesture from peninsula businesses that had supported the renovation.

“We will get 136 sheets 10 metres long, enough to do the roof of the whole block,” he said.

Shire seeks government protection for Woodland

By Mike Hast A NEW plan to protect the Woodland precinct in Mt Eliza will be submitted to the state government by Mornington Peninsula Shire.

Councillors voted 9-1 at the meeting in Tootgarook to revive amendment C87 to the Mornington Peninsula Planning Scheme, which would stop property owners subdividing blocks smaller than 2500 square metres (about two-thirds of an acre).

Woodland is the area of Mt Eliza bounded by Nepean Hwy, Humphries, Moorooduc and Canadian Bay roads.

Residents wanting to subdivide big blocks have been battling the shire and in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal for more than eight years. Neighbours have been pitted against each other.

The precinct has almost 1700 blocks of about 2600sqm with some up to 4000sqm. The blocks were made big more than 30 years ago to cope with septic tanks in clay soil. The area is now sewered.

A long process by the shire to change the scheme fell over in December 2009 when then planning minister Justin Madden rejected C87 after it had sat on his desk for almost two years.

Mr Madden said he agreed with the shire that Woodland should be protected, but the amendment was

too strict with its clause of no blocks smaller than 2500sqm.

He invited the shire to produce an amendment that used “performancebased controls”, where each application would be judged on its merits.

Now new planning minister Matthew Guy has cleared the way for the shire to reintroduce a different version of C87 with mandatory controls, exactly what the shire wanted originally.

The issue has reignited controversy and neighbours will again disagree.

At the Tootgarook meeting, about eight pro-subdivision residents, including Mt Eliza Residents for Ratepayers Rights spokesman Per Carlsen, walked out in disgust after councillors voted to resubmit an updated version of C87, including asking Mr Guy for an interim order to stop further applications.

Among the group was Geoff Oxford, who is about to submit a subdivision application, and Terry O’Shea, who lead the “pro” group five years ago together with Terry Southall, who stood at the 2008 election won by now councillor Leigh Eustace. Mr Southall has left the area.

Mr O’Shea won permission from the shire earlier this year to subdivide. The approval is being challenged in the VCAT on 23 June by a neighbour and the anti-subdivision group, Mt Eliza Woodland Residents Association.

Mr Carlsen, in a letter to mayor Cr Graham Pittock, said the group was dismayed to hear about the revival of C87. He called it a “contentious and exceedingly narrow reform” of the planning scheme.

“The proposed amendment removes the lawful rights of local ratepayers to sensitively develop their own land to meet their own needs, rights held for more than 40 years,” he wrote.

“To hear the matter is to be revisited and in a way that ignores the lessons of the immediate past is galling.”

The anti-subdivision group was revived at a meeting at Mt Eliza fire station on 9 March. “Thanks to the previous government, Woodland is unprotected,” association president Deborah Haydon said. “If we accept further subdivision, we are accepting increased risk in a bushfire emergency.

“Given the topography of Mt Eliza, subdivision usually means creating more battleaxe blocks accessed by long, mostly narrow driveways. We know such blocks can be a danger, particularly in a fire emergency.”

She said town planners for people wishing to apply for “integrated subdivisions” are saying Woodland can now be considered an area of “medium density housing”.

“New CFA wildfire management overlay rules mean subdivided blocks

would be denuded of trees, far worse than what happens under the state government’s 10/30 rule,” she said.

(The state government announced on 31 August 2009 landowners could clear trees 10 metres from houses and shrubs within 30 metres.)

“Many Woodland residents ignore the 10/30 rule because they like their trees, but it is compulsory to remove trees from newly created blocks.”

Cr Eustace said claims of a new C87 costing $500,000 were incorrect: “We’ve already done the study and nothing has changed since 2006.”

He said the shire had been talking with the Department of Community Planning and Development since Mr Madden’s knockback 15 months ago.

Asked why it had taken so long, he said the shire had been wrestling with many planning amendments, including the proposed caravan park in Tower Rd, Mt Eliza; the Mornington marina plan; and Heronswood’s application for a larger restaurant at McCrae.

At the suggestion of Mornington councillor Bev Colomb, the shire will hear submissions from people before deciding whether to refer the item and submissions to an independent panel.

She said this system had worked well for the Mornington marina project (which is now before Mr Guy, with a decision due in May).

Briefly Sisters’ walkway NEPEAN Historical Society, Nepean Conservation Group and Nepean Ratepayers Association have won the cooperation of the developer of the Sorrento first settlement site for a public walkway around the base of the Eastern Sister, connecting Camerons Bight with Sullivan Bay. The groups have been negotiating with Mornington Peninsula Shire and developer Richard Shelmerdine for about 18 months.

The groups successfully lobbied for the beachfront boundary to be adjusted from the high-water mark back to the existing fence line, so the public will have access to Sullivan Bay at all times.

Nepean Historical Society president Dr Robert Barnes said the groups wanted the state government to buy the land and turn it into an historical park, but the new arrangement was the next best thing.

Work on the pathway will start in 2012.

Heritage play HERITAGE Week play In Sickness and in Health will be performed at 11.45am and 2.30pm on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 April at Hospital 3, Quarantine Station, Point Nepean National Park, Point Nepean Rd, Portsea (Melway 156 C2).

The Woodland Players production re-enacts the history of the Quarantine Station.

After performances, the audience can have refreshments and mingle with the actors and writers. Admittance free, bookings 13 1963 or www.parkweb. vic.gov.au

A grape event: Grape squash winners celebrate their victory

Hickinbotham Family Fun Day THE Hickinbotham Easter Sunday Family Fun Day is on again at Dromana, with live music on stage from 11am to 5pm. A great line up of music with a mix of styles for all ages.

When he first started the Family Day back in 1999, Andrew Hickinbotham never imagined it would grow to be such a fantastic event. “We love the fact it has evolved into a true family outing where everyone can have a great fun day, whilst at the same time, raising money for local charities that provide crucial support roles within the community.”

Running from 11am to 5pm,

this year’s Family Day features loads of things to keep the kids occupied including The Grand Grape Squash, The Pink Lady Chocolates Bilby Hunt, Easter Bonnet parade, Painting competitions, CFA display, Laser tagging, Animal Petting Farm, Sand Wizard art, Sheep Lotto, Face painting, Harley rides, auction, and more.

It is a true country style Family day, with the event being held beneath the gums in the winery surrounds, so put in your collapsible chairs or a picnic rug and come to be entertained. The local scout groups will be cooking egg and bacon

rolls, steak sandwiches, baked potatoes and poffertjes. Their will be proper coffee available, and wood fired pizzas.

Entry is $20 adults and children under 12 are free (each child receives a complimentary voucher for The Bilby Hunt and Animal Petting Farm ).

The proceeds from the day go to the support of worthy local charity groups.

Hickinbotham Winery is at 194 Nepean Highway (near Wallaces Road) in Dromana.

The day is proudly supported

by Mornington Peninsula Shire, Big Bang Media and Pink Lady Chocolates.

Mornington News 7 April 2011

PAGE 3

NEWS DESK

Fear of climate change the best motivator: CEO

By David Harrison MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire CEO Michael Kennedy was pleasantly shocked by what he saw at the shire’s first Climate Change Conversation meeting in Rye on a winter’s night in 2008.

Waiting in the hall were 300 people – far above expectations, standing room only – to hear what the shire had to say.

“Oh, my God,” was the shire chief’s reaction, “Truly remarkable.”

Certainly they had been bribed to come, he admitted, with climate change showbags and with food, and prodded along by fear – “unquestionably the best motivator of the lot”.

The same thing happened next night at the second meeting, held at the shire’s Rosebud HQ. Dr Kennedy was recounting 2008 when addressing the 2011 Australian Coastal Councils Conference in Torquay last Wednesday (26 March).

The council represents coastal local government all around Australia. It attracted about 180 delegates from these councils and from state and federal governments, academe, business and scientific organisations.

Dr Kennedy’s topic was “Engaging with Communities”, emphasising what he claimed to be the successes of the shire’s Climate Change Conversation 11 meetings.

It was not about the planet, he told delegates who came from Cairns to Broome. “No one cares about the planet,” he declared. “The planet is a bit amorphous. They care about where they live – ‘what’s going to happen to my house, my street, my family, my school’.”

That’s why they came, “because we said ‘Come along and hear about what’s going to happen exactly where you live’.”

So the shire published a climate change booklet and put it in a brown paper envelope – “Some of the blokes got a bit excited when they saw that” – to encourage the public to come along.

“There was no chance people did not know the meeting was on.”

The shire was prepared to say, many times, “We don’t know,” Dr Kennedy said. Other councils didn’t want to do that, saying they didn’t go out to the community until they had the answers.

“Nup. Be brave,” the CEO advised delegates. “Go out there and say,

‘Look, we got this information three weeks ago, we don’t understand it yet, but we wanted to show it to you as soon so we got it so you can tell us what your concerns are and we can embrace all of that’.

“So the answer will be ‘We don’t know’. And people actually liked that point.”

Community engagement on climate change was continuing via the shire website by way of an electronic newsletter called Continuing the Climate Change Conversation Conversation,, subscribed to by some 2000 of the 3000 residents who attended the public meetings, Dr Kennedy said.

(This writer finally tracked down the newsletters on the shire website, but the path was strewn with thorn-filled thickets and potholes.)

“We got slagged off by Andrew Bolt – and I wear this as a badge of honour,” the CEO said, prompting laughter and applause.

Keeping up the momentum required continuing effort, the audience was told. People wanting to take action on climate change faced obstacles – how to access grants, how to find one’s way through the information jungle.

The shire had helped with its groupbuy solar panel scheme, its continuing engagement with the community, its Eco House at The Briars in Mt Martha, its plans for more group-buy schemes and its continuing policy of building environmentally sustainable peninsula plans into the planning process; “Something of a challenge,” delegates were told.

Examples were Sorrento’s bid to become a ZEN (zero emissions neighbourhood), continuing emphasis on sustainable food production and helping people to get a sustainability rebate.

