The Great Southern Star

Council celebrates rural strategy approvalLand ahoy

Party time: South Gippsland Shire Council CEO Tim Tamlin, mayor Cr War-ren Raabe and director of development services Phil Stone welcome the fi nali-sation of the rural strategy.

By Brad Lester

SOUTH Gippsland is expected to grow after the State Government last week approved a long-awaited strategy governing development in rural areas.

Victorian Planning Minister Matthew Guy passed the South Gippsland Rural Land Use Strategy 2011, ending 11 years of uncertainty.

More hobby farms and greater tourism opportunities could result from the strat-egy, diversifying the regions economy with more newcomers.

However the strategy has not im-pressed everyone, with land-holders with

properties not fi tting the guidelines miss-ing out on the opportunity to build.

Simply, the new strategy permits: lots up to 4.1ha to be built on; lots between 4.1ha and 40ha to be built on only when an agricultural use warrants a house; lots over 40ha to be built on without a permit; and a minimum subdivision size of 80ha.

About 2000 lots under 4.1ha can be built on without proof that a house is needed to farm.

The amendment also rezones 5100 hectares of land from the Farming Zone to the new Rural Activity Zone around Loch, Korumburra, Yanakie, Koonwarra, Foster and Mirboo North, allowing for tourism-related businesses.

Continued on page 4.

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012 - $1.20

Huge Labour Day long weekend in South Gippsland - The Scene liftout inside.

Huge Labour Day long weekend in South Gippsland - The Scene liftout inside.

Later StarTHE Star will be out one day later next week, Wednesday morning, March 14, due to the Labour Day long weekend.

The offi ce will be closed on Monday, March 12 and will re-open on Tuesday, March 13. Clas-sifi ed advertisements and sports news can still be emailed or brought into the offi ce any time until noon on the Tuesday.

TIM Wolswinkel and Rowan Baudinette took advantage of the large size chess set at Coal Creek Commu-nity Park and Muse-um at Korumburra on Sunday, during the Scouts Family Fun Day.

The pair was among many to enjoy abseiling, face-painting and discovering the parks history.

Turn to page 6 to fi nd out more.

Ready for fun

Ready for fun

THE STAR, Tuesday, March 6, 2012y

FINE wine and delicate dining was on the menu at the Inverloch Food and Wine Festival on Saturday.

The rain didnt dampen the spirits of wine lovers as they taste tested the best of what the local wineries and producers had to offer.

It wasnt just about the wine with cheese, preserves, breads and lots of other yummy produce available to taste test and buy, along with of course, something to grab for lunch.

Cooking demonstrations and interviews with local wine-makers gave the crowd a little extra knowledge when it comes to fi ne dining and matching a wine to the dish.

Most wine lovers left Inverloch that day with more knowledge about wine-making and a bottle or two of the best the region has to offer.

More photos in next weeks Star.

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Food and wine a winner

Grilled: local wine-makers Folkert Janssen and Dean Roberts took a sessionon the couch and answered questions about local wines and growing in Bass Coast and South Gippsland.

Face painting: Margret Nelson was using face paint to change Hannah Collinsinto a dog at the Inverloch Food and Wine Festival.

Ladies day: Louise Eadon and Rosemary Cruise were enjoying the Inverloch Food and Wine Festival despite the wet weather.

Rotary: Marilyn Warren, Terry Grace (secretary) and Ken Fisher (president)from the Rotary Club of Inverloch were enjoying the Food and Wine Festival on Saturday.

Fine dining: Brendan McCurdy and Teyghan Stadelbaure from Ar-chies on the Creek res-taurant were at the In-verloch Food and Wine Festival.

Popular cheese: Ber-rys Creek Gourmet Cheese was a must try at the Inverloch Food and Wine Festival, and it was delicious, accord-ing to Laura Rowe.

Classified advertising closes 12 noon Mondays

THE STAR, Tuesday, March 6, 2012 - PAGE 3

Dancing queens: Wendy Sellings, Lil Roughead and Lyn Van Boven im-mersed themselves in the ABBA spirit of the Saturday Night Live musical extravaganza held by the Rotary Club of Leongatha on Saturday night. Turn to page 58 for the full story and more photos.

By Simone Short

A MINING company has ap-plied for an exploration licence from Wonthaggi to Waratah Bay.

The company behind the applica-tion, Leichhardt Resources Pty Ltd, has licences to mine for coal seam gases across Australia.

The proposed area stretches 519 square kilometres, spanning inland to Buffalo, however it will be slightly less in reality, as the area includes Crown land.

According to the Department of Primary Industries, Leichhardt Re-sources Pty Ltd lodged the application on February 22 and is currently under review.

