Letters To The Editor – November 1, 2018

MP’s stance on high-rise development questioned

Dear Editor,

Andrew Katos – how come you are in favour of high-rise developments in the Surf Coast?

There has now been a number of meetings to reject the Surf Coast turning into Surfers Paradise where you were invited and did not show up.

I can only take this that you favour the large high-rise developments.

Geoff Collins
Torquay

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Not happy with Neville’s answer

Dear Editor,

After attending the Meet the Candidates forum on Thursday night at Portarlington Town Hall, I can only say how appalled I was at Lisa Neville’s response to my question. I asked: “In order to increase housing affordability, sustainability and diversity, would any of the parties be willing to revise restrictions on secondary dwellings on existing houses and promote multiple dwellings (smaller houses) on single plots, as NSW and Queensland have done, thereby drastically reducing unnecessary urban growth?”

Instead of building the MacMansions as we are doing, and ripping up our lands, this would offer far more housing but lessen the environmental impact, besides making more integrated communities.

Ms Neville either didn’t listen or completely blocked the issue, and bulldozed on to that it would eat into more land (the total opposite!) and why planning restrictions wouldn’t allow it (that’s why I asked the question), even going on about three-storey dwellings. What the…? Even the Liberals’ Brian McKiterick had to tell her that wasn’t what I’d asked. The Animal Justice Party gave a yes and I think a yes from Rachel Semmens of the Greens.

Diane Roberts
Portarlington

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Hands off Parks Hall

Dear Editor,

Portarlington’s Parks Hall is a major-sized, purpose-built hall complete with professional kitchen. It is acoustically sound and perhaps the biggest crowd holder for the Bellarine Peninsula. Preserving it for community functions is a must.

It would be tragically short-sighted to give it over for use by the Neighbourhood House.

The Neighbourhood House and Senior Citizens should seriously consider amalgamation. Many people are members of both, so it would not be a game-changer.

A second story on the Senior Citizens Hall would accommodate multi-group meetings, satisfy the need of the Neighbourhood Centre to be centrally accessible, and still leave table-tennis players, bingo players and exercise groups plenty of space.

Some years back, CoGG nabbed Ocean Grove’s Community Hall and built a library and Community Health Centre instead. Since then the citizens have relied on a noisy basketball centre as a venue.

Common sense says the Board of Bellarine Bayside and City of Greater Geelong councillors must continue to say a firm NO to the persistent push by the Portarlington Neighbourhood House committee to inhabit Parks Hall.

Yvonne Parker
Portarlington

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Drowning in psychological turmoil

Dear Editor,

One evening while I was working with refugees in Nauru, Ali, an Iranian in response to the Australian Government tunnel-minded mantra of “Stop the boats, stop the drownings” shared that “hundreds of innocent refugees are being condemned to drown in a sea of psychological turmoil”.

Due to increased Border Force surveillance and renewed diplomatic relationship with Indonesia, the boats have been stopped.

It is encouraging to hear that, as of October 23, the number of children on Nauru has been reduced to 52.

We can only hope that the remaining 1,200 plus people on Nauru and Manus can be prevented from drowning in the “sea of psychological turmoil”.

Gerry Baldock
Torquay

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Correcting density claim in Spring Creek

Dear Editor,

I would like to respond to the letter featured in the Surf Coast Times on October 18 (“‘Hinterland’ shouldn’t be applied to Grossmans Road”).

I share the frustration of the letter writer regarding the tardy indecisive Surf Coast council.

However, the writers’ comment that housing “will be high density once the west of Duffields Road thing starts” is not correct. In the Spring Creek PSP, the majority of lot sizes will be 600-900 square metres. Along the western boundary, the lot sizes are 1,500-2,000 square metres. Some lot sizes of 500-600 square metres (medium density under Surfcoast scheme) will be present in a small area south of Spring Creek near Duffields Road, and also adjacent the Christian College. The medium density lots will be about five per cent of total lots of the PSP.

The Spring Creek buffer zone in the PSP has been increased to 75 metres compared to the 30 metres in Torquay and Bellbrae. The Open Space requirements in the PSP has been increased to 10 per cent from 5 per cent. This has resulted from community consultation and feedback.

Patrick Casey
Jan Juc

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The shire has serious problems

Dear Editor,

As a ratepayer of the Surf Coast Shire, I, along with many ratepayers, have been disappointed in the Surf Coast Shire and councillors for some time. There have been allegations, rumours and decision making that leave a lot to be desired in the manner the shire is operating.

The latest issue has been raised by Cr Heather Wellington regarding information that the CEO has refused to give her relating to a $150,000 grant for roads maintenance. This money is a drop in the ocean when road maintenance and road repair issues are involved within the shire.

