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 17 February 2021
5974 9000 or email: team@mpnews.com.au www.mpnews.com.au
Playing in the shade SOMERVILLE Rise Primary School pupils can seek protection from the sun this summer thanks to a suite of new shade sails. The school council’s fundraising team had the goal of installing shade sails over the playground and, with the help of a federal government grant and BlueScope Steel was able to achieve it. The school said it owed thanks to Flinders MP Greg Hunt, pictured above with the students, and Hastings MP Neale Burgess for their “continued support and for helping to make the playground SunSmart”. Picture: Yanni
Prayer back on agenda Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au THE words “Almighty God” were again recited before the most recent meeting of Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. Dropped from the list of agenda items in December, the prayer and its reference to God was resurrected on Tuesday 9 February because of moves by Crs Antonella Celi and Hugh Fraser to ask the public for guidance.
Councillors agreed at the 8 December meeting that although still called The Prayer, the actual wording would be changed to a pledge by them to do the right thing by their community. In short, they were told by their inhouse lawyer Amanda Sapolu that as long as what they were saying was called a prayer, there was no need to seek public consultation. That has now changed, and the public will be asked to decide on the prayer’s future as part of a review of
the shire’s governance rules. When moving that the wording of the prayer be changed, Cr Anthony Marsh said he had been "listening to voices that aren't heard; to people that are silent in our community that had a view”. Last week, Cr Celi said the public had not been given any chance to comment re-wording the prayer “which in effect has now become a pledge”. “Please read a dictionary, it’s not a prayer it is just a pledge or affirmation.” She said Cr Marsh’s original motion
COME AND SEE THE CHICKENS ROAMING FREE IN THE PADDOCK!
did not include any consideration of the principles of community engagement that she believed involved councillors carrying out their sworn statutory duties. “It’s unfortunate that I had to move this [notice of motion to remind councillors that community consultation is foundational to local government,” Cr Celi said. The 8 December decision had been “a botch job on the whole process by circumventing community consulta-
tion on the prayer in excluding reference to Almighty God”. Cr Celi said the decision “didn’t go down well with our community” and had “stifled the voice of over 58.2 per cent Christians and those of faith on the Mornington Peninsula”. She said the “very foundation” of Australia, its culture, its communities and Western world democracy was founded on these very principles and we must not forget this”. Continued Page 8
BARN DOOR SALES MONDAY TO FRIDAY 8AM - 4.30PM AND SATURDAYS 8AM - 12.30PM
Our farm is family owned and managed. We have been producing quality eggs for over 40 years, supplying the public, restaurants and other businesses on the peninsula. Eggs are collected 365 days a year so you can be assured that you are buying the freshest eggs with the best yolk and flavour. Retail and Wholesale from our barn door.
5977 5405
220 Eramosa Road West, Moorooduc. corner of Binnak Way email: admin@somervilleeggfarm.com.au