Bass Coast Shire Council director of planning and environment, Hannah Duncan-Jones, said the council had been notifi ed about the application and said the matter would be of interest to the community.

Obviously farmers are concerned about being able to utilise their land for agricultural purposes and anything could have an impact on them, so they should certainly make themselves aware and participate in the process, she said, but emphasised community members should not panic over the is-sue for the moment.

Its important to stress it is only early days and its only an exploration licence application.

If the DPI chooses to approve the licence, it would be advertised in both

state-wide and local newspapers, giv-ing people 21 days to respond.

Ms Duncan-Jones predicted considerable concern in the com-munity would be expressed through submissions.

People need to make sure theyre keeping track of the newspapers and the council website for news of when the application is notifi ed and to put in a submission, she said.

As with all of these things, its strongly encouraged that people put in submissions that are based on their own circumstances and not just using form ones.

Coal seam gas opponent Neil Rankine said he believed exploration and mining should not be happening at all.

As soon as the licence is adver-tised, people need to write a com-munity objection to the Minister for Resources and Energy within that time-frame, and it also has to come under a list of reasons theyll accept, he said.

Mr Rankine said one critical thing farmers can do is to join the coal seam gas forum email list to receive updates on any action taken.

Well also really be encouraging people to speak to councillors from both the South Gippsland and Bass Coast shires and try to get them on board to move a motion to ideally out-right oppose this kind of exploration into South Gippsland or Bass Coast, he said.

Ms Duncan-Jones said explora-tion licences were nothing new to the

region, and reiterated the community to not panic.

As we found out when we had the forum in November, the whole of Bass Coast is already essentially covered with exploration licences so this was just an area that wasnt currently cov-ered, she said.

Its not about panic; its about be-ing aware, keeping up-to-date and it is only an exploration licence.

If there was a mining licence, there would be a much more involved process. That would involve the ap-plication for the mining licence and works approval from the EPA.

It would involve a planning permit and more than likely an environmental effects statement, so there would be considerable public processes if there was any resource found and then to proceed to an actual mining licence.

Should the licence be approved, Ms Duncan-Jones said community mem-bers should make their own judgement on whether or not to be concerned.

People need to make their own judgement about that, and I guess the impact is going to be about individual people, and how it impacts on them and make assessments themselves, she said.

Leichhardt Resources Pty Ltd did not respond to questions from The Star before going to print.

Anyone wanting to stay updated about coal seam gas in the region can do so by emailing [email protected].

Miners chase gas

By Simone Short

A MISSING elderly woman was returned to her family after a 10 hour search on Sunday.

Eighty-five-year-old Lynne Van Nooten, who suffers from Alzheimers disease, was reported miss-ing by her husband after he noticed she was missing from their home in Clancys Road in Korumburra around 4.45am.

Having disappeared wearing only a nightgown, there were grave concerns for her welfare, especially with the poor weather.

Almost 40 searchers, in-cluding local police, search and rescue squad, police

air wing, special solos (dirt bikes), local farmers and SES volunteers conducted a thorough search of the sur-rounding area.

Leongatha SES unit controller Anthony Lind-hart said 18 SES members were there all day; eight from Leongatha supported by members from Inverloch and Wonthaggi.

We searched from vir-tually 7am until she was found around 3pm, he said.

We have very good co-operation with the po-lice search and rescue unit, especially the sergeant in charge, who has some spe-cifi c experience with el-derly people suffering from Alzheimers.

The woman was located

Missing woman found safeby a local farmer on a rural property around one kilo-metre from where she went missing.

The farmer had joined the search after hearing about the incident over the radio and seeing the police helicopter hovering around overhead.

She was found with only minor cuts and abrasions, and suffering hypothermia.

THE STAR, Tuesday, March 6, 2012

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Integrity Compassion

Courage Self discipline

decision exceptional. We are very happy with the ministers

comments. Its been great decisiveness, he said.

Mr Guy said: Council has been in-volved in the preparation of the strategy for six years and has engaged with the commu-nity, agricultural industry groups, rural land-owners and the farming community.

Deputy Premier and Gippsland South MLA Peter Ryan congratulated council on undertaking the rigorous process to fi nd a suitable outcome.

The entire community now has a clear picture of the future of the municipalitys rural areas, providing direction to support growth and change for dwellings and tourist activities in identifi ed areas, he said.

This is a great outcome for the commu-nity and one that has been long awaited.

While the strategy was fi nished, Cr Raabe conceded quite a few people would be displeased by the outcome and we recog-nise that, but they now have certainty too.

I think the strategy is fair and fi ts in with the state scheme. There will still be people caught out and I dont know what we can do to help them. That is something they need to take up with the State Govern-ment, he said.

