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THE P RO PE R TY INSI G HTS SITE
Tuesday 9 October 2018
5974 9000 or email: team@mpnews.com.au www.mpnews.com.au Kayla Trezise was among the first members of Western Port Little Athletics Club trying out the long jump track at the start of the athletics season on Saturday.
A new season arrives with bounds and a leap NATIONAL under-16 long jump champion Aiden Hinson on Saturday made the first jump on Western Port Little Athletics Club’s new long jump track to open the season. The club member took to the air after Mornington Peninsula Shire councillor Kate Roper and Flinders MP Greg Hunt cut the ribbon to declare the runway open. Mr Hunt also tried the jump and was quickly followed by club member, Kayla Trezise. The new track – step up from the old asphalt runway – was paid for by the the shire, the federal government and Western Port Secondary College. “Aiden has shown how Western Port Little Athletics Club can train national champions and these new long and triple jump runways will provide fantastic facilities for the future,” Mr Hunt said. At recent inter-school district athletics competition 20 Westernport Little Athletics Club members qualified for the divisional competition. New members aged 5-15 can attend track-and-field events on Saturday mornings during the October to March athletics season. Events include the 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres and 800 metres. There is also the long jump, triple jump, high jump, discus, shot put and javelin, as well as the walk and longer distance running races. The club has a grass running track and discus nets were installed in 2015. Junior athletes take part in up to five events from 8.45am11.15am Saturdays. The under-9s and older also take part in regional relay championships, regional track and field events and have the opportunity to qualify for state track and field events. Details: westernportlac.com.au
Picture: Brett Whiteoak
Alarm raised over fire threat Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au BUSHFIRES classed as “catastrophic in consequence and of extreme risk” are “almost certain” at some stage on the Mornington Peninsula – possibly this summer. Areas threatened by this nightmare scenario described in a fire manage-
ment plan adopted by Mornington Peninsula Shire are the Arthurs Seat lookout and maze, parts of Blairgowrie near Pt Nepean Road and along the Stony Point and Frankston-Flinders roads to Stony Point. Other areas “almost certain” to burn with “major” consequences are the Joseph Harris Scout Camp in Hearn Road, Mt Martha, the high voltage transmission lines at Dromana and the
Arthurs Seat communications towers. The hard-hitting assessments in the fire management plan also acknowledge the peninsula is “one of the most bushfire-prone areas in the world”. The plan assesses 130 sites for their fire danger. It says risks of death are heightened by the number of visitors to the peninsula with evacuation hampered by narrow, bush-lined roads.
The management plan says “catastrophic” fires are “likely” at Red Hill, Main Ridge, Melbourne Road to Dundas Street, Balnarring racecourse, the Port of Hastings and parts of Crib Point. The management plan aims to “identify, prioritise and co-ordinate treatment of fire risks” as well as engaging the community to actively prepare to face the fire threat.
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The shire is using the data to add weight to its campaign to make the peninsula more fire-ready by using recycled water from the Carrum treatment plant to fight fires (“Uses for waste water” Page 11). The peninsula is serviced by two CFA fire brigades: Western Port group with 13 brigades and Peninsula group with eight. Continued Page 11