The shire has a backlog of road spending that is growing each year with very little funding allocated, and as a councillor Cr Wellington has every right to be given justification for any spending that the shire officers allocate.

I believe, like a great number of Surf Coast residents, that an inquiry should be conducted into the conduct and governance of the Surf Coast Shire by an independent person appointed by the state government.

It is clear over many years and recent events that serious problems exist within the shire administration and some councillors’ behaviour. Ratepayers need to be assured that the rate revenue is being allocated on projects that have ratepayer and councillor agreement, and any grant money is allocated for the purpose it was granted.

I believe currently this is not the case and Cr Wellington has highlighted a serious problem, and many are asking the question: “Who is running the shire”?

Ray Page
Torquay

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Stop being lazy with plastic

Dear Editor,

We are three grade 5 pupils of St Therese Catholic Primary School.

We are writing to you to address the problem with plastic use in our local supermarkets such as Aldi, Woolworths, Coles etc.

The use of plastic waste in our supermarkets is atrocious and if we don’t stop it now our supermarkets will turn into the next Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Most people haven’t noticed this issue in our supermarkets but it needs to stop NOW.

This problem is getting out of hand and this is how we can stop it: ONLY have loose fruit and veg in our supermarkets, STOP selling single use plastic items such as straws, zip lock bags etc, and use paper bags instead of plastic bag dispensers.

So, stop being lazy and start looking for solutions for this problem.

Isabella Stradijot, Isabella Trujillo and Ebony Morgante
St Therese Catholic Primary School

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Stop the politics of negativity

Dear Editor,

I am disappointed, Sarah Henderson. Despite the promise of a clean slate with our new PM, why continue the politics of negativity?

I saw people writing last fortnight in the Surf Coast Times in favour of a new mobile phone tower at The Quay, yet in your recent speech to parliament you object to the mobile phone tower being erected in North Torquay. I’m not sure why you are taking this stance and I haven’t seen you provide any suggestions as to where the tower should go?

What’s the alternative Sarah? The mobile service around Torquay North needs improving and quickly Sarah! The high speed NBN you promised us at the last election – sorry, not much better.

Your parliamentary speech ended with a two-minute attack on Libby Coker. Sarah, why so quick to slide back into the politics of negativity, high-lighting Libby’s position on Surf Coast Council and being Labor’s candidate for Corangamite? Why overlook another councillor’s similar situation? Isn’t the Liberal candidate for Bellarine in a similar position? McKiterick, albeit on leave, remains a Surf Coast Shire councillor while running for state parliament.

The week before your attack on Libby Coker – again, more politics of negativity, Sarah. Why attack Kerryn Phelps’ campaign in Wentworth on your Facebook page? Why imply that Kerryn was giving preferences to the Labor Party when Kerryn came out and put Liberal ahead of Labor on her how to vote cards?

Come on, Sarah, we thought you were better than all the negativity! Where are the positive politics that we thought would come with the change in PM?

Chris Speldewinde
Torquay

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McKiterick should have moved faster

Dear Editor,

As a resident of Leopold, I note with interest that Liberal Party candidate and Surf Coast councillor Brian McKiterick says a new police station should be opened in Leopold to take pressure off Victoria Police Bellarine headquarters at Ocean Grove. I ask why wait until now as a political candidate?

If he was so concerned for the welfare of fellow officers, why not request Police Command for assistance during his 40-year police career? Is this a Liberal Party commitment or just his political grandstanding with no backing commitment from his party and just another political throwaway?

Ian Stacey
Leopold

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Refugee activism is to blame

Dear Editor,

Linda Cusworth wants a public debate. I prefer to express my opinion in this newspaper for all to see and comment on. I refuted Ms Cusworth’s “facts” and if she believes I was wrong, then why didn’t she put pen to paper?

It is entirely because of refugee activists’ actions that caused border protection to be removed, 1,200 boat people to drown and more than $10 billion of taxpayers money to be wasted. Without them, offshore processing centres would have been mothballed 10 years ago and there would be no refugees in detention and we would be taking all our refugees from UNHCR camps. They created the entire problem!

Refugee activists show no remorse for the hundreds of refugee kids who drowned, but are outraged when 20-30 kids in Nauru are traumatised because they have been refused entry to Australia. What crocodile tears! What sanctimonious hypocrites!

The following is from a Nauru government statement released on October 12: “Refugee and asylum seeker children attend school and activities with Nauruan children creating friendships and familial bonds. It is disturbing and concerning that advocates and organisations with political agendas prey on the vulnerable and innocent to progress their agendas. Most of the refugees on the island are gainfully employed or have their own businesses. They have lived within and as part of our community, participating in Government activities. Some are even employed as Public Servants.”

Refugees on Nauru can leave at any time to go anywhere except Australia or NZ.

Peter Rees
Bell Park