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17 January – 30 January 2012
MPNEWS (1300 676 397) or email: team@mpnews.com.au www.mpnews.com.au
Blue ribbon to boost A-Day
Flagged with fans: Entertainer Wendy Stapleton gathered a few fans when she was an ambassador at last year’s Australia Day activities at Hastings.
AUSTRALIA Day at Hastings begins with free food on the foreshore, courtesy of economically challenged steelmaker BlueScope. The “brunch” will be followed by official ceremonies and an address by Blue Ribbon Foundation CEO Neil Soullier. The foundation perpetuates the memory of members of Victoria Police killed in the line of duty by supporting community projects in Victoria. Mr Soullier helped form the Tynan-Eyre Memorial Foundation, which later became the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation. The event is coordinated by Western Port Festival on behalf of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Australia Day Committee with the theme ‘Recognising Our Heroes’. The Australian flag will be raised and the national anthem sung at 11am. Other Australia Day activities on the foreshore: Free live music 10am-1pm. Hastings Western Port Historical Society Open Day, Marine Pde 11.30-3pm. Invitation fours competition, Hastings Bowls Club, from 10am. Free afternoon melodies, afternoon tea, live old-time and singalong music at the Hastings Club, 2-4pm. Courtesy bus available. Bookings: 5979 1740. To find out what is happening in Hastings visit www.westernportfestival.org.au, www.mornpen.vic. gov.au or call 1300 850 600.
Tyabb mooted as third airport By Mike Hast THE idea of a third airport for Melbourne is back on the agenda, and Tyabb airfield is among locations proposed by the Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry. VECCI chief executive Mark Stone was reported in a weekend newspaper saying Melbourne would need an airport in the south-east to cope with growing demand, traffic congestion, and the expansion of the Port of Hastings. Melbourne Airport at Tullamarine, north of the city, would stay the main airport, and Avalon near Geelong would service the western part of greater Melbourne. Locations in the south-east could include Tooradin, Tyabb and South
Gippsland, Mr Stone said. But the owner of Tyabb airfield, Peninsula Aero Club, says it is not interested in the VECCI proposal. The airfield, known as the Mornington Peninsula Airport at Tyabb, is 50 years old this year. Aero club president Peter Bernardi said the club had not been consulted by VECCI. “We’re not interested; there are no facilities and not enough land to expand,” he told The News. “We’re an aero club and we’re doing well; looking forward to our air show on Sunday 4 March to celebrate our 50th anniversary.” Mr Bernardi said the idea of an airport in the Tooradin area made more sense.
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“The air force had a satellite field near Koo Wee Rup during the Second World War and you can still see the landing strip from the air,” he said. Tyabb resident David Chalke, a neighbour of the airfield who has been critical of noise, and alleged low flying and safety breaches over the years, said the VECCI proposal for Tyabb was “complete nonsense”. “I am surprised that VECCI should be promulgating such ill-informed tosh,” he said. “Melbourne already has four fully fledged airports licensed by Civil Aviation Safety Authority – Tullamarine, Avalon, Essendon and Moorabbin. “The first two have considerable scope to increase their capacity. “The only reason Tullamarine is in-
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convenient for people in the south-east of Melbourne is the appalling road and rail links. Fix those, and Tullamarine is less than an hour away from even the most southerly suburbs.” VECCI says Tooradin would be a preferred site for a new airport for regional and domestic services. The small town at the top of Western Port has had an airfield for many years. Once called Harewood airport after the historic property Harewood, built in 1857 by Scotsman William Lyall, it is owned by Glen Balas of Tooradin and leased to Gary Morrison. The Balas family started a flying school at Tooradin in the 1970s. Mr Balas and Mr Morrison told a City of Casey local newspaper late last year they had not been approached
about the VECCI proposal. Mr Morrison, who operates helicopters at Tooradin, said he supported the idea in principle. A Tooradin airport would serve the Mornington Peninsula and south-east, he said. The 1000-metre runway would need to be extended by at least 500 metres. The VECCI proposal brings memories of earlier failed attempts to get an airport in the south-east. In the 1960s, when the Bolte Liberal government earmarked Western Port as the site for heavy industry and a so-called deep-water port, a proposal was floated to establish an airport on French Island. In the 1980s it was suggested an airport by built on Manks Rd at Dalmore, north of Tooradin.
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