Cr Raabe did not believe the strategy would result in an immediate infl ux of ap-plications for hobby farms, but said the strategy would open more opportunities for rural living in the shire.

That would bring money into the dis-trict, which fl ows on. Every time you get a family moving into the area, they are spend-ing money in the area and every time we discourage a family from coming into the area, the community is missing out on that

cash fl ow generation, he said.The council feels there is a balance now

between the protection of major agriculturalenterprises and the lifestyle opportunitiesthis strategy allows.

The mayor is not anticipating an infl uxof applications for planning permits, despitesome people applying under the previousrules and then appealing councils decisionto the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribu-nal (VCAT). About half of the appeals weresuccessful.

Cr Raabe said the strategy granted SouthGippsland concessions under state planningprovisions that recognised the historicalland settlement of South Gippsland.

When people came to South Gippsland,lots were settled in small parcels and be-cause of that, we have this legacy of smalllots across the shire, he said.

Council was faced with the dilemma ofjuggling how to give people access to theirperceived rights to live on a piece of landthat they have purchased, Cr Raabe said,while protecting farmland.

Other parts of Victoria were settled onthe basis of larger land allotments.

A former council approved a rural strat-egy for public comment recommending nohouses be built on lots smaller than 250acres.

That would have meant no more hous-es in South Gippsland in the Farming Zonewhich was 97 per cent of the shire and tome, that would have stifl ed development,Cr Raabe said.

With the strategy behind them, coun-cil planners will now turn to the Housingand Settlement Strategy that will determinewhich towns will grow and which will not,due to the lack of such services as sewerage.

Council celebrates rural strategy approvalContinued from page 1.

The minister made some minor changes relating to properties between 4.1 and 40 hectares and properties pri-marily covered with native vegetation to ensure consistency with state-wide policy and the Farming Zone provi-sions. Essentially, the amendment is consistent with councils adopted strategy.

The strategy will come into ef-fect when the notice of its approval

is published in the Victorian Govern-ment Gazette, expected this Thursday (March 8).

Council offi cers are celebrating and mayor Cr Warren Raabe, who stood for election largely on the issue, was delighted by the news.

It has taken us a long time to get to this point. The fact it is fi nished is what pleases me the most, he said.

People now have a simple set of rules as to what they can do with

their land.Completing the strategy was a pri-

ority project for council and Cr Raabe believed this years council elections would be the fi rst in four elections where the strategy would not be a ma-jor election issue.

Councils director of development services Phil Stone, said the strategy permitted growth while protecting the rural ambience of South Gippsland.

He labelled the ministers

THE South Gippsland Singers are singing loud and proud and going strong under new musical director Jen Monk.

After celebrating their 30 year an-niversary last year and having long time musical director Larry Hills leave the group, Jen stepped up to the position and has being doing a stellar job.

Were getting into all types of music now, group president Joan Harris said.

Jen is taking us in a new direction and is making the group more appealing to younger singers.

Jen is also the Leongatha Primary School music teacher and teaches singing privately.

She has a history as a professional

singer with the Australian Navy Band and once sang the national anthem at the MCG for the AFL.

Im trying to get some more young people involved in the group, Jen said.

Were branching out and doing some different songs to what weve been doing over the past few years.

The group is going strong, with about 25 members, but could always use more.

If you wish to come along and have a sing with the group or maybe just a listen to see what its all about, get down to the Dakers Centre in Leongatha on Wednes-days from 7.30pm. All you need is a love for singing.

Those interested in joining can also call Lyn on 5662 3376 or Joan on 5674 3401.

Jen steers singers in new direction

Leading lady: Jen Monk directs the South Gippsland Singers at a recent rehearsal.


AUDITIONS have started for the up-coming Leongatha Lyric Theatre pro-duction of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

With over 80 hopefuls putting their hands up for auditions, a large amount of new talent will be seen in the production, ac-cording to director Scott Miller.

The interest has been fantastic, he said.

And so far weve seen so much talent here

already, which is really good for us.

A plethora of new fac-es to the theatre have been seen at rehearsals.

Lots of kids have stepped up to the chal-lenge as well, which is fantastic to see, Mr Mill-er said.

This is the fi rst time Mr Miller has taken on the role of director after being in the theatre for more than 30 years.

I always sit back and think of things that I would like to change when Im involved in pro-ductions. Now I can, but it

New talent eyes stage

Counting down: excited about Leongatha Lyric Theatres production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe are vocal director Cheryl Connor, musical director Colin Chandler and director Scott Miller.

is very scary, he said.I cant change the

story line because its so well known, but defi nitely expect some surprises.

Cheryl Connor is tak-ing on the role of vo-cal director while Colin Chandler is musical di-

rector. They are both fa-miliar faces around the Leongatha Lyric Theatre community.