Dr Kennedy also lauded the recently introduced green waste service, the dramatic rise in public transport on the peninsula and the shire’s many sustainable buildings.

The shire now had a highly sustainable agriculture base, watered in many areas “by people going to the toilet”, he said. On the drainage scheme started three years ago, he said: “We are putting ratepayers’ money where our mouth is.”

As to the shire’s approach to reducing the bushfire danger, $1.5 million a year was being spent in a

Fire and tide: The shire’s climate change booklet published in 2008 warned of more days of higher fire danger and storm surges as well as sea level rise. Above: A fire beside the Mornington Peninsula Fwy at McCrae threatened homes in Bayview Rd in January 2009. Below: In winter of that year, a high tide and storm surge battered the peninsula coast including McCrae beach.

process that started well before Black Saturday, delegates were told.

One of the important messages in communicating with ratepayers was the importance of “brands or reputation or credibility”, Dr Kennedy said. Councils should not “say these things unless you’re going to walk the talk.

“I remember when we first approached the council [and said] we’re going to have the shire logo [right next to the slogan ‘Committed to a Sustainable Peninsula’]. And somebody said ‘But they’ll hold us to it’.”

This provoked considerable mirth, to which Dr Kennedy said: “Exactly.

But that’s the point. So you can only say this if you’re going to deliver it in every policy decision.

“That [the shire logo] is a religious symbol. That’s not pretty colours. It has a meaning – the three colours are the social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainability.

“But it doesn’t work unless everybody [employed by the shire] is a true believer.”

In conclusion was a statement of the Kennedy credo: “Attracting people is:  Through track record;  Through timing – picking the moment when you can get people’s attention through what I call carpet bombing, making sure that it’s impossible for people not to know you’re doing it;  Fear – fear is unquestionably the best motivator of the lot – people think their house is going to be underwater, they’ll probably come along to find if it’s true or not;  The desire of people to be part of the solution;  And, last of all, bribery.”

While reluctant to rain on Dr Kennedy’s parade, this writer feels obliged to point out that the climate change meetings were not without incident.

At Red Hill, attendees were told they would be wise to install rainwater tanks (the area has no mains water).

Moments later they were asked how many were connected to mains gas (there is none in the hinterland).

“We haven’t got anything,” someone called out, possibly pre-empting a question about how many present were connected to reticulated sewerage.

So much for thorough shire preparation for that meeting, at least.

Thus the shire had to admit that, yes, it did not know. Its staff, including

Dr Kennedy, left Red Hill that night better informed. Indeed, locals do often know best.

For the record, Mornington Peninsula Shire was listed as being represented by two delegates – Dr Kennedy and coastal strategic planner Victoria Smith. Bass Coast Shire sent eight delegates, conference host Surf Coast Shire sent nine. East and South Gippsland shires together sent nine delegates.

One hopes their understanding of proceedings exceeds that of an English judge who, having had details of a complex case set out brilliantly by an outstanding barrister, said: “Mr Smith, I fear you have left me none the wiser.” To which Mr Smith (later Lord Curzon) replied: “Perhaps none the wiser, M’Lud, but certainly better informed.”

To end, a carping point: since the conference’s stated aim was to grapple with the problems facing non-metropolitan coastal councils, one wonders what value was obtained by the nine delegates representing Hobsons Bay, Port Phillip, Bayside, Wyndham City and Frankston councils, especially since the Association of Bayside Municipalities was represented, of which they are all members.

The writer is a former Age journalist.

He lives in Red Hill and is a member of Red Hill Community Action.

Shire starts second group-buy scheme for solar power MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is again offering residents the opportunity to buy solar power systems for the home at group discounted prices.

The shire says installing solar power to a home will help people save money on the electricity bill and reduce the carbon footprint.

The Australian Government’s LivingGreener.gov.au website states that solar panels “are the ideal choice for city or major urban areas as they don’t make a noise, have no moving parts and are usually installed out of the way up on your roof”.

It also states that “solar panels require a significant upfront cost but, once installed, require little maintenance, can be expected to last 20

PAGE 4

Mornington News 7 April 2011

years or more, and the electricity they generate is free and clean.

“Any excess electricity can be fed back into the mains power grid or into a storage system like a battery bank.”

The shire is partnering NU Energy as the exclusive preferred supplier for the group-buy program.

NU Energy will provide residents with a 1.5 kW solar power system for $1999, fully installed (standard system only and with government rebate included).

The price is guaranteed until 5pm, 15 May 2011.

Other system sizes are available.

For more information, contact NU Energy on 1300 768 225 or visit the website www.nuenergy.com.au

Storm protection: Cliffs at Mt Martha North which have been ‘shaved’ and surrounded with a rock wall for protection, above. How the cliffs appeared last winter, above right. Bathing boxes south of the rock wall remain unprotected.

Rocks ‘protect’ eroding cliffs WORK on protecting Mt Martha North beach from erosion has almost finished.

The crumbling cliffs have been “shaved” smooth and have a rock wall around the base to fend off waves.

The wall separates some bathing boxes from the cliffs, while others remain within metres of the vegetation pushed forward by landslides.

Sand was trucked in from Mt Mar-

tha South to replenish the beach which was depleted by winter storms.

John Ault-Connell of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s project management team said the rock walls had been completed and work would follow replanting vegetation, fencing and signs.

Mr Ault-Connell said a new access track would be built opposite Alice St and there were no plans to fix two existing ones closed by landslides.

Mornington News 7 April 2011

PAGE 5

NEWS DESK

Costs come with statue ‘gift’

By Keith Platt IF Frankston Council decides to accept a “gift” statue of champion boxer John Famechon it will need to spend $45,000 on its installation and about $1500 a year on maintenance.

The statue offered by businessman Rob McCarthy will be made and presented to the city once 15 statuettes have been sold for $12,000 each.

Council was knocked back when it asked the Sydney-based sculptor Stephen Glassborow to pay for the installation from the $180,000 raised by selling the 30cm high statuettes.

However, officers have told Frankston councillors that the city can afford the costs associated with the gift.

Mr McCarthy has used a similar model to raise money for statues of footballer John Coleman at Hastings and boxer Lionel Rose at Warragul.

Glassborow’s $30,000 statue of cyclist Sir Hubert Opperman unveiled in 1994 at Rochester was made with support of the French government, Rochester Shire, Pacific Dunlop, Rotary and Lions.

If the Frankston project goes ahead the Famechon statue will most likely be erected at Ballam Park, where sporting grounds are used for Little Athletics, cross country running, football, soccer, cricket, scouts, youth and children. Ballam Homestead is nearby as are play centres, secondary schools and Naranga Park School.

Council officers say the scheme has been successful elsewhere, although drawbacks include not knowing how long, or if all the statuettes could be sold

and the cost of installing the 4.5 tonne plinth and statue.

They also say other statues could eventually be installed at Ballam Park, suggesting Olympian Debbie FlintoffKing as one person council might like to “recognise in the future”.

The officers also urged that council enter into a contract with the sculptor.

While the Famechon project was “likely to be positively received by the community … there may be some debate in the community on the appropriateness of celebrating a figurehead of what many consider to be a violent sport”.

John Famechon was born in France in 1945 but moved to Frankston at a young age where he was involved with the community, including helping police run the Frankston Blue Light Boxing Club.

In his prime, Famechon overcame Les Dunn to become Victorian Featherweight champion in 1964, defeated ‘Scot’ Johnny O’Brien in 1967 to become Commonwealth Featherweight Champion. He became WBC Featherweight World Champion on 21 January, 1969 after defeating Cuban Jose Legra at the Albert Hall in London. He defended his crown against Fighting Harada of Japan, and defeated his rival again six months later.

With a career record of 56 wins - 20 by knock out, six draws and five losses - Famechon was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in Los Angeles in 1997 but another 21 years would pass before Frankston’s was in a position to induct him to its hall of fame in 2008.

Our champ: Johnny Famechon in his fighting prime.

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No cross currents for ocean-going couple

By Keith Platt CRISS-crossing the ocean to far off countries in a 12-metre yacht is a test of seamanship. A couple living aboard that same boat for 21 years is a test of friendship.

Seemingly passing both tests with flying colours, Allan and Lyn McLean sit back below deck at Hastings recalling their journeys together.

As one recounts a particular experience the other might gently interrupt – generally correcting a date or length of time spent in a particular storm or port. But no offence is taken. There are no accusatory glances or barbed retorts.

“Ninety per cent of women don’t enjoy sailing,” Lyn says. “But I Iove it. I was brought up in the bush and didn’t see the ocean until I was 17.”

Allan: “We’ve never had an argument while on the boat.”

Lyn quietly reminds him of his reaction when blood from her cut hand stained a new sail.

“You’ve got to have a sense of humour to make it work,” she says, recalling severe stomach pains five days from Hawaii and the page Allan marked in a book detailing burials at sea and “how to retrieve the Aussie flag”.

“We enjoy the passage most – it’s not just the destination,” says Allan.

The McLeans are obviously comfortable in their space, albeit one that is a bit confined.

Their voyages aboard the Robert Perry-designed fibreglass-hulled Tayana class yacht add up to about 200,000 nautical miles, or 370,400 kilometres to landlubbers. But statistics are just numbers and in no way reflect the reality of the journey.

The McLeans speak quite calmly about storms and incidents that were quite the opposite.

After 18 hours in a storm with 60knot winds off South Africa during their first major trip, the McLeans’ boat literally fell off the crest of a 14-metre wave, taking them in a 180-degree roll before it self-righted.

Anchored off Venezuela one night they became fearful and suspicious when surrounded by fishing boats. At that stage Allan carried a firearm on the boat and made a show of it while pretending to check the rigging before making their way back out to sea.

“It happened to a friend of ours. He disappeared and his trashed boat was eventually found,” Allan says when asked about pirates.

“Generally you avoid other boats when far out at sea.

“International law says boats should

‘We enjoy the passage most – it’s not just the destination’

In from the cold: Sailing couple Lyn and Allan McLean high and dry aboard their boat Svanika at Hastings where it was placed on a cradle for repairs, left, and among the ice flows in Alaska (above) during one their epic voyages

stay 150 metres away as that area around your vessel is seen as Australian territory.”

