Pakenham Gazette - 13th September 2023

Abuse claims

Survivors of child sexual abuse in Victorian government schools are being asked to come forward to share their experiences as an inquiry into child abuse has received allegations made against at least three perpetrators who worked at 18 different primary schools including Bunyip, Beaconsfield Upper, Emerald, Cranbourne, Dandenong North and Dandenong West.

An independent Board of Inquiry is examining abuse at Beaumaris Primary School in Melbourne’s southeast in the 1960s and 1970s and at other government schools up to the late 1990s.

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Beers to flow

The iconic Main Street pub colloquially known as Purvies will open its doors to punters again next week.

With a fresh look, pints will begin flowing from the iconic Pakenham Hotel from Monday 18 September, trading under a new name - The Railway Hotel Pakenham.

The historic hotel has been a favoured local spot for drinks and counter meals since the 1870s, operating most recently as the Drake Tavern until owners decided to shut up shop in May this year. A vision to convert the business into a childcare centre was dissolved by a deal from a consortium of local investors and business owners to buy the site, brokered by Barry Plant co-principal Dan O’Loughlin.

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Hope triumphs

A wave of yellow and purple helped spread a message of hope and support at Have Hope’s 2023 Suicide Awareness Day over the weekend.

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Fighting for farm

By Eleanor Wilson

A Lang Lang farmer has outlined his plans to take Cardinia Shire Council to VCAT, after a planning application to re-subdivide his more than 120-hectare property was refused at a town planning meeting last month.

Cattle farmer Jack Pascoe believes the council misunderstood his intentions for the

land when they decided to recommend his application for refusal at the 7 August meeting.

The council voted without division to refuse the permit, citing several planning provision contradictions, including inconsistencies with the Westernport Green Wedge Policy, several state and local policies and the Metropolitan Green Wedge Land: Core Planning Provisions.

While the proposal did not detail plans for

an increase in the number of dwellings on the site, the council argued the increased size of the proposed lot one meant that further subdivision could occur, potentially creating an additional two lots and two further dwellings, councillors said.

But Mr Pascoe said Cardinia Shire Council should be more understanding and supportive of farmers in the municipality.

“I’m not a developer trying to rezone, I’m a farmer,” Mr Pascoe said.

“We don’t get any other support from them, but if we’re just asking to slice off a little bit of our own land to help keep it alive as a farm for our kids and generations to come, I think they should be supporting it, not recommending it for refusal on little to no grounds.”

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