Surf Coast Times
Tuesday 22 February 2011
VOL 9. No 8
www.surfcoasttimes.com.au
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Competitors from throughout the state dusted down their longboards for the Victorian Old Mal Titles at Ocean Grove on Saturday. A large number of surfers from the Surf Coast attended the event – including Torquay’s Matt Shay – pictured here taking a dip in the chilly waters. Photo: PETER MARSHALL
TOUGH TIME
BY NATHAN HALE
MINISTER For Education, Martin Dixon, is set to face some tough questions when he visits Torquay on Thursday. Dixon will be at Torquay College to meet with principal, Pam Kinsman, and members of the school council as the education concerns of local parents continue to escalate. With the standalone secondary school not expected to be completed until the start of the 2013 school year and no immediate plans for an extra primary school, Dixon is sure to be confronted by parents looking for answers. The Save Our School (SOS) group – which has gathered a host of followers in just two weeks – said Torquay has been neglected for too long and something needs to be done.
The group has asked that the following be considered for Torquay: • In North Torquay, develop a Children’s Centre, next to the school, that co-locates and integrates early years services, including kindergarten, long day care, maternal and child health and allied health services • A second primary school site in North Torquay • A full secondary school, whether it be P-12 model or standalone • A commitment that all students currently attending high school in Torquay be allowed to finish their schooling in the community. “While we understand state government is not solely responsible for the development of all these points, its part in developing strong policy based on evidence and consultation for education is key in building a strong vibrant community,”
Surf Forecast
the group said. “Our kids are the future of our community. As parents we made what we thought were informed decisions in regards to our children’s education and now that has been taken out of our hands with no consultation.” While acknowledging a lot of work needs to be done on education in Torquay, State Member for South Barwon, Andrew Katos, said the problems are a by-product of 11 years of Labor neglect. “I certainly realise a lot of people want questions answered and in the coming weeks all answers will be provided,” he said. “The reason there is a lot of angst is because education in Torquay really was allowed to flounder under the previous government – they had their heads in the sand – and this has caused a lot of angst and I can understand that.”
Winds lash the region BY ELEANOR WOODS TORQUAY’S State Emergency Service was snowed under on the weekend, dealing with damage caused by winds of up to 95-kilometres per hour. Torquay SES’s Linda Cherubin said that 10 to 12 voluntary crew members worked tirelessly all weekend responding to close to 60 emergencies, a record number of call outs in the region. “It was chaos; a very long day. Everyone worked very hard but we were short on help,” she said. The SES is urging more volunteers to join the service, which provides “excellent support, training and is extremely rewarding”, according to Cherubin. Over the weekend a tree fell onto the roof of a house in Zeally Bay Road, tiles were ripped from rooftops, walls were stripped from buildings and a chicken coop was crushed. “If we had have had a car crash as well we would have been in trouble,” she said. SES South West Region received 220 calls for assistance over the two days – with 37 call outs on the Bellarine and 40 in South Barwon.
WED 1-3ft easing S 21° THU 1-2ft windswell S/SW 23° FRI 1-2ft inconsistent S/SE 22° SAT 1ft+ small N/NE 26°
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