One brush with a much larger ship “1000 miles from nowhere” left Allan and Lyn feeling very vulnerable.

They had been drifting in light airs in the Pacific when they spotted a ship on the horizon.

As it approach, they could see it was a 42-metre (140-ft) fishing boat with several men on the deck.

The McLeans spoke by radio to someone who said he was the skipper and “we’re bringing you water and fish”.

The McLeans sent a message back: “Negative. They are not needed.”

But the larger vessel continued in their wake and eventually lowered a small boat with at least eight men on board.

“They came roaring after us,” Allan said.

Lyn: “They gestured for us to stop and we had no hope of outrunning them.”

“They came alongside and were very happy and friendly, offering us boxes of bottled water and two tuna.”

Relieved, but still disinclined to get too close, the McLeans eventually found out the men were from the Marshall Islands and that their boat had been a gift from the Australian government.

“They obviously saw our flag and wanted to give something back to the country that had helped them,” Allan said.

“I felt very humbled and ashamed.

They were just trying to help us.”

Together, the McLeans have sailed

Legal eagles can help adult students find support FREE advice on the support available to students of single parent families is available from Peninsula Community Legal Centre.

The centre’s principal lawyer Victoria Mullings said many parents do not realise that they may still be able to obtain financial support for their child who is legally an adult.

“The Family Law Act provides for a child to receive financial support from both of their parents, if required, to complete their education,” Ms Mullings said.

“There is also an obligation to provide ongoing financial support for a child who is over 18 years and has a disability. This financial support is known as Adult Child Maintenance and the amount payable, if any, is calculated

according to the financial resources of both parents and any income earned by the child.”

The centre helps parents and students in separated households to apply for financial support.

“Either the parent with whom the child lives or the adult child can apply for financial assistance from the other parent,” Ms Mullings said.

For information about free legal services or if you would like assistance in obtaining financial support to complete your secondary or tertiary studies, call Peninsula Community Legal Centre on 9783 3600 or visit www. pclc.org.au.

around the world, working and making friends wherever they land.

Usually they try to find work, as a means of making some money and, more particularly, because it allows them to “meet the locals, the real people”.

Similar reasoning sees them avoid docking at large commercial marinas, although this time they can save money, as anchoring at a beach or in a port is also cheaper.

Allan, 71, had owned game fishing boats but never a yacht before buying Svanika in 1986. The previous owner gave him a short lesson in sailing and the rest has been picked up through practice.

Immediately after surviving falling down the wave off South Africa (and patching up Lyn’s cut head) Allan re-

called the lessons of a book written by famed solo round-the-world sailor Jon Sanders, rigged a small sail and gained enough steerage to see out another 12 hours of the storm without serious incident.

Eventually guided into port by the coast guard, the McLeans still correspond with the people from the St Lucia lighthouse who maintained contact throughout their ordeal.

Some of their best memories come from a year spent sailing the coast of Brazil and then to the icy waters of Alaska.

Now heading back to their home port Townsville, the McLeans plan to take time away from the sea, buy a ute and head into the bush with their latest mode of transport – a powered paraglider.

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Mornington News 7 April 2011

PAGE 7

NEWS DESK

After the quake: Villagers at Tarley in northern Mayamar (Burma), left and above, and the damaged church at Bethel after the 6.8 magnitude 23 March earthquake.

Appeal for quake victims BURMESE contacts of the New Peninsula Church are appealing for money to help them restore villages hit by a 6.8-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday 23 March.

Teams from the church regularly visit Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) to help orphanages in Myanmar.

In January a 10-member team followed hot on the heels of another group from the Mt Martha and Rosebudbased church to extend a training centre and help rebuild two cyclone-damaged

dormitories at orphanages “adopted” by the church.

Late last month Mr Brown received an email and photographs from a pastor associated with the detailing the damage caused by the earthquake.

The pastor had been in Thailand when the earthquake hit, breaking plates on his dinner table.

The following day he spoke by phone with another pastor from a Bible school established by the New Peninsula Church who told him about the houses

collapsing in several villages.

Upon returning to Mayamar the pastor “surprised, shocked and saddened by what I saw”.

“According to the witness, there were 60 people found dead in Maing Ling township. There were 21 found dead and 50 injured in Kya Ku Nyi. These 71 were gathering for worship at a church building … there were 21 dead and 50 or more injured.”

In nearby Tarley there were 11 dead, including a Church of Christ pastor.

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This is the first of an occasional series of articles by Andrew Raff and Peter North covering a range of environmental topics including the CO2 debate, use of resources, future energy and the nuclear power debate. Both are members of SHIPPS, St Andrew’s Habitat Improvement, Preservation and Protection Society, on the southern peninsula.

Global warming – from go to woe PRESENT-day climate sceptics sometimes write up global warming as a recent invention by climate scientists.

This is not the case. The effect has been known for a long time.

The first recorded mention of the greenhouse effect was in a published essay by French polymath Jean Baptiste Fourier in 1824. Upgrades of the theory regularly appeared thereafter.

Laboratory experiments confirmed the greenhouse gas properties of the atmosphere’s principal agents of global warming – water and carbon dioxide.

The first definitive paper on global warming was written by Swedish Nobel prize-winning chemist, Swante August Arrhenius in 1896. From physical principles that were well established by the end of the 19th century, Arrhenius calculated global warming from various concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Though Arrhenius could not have included the feedback effects of the current climate models, his first estimate of the effect of temperature effects was remarkably close to those produced by Intergovernmental Panel

on Climate Change (IPCC) a century or so later.

For years after all this was known by scientists, global warming created little interest in the wider community.

The subject lay tucked away in some dusty pigeonhole of science and most people went about their business unaware that the world was a little warmer for its atmosphere.

Astronomers noted that the Earth’s atmosphere kept the planet about 33o C warmer than its accompanying moon – which was the same average distance from the sun, and therefore received the same average solar radiation. The warming effect of the atmospheres of other planets in the solar system was also noted. As the theory predicted, atmospheres heated the surface of their planets. That the surface temperatures of other planets were as they should be was confirmed by heat transfer calculations.

Since the time of Arrhenius the economic growth engine has pumped billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide and other energy-absorbing gases into the atmosphere. In the mid1980s, concern about global warming

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resurfaced culminating in the birth, in 1988, of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC).

Before too long, realisation dawned among business leaders that their most precious ideology – economic growth – was under attack from atmospheric scientists.

Global warming, as an ideological threat, represented a collision between business and science, reminiscent of various collisions between religion and science of the last few hundred years. The number one villain in this conflict was carbon dioxide that, as well as its role in warming the planet, is the principal waste product of many industries. To go about their business of making money, mining, oil, power, automobile and countless other companies and people as individuals

discharge billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. This vast volume of waste product with little commercial use has to go somewhere. Discharging it to the atmosphere came as natural as breathing.

To counter the threats of climate scientists from the IPCC and elsewhere, a cross-section of powerful industries coalminers, oil companies, car companies, and many others of the wider industrial community went on the defensive against the scientists.

In this endeavour they were joined by oil states like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran and Australia. This powerful group disrupted IPCC conferences and started manufacturing their own version of climate science.

(For an account of the attempts to

sabotage IPCC conferences by fossil fuel countries and companies, see Jeremy Leggett’s The Carbon War.) In this contest of wills, the fossil fuel interests have been successful. In the 23 years since 1988, no binding emissions agreements have been signed between nations.

The carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have increased each year and are now higher than any in the last million years (for details look up “Keeling Curve” on an internet search engine), temperatures have risen to the highest ever recorded, and extreme climate events predicted by climate scientists have proliferated.

(According to NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies, 2010 was the hottest year ever recorded.)

During endless climate debates on all sorts of media outlets, fossil fuel commercial interests have succeeded in turning the scientific enquiry into climate change into the political issue of the times.

As a result, dependence on depleting reserves of fossil fuels has increased year by year.

Mr Raff has lived on the peninsula for 50 years, was in the Royal Australian Navy for 20 years, served in Vietnam and has studied the nuclear industry and climate change. He is a member of Sustainable Population Australia and founded SHIPPS last year.

Mr North has degrees in engineering and commerce, and has worked in the petrochemical, mining, manufacturing and construction industries in Australia and overseas. He has published nine books on business, travel, environment and economics, has written for the environmental magazine Pacific Ecologist and is also a member of Sustainable Population Australia.

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PAGE 9

NEWS DESK

Pressure on Parks after plover losses

By Mike Hast PRESSURE is mounting on Parks Victoria to ban dogs from selected surf beaches in Mornington Peninsula National Park after another disastrous breeding season for the endangered hooded plover.

From about 150 eggs, just nine birds reached fledgling (flying) stage and as few as five may have made it to the end of the season, which has just ended.

The News visited Portsea surf beach last Thursday with southern peninsula resident Malcolm Brown, who has been defending plovers for almost 20 years, guarding newborn chicks, erecting warning signs beside tracks and on surf beaches, and lobbying Parks Victoria to ban dogs from plover breeding spots.

“In some ways it’s been a good year for hooded plovers because it was so wet,” he said.

“There weren’t many people on the beaches and the birds were able to lay more eggs and more chicks hatched, but, despite that, we still had a very high death rate.

“We’ve had nine chicks get to fly, that’s called fledging, out of 150 eggs.”

He said Mornington Peninsula National Park surf beaches usually get more than 100 eggs each summer season.

“We’ve had just nine chicks reach fledgling stage, which is when they can fly. This puts them in a good position to get away from people and dogs.”

He said Birds Australia has been banding some of the chicks and had discovered that hooded plovers can live to 20 years.

“This is fortunate as we only have 400 to 500 plovers in Victoria.”

Mr Brown said 90 per cent of chicks that had hatched on the peninsula had been killed in their first 15 days.

“They’ve been taken by silver gulls, kestrels, ravens and foxes, but a key factor is the birds being continual disturbed by people and their dogs. It gets to the point where they starve.

