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31 May – 13 June 2012
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Lawbreaker: Cr Graham Pittock says Mornington Peninsula Shire has gone too far with its drink ban, which means having an open bottle of alcohol on the beach at Mornington, Safety Beach or Dromana is against the law. See Page 7
Lawmakers in fire fight By Keith Platt BACKYARD burning will be stamped out if Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors get their way. Proposed local laws will see offenders fined $2500 for burning waste in an incinerator or the open air. The ban on backyard burning is spelt out within three local laws being ex-
hibited for public comment by the shire. The local laws cover many activities and parts of daily life, including fines of up to $2500 for misuse of rubbish bins or failing to destroy nests of English or European wasps to $1250 for not picking up dog poo or making audio or video recordings of council committee meetings.
A $2500 penalty will apply if the occupier of a property does not “immediately notify the council in writing if his or her approved garbage bin develops a defect, is destroyed or damaged, or is lost or stolen�. The new local laws roll the existing six into three and, according to governance team leader Mark Howells, are written in more easily understood
“plain English�. He said they represent a fresh approach and are the result of “the first comprehensive review and re-write of the local laws since 1995�. However, they also bring attention to the many laws that council can use to control actions of the public. Bans on drinking in public places, for instance, mean families can be fined for enjoying a late afternoon
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summer wine or beer on some of the shire’s most popular beaches. Carrying an open stubby of beer while walking the dog would also attract a fine. Councillors have been assured this would not happen, but some believe the law should either be enforced or not exist. Continued Page 7
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