The show will open on Friday, July 13 and run through until July 28 with rehearsals set to start with in the next few weeks.

By Jacob de Kunder

THE Korumburra Business Association is concerned the sale of the former Shire of Korumburra complex is already underway, despite South Gippsland Shire Council now calling for public comment regarding the rezone.

People can now have a say over the future of the Planning Scheme Amendment C71 which will rezone the Korumburra li-brary, gallery and meeting rooms site from the current Public Use Zoning to Business 1 Zone.

Paul Stampton, councils man-ager strategic planning and devel-opment, said the rezoning would

not affect the sites current use but would provide council with future development opportunities for the site.

The rezoning is a continuation of the work weve undertaken with the State Government to provide a location suitable for a large re-tailer to ensure that Korumburras central business district remains strong and active, he said.

KBA president David Amor was worried about what the rezon-ing might mean for the site.

From a KBA perspective, it sounds like its already half sold and Im starting to think that way, he said.

Why is there any reason to do that, apart from the money that has been put up by the Rossi Group to buy the facility?

Mr Amor said that local de-veloper the Rossi Group had way too many fi ngers in the pie when it comes to development in Korumburra.

The Rossi Group also owns the former saleyards site.

Also currently on exhibition along with C71 is amendment C70, which outlines the frame-work plan for Korumburra, and C66 which looks to rezone parts of western Korumburra for resi-dential development.

All three amendments can be viewed at the Korumburra library, council offi ces, www.southgippsland.vic.gov.au, and at www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/planning/publicinspection.

This is an exciting period for Korumburra and these amend-

ments will provide attractive op-portunities for further investment in the town, Mr Stampton said.

Public submissions to the C71 amendment must be received at council by Monday, April 2 and addressed to South Gippsland Shire Council, Attn: Fiona Mot-tram, Private Bag 4, Leongatha 3953.

Enquiries regarding the amendment should be directed to Fiona Mottram on 5662 9837 or fi [email protected]

Mr Amor said a community meeting with council staff would be held at the Korumburra Com-munity Meeting Rooms on March 20 at 7pm to discuss the amend-ment and planning future in Korumburra.

Business association wary of developer

By Brad Lester

BASS MLA Ken Smith holds grave concerns about an ambulance dis-patch system now used by Ambulance Victoria.

The Star reported on February 21 that Le-ongatha was being left without an ambulance up to fi ve times a week, as the system sent local ambulances to emergen-cies as far as the Latrobe Valley and Warragul. Often the ambulance

would be halfway to the location and sent back to Leongatha.

Mr Smith said there had been some hiccups in this service.

I dont see this as be-ing a good solution. I hold grave concerns about it. I know Ambulance Victo-ria is doing something to overcome the problem. Local knowledge is good knowledge, he said.

I dont want this is-sue to deter people from calling 000 as it is still the best option in an emer-gency. Our ambulance people down here do a

fantastic job and have been for some time.

The Coalition Gov-ernment has employed and will continue to em-ploy more paramedics to make the service bet-ter for the people of my community.

Deputy Premier and Gippsland South MLA Peter Ryan said he had spoken to Health Min-ister David Davis about the Star article.

He has indicated to me Ambulance Victoria sends the closest ap-propriate ambulance to people who have called

for help using GPS data and state-wide common dispatch procedures, he said.

The state-wide sys-tem allows the closest ambulance to be dis-patched to those in need, and supports coverage of all areas across the state.

Each ambulance is fi tted with global posi-tioning systems, which show operators exactly where each vehicle is and a radio system that operates throughout the state.

Consequently the closest and most ap-

propriate ambulance resource can be dis-patched immediately. If an ambulance is dis-patched to a patient and a closer ambulance re-source becomes avail-able, the closer ambu-lance is sent instead; the other ambulance is then cleared from the case and made avail-able for another patient. Ambulance Victoria routinely monitors the location of ambulances and will relocate them if required to provide all areas with a timely response.

Grave concerns over ambo system


PASSENGERSSAFELYOFF

PROTECTIVESERVICESOFFICERS

Being a PSO stands for a lot. It gives you a special standing in your community. As a Protective Services Of cer, you help keep our train stations safe. And in helping others, you might even discover something more satisfying than a 9 to 5 job for yourself. Apply to become a PSO today. P.S. Your community needs you.

Help keep our train stations safe. Become a PSO.Visit policecareer.vic.gov.au or SMS Jobs to 132 001.

POL0097

IT was all happening at Coal Creek at Korumburra on Sunday, when the Scouts free Family Fun Day was held.