“One of the unique things about hooded plover chicks is they feed themselves the moment they hatch.

They are very independent early on.

So if they are disturbed, they hide and don’t feed.

“For 200 years there was no one coming to these beaches apart from a few Bunurong people and other tribes.

There would have been lots of debris on the beaches; tea-tree that had been here for decades, so there was lots of cover for them to hide from predators.

“There wouldn’t have been dogs and foxes. They would have had it pretty easy.

“In a national park, the default should be no dogs and that’s the case with the vast majority of national parks in Victoria, throughout Australia and the world.

“Dogs are allowed here because of an historic quirk. Before Parks Victoria managed the beaches from 1988, they were managed by the Shire [of Flinders] and hooded plovers weren’t even on the radar.

“In that time they haven’t really reviewed the dog situation. It’s only been the last few years when I and other people have been hassling them to review the situation.

“It just makes sense that if you’ve got a chick that is a couple of days old and it’s on a beach in the open in a national park that it should be given the right to at least have a bit of a break from things that can be controlled.

Now you can’t control foxes easily ... but it’s not hard to control dogs in a national park.”

Plovers start hatching around Melbourne Cup weekend and this is when plover lovers like Malcolm Brown arrive on the surf beaches with their binoculars and wearing safety vests to guard those first chicks.

The last chicks fledge in late March.

Mr Brown wants dogs to be kept off beaches for almost five months.

“This is not a big ask; if you think about what is available to dogs on the peninsula -- 2000 kilometres of road reserves, 58 parks for off leash

exercise; there’s a whole infrastructure for dog protection, vets and places buy food. All we’re asking is for a hooded plover chick to have 30 days grace from being harassed by dogs.”

He says there should be a total ban of dogs in national parks but “if you’re going to have dogs on beaches, at the very least, if you know there are chicks on a beach, Parks Victoria should make it clear to people, and the public has to respond to minimise impact on the chicks.

He said it was possible to allow dogs on beaches where hooded plovers don’t breed.

It would be easy for Parks and the shire to send out notices to residents and provide brochures for visitors.

“This summer we had 10 volunteer plover guardians, people who sat on a beach, read a book and gently informed people about plover chicks.

“About 99 per cent of people said they didn’t know about the chicks and were happy to go somewhere else.”

Details: Birds Australia website: www.birdsaustralia.com.au

By Mike Hast A SENIOR citizens housing project in Balnarring has collapsed two years after it received enthusiastic support from Mornington Peninsula Shire.

The collapse has dismayed members of the community, including seven people on a Balnarring Uniting Church building committee set up to drive the project.

It would have provided 28 assisted living units on land owned by the church and adjacent land owned by the shire on the western side of Balnarring Beach Rd near its intersection with Frankston-Flinders Rd. The project has been made economically unviable due to the council asking $630,000 for its 4000 square metres of land and the discovery of a sewer main on the land that would cost $400,000 to move.

The refusal of the council to make the land available at a peppercorn rent over a long term sends mixed messages after its recent release of an affordable housing plan for the peninsula.

The Mornington Peninsula Shire Social Housing and Affordable Housing Policy supports a doubling of

public, or affordable, housing over the next 10 years and identifies Balnarring as one of 16 towns on the peninsula that would be suitable.

“While acknowledging that responsibility for public housing rests mainly with the state and federal governments, the shire says it has “an important role to play” in such areas as planning, consulting the community and encouraging and providing incentives for social housing.

The Balnarring project had its genesis several years ago when more older residents were forced to leave the town to find assisted living accommodation.

They had to cut close ties with their community and move to Hastings, Rosebud, Mornington or further afield.

The challenge to solve the problem was taken up by members of the Balnarring Uniting Church.

The church owns a 4000-square metre block on the corner of Civic Crt and the railway reserve.

Part of the railway reserve in Balnarring was given to the shire by VicTrack in 1977 for community purposes. In late 2008, the Balnarring committee met representatives of

Uniting Aged Care Victoria and Tasmania, a not-for-profit agency of the church that builds and runs aged care centres.

Uniting Aged Care told the committee its 4000 square metre block was a good start but a bigger development would be more economically viable.

In February 2009 the committee met shire officers including director of sustainable communities Joe Cauchi and, says committee chairman John McKenzie, “received a favourable response” to the proposal.

This included telling the shire that Uniting Aged Care could not afford to buy the reserve, but hoped it would be gifted or offered at a peppercorn rent over a long term.

“That part was clearly understood,” said Mr McKenzie, a retired municipal engineer.

“We then talked to about 50 older Balnarring residents to judge the possible take up rate.”

After receiving positive responses, the committee organised a public meeting and on 1 September 2009 more than 70 people attended, including then mayor Cr Anne Shaw, ward councillor Frank Martin, repre-

Plover alert: A hooded plover chick exposed on the beach and below hiding in a footprint in the sand. Picture: Glenn Ehmke

Price blamed for collapse of aged care units

PAGE 10

Mornington News 7 April 2011

sentatives of many groups and Uniting Aged Care.

“It was a most enthusiastic meeting and we developed guidelines for the scheme,” Mr McKenzie said.

The committee took this document and made a presentation to shire chief executive Michael Kennedy and six senior officers in October 2009.

“We were encouraged to submit a full proposal, which we did in December 2009.”

Nothing was heard from the shire until February 2010 when the shire said it wanted $840,000 for its land.

“We were shocked; totally dismayed,” Mr McKenzie said.

Uniting Aged Care commissioned its own valuation and inspection of the shire land and discovered a rising sewerage main through the middle of the reserve, almost exactly under where the old railway track had been.

Mr McKenzie said the shire had not told his committee about the sewer main.

Uniting Aged Care’s valuers said it would cost $400,000 to move the sewer main to beside Civic Crt; the shire said it would cost $250,000.

“The shire eventually came back to

us and offered the land for $630,000, but wanted eight units for its affordable housing program.”

Uniting Aged Care again did its sums – $630,000 for the land, moving the sewer main, removing the pine trees and backfilling the old railway cutting, a total of more than $1 million.

On top of this was giving the shire eight out of 28 units.

“We held meetings throughout 2010 hoping to convince the councillors to change their minds. It’s a great scheme for Balnarring and you hope for the best,” Mr McKenzie said.

He said his committee and Uniting Aged Care continue to talk, and that Joe Cauchi and Frank Martin met with them a month ago to look at options.

“The shire could have been party to a magnificent development that would have brought it great kudos, but it has been a disappointing outcome for so many people in the town.”

Mr Cauchi told The News he did not want to comment on the decision made by the councillors. He said the shire was continuing to work with Uniting Aged Care “to provide support in any way we can including Home and Community Care”.

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PAGE 11

NEWS DESK

New launches: Akuna crosses in front of Ranger III off Queenscliff last Friday week, above, and Ranger III off Point Nepean National Park.

Hastings base for new pilot boat

By Mike Hast THE bright orange pilot boat rounded the navigation mark off Queenscliff and turned south, smoothly accelerating to 22 knots and slicing through choppy seas with its trademark saw-toothed bow.

Aboard were not the usual sea pilots heading out to Bass Strait to bring a ship through the notoriously dangerous entrance to Port Phillip, but the Governor of Victoria, Professor David de Kretser, his wife Jan and the Governor’s aide, Alisia Romanin.

Just minutes before they had been escorted aboard Port Phillip Sea Pilots’ newest boat Ranger III by pilots’ chief Captain Rob Buck.

A couple of hours before this, Mrs de Kretser had released a bottle of champagne to slide down into the bow of the 14-metre long pilot boat, which will be based at Hastings to carry pilots to and from ships using Western Port.

Ranger III is the second boat built for the sea pilots by Mornington-based Hart Marine, following Akuna IV, which was lowered into Mornington harbour last June for sea trials and officially launched and named at Station Pier in Port Melbourne last November by Karen Needs, wife of then Ports Minister Tim Pallas.

While the Governor and his party headed out towards The Rip at the entrance to Port Phillip, where they had a taste of the rugged commute of the 35 sea pilots, about 100 people celebrated on the top floor of 360Q, the restaurant at the redeveloped Queenscliff harbour.

Hart Marine boss Mal Hart, whose father Frank is a former Western Port harbourmaster, talked with dozens of former and current sea pilots. His sea pilot brother Richard was nearby, chatting with his colleagues.

Others attending included Inspector Stephen Guilmartin, head of the Williamstown-based Water Police; Port of Geelong harbourmaster Captain Dilip Abraham; Matthew McDonald, the new chief of Peninsula Searoad Transport, which operates the Sorrento to Queenscliff car ferry; Western Region upper house MP David Koch; and local councillors.

Earlier, Captain Buck started the official ceremony at 11.30am sharp,

PAGE 12

Mornington News 7 April 2011

giving a short history of the boats used by the Port Phillip Sea Pilots since the service started in 1839.

“We started with sailing cutters, then cutters and graduated to high-speed launches,” he said.

The service had always sought to have the safest and most reliable boats and, with the exception of the terrible tragedy in 1991 when the service lost a pilot and two crewmen, it had had an unenviable record, he said.

Captain Buck was referring to the 12.9-metre long George Tobin, named after the service’s founder, which flipped stern over bow in treacherous seas, drowning the three men.

The tragedy started a worldwide search for new designs, and the

next generation of launches were 16.5-metre long and powered by two 700-hp diesels, more than twice as powerful as George Tobin.

In 2005 the service replaced the twin 700s with 800-hp diesels, while keeping an eye on pilot boat designs.

Now it was replacing its five launches with boats designed by Pantocarene, a French naval architectural company that had revolutionised pilot and rescue boat design with its “beak” bow (see picture).

Capt Buck said after deciding on the Pantocarene design, the service conducted a national search to find a boatbuilder and commission Hart Marine to build the first two boats.

“We were fortunate to find an

experienced and professional boatbuilder in Mal Hart as well as continue our good association with Cummins diesels,” he said.

“Ranger III is 14.3-metre long, with a 4.8-metre beam, draught of 1.5 metres and has a cruising speed of 25 knots, driven by two 455-hp Cummins.”

