Western Port An independent voice for the community
FREE
Your weekly community newspaper covering the entire Western Port region For all advertising and editorial, call 03
Wednesday 10 March 2021
5974 9000 or email: team@mpnews.com.au www.mpnews.com.au
Disco Mermaid Zooms to school SORRENTO pop musician Matilda Pearl treated Somers Primary School students to a song or two and a question-and-answer session last week. The performing arts students have been inspired by Pearl and her 2020 release, Soak. This led the self-described Mermaid meets Disco Ball to visit the school, via Zoom on Wednesday 3 March. The class has been learning a dance routine to her disco pop track inspired by artists Deee-Lite, Madonna, Dua Lupa, Jamiroquai and Boney M. Pearl created her own music video during lockdown last year which inspired the students to do the same. The extracurricular classes are being run by Southern School of Creative Arts, which aims to bring affordable and accessible creative opportunities to students on the peninsula. Artistic director Melanie McLean said the students were “in awe of Pearl’s creativity”. Students, dressed in sequins, asked Pearl about her song-writing process, how she started in the industry and what it was like to be a recording artist. She then gave an acapella performance of her new track. In term two ther students will have a chance to make a short film for entry into the International Youth Silent film festival. Stephen Taylor
Let’s get creative: Somers students Amelia Coit, Savannah Dillon, Elsha Cupidon, Quinnah Heffernan and Finn Micallef at the music day with Matilda Pearl (inset). Picture: Supplied
Rage ramps up over ‘neglect’ Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au THE state government is being urged to hurry up its takeover of managing Mornington Peninsula’s boat launching ramps. It is believed the state of the boat ramps was high on the agenda during a recent meeting between Fishing and Boating Minister Melissa Horne and shire CEO John Baker. In the lead-up to the 2018 election the state government promised to “embark on the biggest reforms to the way that boating infrastructure is managed that Victoria has ever seen [by] fixing boat ramps, abolishing boat ramp park-
ing and launching fees, and reforming boat ramp management in Port Phillip and Western Port”. The plan was outlined in the preelection handbook: Labor’s plan for fishing and boating 2018. The handbook says $27 million would be spent on fishing, with money collected from boat licence and registration fees to be spent on improving facilities and safety for boaters and abolish boat ramp parking and launching fees. (“Spring takeover for boat ramps” The News 3/6/19). But the high-profile Futurefish Foundation has accused the shire and management committees of neglecting the ramps in both bays. Director David Kramer describes
the situation as “disrespectful to the thousands of boat owners crying out for improved facilities after decades of neglect”. “Boaters and fishers visiting the Mornington Peninsula contribute significant tourism dollars to the local economy, and yet the assets that attract their visits are neglected to such a level that people are not going boating on busy days now,” Mr Kramer said. He said there were “problems with every boat ramp” from Dromana to Sorrento. Mr Kramer said the channel at Tootgarook was only dredged once a year “leaving the boat ramp unusable during the prime winter and spring calamari season”.
“The channel needs to be dredged twice a year and become an all-yearround-usable ramp,” he said. Tootgarook also needed a car park along the foreshore to “get the cars and trailers off the side of Point Nepean road”. Anecdotal evidence supports Mr Kramer’s claim that a lack of boat and trailer parking at the Tootgarook – as well as the congestion on the ramp – is causing problems. “Up to six boats and trailers are parking up Burdett Street near the state school,” a boater told The News. A lack of enforcement meant that single cars were parking in boat trailer bays at Rye. “On a busy day, launching of boats
exceeds the number of car and trailer car parks, resulting in cars and trailers parking on grassed areas,” Mr Kramer said. “Yet, on a busy day, often more than 50 car parks are taken up by single cars.” The Rye channel also needed monitoring and dredging, Mr Kramer said. “On very low tides, larger boats are unable to use the channel.” He said the Tyrone boat ramp, channel and launch area needed dredging. “Several years ago, the committee of management thought it was a good idea to run the bay walking trail right through the car park on the south side of Point Nepean road,” he said. Continued Page 10
DIGITAL DENTURES ARE NOW HERE
ULTRA PRECISION DIGITAL DENTURES “We provide expert service, quality and skill to give you the perfect smile.”
Tony Finn - Dental Prosthetist Your Authorised Husqvarna Servicing Dealer
Tel: 5979 3007 M: 0400 051 512 190 High Street, Hastings
A perfect fit, faster
Digitally made dentures require few appointments and have a higher accuracy of fit
• Full and partial dentures • Implant retained dentures • Same day denture repairs and relines •Custom made sports mouthguards