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Wednesday 13 March 2019
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Showing, the way to go at red Hill HAY bales and picnic umbrellas provided the perfect place to relax and regroup at Saturday’s Red Hill Show. The 91st show by Red Hill Agricultural and Horticultural Society drew thousands of visitors from near and far. There was no shortage of traditional show activities and attractions – wood chopping, farm animal awards, art, craft, homemade eats and sheep mustering and shearing demonstrations – which ran alongside the slightly more offbeat snake handler and children’s scooter race and ramp demonstrations. Classic cars, Mornington Peninsula made produce and fairground rides ensured no one was left without something to do or look at. Picture: Yanni
Water supply a poll issue Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au Politicians are being asked to forget their differences and adopt a bipartisan approach to provide the Mornington Peninsula’s “hinterland” with secure water supplies for agriculture and fire fighting. The authors of the Hinterland Environmental Water Scheme (HEWS), Steve Marshall and Russell Joseph, say political posturing should be replaced with election promises to finance feasibility studies and design of a system to use treated wastewater now being
Fluid alliance: Calling on politicians to make better use of treated wastewater being pumped into the sea near Gunnamatta are, from left, Main Ridge avocado grower Steve Marshall, Russell Joseph, Chris Brayne and David Gill. Picture: Supplied
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discharged into Bass Strait, near Gunnamatta. Some steps towards taking the politics out of the equation have already been taken with the newly-elected Labor MP for Nepean, Chris Brayne, saying he hopes “my government can work with both the shire and federal government to fund the much needed feasibility study as quickly as possible”. Mr Joseph, the Liberal Party’s candidate for Nepean, was defeated by Mr Brayne at the 24 November state election. The former political foes are now united in their efforts to at least investigate using the 350 million litres of
class treated water from the Eastern Treatment Plant in Carrum instead of pumping it into the sea. Mr Joseph says a draft report into using the water “showed we can preserve our farming hinterland for generations to come with a genuine a green wedge compatible agricultural industry built on a sustainable water supply”. Low rainfall summer across the peninsula had reinforced the need for “developing a drought and climate change resistant water supply to guarantee our ongoing local horticultural production and provide a secure water supply for fire fighting”. Continued Page 6