Its unusual, big bow reduced vertical acceleration in heavy seas and gave a smoother ride. The new boats were self-righting.

Capt Buck acknowledged the service’s boat repair depot and the crews who carry the sea pilots to and from ships.

“We believe we have the safest pilot boats in the world. And without

further ado, I call on Mrs de Kretser to name this boat.”

Jan de Kretser told the gathering she holidayed at Ocean Grove as a child, with her family staying in a building that was part Geelong cable tram and part shed.

“If someone visited with a car, we’d all jump in and come to Queenscliff to watch the pilot boats and liners, so I was really excited and delighted to be invited down here today.

“It gives me great pleasure to name this boat – I should call her a ship – Ranger III. I wish fair weather and good fortune to all who sail in her.”

Mrs de Kretser released the champagne bottle and it broke perfectly first time, with the crowd murmuring its appreciation.

The next time The News saw Mrs de Kretser, the Governor and Ms Romanin, they were walking beside 360Q having been dropped off at the jetty of the sea pilots station on the foreshore at the end of Tobin Drive and picked up by a car.

Ranger III had been unable to linger for long at the jetty due to rough seas.

The Governor and his wife had a spring in their steps, although Ms Romanin was looking a little worse for wear and was no doubt happy to be back on dry land.

Ranger III was off on a second trip soon after, carrying retired sea pilots and their wives in the spacious cabin that looks more like a luxury bus than a boat.

Akuna and Ranger carry the latest in high-tech equipment and are propelled by low-emission, low-noise, lowvibration motors. They have man overboard recovery systems, including a hydraulically driven underwater platform and rubber fenders all around the top edge (gunwale).

As Ranger sliced out passed Shortlands Bluff, Akuna hove into view, bringing back to shore a pilot who had just clambered down the side of a container ship after taking it through The Heads.

For the modern sea pilots, it’s a long way from when George Tobin and his fellow pilots used to camp on the beach at Queenscliff and be rowed out to ships in 30-foot whaleboats crewed by convicts.

Young skipper charts ferry service’s new course

By Mike Hast SORRENTO to Queenscliff ferry operator Peninsula Searoad Transport has a new boss who is on a mission to change perceptions about the service.

Professional skipper Matt McDonald, 30, replaces longtime general manager Jack McKeddie, who retired in March, and the young captain is already making his mark on the company.

High on his agenda is “reinvigorating perceptions of the ferry service”, he told The News during an interview late last month in his Queenscliff office.

“Our car ferry is seen as too expensive, but the reality is it’s the cheapest service in

Australia,” he said, turning to his huge Apple Macintosh computer screen and calling up car ferry costs from around the nation.

“Kangaroo Island [South Australia], now that’ll cost you $86 a car plus $44 for every person in that car.

“Our customers pay $52 a car plus $7.50 a head for the 40-minute crossing. Foot passengers pay $10 or $9 concession.

“In Queensland, it’s $115 a car on the Moreton Island ferry and $84 for the Magnetic Island ferry plus $13.50 a head for the 50-minute crossing.

“We receive no government subsidy or funding; we lease government land at Queenscliff and Sorrento, and we’ve spent a lot of money on our two terminals.”

He said Mornington Peninsula Shire had told him peninsula senior citizens were concerned the $1 concession was too low when compared with bus and train concessions, but “the government gives huge subsidies for seniors to bus and train operators”.

Mr McDonald and his team are working on a marketing plan, which will be released in June.

He will outline plans at a Searoad staff seminar this month and request input from employees.

He wants to change the name of the company, Peninsula

Searoad Transport Pty Ltd, to better reflect its ferry business.

“It sounds like we’re a trucking company,” he said.

In the biggest move so far, MV Queenscliff Queenscliff,, the 80-car ferry launched in December 1993, will receive a full refit this winter and be ready by September.

Designed in Tasmania and built at Port Lincoln in South Australia, MV Queenscliff Queenscliff’s ’s rows of seat will be removed and replaced by a lounge-style interior with big television screens and other fittings.

There will be an improved cafe, tourist information area and Wi-Fi for computer users.

He said Searoad did the basics of carrying cars and other vehicles well, and now “we want to make a trip on our ferries a better tourism experience”.

An ally in the tourism experience for many years has been the resident pod of bottlenose dolphins, which more often than not flip across to the ferries as they make their hourly crossings and ride bow waves of MV Queenscliff and her sister ferry MV Sorrento Sorrento..

News of this extraordinary sight has spread around the world and they could one day become as famous as Phillip Island’s penguins.

People come to Melbourne and drive down to Sorrento or Queenscliff just to cross Port Phillip and see the dolphins.

Skipper at age 18 McDonald’s last job before taking over from Jack McKeddie was as captain of MV Platinum, a luxury motor yacht for “adventurers”.

The sleek 38-metre (125ft) vessel was custom built in Tasmania of steel and aluminium, with teak decks and interior of English beech, Tasmanian myrtle, oak and leather.

It was launched in 2008, and in May 2009 was a star attraction at Sanctuary Cove international boat show, the biggest in the Asia-Pacific region.

For $10,000 a day you could charter Platinum with accommodation for 10 people in its four double cabins, owners’ suite on the main deck, and six-person jacuzzi on a sun deck.

Captain McDonald skippered Platinum for two years on charters before she was bought

by Australia’s second-richest woman, Perthbased mining heiress Angela Bennett, who with her brother inherited father Peter Wright’s

fortune after his death in 1985. Mr Wright and the late Lang Hancock, friends from primary school days, made their fortunes in iron ore mining in the west, sealing all their partnership deals with a handshake.

Matt McDonald took Ms Bennett and friends on a mega-cruise through Asia before returning to Victoria to join Searoad.

Born and raised in Gippsland, Captain McDonald sailed aboard the tall ship Alma Doepel at age 14 and became a coxswain (first level ship’s captain) at 18. By 26 he was a master 4, entitled to skipper boats of 35 metres and since then has added to his qualifications.

The young captain is happy to be off the water, driving a desk and enjoying the challenge of taking Searoad into a new era.

Now Mornington Peninsula residents, he and his wife Alena are expecting their first child in July.

Call to crush hoon cars CARS of hoons “should be crushed after their first offence” was the call from a majority of people at a meeting in Frankston Arts Centre last Tuesday night.

About 100 people were at the meeting called to tackle hoon driving, organised by Frankston Council and chaired by Cr Glenn Aitken.

Cr Aitken said a vast majority of people called for tougher hoon driving laws and they were backed by attendees including federal MP Bruce Billson and state MPs Geoff Shaw, Neil Burgess, Donna Bauer and Jude Perera.

“The state government is bringing in new laws on 1 July, but they’re just not tough

enough,” Cr Aitken said.

He said recent statistics about social disorder showed people were more concerned about noisy, hoon drivers and dangerous drivers than drugtaker and graffiti vandals.

“The Australian Bureau of Statistics crime victimisation survey figures show 13 million Australians claim to be affected by hoons and bad drivers,” he told the meeting.

“People feel unsafe in their homes, property is being damaged and, worst of all, hoon drivers are taking the lives of pedestrians and other motorists.

“Frankston Council has called for stronger laws to combat hoon driving, as have

many other municipalities; the laws are out of touch with community expectations.”

He said police were frustrated with hoons being taken to court but receiving a slap on the wrist.

He called for stronger laws to combat “this rising selfishness of a minority of drivers; this mongrel mentality”.

Cr Aitken said he called for a show of hands of people supporting the crushing of cars for first-time hoons and for cases of bad speeding: “There was a sea of hands; almost everyone in the room.”

Frankston’s hoon hotline is 1800 NO HOON (1800 66 4666).

Mike Hast

Aye, aye: Captain Matt McDonald (left), the new boss of Searoad. Above, the old ferry Peninsula Princess and the new ferry cross paths in 2007.

About Searoad THE idea of a car ferry linking the Mornington and Bellarine peninsulas had been a dream of residents, local councils, businesses, tourism groups and some government departments for more than 30 years before the first crossing by the $2 million, 35-car MV Peninsula Princess in September 1987.

Three sea pilots, Paul Ringe, Keith Finnemore and Maurie Cobal, founded Peninsula Searoad Transport in 1983, but it was to be four long years before the idea became reality.

The company opened a ticket office and transit lounge at Queenscliff in January 1990 and at the end of the Sorrento Pier in April 1992.

The 80-car, 700 passenger MV Queenscliff, designed in Tasmania and built in South Australia, started service in 1993 and gradually took over from Peninsula Princess.

Business continued to boomed in the 1990s and sister ferry MV Sorrento was built in Tasmania and began operating in March 2001.

Searoad now crossed southern Port Phillip 24 times a day, leaving on the hour from both terminals.

Sorrento looks similar to Queenscliff, but has better lounge areas and cafe, a function lounge, full internal lift for wheelchairs and prams, a light-filled conservatory and a bronze sculpture of a mother and baby dolphin.

The 5.6 nautical mile (10.3km) crossing takes 40 minutes. The road distance from Sorrento to Queenscliff is 220 kilometres and can take up to three hours. Searoad says cars travelling on the ferry emit the equivalent of 13.5 kilograms of CO2, but emit 57.2kg

travelling around the bay. The two ferries carry more than 100,000 vehicles and 600,000 passengers each year.

Searoad had an “interesting summer” with MV Queenscliff out of service for three weeks in February after a small part failed in the gearbox.

Mid-February saw MV Sorrento’s arrival at the Sorrento berth delayed by about 35 minutes when ferry skipper Wayne Gallop spotted eight scuba divers lurking in the berth area.

Despite attempts to get the divers to move, police had to be called and the divers were later charged with obstruction.

Searoad is offering free travel for children during the holidays from 9-21 April. It applies to children under 15 travelling in vehicles only.

It is also offering free meals for kids with the purchase of an adult meal at the Queenscliff ferry terminal Beach Cafe before or after the crossing.

Children’s activities on board the two ferries during April will include Queenscliff’s Marine Discovery Centre “look and touch table” on 11 and 17 April, face painting and balloon sculpting on 13 April, Mr Ree the Magician on 20 April, and talented Queenscliff children entertaining passengers to raise money for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal on 22 April.