There was fun for everyone, from pa-per planes through to fi re-fi ghting train-ing, as well as the classics such as a jump-

ing castle and face-painting.Only the brave tackled the abseiling

wall while those with good aim tried their hand at the sling shot.

The sun shone down on the park throughout the day, making it a great fam-ily event.

More photos in next weeks Star.

Fun in the sun

Little fi re-fi ghter: Remy Ferguson loved having a go on the fi re hose with help from the CFAs Ed Browning.

Sling shot: Vince Holt helped young Liam Smart set up a good shot with the sling shot.

Brave boy: Jasper Medley was deep in concentration on his way down the abseiling wall.

Departure time: Mitch and Brodie Sawyers were impressed by how far their paper planes fl ew.

Fun in the sun

Folk brave festival rainWET weather didnt stop the music at the Boolarra Folk Festival on Saturday.

Music fans braved the rain and enjoyed a range of great acts including some local favourites such as the Strzelecki String Busters and Beggs to Differ.

A thunderous rendition of percussion from the children of the Boolarra Primary School impressed many parents and music lovers.

The hall was packed with people, so a decision was made to create a second stage at the Boolarra Bowls Club to accommodate the large crowd.

Like always, the day was a great success. More photos in next weeks Star.

Helping hands: Wendy Stewart, Eileen Black and Roz Carstairs were manning the merchan-dise desk on Saturday.

Local volunteers: Chris Littlejohn, Kelly Schil-ke and Dave OBrien from Boolarra were on the barbecue stall at the Folk Festival.

Local act: South Gippsland four piece band Beggs to Differ were a popular act at the Bool-arra Folk Festival. They were John and Diane Rees, Phil Beggs and Terry Lay.


Quick response: SP Ausnet responded quickly to calls from The Star about a truck touching power-lines in Leongaths McCartin Street re-cently. SP Ausnet was informed last Monday week about the lines problem and early on Tues-day, February 28, raised the height of the lines to a safer level.

With the amount of large trucks coming through Leongathas CBD, the town could nearly have been brought to a halt if the truck had brought down the lines.

Children at riskGIPPSLAND children are among the most unsafe in Victoria, a State Government re-port has revealed.

The Report of the Pro-tecting Victorias Vulner-able Children Inquiry found that in Gippsland, 66 per 1000 children were reported to child protection services

in 2009-10.The state average was

just over 30 per 1000 chil-dren.

The most common types of alleged child abuse and neglect across Victoria were: psychological harm, physical harm and sexual harm.

Also in Gippsland, around 10 children aged

up to 17 per 1000 were in out-of-home care. That was more than three times the proportionate rate for the eastern and southern metro-politan regions.

Berry Streets regional director in Gippsland, Trish McCluskey, said there were many reasons why Gippsland children were disproportionately repre-

A TOORA man died during a group bike ride last Sunday.

The 63-year-old man was riding with a group of cyclists from Walkerville to Tarwin Lower, and was about 11km from Tarwin Lower along Walkerville Road when he fell from his bike at around 10am.

Other cyclists, includ-ing a medical practitioner, attended to the man and performed CPR until lo-cal ambulance crews ar-rived, but were unable to

revive him.The man died at the

scene.Police from both In-

verloch and Foster, and ambulance crews from Leongatha and Wont-haggi attended, as well as the Community First Re-sponse Unit from Tarwin Lower.

Sergeant Glenn Parke said the cause of death is yet to be determined.

There were some mi-nor traffi c interruptions around the area for a short period of time.

Cyclist dies

By Sarah Vella

LOCAL hospitals have received high marks according to a Victori-an patient satisfaction report.

Findings from the an-nual report for July 2010 to June 2011 were released yesterday (Tuesday) by Minister for Health David Davis.

In 2010-11, more than 28,000 survey responses were received from Victo-rian hospital patients.

South Gippsland Hospi-tal at Foster topped the local ratings, with a score of 87.4 out of 100.

Gippsland Southern Health Service campuses in Korumburra and Leongatha received a rating of 82.4 out of 100, which awards the hospitals with a very good rating.

Bass Coast Regional Health received a score of 80.3 out of 100, which also just scrapes in to the very good classifi cation.

The rating very good was awarded to any hos-pital that received a score between 80 and 100, which makes it the highest rating attainable by any Victorian hospital.

Happy with hospitalsMr Davis said the survey

allowed patients to highlight the positives about their lo-cal hospital, as well as point out any areas that require improvement.

This feedback assists hospitals to provide even better care by learning di-rectly from patients on how to improve service quality he said.

Areas in our hospitals with the highest level of sat-isfaction were the courtesy of nurses and doctors, being treated with respect, person-al safety and the helpfulness of staff.

Areas for improvement included quality of food, storage facilities, waiting room comfort, restfulness of the hospital and the tem-perature of meals.

