Southern Peninsula
M. & A. EGAN Licensed Plumber & Gasfitter Lic No: 22042
461 Dundas St, Rye, 3941.
YOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S ON THIS WEEKEND FOR PENINSULA FAMILIES FACEBOOK:
PO Box 101, Rye, 3941.
peninsulakids.com.au mornpenkids
MOB: 0418 301 980
m.eganplumbing@gmail.com
An independent voice for the community
INSTAGRAM:
FREE
Your weekly community newspaper covering Safety Beach to Portsea For all advertising and editorial needs, call 03
Wednesday 23 February 2022
5974 9000 or email: team@mpnews.com.au www.mpnews.com.au
Team ready to leap into action for kangaroos VOLUNTEERS are standing by ready to help evacuate more than 500 kangaroos trapped on private property near cape Schanck. The kangaroos, once under threat of being culled, are fenced in and cannot access their usual habitat of Greens Bush National Park. Members of the Save the Mornington Peninsula Kangaroos group say the animals have been there since last September “with limited feed and shelter”. Mary Waterman says the group has a “kangaroo movement plan” and has offered to provide one-way gates “for their safe removal from the property”. She accuses the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning of not “granting permits and allowing action” and overestimating kangaroo numbers.
Shire’s ‘all aboard’ for electric train Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council has agreed to lobby for electric trains to run between Frankston and Langwarrin as the first stage of a service to Hastings. The estimated $650m to $850m cost for six kilometres of double track would include parking for thousands of cars, allowing peninsula residents to park and catch a metro train to
Frankston and beyond. At its second last meeting for 2021 (7 December) the shire’s councillors voted unanimously to lobby for a twostaged approach to having an electric train service to Hastings. Cr Paul Mercurio (endorsed Labor Party candidate for Hastings at the November state election) successfully moved that the shire “endorse an advocacy campaign” for an electrified double rail track from Frankston to Langwarrin, while still seeking state and federal money to extend the elec-
tric service to Hastings. Cr Steve Holland, who seconded the move, said: “As far as I can tell, the only thing holding up this project is the state Labor government, all other state and federal parties are committed to the rail extension. So, any advocacy campaign is likely to centre around the state Labor candidates on the peninsula." At the same time as it presses for the Langwarrin development, the shire also wants the state government to improve the diesel rail service to Stony Point, with trains running every 20
minutes during peak times and 40 minutes “all day”. Councillors also want “immediate improvements” to public transport in the Hastings area. If it does get the green light from governments, the Langwarrin station car park and possible bus terminus would be on former Telstra-owned land in McClelland Drive, close to Peninsula Link. In the lead-up to the shire’s changed position on primarily wanting the electric train service to Hastings, council-
Enjoy more quality time with your loved one, by trusting After-Care with their in home care needs For information on how to take the complication out of Home Care Packages and NDIS Support, visit our website or give our friendly staff a call!
NDIS Support
Garden & Home Maintenance
Home Care Packages
All In-Home Care Services
1300 46 46 63
inhome@after-care.com.au
www.after-care.com.au
lors were briefed by Ginevra Hosking, CEO of the lobby group Committee for Greater Frankston. In a media release, Ms Hosking said shire councillors had unanimously supported extending the line because “they know it will form the backbone of our region’s future transportation network”. “Electrifying the track to Langwarrin is an immediately achievable first step as there is already $225 million of Commonwealth government funds guaranteed in the federal Budget.” Continued Page 9