Bellarine Times
Tuesday 10 August 2010
VOL 3. No 32
www.bellarinetimes.com.au
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Roarrrrrr! Animals, face painting, activities and entertainment will be part of the programme at Queenscliff Primary School’s Fabulous Fun Fiesta for Families on Saturday, August 14. Lola, Nellie the elephant, Manny the lion and Tessie will be joined by the Queenscliff community for the great day out. Photo: ALISON MARTIN
HELIPAD? BY ALISON MARTIN
A MAJOR campaign to establish a Bellarine base for the Westpac emergency helicopter service and an emergency services coordination centre has been launched. Led by Bellarine Futures Alliance, the campaign to significantly increase emergency service resources has been initiated following the community support for a life guard service at Portarlington. BFA convenor, Tom O’Connor, hosted Surf Life Saving Victoria president, Mike Martin, and SLSV operations manager, Greg Scott, on a tour of the northern Bellarine last week to outline benefits and options for a helicopter base and expansion of life saving services to include summer patrols of Portarlington Beach.
Surf Forecast
O’Connor has also started rallying support for creating an emergency services hub which could incorporate a Bellarine base for the Westpac helicopter. He said the Bellarine population was growing, the demographic was changing with many young families moving to bayside towns and tourist visitation was continuing to increase, particularly over the summer period. “The Bellarine needs life saving services right now and together with the helicopter, they would address key community safety issues and have a massive longterm flow on effect for the Bellarine,” said O’Connor. Scott welcomed O’Connor’s initiative, but stressed last week’s Bellarine tour was a starting point for investigations into options and support for
a life saving service at Portarlington. “Surf Life Saving Victoria is always keen to see any measurement to improve water safety if there is support for it and we’ll always explore issues that lead to a reduction in drownings in the community. “It was really good having a look at beaches and the population with Tom and considering the options we have on the Bellarine. We have limited resources; we need to do as much as we can with what we have and determine the most appropriate action,” he said. O’Connor said there were a number of location options for the helicopter base which would provide a high-profile, easily-accessed site and could also be suitable for an emergency services centre. He said initial support from the various emergency services and relevant groups and authorities for the BFA campaign had been positive.
“What we need now to ensure our proposal becomes a reality is to prove the level of support and demand for this vital and necessary addition to emergency services on the Bellarine. “It’s important that we leave no stone unturned to ensure the Westpac helicopter is based here and that serious consideration be given to incorporating it in with our existing emergency services. ”Let’s not wait until we experience a major catastrophe and berate ourselves for not having acted earlier - in fact, let’s ensure that we establish the cooperative model so that others can benefit from our initiative,” O’Connor said. For more information on the BFA proposal, email cleangreeenbellarine@bigpoond.com and show your support by emailing Letters to the Editor at editor@bellarinetimes.com.au
WED 2-4ft building, S/SW 13° THU 3-4ft choppy, S/SW 13° FRI 2-3ft clean W/SW 14° SAT 1-2ft small N 15°
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