Mr Davis said Victorian hospitals recorded signifi -cant increases in patient sat-isfaction in 2010-11, with patients consistently rat-ing their hospitals between good and very good.

Most importantly, no Victorian hospital showed a statistically signifi cant de-crease in patient satisfaction and no hospital received a fair rating he said.

sented in numbers coming into out-of-home care and being notifi ed to the Depart-ment of Human Services.

However an obvious issue is the direct correla-tion between Gippslands recorded data for high rates of poverty and disadvan-tage, high levels of reported family violence, child sexu-al abuse and drug and alco-hol abuse, she said.

It is more complex than just disadvantage though, and in part relates to wheth-er enough early intervention services are available to support vulnerable children and their families and in ru-ral regions, as these services are often stretched to the limit and have long waiting lists.

Specialist services are also in high demand for families but it can be hard to attract and keep special-ists in rural regions.

Ms McCluskey said the situation could be addressed by the adequate resourc-ing of community service organisations to support vulnerable families before issues escalate to violence and abuse, increased co-ordination of services, and better collaboration be-tween government depart-ments and family services.

However just the sta-tistics alone are also good for the community to know, as most people want Gippslands children to live in safety and with hope for the future, she said.

That can only happen if the community take some shared responsibility for the best interests of all children not just our own.

Across Victoria, infants are signifi cantly over rep-resented at 43.4 per 1000 aged under three years. Boys and girls are equally represented.

There are so many chil-

dren in out of home care in Gippsland because we need to ensure their safety and it has been determined by the Childrens Court, on advice from Child Protection that this is what needs to be hap-pening to ensure their safe-ty, Ms McCluskey said.

Additionally some parents feel they can no longer cope and will relin-quish their child if things become too stressful. Often family and friends can and will step in to help in these circumstances. The demo-graphic problems of the region and historical issues related to high unemploy-ment and entrenched pov-erty are contributing factors as mentioned above.

She hoped the report would result in signifi cant additional early interven-tion services for Gippsland and funding to community service organisations to expand their support pro-grams to children, high risk adolescents and struggling families.

DHS Child Protection continues to play a pivotal role in protecting children and they do an incredible job under unbelievably dif-fi cult services. They are often poorly understood and criticised for what is an immensely challenging job. They have my admiration and support for what they are doing to help children in Gippsland, Ms McCluskey said.

Berry Street has foster and respite carers in South Gippsland, and is always looking for more. To learn more, contact 5134 6673 or email Ms McCluskey on [email protected]

Bass Coast stars shine

Following their Footsteps: Barrie Stewart from Kernot CFA stands in front of a still shot of him-self and fellow CFA members, taken whilst fi lm-ing a documentary about their CFA crew.

BASS Coast hit the big screen last Friday night.

The community cel-ebrated the release of documentaries fi lmed by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (AMCI) at the Wonthaggi Union Cinema.

Two crews from ACMI fi lmed in Bass Coast in December and interviewed people to document their stories.

The mini-documenta-ries will be part of ACMIs archive collection and will be viewable on the ACMI website at www.acmi.net.au from April.

The nine Bass Coast documentaries are: Life in the Waves: a story about mate-ship and surfi ng, fea-turing Sandy Ryan and Is-land Surfboards.

The Ripple and The Shed: Inverlochs Clock Tower committee and Historical Society joined forces to create a maritime precinct along the towns foreshore;

Following their Foot-steps: Barrie Stewart and the dedicated members of the Kernot-Grantville

CFA; Settlement Soccer

Club: breaking down boundaries with the in-ternational language of soccer;

The Corinella Jetty: Barbara Oates rallied the community to raise $25,000 to renovate and extend the iconic jetty;

Community Bank-ing Bass Coast: hardware store owner, Terry Ash-enden pulled together a committee to create a community bank in San Remo;

Swell Mamas: dozens of mums across Inverloch get together every Friday morning to surf;

The Bass Valley Community Centre: the centre has now grown into an amazing commu-nity asset; and

DAK (David Alex-ander Kopelman): DAK doesnt consider himself an artist: he just dabbles and makes stuff.

Copies of the full set of documentaries can be purchased by registering with council.


POLICE BRIEFSPOLICE BRIEFSToora assault

A TOORA man was arrested after as-saulting a 53-year-old Toora man on Saturday.

At around 10pm, the 24-year-old offender allegedly grabbed a barmaid in a headlock at the Royal Standard Hotel in Toora after being refused service and assaulted the older man af-ter he attempted to intervene.

The offender pushed the man against a wall before going to the rear of the hotel and smash-ing the victims windscreen.

After inspecting his damaged vehicle, the victim sat in his car at around midnight.