The ferries reverted to the offseason schedule last Sunday with the last sailings at 6pm from Sorrento and Queenscliff.

Details: (03) 5258 3244, email travel@ searoad.com.au or on the web at www. searoad.com.au

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Mornington News 7 April 2011

PAGE 13

NEWS DESK

Beach loss ‘not dredging’

By Mike Hast THE state government’s Office of the Environmental Monitor continues to deny the catastrophic loss of Portsea beach has been caused by dredging at the entrance of Port Phillip.

The office was set up by the government to monitor the deepening of Port Phillip shipping channels in 2008 and 2009 and any after-effects.

Its director, Don Hough, fronted concerned Portsea residents and peninsula environmentalists last Wednesday and spent more than an hour explaining why dredging is not to blame. He used a series of charts, computer modelling and historic photos of the beach on Weeroona Bay. He has also released a report by Dr Eric Bird, the 80-year-old international expert in coastal geomorphology who lives in a Melbourne bayside suburb and has been studying Port Phillip for many years.

Unprecedented swell has been sweeping away the beach since July 2009. Deepening of The Heads ended in September 2008.

The waves have: • Damaged where the pier is joined to the land, its access road, parking area and paths.

• Removed all the sand from more than 150 metres of beach.

• Swept away foreshore behind the beach.

• Undermined and toppled trees, and removed shrubs and grasses.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment says it has spent $2.2 million importing 10,000 cubic metres of sand from Gippsland quarries, trucking in rocks and building a 150-metre long revetment (seawall) using huge geotextile sandbags stacked 10 deep with three below the surface resting on the underlying sandstone.

Mornington Peninsula Shire has spent $150,000 repairing paths, the pier access road, parking area and on landscaping.

Despite Don Hough’s best efforts, few people at the meeting in Portsea were convinced dredging was not to blame for the beach loss.

Mr Hough said the beach had sustained “significant loss between late 2009 and April 2010” after five metres plus had been removed from The Plateau, an area in The Heads that was 12 metres below the surface before dredging.

Len Salter of Dive Victoria later claimed eight metres had been removed from The Plateau.

Last August, at the first Portsea

erosion meeting, Port of Melbourne Corporation chief executive Stephen Bradford said: “We’ve taken off no more than three metres.”

Mr Bradford or a port representatives was not at last week’s important meeting despite saying last year that he or his deputy “attend most of these community meetings”.

Mr Hough pointed to a cross-section chart of The Heads showing the area removed was a small percentage of the overall entrance to Port Phillip between Point Lonsdale in the west and Point Nepean in the east.

He said tide gauges in Port Phillip that provided live data every six minutes showed a 50-centimetre difference between summer and winter tide averages, with tides lower in winter.

Actual movement of sand off Portsea and elsewhere in southern Port Phillip matched modelling done for the environment effects statement for dredging, he said.

Swell direction had been measured after dredging, exclusive of frequency, tide and wind. He pointed to a chart that showed two parallel lines where dredging had been done in the Great Ship Channel and further into Port Phillip in the South Channel.

The line taken by swell reaching Portsea beach was outside the dredged areas, he said.

“The time between swells at Portsea is 13 seconds plus or minus a second, but Bass Strait swells are every seven seconds.”

Mr Hough conceded he should have brought with him more charts showing swells from the southeast and southwest, but “they would be loaded on our website”.

The next chart showed movement of sand on the seabed and revealed nothing that could have led to increased swells damaging the beach, he said.

He produced photos showing the beach at the Quarantine Station at Point Nepean in 1866, 1939 and 2007, and how it had varied in size.

Mr Hough said Shelly Beach (immediately east of Portsea, around Point Franklin) had lost a massive amount of sand in just five years, but had now returned.

Another chart revealed water levels in Port Phillip and showed 2009 had been a peak year with “unusually high sea levels and wave energy around Anzac Day and September 2009”.

But the beach continued to vanish in 2010 and this year.

None of the charts and explanations convinced Len Salter, Gary Grant of

marine adventure business Bayplay, Andrew Henderson of the Portsea Hotel and others at the meeting.

Mr Salter, a veteran diver, said there had always been large swells south of The Plateau, but little on the northern (inside Port Phillip) side. “Now we get much more swell [since dredging] on the northern side.”

Mr Grant said swells along the coast between The Heads and Portsea had changed even since trial dredging in August 2005.

“We used to take kayakers to a beach near the end of Point Nepean, but now it’s too dangerous,” he said.

Mr Henderson said technology had enabled mankind to land on the moon more than 40 years ago, but couldn’t tell us what had caused the rapid loss of Portsea beach.

“You tell us it’s not channel deepening; what is it?” he asked Mr Hough.

He had no answer.

DSE’s chief coastal engineer Dr Darren James told the meeting there had been a lot of anxiety around the loss of the beach and that DSE had met frequently with the community “to manage the issue”.

Repairing the beach and stopping erosion eating further into the foreshore had been “done in a very challenging environment”. To protect the beach while it built the revetment, DSE had considered sinking barges just offshore or pounding sheet piling (huge steel slabs) into the shallows.

In the end, using huge rocks to build a temporary wall had been the best option.

“We designed and built a 150-metre seawall in four months, something that usually takes much longer,” he said.

DSE would monitor its repair work for two years and reassess after this, he said. An amphibious measurement vehicle that can float in shallow water would be used as part of the monitoring. An interim report would be released in December 2011 and a final one in December 2012.

He said there was 500 cubic metres of sand stockpiled on the eastern (uneroded) end of the beach for use on the western end. Revegetation of the affected area would start in May. Shire engineer John Ault-Connell, who was at the meeting with coastal planner Rebecca Cohen, said the council had been forced to close the access track to the beach on the eastern side of the pier after recent erosion.

The shire had spent $150,000 at Portsea, he said.

This shocked some ratepayers as the figure made public by Cr Anne Shaw

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(03)5977 4259 - 0448 717 355 “Like a stone thrown in a pond; Your choice’s create a ripple effect” PAGE 14

Mornington News 7 April 2011

Life’s a beach: Before and after pictures of Portsea beach showing the battle to build a ramp to get heavy machinery on to the beach (24 August 2010), and the completed revetment last week. Pictures: Anthony Opitz and Mike Hast

in late February was $50,000.

Mr Salter asked Dr James what had been the loss of sand under Portsea pier. He said six to 12 inches (1530cm). Mr Salter: “It’s way more than that. Is the pier itself under threat?”

Dr James said pier piles had been driven into the seabed three metres and it was safe.

Sorrento botanist Jane Burke said Eric Bird’s report showed erosion occurred when you stopped longshore drift (sand moving along the coast), but Dr James said the stepped revetment was better than a vertical wall.

Judy Muir of Polperro Dolphin Swims was concerned about the Office of the Environmental Monitor being disbanded at the end of 2011 when “we still might not know the cause of the loss of Portsea beach”.

Mr Hough said there were “ongoing regulatory obligations that would pass to DSE and the Port of Melbourne

Corporation”.

He said Port Phillip’s animals and plants would be monitored for six years, and the northern dredge material ground (where toxic material dredged from the Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers was dumped in a bund and covered with clean sand from the South Channel) would be “checked every two years indefinitely”.

A bathymetric survey (underwater depth) would be done in February 2012, he said.

Mr Henderson called on DSE to prepare a plan to stop further erosion and not wait until December 2012.

Last year he said the government should built an extension to the natural reef to take the power out of waves hitting the beach.

Like King Canute who tried to stop the tide 1000 years ago, it could be a futile battle.

Counselling service to help those in need GISELA HARRIS has established a professional counselling practice in Tyabb. Her aim is to provide quality service at an affordable price to all people who may need help in addressing issues that are causing them concern.

For example, a problem that is causing you to feel anger, resentment, hatred, jealousy, revenge and wishing someone harm can cause you to suffer illness, failure and poverty in your own life. The perfect solution can be as simple as changing one’s perception about the situation.

“Whatever you give out in thought, words or actions must come back to you. The law of cause and effect is immutable and unchangable,” she said.

Sessions are by appointment only. Please ring between the hours of 8am-6pm Monday to Saturday on (03) 5977 4259 or 0448 717 355.

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Mornington News 7 April 2011

PAGE 15

FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT

Darren Hornsby, I beg your forgiveness

By Stuart McCullough HIT film ‘The Social Network’ charts the origins of the phenomenon that is facebook. In the movie, a simple act of revenge in which a jilted young man seeks to humiliate a girl spawns an idea that becomes a billion dollar industry. But whilst the folks at facebook may try and convince you that it has moved beyond its vengeful origins, the site remains a potent weapon that, in the wrong hands, can wreak untold destruction.

I continue to resist twitter and the rest, believing firmly that they are not a new frontier of communication so much as they are a massive time sink. Indeed, Stephen Hawking would be well advised to update his book ‘A Brief History of Time’ to confirm that the newest black hole in the universe is, in fact, facebook.

Mostly, I’m oblivious to it.

However, I am reliably informed that there is a page on facebook entitled ‘You Know You Went to Flinders College in the 1980s if……’ Lots of examples are listed. It is, I am assured, the nature of such things. One of them is ‘You Know You Went to Flinders College in the 1980s if you saw 20/20 Vision live in concert’.

20/20 Vision was the name of the band I was in during high school. This page has more than seventy members.

Riding a wave to rock stardom: 20/20 Vision circa 1986 including the author, second from left (hand protruding cooly from his pocket). Little did they know that a lifetime of mediocrity awaited them...

There are comments, of course, along with photos.

Mostly these are statements of remembrance and recognition, a sense of camaraderie born of shared memories and experiences. No wonder people find this stuff addictive – it so often answers the question that plagues everyone when they reminisce: whatever happened to ‘so and so’? But amidst this harmless fun there lurked something of a hand-grenade, a posting that did not come in

peace but to settle a score that I had no idea even existed.

I didn’t know Darren Hornsby that well. He was a year or two older than me and was pretty quiet.

We weren’t friends, but we weren’t enemies either. Or so I thought.

