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Wednesday 15 January 2025
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Two years, eighteen days and six hours That’s the period of time from when the Baxter CFA told members of the Peninsula North (Baxter) Men’s Shed there had been a fire, to when they received the keys to their new shed. “We are so relieved to be open again,” said president of the shed, Graham Balmer. “And we learned a lot of lessons along the way. One of the great lessons we learned was that our members are more important than the place we meet. “While we lost some members, a strong core stuck together and recently we have welcomed newcomers. “Thanks to everyone from the shed community that have supported us over this challenging time.” Picture: Supplied
Tide turns for beach cleaning Brendan Rees brendan@mpnews.com.au A CONTENTIOUS hand beach cleaning trial launched by Mornington Peninsula Shire has come under fire for failing to meet the “community’s expectations” with reports of litter and seaweed having increased. The shire is currently undertaking a 12-month trial that involves cleaning all Port Phillip beaches solely by hand on a fortnightly basis instead of a mechanical rake, which was found to have only removed about 40 per cent of litter, according to the shire.
However, while mechanical raking does create an aesthetically pleasing groomed look, it has been known to leave behind broken bottles, shredded plastic and even hypodermic needles. Deputy mayor Cr Paul Pingiaro voiced his concerns at the council’s 18 December meeting, noting 82 per cent of respondents to a community survey had reported beaches “are less enjoyable to visit” because of hand cleaning, and had seen a rising presence of seaweed and litter since the trail began last July. “This dissatisfaction, coupled with
increasing complaints, indicates that the trial is failing to meet the community’s expectations for a clean, safe, and enjoyable beaches,” he said. Pingiaro successfully moved an “urgent business” motion for a report to be brought to the council’s first meeting in January to consider ending the trial “with immediate effect” and reinstating a mechanical rake method. A report will also come back by April to explore a hybrid approach of hand and mechanical methods, informed by community and broad
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industry consultation. Crs Williams, Pingiaro, Allen, Ranken, Batty and mayor Cr Anthony Marsh voted in favour of the motion to considering ending hand beach cleaning. Voting against was Crs Gill, Stephens and Binyon. Gill said he could not support the motion because the “interpretations we’ve been hearing are just assertions” and “our beaches are now cleaner than they have ever been because of hand cleaning”. Last year, Gill said mechanical raking “doesn’t work” and should be re-
placed by “environmentally friendly hand cleaning that protects children from hidden dangers” (Hands up for beach cleaning, The News 15/7/24). Award winning beach cleaning campaigner Josie Jones OAM, who had initially pushed the shire for a hand cleaning trial, defended its effectiveness. “This is an incredible opportunity for us to actually reassess our coastline based on federal, state and local plans that all aim for low impact solutions for our coastlines,” she told The News. Continued Page 8
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