Peninsula towns suffer ‘housing stress’
SIX areas on the Mornington Peninsula suffer housing stress 33 per cent higher than the national average.
They are Bittern/Crib Point, Dromana/Safety Beach, Hastings, Rosebud and surrounding district, Rye/Tootgarook/St Andrews Beach and Portsea/Sorrento/Blairgowrie.
A household under stress is defined as being one that spends more than 30 per cent of its gross income on rent or housing costs.
Data from the latest census (2016) shows the peninsula has the sixth highest number of rough sleepers of Victoria’s 79 municipalities.
Their plight is compounded by an under-supply of affordable and social housing, particularly one or two-bedroom dwellings, and that there is no dedicated, affordable emergency accommodation on the peninsula.
Lack of ideas to combat problems at The Pillars
3 Mins Read Natural attraction: The Pillars, left, was deserted on Friday. The cliff jumping area also features in the Mt Martha supermarket’s window display and has been turned into a souvenir badge. Share
LONG running concerns surrounding the management of The Pillars cliff jumping site continue to frustrate Mornington Peninsula Shire Council.
While it acknowledges that the amenity of Mount Martha residents needs to be protected from discarded litter, overcrowded streets, and even occasional abuse from unwanted visitors, there’s no denying they will continue to come – and to climb through, or over, fences to get to the water.
Hoons drive way to day in court
A DRAFT local law may be introduced at Mornington Peninsula Shire Council this year to combat the growing incidences of night-time hoon gatherings.
The move follows an effort by police over the past month to crack down on “illegal and dangerous” hoon meetings and the launch of a state-wide campaign to rein them in.
As part of Operation Achilles, police across the state are working to “disrupt hoon behaviour and put offenders before the courts”.
TV news’ footage over the past few weeks shows scores of hoons in tricked-up cars doing wheelies and burn-outs to the cheers of hundreds of spectators at industrial estates in Carrum Downs and Dandenong.
People of faith sound alarm on climate
4 Mins Read Bells of alarm: Bronwyn Pryor said the old bell at Dromana was not only heard as a call to worship on Sundays but was used by the Dromana CFA in an emergency. Picture: Yanni Share
Picture: Yanni
PEOPLE from various faiths around the world held symbolic actions to “sound the alarm” for the climate – including the Uniting Churches at Dromana and Rosebud.
The two churches rang their bells at 11am, Thursday 11 March, as part of a global multi-faith Day of Action in which about 100 faith communities called for more ambitious action on climate change.