It was short, it was sharp and it was devastating. Darren posted, ‘Yeah I saw 20/20 Vision play (crap)…..’ Whilst such a critique may seem harmless enough, those words are a dagger to my musical heart.

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Mornington News 7 April 2011

I’ll be the first to admit that we weren’t exactly Radiohead, but we were best band the school had to offer. That we were the only band doesn’t really come into the equation. Number one is number one, no matter which way you slice it.

As the singer, I often bathed in the adulation that being in a teenage rock band brings.

Walking between the portables and across the quadrangle, my fellow students gazed at me in what I assumed was quiet

worship. I thought everybody loved us. Clearly, I was mistaken. Darren didn’t make his feelings known at the time - if he had some constructive criticism he wished to provide, all he had to do was speak up. I feel betrayed.

Although I could try and draw some succor from the fact that Darren’s scathing assessment did not prompt a flood of similar comments, neither did anyone charge to our defence.

This is in spite of the fact that of the seventy-plus people in the group, two are my sisters and one was a member of the band itself. Under these circumstances, such silence is disturbing. Rather than a disgruntled lone wolf, perhaps Darren is part of a silent but still angry majority who have been waiting all these years for the chance to stick their boots in.

It’s as though he has bided his time, patiently anticipating the creation of facebook and social media where his true feelings can finally be revealed. I can’t recall him even liking music, and yet he has dismissed the finest efforts of our teenage years in a single word.

How should I respond?

Should I accuse him of having ears of clay or simply demand satisfaction and challenge him to some kind of dual? Sadly, whilst facebook gives you the option of accepting or declining an offer of friendship, it is completely without a function

that lets you organize pistols at dawn.

The members of 20/20 Vision will soon reunite for the first time in more nearly twenty years. Whilst we could probably be forgiven for retaliating by way of a letter advising Darren that we’re not wild about him either, I don’t think that’s the way to go. I’d prefer to dust off the instruments and turn up unannounced to his house, set up on the lawn and start playing. Or, if that’s not possible, perhaps we could transfer some of the old cassettes to compact disc and present him with the very first copy of ‘20/20 Vision – The Anthology’.

Facebook may be a fascinating portal into the past, but it’s also capable of delivering some fairly confronting surprises.

When I first heard of the ‘You Know You Went to Flinders College in the 1980s…’ page, I assumed it would be filled with earnest debate as to which 20/20 Vision best encapsulates the spirit of the band, a full list of our live performances and a petition begging us to reform.

Maybe even chord charts to allow our die hard followers to play along. But instead of fan worship all I found was criticism that’s twenty years too late in coming. Darren, had I only known how you felt. I am truly, deeply sorry. www.stuartmccullough.com

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Blessed are cheesemakers and all good food producers ANDRIY and Taras Kogut (below) are the familiar faces of Blue Bay Cheese at farmers markets on the Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne’s kosher food scene.

As founders of Blue Bay Cheese, the Kogut brothers come from a rich European heritage of cheese making in their homeland of the Karpathian Mountains, Ukraine. They now embrace Port Phillip and Mornington as their “sparkling inspiration” for a new life in Australia producing cheeses and

fine food for the local market that would make their grandmother proud! “Each day our grandmother milked the cows and goats herself, taking great pride in having fresh yoghurt and cheese on the table for the family.”

Like so many immigrants the Koguts say that survival in a new country has been a great motivator. Starting a new business has been a risk with many and varied challenges for the entire family.

With a shared passion for food the brothers studied Agricultural Engineering

New in Frankston LOS ARGENTINOS has 15 franchises throughout Europe with the sixteenth just opened in Frankston - the first for Australia!

Beautifully decorated with South American decor, the restaurant has a charcoal grill at front of house with steaks, lamb, ribs and chicken done to perfection.

Fully licensed, seating 80 inside and 35 outside, Los Argentinos is fully stocked with a wide variety of South American spirits, wines from Argentina and Chile and local wines included. Margaritas are a specialty.

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Live entertainment with a South American band is on offer 4 days throughout the week.

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majoring in Food Production and Processing Technologies in Kiev, graduating with the Bachelor degree in 1999.

The Australian dream began in 2005 when the brothers opened the Cheese Factory in Mornington.

Combining the Kogut’s passion and expertise, Blue Bay Cheese was to become a familiar face on the Mornington Peninsula. “Working with the public and selling our products at the farmers markets has been a great way to meet people and establish a much valued client base”, said the brothers.

With the manufacturing premises based in Mornington, the brothers have ex-

Jokes!!!

Bob moved in with his girlfriend and her enormous collection of old magazines. They took up an entire room.

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panded the business to open a direct retail outlet for their produce.

In 2009, BLUE BAY DELI was opened in Frankston making available its tasty wood fired smallgoods, cheeses, traditional authentic cakes and other European delicacies.

The future is looking great! The brothers have now appointed an experienced chef and together with a dedicated team to run the deli shop, they aim to introduce even more freshly cooked specialities of the European and Eastern European cuisine.

The list of menu items include a full selection of crepes (nalesniki) with

cheese, chicken, meat, cabbage and mushrooms; pierogi and pelmeni (Polish and Russian dumplings); traditional European cakes, poppy seed strudels and cookies. In addition the deli will also provide a variety of salads, soups and home cooked meals for takeaway.

Frankston Blue Bay Deli will re-open for business on April 5 (Tue-Fri 9am- 5pm, Sat 9am- 2pm). 8 Young Street, Frankston. T. 97831714. Takeaway available.

Please note that road works are still in progress.

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A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking around with the fly-swatter.

“What are you doing?” she asked. “Hunting flies,” he replied “Oh. Killing any?”

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Intrigued she asked: “How can you tell?”

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www.mpnews.com.au Mornington News 7 April 2011

PAGE 17

FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT

Entertainment AFTER two hit singles, including Australian Country’s biggest hit of 2010 with Thank You for Cheating on Me, two time Golden Guitar winner, Dianna Corcoran follows up with her third single, the title track from her smash album Keep Breathing.

The single release also comes with a new video directed by Ross Wood.

Dianna said “It was time to showcase my voice and to show the emotion with a serious song.”

The Parkes born singer/songwriter burst onto the country scene with her debut album A Little Bit Crazy in 2003 and in the same year was awarded the Australian Independent Rising Star of the Year Award.

In 2004 Dianna received two nominations in the Country Music Awards of Australia 2004 and a Golden Guitar for Best New Talent of the Year and was selected to receive a $10,000 grant at the Australian Performing Rights Association (APRA) Professional Development Awards.

This gave Corky the opportunity to head to Nashville and do some writing and recording.

In 2007 Corky received three nominations in the 2008 Tamworth

writing competition with her song and album title Tailwind.

Her single Somebody Stole My Horse was one of the hottest country songs playing on radio in 2008. The same year she won Independent Female Vocalist of the Year.

Country Music Awards, Album of the Year, and Female Artist of the Year and Vocal Collaboration of the Year with Karl Broadie.

Keep Breathing is a must for every country music fans collection. www.diannacorcoran.com *** GOLDEN Guitar winner Kirsty Akers will release a new single In Spite of Ourselves from the forthcoming album Naked due for release in June.

The single is produced by Matt Fell (Sara Storer, Graeme Connors). www.kirstyleeakers.net *** HARMONY James has won the 2011 (APRA) (PDA) Award in the country section.

Harmony and eight other Australian songwriters will receive a package worth $25,000 each.

In 2007 Harmony won the country section of the International Song

The Sydney Country Music Festival, Stampede On Down will be held at the Castle Hill Showground April 1-3 with acts including Troy Cesar-Daley, Jetty Road and McAlister Kemp.

Gates open at 4pm and concert begins at 7pm.

The show will also feature a Ute Muster and Talent Quest on Saturday 2nd.

The show will be hosted by Ray Hadley. www. sydneycountrymusicfestival.com.au *** Congratulations to Jasmine Rae who has retained the No.1 position on this week’s ARIA Australian Artists Country Sales Chart with her new album Listen Here (ABC). The album features the hit singles Hunky Boys and I’ll Try Anything with Joe Nichols. Jasmine will appear at the Empire Theatre, Toowoomba April 29. www.jasminerae.com.au

Melbourne Cup Day and anticipate the joy of clean beachside rubbish bins for six months. I should add that I mean no disrespect to Jesus, obviously a man of the highest principles and courage. *** I SEE where the Victorian Education Department is considering Christian education classes in primary schools to be taught by volunteers. Who chooses the volunteers? Do the children (and parents) have a choice?

Why do some religions engage in witch hunts, otherwise known as the subtle persecution of people of other faiths? What of the burning of Ingrid Bergman (Joan of Arc), a Catholic saint found guilty by an ecclesiastical court, burned to death at age 19 and declared innocent by the Pope 25 years later.

Then there’s the Spanish Inquisition with the choice: as in convert or be killed. As George W Bush said after the 9/11 terrorist attacks “Either you’re with us or you’re a terrorist.”

Shades of brainwashing? *** THERE’S no doubt about the Prince, as in William. What a decent young man. He willingly gave his time to the locals in New Zealand and no doubt provided those fortunate enough to see him in person with some spine-

tingling moments.

I was driving to Frankston on 19 March when it was announced on the wireless that he had landed in Australia. I was too excited to drive, so I pulled over for five minutes to savour the moment.

Sadly he’s so busy he simply cannot fit in a visit to the RSL dedicated smoking zone. Never mind (as Mum used to say), the media will keep us informed step by step, page by page. If only Kate could join him. That would represent perfection. *** ASSUMING the Libyan rebels (with US help) oust the lovable Colonel Gaddafi, thereby bringing glorious democracy to Libya, along the brilliantly successful lines of our achievements in Afghanistan and Iraq, our contribution (always a big plus to help the Yanks) should include sending our two top advisers on decency, capitalism and a fair go over there, namely the arithmetical Terry McCrann and all things wonderful Andrew Bolt. Oh, and Caroline Wilson for the Libyan ladies. *** I MENTIONED previously that Professor Patrick McGorry reckons 4.4 million Aussies confront mental

illness every year. I wonder about these outrageous claims. We tend to assume that all “now” opinions are correct. So many people seemingly suffering from various forms of clinical depression today -- a fact? Presently we’re overrun with psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors and antibiotic-supplying medical practitioners with an almost pathological opinion that smoking causes everything.

