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Mayor masks up for charity
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three-course meal and drinks. “Make-A-Wish Australia does a fantastic job in helping to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions,” Cr Pittock said. “And the Mornington Peninsula Charitable Trust assists local charities, so the more funds we can raise for these two great causes the better.” President of the peninsula branch of Make-A-Wish Len Kelly said that since being formed two years the branch had raised more than $26,000 and been involved with the granting of 18 wishes. The mayor’s charity ball will be held at The National Golf Club, Cape Schanck, on Friday 12 August. Tickets through Mornington Peninsula Tourism information centre, call 5987 3078 or www.trybooking.com/RQS.
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Charity time: Singer Matilda Airey and the mayor Graham Pittock step out early to promote this year’s mayoral ball.
WHO is that masked man? While he’s no marauder or saviour of the weak and vulnerable as far as we know, but he is the mayor. Although it is a month away, Cr Graham Pittock is already willing to put on a mask to round up contenders for this year’s mayoral ball – “a masquerade extravaganza”. The annual ball will raise money for the Mornington Peninsula Charitable Trust and the Mornington Peninsula branch of Make-A-Wish Australia, which last year granted Matilda Airey’s wish to meet Christina Aguilera in Los Angeles. Matilda, of Langwarrin, will be guest singer at the ball which has the Phil Ceberano Band headlining the entertainment. There will also be live and silent auctions and a
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Fine after axing of street tree By Mike Hast A MT Eliza man has been fined $500 and ordered to pay restitution of $1000 and legal costs of $2000 after contractors cut down street trees in front of his property in Dueran St. David Gladman was charged by Mornington Peninsula Shire with four counts of wilful damage and fined in Frankston Magistrates’ Court on 16 June after pleading guilty. The $1000 will go to the shire’s parks and roadsides team for planting new trees on the shire-owned land. Contractors working for Mr Gladman also removed trees in the front yard of his property, but the shire’s team leader of development compliance, Luke English, said this was a lawful act. Federal MP Bruce Billson, whose electorate of Dunkley covers Mt Eliza, lobbied the shire on behalf of Mr Gladman, seeking to negotiate a settlement and keep the matter out of court. Mr Billson said David and Sophie Gladman had acted in good faith after an arborist had told them the trees were diseased and should come down. “They inadvertedly did the wrong thing and offered to make good at their own expense and undertake rehabilitation works,” he told The News. “I believe the shire and the Gladmans could not agree on the cost of the work. Efforts to solve the issue amicably fell apart.” Mr Billson said he was not in favour of reckless tree clearing but this was a matter of residents not understanding the law. The Dueran St trees were cut down
by a tree felling team that has been working in Mt Eliza and surrounds since the introduction of the so-called 10/30 rule. Mt Eliza Ward councillor Leigh Eustace said the tree cutters were from New Zealand. “The boss goes doorknocking and offers to remove trees cheaply, sending his crew next day in an unmarked white van,” he said. In some cases trees were being removed without valid permits or reasons, he said. The 10/30 rules was brought in by the state government in September 2009 and is due to expire next March. The controversial rule was a reaction to the devastating Black Saturday bushfires of 7 February 2009 and allowed landowners in 59 of Victoria’s 78 municipalities to clear trees 10 metres from a house, and shrubs and ground cover 30 metres from a house without a permit. Trees within four metres of a fence line can also be removed. In October 2009, the state government revoked a Frankston Council environmental planning local law after the council refused to adopt the 10/30 law. The council chief executive George Modrich said he had “significant concern” about the impact on established urban areas not prone to bushfires as “most of the municipality has been assessed by the CFA as low fire risk”. Living With the Bush spokesman Louis Delacretaz said the peninsula risked being denuded: “I would think that the first trees to go will be the ones where people have wanted to cut them down for other reasons.”
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