Friday, March 16, 2012
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Garden damage highlights clashes over coastal views
BOY’S ANZAC ADVENTURE PAGE 5
Trashed: Seb Pecar, 12, and Jarrod Winton, 13, inspect the garden damage. Picture: Tommy Ritchie
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NEW FOOD FEATURE
SUBMISSIONS to a review of Surf Coast Shire’s electoral structure have overwhelmingly favoured introduction of wards. Most submissions on Victorian Electoral Commission’s preliminary recommendations supported wards option B. Many submissions slammed the VEC’s recommendation to retain the existing structure of regional councillors. Option B proposed four councillors for Torquay, two each for Winchelsea and Anglesea and one for Lorne. The Anglesea-Airey’s Inlet 1026392-JL11-12
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Submissions slam VEC shire option
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branch of the Liberal party said the existing system was “totally unsatisfactory”. “Ratepayers should have access to a councillor fully aware of the issues and attitudes in the community.” The branch’s submission also said many ratepayers felt “unrepresented” because councillors’ priorities were in Torquay. Barrabool Rural Protection Group said the existing system led to “poor outcomes for rural communities”. “It is never clear which councillor to approach on a particular
issue and councillors are unsure of how to allocate tasks”. Friends of Lorne Committee called for councillors who put “community interests fairly and above personal interest”. “Unfortunately, a legacy of divisiveness continues despite community building initiatives.” Lorne Business and Tourism Association said the town needed representation on council. “We need a strong voice who understands the unique issues facing our business and residential community. “We pay some of the highest rates in the state. Sending one or
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two councillors to Lorne does not address the issue.” Lorne Community Association said option B was the best response to resident and ratepayer submissions. “On the weight of community response, we find it perplexing as to why the preferred option in the preliminary report would be option A,” the association said. “The sense of disenfranchisement felt by the Lorne community demonstrates that councillors did not comprehend their responsibility to represent all constituents equally rather than focus on their locality.”
Winchelsea Business and Tourism Association said Torquay’s “power centralisation needs to be broken and influence dispersed more widely”. But Proportional Representation Society of Australia said undivided shires usually provided the best governance. Ward structures unfairly advantaged some voters, the society said. “The existence of a Lorne Ward (would) not guarantee that any of the candidates standing in that ward (would) actually reside or own property in that area.”
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BY MICHELE HERBISON AN ATTACK on a community garden has highlighted clashes along the region’s coastline between indigenous plantings and residents’ views. Point Lonsdale Primary School grade six students Seb Pecar, 12, and Jarrod Winton, 13, said they would “have to start all over again” after discovering the damage to their work on a former high school site at Queenscliff. Jarrod was “angry” when he saw dead plants that appeared to be poisoned, fallen trees with saw marks and removed shrubs. Landscape gardener Deb Brearley said the attack was insensitive to the students and other community members who enjoyed the garden regularly. “You don’t buy a view. This section of land was always for public space before any housing started.” Queen St resident Joe Rutecki said he requested the removal of four particular trees from the site but had no involvement in the garden incident. “We have some great views and we don’t want to be planted out. We have a third-party opinion that four plantings will within two to four years completely obliterate our view.” Mr Rutecki said he felt “100 per cent left out” of planning for the garden. Borough of Queenscliffe planning and infrastructure general manager Phil Josipovic said council was working to satisfy all stakeholders. “Joe’s been trying to get the issue resolved through the proper channels, so I wouldn’t even suggest he had anything to do with (the garden incident).”
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