Fifty years ago the perfect Mum and Dad smoked cigarettes. In the US 50 years ago they gave homosexuals electric shocks, sometimes lobotomies and castration, and called them sexual psychopaths. Things change, sometimes for the better.

What about in 2061? Will we decide in favour of Socrates? Will we become enlightened, yet again, and today’s certainties scoffed at? Not me obviously -- I’ll be up yonder. Lah de dah. *** THEY’RE hitting hard with this prepaid funerals nonsense. And wills.

Radio and television. Fair enough to make a will, but refrain from disclosing the details, particularly to your wonderful children. Time enough when you’re gone. Add a codicil along the lines of “anyone who enquires as

with Gary Turner Top Ten Albums 1. Keep Breathing – Dianna Corcoran 2. Listen Here – Jasmine Rae (ABC) 3. Behind the Lines – John Schumann 4. Woolshed Creek – James Blundell 5. Red Stiletto- Vanessa Lea & Road Train 6. Connie Kis – Connie Kis Andersen 7. Left of Center – Left of Center 8. 14 Funny Songs – Jim Haynes 9. Love & Bravery – Bec Lavelle 10. Behind Bars – Allan Caswell Top Five Singles 1. Bad Machines – Shane Nicholson 2. Spend it – Aly Cook 3. Steamy Dreams - Connie Kis Andersen 4. Keep Breathing – Dianna Corcoran 5. Two Miles Down – Luke Austen

A Grain Of Salt I’VE been crook. Doctor said smoking; surprise, surprise. He sent me to Rosebud Hospital where I was held prisoner for five hours on a painfully uncomfortable bed.

Fortunately the nurses were beautiful, thus allowing my imagination to run riot. Twice I needed to relieve myself, twice they brought me a bottle and twice (when they were out of sight), I took all the sticky thingos off and walked to the toilet. Fair go ladies! I enjoyed the sandwiches.

OK now. I’ve cut the smokes down from 25 to 22 a day, with special dispensation when Collingwood wins.

But if Essendon beat Collingwood on Anzac Day, I’m giving them up forever. Might as well suffer two pains in the one hit. It’s quite amazing the extent of self-pity a male undergoes when one is crook. *** ARE we all looking forward to Easter?

Why? Is it the holidays, your Christian beliefs, the eventual mass evacuation or all three? On the third day, according to my 1948 Sunday school teachings, Jesus came alive. But on the fifth day here on the Mornington Peninsula some 63 years later we really celebrate, as we wave ta-ta to the holiday hordes from Melbourne until

Mornington

with Cliff Ellen to how long before the cash arrives is automatically disqualified”.

As for prepaid funerals, forget them.

What if they go broke? I know, I know -- many of you will disagree. But they’re not for me. *** APPARENTLY Sunday 27 March was Neighbour Day, a time to show some community spirit and take the trouble to befriend our neighbours. I was right into it. I went out to the footpath; no neighbours either side. I looked across the road and discovered the RSL. That’s where I went, as a loyal celebrant of Neighbour Day. “I feel better now.” *** Love requires not so much proofs, as expressions of love. Love demands little else than the power to feel and to requite love. (Richter) Don’t trouble trouble, until trouble troubles you. Adieu. cliffie9@bigpond.com

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Mornington News 7 April 2011

Here we go, here we go, it’s peninsula footy time versus Tyabb at Pearcedale Recreation Reserve on BaxterTooradin Rd, Somerville versus Frankston at Somerville Recreation Reserve on Jones Rd, and Red Hill versus Rosebud at the Red Hill Showgrounds.

Rye, Sorrento and Dromana have the bye, with the latter two opening their seasons on Easter Saturday 23 April at David McFarlan Reserve in Sorrento.

At Chelsea, the game will mark the start of a season-long celebration of the Seagulls’ 100-year history and will include the unfurling of the club’s centenary flag and the first appearance of its heritage jumpers, which will be worn in all matches this year.

Andrew “Toe Punt” Kelly of 3RPP said the Chelsea Seagulls are one of the most influential teams in the MPNFL. RRP’s coverage begins at 9am with the Chelsea pregame breakfast, before Kelly, Jack “The Voice” Heverin and Michael Voss call the historic game at 1.45pm.

Kelly, now into his 18th year behind the microphone, says he can’t wait: “This is a big moment for Chelsea and the league, and the radio station helping the celebrations is a brilliant way to kick off the season.”

Preparations for the match and the centenary celebrations have been coordinated by the Chelsea centenary committee headed by president and former

Collingwood v Carlton the top match of the round Round 3 Previews Friday April 8 Collingwood v Carlton MCG 7:40pm What a match we have here, two arch-rivals go head to head after unbeaten starts to the season. Collingwood this week will be unfurling their premiership flag which will no doubt fire them up before the blockbuster. Carlton last week looked sharp against the Suns getting home by 119 points in Chris Judd’s 200th. Collingwood however have looked unchallenged in their first two games this year, so the Blues will be a good test to see where they’re at. I think the Blues will struggle to match the Pies pressure.

Collingwood by 49 points.

Saturday April 9 Western Bulldogs v Gold Coast Etihad Stadium 2:10pm In round 2 these two teams were polar opposites in their results as the Bulldogs won by 78 points and the Suns lost by 119 points. The Gold Coast were very much out of their dept against Carlton, Gary Ablett wasn’t anywhere near his best and blooding 12 players in one match is always going to be a problem. The Gold Coast will be better but they still won’t be anywhere near the Bulldogs with Brian Lake likely to return.

Western Bulldogs by 88 points.

Adelaide v Fremantle AAMI 3:10pm After the bye Adelaide will be looking to resume their impressive start to the season when they meet Fremantle. Despite going down to Geelong in a thriller last week I don’t think

we’ve seen anywhere near Fremantle’s best, their decision making and set shots let them down, so if they can fix that they will be hard to stop.

I think Aaron Sandilands will be too hard to beat in the ruck, with Sam Jacobs and Shaun McKernan the Crows first choice ruckmen.

Fremantle by 1 point.

Richmond v Hawthorn MCG 7:10pm Despite losing Jack Riewoldt early in last weeks game the Tigers defied the odds by achieving a draw against the Saints.

Hawthorn played out a game of two very different halves, in the first they looked lacklustre but in the second they flicked the switch and played a half of football equal to their second half in the 2008 grand final.

This will be a game of the two power forwards Jack Riewoldt and Lance Franklin, they will be hard to stop but if they can be stopped the game could go either way.

Hawthorn by 41 points.

West Coast v Sydney Patersons Stadium 7:40pm In what is set to be a close game the undefeated Eagles will go in as favourites after holding off Port Adelaide in their interstate match. Sydney on the other hand looked impressive against a pumped up in form Essendon side, coming from behind to win. Eagles Andrew Embley and Dean Cox are in rare form after two sensational games to start the season. Judging by the quality of teams each team has played Sydney will be too strong for the young Eagles.

Sydney by 30 points.

Sunday April 10 Melbourne v Brisbane MCG 1:10pm A horror start for the year for the Brisbane Lions doesn’t

look like improving soon, with back to back trips to Melbourne. Even though the Dees faded away in the second half to lose to Hawthorn they can take many positives after leading the first half. Brisbane last week looked lost without captain Jonathan Brown when they were slaughtered by an out of form Bulldogs side, with Simon Black and Jed Adcock the lone contributors. Melbourne will be far too superior. Melbourne by 56 points.

Geelong v Port Adelaide Skilled Stadium 2:10pm Geelong has been a real surprise packet this season when many saw them slipping down the ladder. Now they’ve beaten two high quality teams in a row and looking in good nick. Port Adelaide has struggled to find form in their opening games especially failing to beat West Coast at home. The Cats will be hard to beat with Joel Selwood, Cameron Mooney and Tom Lonergan possible inclusions as well as James Podsiadly playing at his favourite ground where last year he kicked five bags of five.

Geelong by 54 points.

St. Kilda v Essendon Etihad Stadium 4:40pm Another interesting match scheduled this week the Saints and Bombers have had completely different starts to this season. The Saints have played well below their best with a surprise draw against Richmond. Essendon have been the big improvers so far this year showing extreme pace and pressure. Despite Essendon beating the Saints in the last three matches St Kilda will be desperate for a win and on paper are a much better team than Essendon. Riewoldt has to fire if Saints are going to win.

St. Kilda by 12 points.

player Ray Stuart.

“Chelsea has left nothing to chance,” says Jack Heverin.

“Their history, the epic games of the 1960s and 1970s, and the rivalry with Edi-Asp Eagles is just huge. We can’t wait to get going.”

Chelsea will be wearing a navy blue and white hooped heritage jersey for the match

and will be honouring the role and contribution of past players and administrators.

“Look at Chelsea’s contribution to local footy,” says Kelly, “players like Jack ‘Chooka’ Howell, ‘Doc’ White, Frank Parsons, Leigh Matthews and Travis Johnstone. This is going to make fantastic radio; talking to these blokes

and reflecting on Chelsea’s contribution to local football.”

3RPP’s coverage of the 9 April Chelsea centenary breakfast and Chelsea v Edithvale-Aspendale match starts at 9am on 98.7 and 98.3 FM. The station broadcasts the MPNFL match of the day every Saturday.

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THE Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League kicks off with a once-in-a-century match on 9 April, the 100th year of the Chelsea Seagulls.

The Seagulls tackle traditional rivals EdithvaleAspendale at Chelsea Reserve in Beardsworth Ave in a show stopper a week before other Peninsula Division teams pull on the boots.

Calling the game will be the award-winning team from 3RPP, the peninsula’s community radio station.

Most interest in the Western Port and southern peninsula region will be the hotly contested Nepean Division games – Hastings versus Crib Point at Thomas Barclay Oval in Hastings, Pearcedale

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