Letters To The Editor - June 21, 2018

A Friday afternoon in Anglesea

Dear Editor,

Typically, government’s release announcements that they know are deeply unpopular on a Friday afternoon in an attempt to avoid media scrutiny.

It comes as no surprise therefore that this was the tactic employed by the Victorian Government Department DELWP when it released what purports to be a “summary” of community feedback on its controversial Anglesea Futures plans.

The “summary” has been heavily spun by the public relations specialists who typically encrust themselves onto such processes and contains no statistical analysis of the large number of comments and submissions made by the community. This means that the summary conveniently glosses over the elephant in the room: Does the Anglesea community remain implacably opposed to commercial, industrial and residential construction on the former Alcoa site (which lies outside the town boundaries) as DELWP itself reported in August 2017?

Issuing the summary provided the state government and DELWP with a belated opportunity to be frank with the Anglesea community.

They have failed to grasp that opportunity and instead appear determined to ram through a deeply unpopular plan that will mainly serve to deliver huge windfall profits to a large multinational company that polluted the Anglesea community for close to 50 years. It’s disgraceful.

Andrew Laird
Anglesea

Anglesea Bike Track concerns

Dear Editor,

The Geelong Environment Council wishes to express its concern, disappointment and opposition to the actions of Alcoa in deciding to close the existing bike track and to open the area for residential development.

Full support is given to the Surf Coast Shire in its effort to retain the bike track and protect the land from housing development.

Our two major concerns are:

Housing development: It has been clear for many years that the local and wider Victorian community does not support any further clearing of local vegetation, in this case for an expansion of the township boundary and residential development. The land in use is not currently zoned for residential use

Protection of the bike track: The kid’s bike track is almost an institution in Anglesea and has played an important role in the life of the children of the town. If this is lost both the young people lose their track and more heath land or heathy woodland will be required to be modified for the establishment of a new track.

For more than 50 years Alcoa has been a good citizen. Also, over 50 years Victoria has treated Alcoa very well and very generously, more than can be calculated.

It is now disappointing to see Alcoa embracing the opportunity to make more money from Victoria by developing a housing estate on the community’s bike track land and to ignore what the Victorian community believed should be sacrosanct, that is the protection of all areas of native vegetation in the Anglesea area.

Joan Lindros
Geelong Environmental Council

Shire planning department needs to lift for yellow gums

Dear Editor,

Developers in Spring Creek are about to get a free kick from the Surf Coast Shire to remove highly endangered Bellarine Yellow Gums unique to this area.

The State Government openly acknowledges ongoing serious decline in Victoria’s biodiversity and has recently introduced new laws that aim to reverse that decline.

Yet, even though Spring Creek supports one of the last and most important stands of Bellarine Yellow Gum, the Surf Coast Shire favours ignoring the new law because “it would compromise the ability to implement the Precinct Structure Plan”.

Supposedly everyone in Victoria needs to lift their game except the Surf Coast Shire planning department.

The fight by the community to save Spring Creek began in earnest in 2007 and continues unabated and undeterred through the GT (Greater Torquay) Alliance “Line in the Sand” Facebook page. Join us.

Spring Creek’s shambolic treatment by our shire and successive state governments epitomises all that’s wrong with planning and why it will be an election issue in the marginal seat of South Barwon in the November state government election.

Graeme Stockton
Torquay

Support the environment

Dear Editor,

The Committee of 3228 Residents Association write in support of Dale Tepper (“Yellow Gums need protecting”, Letters, June 14)

We request that councillors respect the intent of the Surf Coast Planning Scheme with regards to the environment and ensure that the current Clause 52.16 – Native Vegetation Precinct Plan of the Victorian Planning Provisions be enforced on the future developments in the Spring Creek Valley Precinct.

Not to do so would contradict the many statements from the Surf Coast Shire about their determination to protect the environment and to listening to the community.

Already, the community is being forced to accept changes to the precinct plan that were not presented to the community for consideration or were not shown on the proposed plans until after consultation was completed. To now find that council officers are working closely with developers to what appears to be the undermining of the preservation of stands of Yellow Gum in the precinct without consulting the community is adding to the community’s distrust of the council and its process in regards to this Precinct Structure Plan.

Ensuring that the current clauses 52.16 and 52.17 of the Victorian Planning Provisions are adhered to would go a long way to re-establishing the trust between the council and the residents of Torquay, Jan Juc and Bellbrae.

