Cheers and fears over threats to green wedge
SATURDAY 1 May was a day of celebration for those opposed to the now-withdrawn plan by power company AGL to import liquified natural gas through a terminal at Crib Point.
However, the more than 400 people gathered at Balnarring common to revel in their shared victory were also warned to be wary of governments and vested interests eyeing parts of the Mornington Peninsula’s green wedge for development.
“Governments cannot be trusted to protect Western Port and the peninsula’s green wedge,” Cr David Gill said.
He listed “concerning issues still being pushed by the state and federal governments” as including Kawasaki’s hydrogen gas from brown coal export trial at Hastings; proposed rezoning of bayside land in Hastings to unknown port related uses; the gas pipeline still proposed through Hastings; state government discussions to reduce the green wedge around towns; and the federal government’s proposal for a “huge train station at Baxter that will eliminate the green wedge between Baxter and Somerville”.