The offender then reached through the cars open window and punched the victim in the head.

The offender will be summonsed to appear at court at a later date.

Car damagePOLICE are searching for a group of youths who were walking through The Crescent in Inverloch on Sunday February 26.

At around 5.20am, a woman was woken by a group of around 10 people walking along the street and yelling.

She witnessed one of the youths jump onto her car and run over the boot, roof and bonnet.

When inspecting her car the next morning, the woman found a dent in the roof with a foot impression, with the damage valued at about $500.

The only description available is that the of-fender was a teenager wearing light coloured clothing.

Anyone with information regarding this of-fence can call Sgt Glenn Parke at Inverloch Po-lice on 5674 1202 or Crimestoppers.

Cash stolenA SLIDING glass window was smashed and money stolen from the Inverloch Tennis Club in Pier Road overnight on Monday, February 27.

Offenders broke a padlocked metal cable wrapped around the alcohol fridge, before stealing a cash tin containing a small amount of money.

No alcohol was taken during the burglary.Anyone with information regarding this of-

fence can call Inverloch Police on 5674 1202 or Crimestoppers.

Thefts from carsPOLICE have once again warned people to lock their cars after possessions were stolen from four vehicles in Wonthaggi last Friday morning.

All of the vehicles were parked in private drive-ways located in White Road and McKenzie Street.

Property including a battery charger, bolt cutters and cash were stolen.These are crimes of opportunity and police urge all drivers to lock their car doors, even when parked in their own driveway, to deter thieves.Anyone with information regarding these thefts can contact Wonthaggi Police on 5672 1222 or Crimestoppers.

Taken to courtA 32-YEAR-OLD Leongatha man will be summonsed to court for offences in-cluding theft, criminal damage and being drunk in a public place.

The charges arose after a number of different incidents over the past week, including a theft from

McDonalds restaurant and damage to a mail box in Owen Street.

Speed warningPOLICE warn drivers to slow down after several motorists were picked up for speeding over the past week.

A Morwell lady was detected and fi ned for driving 80km/h in a 60km/h zone in Leongatha last Sunday afternoon.

Despite not being a holiday period, Leon-gatha Police are out and about enforcing the legal speed limits in the area.

Drinking offencesA 24-YEAR-OLD Leongatha man re-ceived an on-the-spot fi ne for $489 after being found drunk in Roughead Street, Leongatha over the weekend.

The man was issued a penalty notice and re-leased into the care of his parents.

Another young man will be summonsed to attend court after driving over the legal blood alcohol limit last weekend.

The man was intercepted by Mirboo North Police whilst driving home from a party.


By Isaac McCallum

LEONGATHA couple Steph Spokes and John Hulls have been told they will no longer be welcome on the V/Line bus service.

The pair usually travels from Le-ongatha to Melbourne, but will have to fi nd an alternative route from now on as Ms Spokes, a Multiple Sclero-sis sufferer, cannot leave her mobility scooter in the spacious luggage com-partment.

Despite never having trouble with it in the past, the transport company has told the couple that carrying the scooter below deck was unsafe.

I dont see how its unsafe, Mr Hulls said.

Weve been able to stick it in be-fore without trouble. The handlebars fold right down and the brakes on the wheels mean it wont move at all.

In the past the couple has put the scooter in and bus drivers have posi-tioned suitcases around it as a back-up.

A manager from Westernport Roadlines, which runs the V/Line service in the area, told the couple the scooter was not able to continue com-ing on the bus due to V/Line rules.

The guys from Westernport were fantastic. They were good enough to let us know, but it still leaves us in a tough spot, Mr Hulls said.

The duo cannot travel without Ms

Spokes scooter, as walking too far leaves her exhausted. When not on her scooter, she walks with the aid of a crutch.

I get tired very quickly. I cant walk far at all, she said.

The problem can be solved when Mr Hulls is around to take her to ap-pointments, as he can drive the car, but problems arise when Ms Spokes needs to go on her own.

Stephs not the only disabled person around. There are plenty of people in a similar situation that live on their own and are going to struggle with this rule, Mr Hulls said.

Its going to make it hard for them. Its just going to be a case of too bad if you dont have any assistance.

Ban puts brakes on MS sufferer

by Simone Short

AQUASURE has re-jected claims by the Construction, For-estry, Mining and Energy Union and the Electrical Trades Union their members went on strike for a combined 11 days over the past three years.

Victorian Water Minis-ter Peter Walsh last week said Aquasure, the com-pany in charge of building the Victorian Desalination Plant in Wonthaggi, has lodged claims for 290 days of lost time.

AquaSure communica-tions senior advisor Loui-sa McPhee said the claims did not only take into con-sideration workers going on strike.