The Committee of 3228 Residents Association Inc.

Call it Barrabool

Dear Editor,

A debate has arisen as a result of boundaries being altered in the federal electorate of Corangamite and a new name being required.

There is considerable opposition to the suggested new name of Cox as it means a loss of an Aboriginal name in our area.

Former Barrabool Shire councillor Adrian Schonfelder has made an excellent suggestion by nominating that the new federal electorate be named Barrabool.

This was an Aboriginal name that was lost when amalgamation took place in the late 1990s.

As many meetings and events now begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of our land, this would be a genuine reconcilliatory transition that would restore the name of Barrabool.

Hopefully this proposal will receive local support and be formally passed on to the appropriate authorities.

Melva Stott
Anglesea

True rumour leads to pharmacy thanks

Dear Editor,

Yes, sometimes the rumours are true!

After 20 years of running the Barwon Heads Pharmacy (to be honest I don’t know where the years have gone) the time has come to begin the next chapter in my life. Some call it retirement others say they have never been busier – it’s time for me to find out.

It has been an honour and a pleasure to serve this wonderful community over those years. I say that not just as a business owner but as one who has enjoyed the many benefits Barwon Heads has to offer.

Yes, many changes have occurred since 1998 but it is still a fantastic place full of friendly people and a great place to live or simply visit.

It has also been a pleasure working with such great staff – I couldn’t have done it without them. I hope they have a long and happy employment with the new owners.

So again to all of you I have seen at some time in the pharmacy, as customers and friends, I say thank you. And I wish you all the very best of health into the future.

And to the new owners all the best for the years ahead, I hope you get the same satisfaction and reward that I did – and remember to take care of the town, it’s special!

Bernard Napthine
Barwon Heads Pharmacy

Nice to see new faces join the cause

Dear Editor,

I was so pleased to see young people, families and children among the more familiar older protesters in the Surf Coast Times front page photo to mark Refugee Week.

These are the people who will have to deal with the consequences of Australia’s inhumane treatment of refugees.

It probably won’t be in my lifetime that a Royal Commission or some sort of enquiry will result in reparation to the thousands of men, women and children, genuine refugees who we as a nation have treated so disgracefully.

Like the Royal Commission into Child Abuse, there is likely to be economic cost for the next generations.

They are the ones who will have to deal with the question: “How could we have done this?”

Joy Lewis
Jan Juc

An open letter to Sarah Henderson

Dear Editor,

I write this as an open letter to Corangamite federal member Sarah Henderson.

During Refugee Week, and as I read of yet another distressing incident of an asylum seeker taking his own life on Nauru, the anger and disgruntlement with the current punitive approach to dealing with asylum seekers and refugees continues to grow.

There are approximately 1,800 people held in detention centres across Australia at this time. Just last week the Public Interest Advocacy Centre’s report on the health care provided in onshore detention centres detailed widespread shortcomings in physical and psychological care provided to asylum seekers incarcerated there. The report found the Australian government is not meeting its common law duty of care obligations.

At the same time, the government is making it more difficult for people to visit those being detained. The levels of searching and scanning and the restrictions imposed only serve to deter visitors. The growing despair and despondency among inmates is alarming.

With an impending election, what is your government going to change to ensure the safety and rights of refugees?

Kathryn Feather
Member, Aireys Inlet Rural Australians for Refugees

Good to see new CCTV on the Bellarine

Dear Editor,

It is fantastic to see 17 CCTV cameras operational and being monitored in Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads, after their installation a few months ago.

This was an election commitment from Corangamite federal member Sarah Henderson, which she fought extremely hard for, after the towns were victim to countless crimes (including break-ins, thefts and antisocial behaviour) in public areas including on their main shopping strips.

A thank you to COGG as well for your contribution, including the lights and Wifi access on The Terrace.

As the Liberal candidate for the Bellarine and a resident living in Ocean Grove, I was extremely happy to see our towns feel some comfort as their main shopping areas are now being observed.

Already, one “suspicious” man has been identified by the cameras, a testament to their necessity. Traders and small business owners are loving them too, one saying there has already been a “notable reduction in criminal activity”.

I hope these cameras will bring about peace of mind to residents and deterrence and accountability to those doing the wrong thing.

Brian McKiterick
Liberal Candidate for Bellarine