Western Port
Western Port
Love that lifestyle
14 February
2017
> Page 3
YOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S ON THIS WEEKEND FOR PENINSULA FAMILIES FACEBOOK:
168 Main Stree t Morningto n VIC 3931 T. 03 5975 6888
peninsulakids.com.au mornpenkids
An independent voice for the community
INSTRGRAM:
FREE
Your weekly community newspaper covering the entire Western Port region For all advertising and editorial, call 03
bowmanand
company.com.au
Tuesday ay 14 February 2017 17 7
5973 6424 or email: team@mpnews.com.au www.mpnews.com.au
The past inspires artist in the present Liz Bell liz@mpnews.com.au AS Coolart Homestead’s first artist in residence, Somers artist Timothy Growcott feels so privileged to work in the grounds of the magnificent 19-century mansion that he gets into character, literally. “I occasionally dress in a period costume, especially if I am doing art demonstrations, because it’s such an incredible building and I like being part of the history,” he said. Since February, Growcott has used a studio at the back of the estate as a creative space several days a week, producing a range of artistic works and occasionally holding screen printing demonstrations. Growcott said the 87.5 ha estate provided an inspiring working environment. Primarily using the medium of screen print, Growcott is heavily influenced by nature and pattern, and has spent years working with remote Northern Territory artists teaching textile screen print techniques. An exhibition of his screen prints, The Very Wet Year, is running until the end of the month, and features bird life observed on the 12-acre
Luxton’s Lagoon, created by former owner and keen environmentalist Tom Luxton in 1939. The images depict the bustling and changing wetland scenes influenced by the particularly heavy rainfalls of 2016. They were transferred to silk screen and printed on a hand-painted gouache background, with additional colour spray-painted using a stencil. The exhibition, open 9am to 5pm daily, is being held in the tack room of the old barracks building, which dates from 1860, and was recently restored by the Friends of Coolart. The main Coolart house was built in1895 when Frederick Sheppard Grimwade bought the estate and built the homestead as the family's country retreat. The late Mr Luxton was one of the estate’s longest inhabitants and had the property declared a sanctuary for native wildlife in 1937. Gowcott’s six-month artistic residency is jointly supported by Oak Hill Gallery, Mornington, and Parks Victoria. Artistic dresser: Timothy Growcott dressed for another day at the historic Coolart property, Somers, where he is artist in residence. Picture: Gary Sissons
‘Unfair, underhanded’ $1000 offer Neil Walker neil@mpnews.com.au MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire CEO Carl Cowie has been accused of “unfair and underhanded” tactics by the union negotiating council staff pay and conditions amid fears some council services will be outsourced. The Australian Services Union has
revealed Mr Cowie is offering permanent council employees a one-off payment of $1000 each and casual staff $300 in a move the union describes as “a dirty trick from the CEO”. The “incentive” payment to all staff would cost ratepayers about $1 million, according to the ASU. In a flyer headed “Don’t let the CEO buy your vote - when the time comes, vote no”, ASU branch secretary Rich-
ard Duffy said the shire wants staff to effectively sign away redundancy rights if they refuse to be transferred to a new employer. The union says staff sick leave will be slashed under the proposed new enterprise bargaining agreement. ASU branch executive president Michelle Jackson said the “unfair changes to sick leave entitlements had upset the hardworking staff at the council”.
“Staff are outraged that sick leave that has been used to support staff many of whom are also members of the community - through life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, is being slashed,” Ms Jackson stated. The union representative said the shire is offering staff a 6.8 per cent pay rise over three years but is cutting sick leave and penalty rates in the proposed new agreement.
“The CEO is splashing around $1 million in sign-on bonuses to get the staff to vote yes to a substandard agreement.” The union says casual staff, making up 27 per cent of the workforce, are not eligible for redundancies or sick leave. “So casuals have nothing to lose by taking the $300 sign-on bonus” although “it is not their fault”, the union says. Continued Page 8
DEMO STOCK CLEARANCE ACE 570 HD EPS
RANGER ETX
RRP $11,995 RRP $13,995
NOW $9,900 NOW $10,900 ONLY 1 LEFT
• Polaris ProStar 570 EFI Engine - 45 HP • Built for Australia with Heavy Duty “HD” Features • Electronic Power Steering • On Demand True All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) • Engine Braking System with 4-Wheel Descent Control (4WDC)
ONLY 1 LEFT
• 31 HP EFI Polaris ProStar Engine • Seat Belt Interlock • Speed Key Ready • On Demand true All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) • Independent Front & Rear Suspension • 34 litre Fuel Tank • Mid-Size Chassis - Seats 2 • 46 litres of enclosed,in-dash and behind seat storage
WESTERNPORT TRACTORS 1863 FRANKSTON-FLINDERS RD, HASTINGS. PH: (03) 5979 2155 WESTERNPOR www.polarisindustries.com.au |
Offer ends 31/3/17 oor last. while stocks las Offer only available aat participating Polaris Deale Dealer. offer. Not valid with any other offe Excludes fleet fleet clients. clients
/PolarisAustralia