The issue of lost time is not just about strike ac-tion; it is also about poor productivity, she said.

With the completion date of the desal project already two years over-due, AquaSure has also sought an extension to the projects deadline from the State Government.

Ms McPhee could not reveal the length of time nor the amount of money the company requested in its claims.

AquaSure cannot can-

vas the detail of the claims other than to say that our construction contractor has lodged claims in rela-tion to weather, productiv-ity and industrial activity, she said.

Our contract with the government provides for AquaSures contractors to lodge claims in certain cir-cumstances. Any claim by any of the project parties would need to be assessed as per the process defi ned in the contract.

Regardless, Aqua-Sure remains committed to working together with the state and Thiess De-gremont Joint Venture to achieve the successful de-livery of this project.

Mr Walsh said accord-ing to recent media re-ports, Suez Environment, a company affi liated with Degremont, had lodged more than $1 billion worth of claims with the government.

The states contract is with AquaSure and they have lodged claims for 200 days of lost time due to industrial action and 90 days of time lost due to cy-clonic activity, he said.

Mr Walsh said the gov-ernment would vigorous-ly defend any claims that had not been substantiated against the Project Deed.

Aquasure rejects desal claims

Brakes on: Steph Spokes and John Hulls have been told they are not allowed on a V/Line bus if Steph has her scooter with her.


Morwell (03) 5133 7788 | Sale (03) 5144 7788 | Warragul (03) 5622 2387

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,I\RXGRQWJKW\RXORVHFirst interview free of charge and REOLJDWLRQWRWDOO\FRQGHQWLDO

[email protected] www.simonparsons.com.au

SPECIAL birthday greet-ings go out to Meryl Caple who resides in Strzelecki House, Mirboo North. Meryl is celebrating her 90th birthday today, March 6.

EVERY surf life saving club in Australia has the chance to win a $20,000 makeover courtesy of the Navy. All club members have to do is play an on-line life saving game and rescue as many swimmers as they can. The promo-tion is currently running and closes on March 15. Check out the Navys Facebook page to enter http://apps.facebook.com/surfboatrescue.

THE Leongatha Commu-nity House is holding RSA and Food Safety level 1 ac-creditations on March 19. For more information or to book a place, please call

5662 3962.

TARWIN Valley Camp-draft Club is holding a Ian Francis horseman-ship clinic on March 6 and 7, at the Dumbalk grounds. They will also be holding their campdraft on March 10, 11 and 12, also at the Dumbalk grounds. The event will feature a band on Saturday night, bar facilities and a can-teen. First prize for the feature novice event is a Hawkesbury River Saddle Co. Fender sad-dle. Contact Richelle on 5664 8373 or Heather on 0418 564 157 for more information.

A VALUABLE set of keys was lost in Leongatha last Tuesday.

The keys were mis-placed between the gym

on McCartin Street and the Ritchie Street intersection.

A reward is being of-fered for the keys and if found please contact Ron Mullins on 5668 1510.

THE Leongatha Second-ary College Centenary Reunion Dinner, to be

held on April 28 has sold out. Bookings closed on March 2, once the fi nal tickets had been allocat-ed. There are still some Cabaret places avail-able but they are fi lling quickly. To secure your seat, phone Lyn Poletti on 5662 4333.

OVER the March long weekend, provision of meals and showers for South Gippsland Shire Councils Home and Com-munity Care clients will continue as usual, however other services such as com-munity transport, respite and general home care ser-

vices will not be provided on Monday, March 12.

A STAR staff member was looking at the sky late Sunday night, from her house in Hallston when a bright orange fi reball moved across the sky, before breaking up

and disappearing. The entire display lasted several minutes. There have been other sight-ings reported of a similar phenomenon on an inter-net forum site from other Gippsland residents, as well as Melbourne, Tas-mania and Newcastle.

By Sarah Vella

BANKSIA Lodge Hostel, a division of Prom Country Aged Care Inc. received a surprise on March 1, when the donation they received from The James Charitable Trust was $20,000 more than the $300,000 they were expecting.

The $320,000 cheque was handed over in a cer-emony attended by three members of the James Charitable Trust: board member Graham Miller, treasurer Doug Evans and chairman Dennis Belcher.

The president of Bank-sia Lodges committee of management, Sandy Bu-cello, tearfully accepted the donation, along with Banksia Lodge CEO Claire Schmierer, fundraising committee chairperson, Julie Need, committee of management treasurer Phil Nightingall and fundraising committee members Le-anne Van Dyke and Trisha Moon. Six residents of the hostel were also present to witness the historical occasion.

Ms Bucello was visibly moved by the generous do-nation and thanked the trust

Banksia Lodge receives big surprise for considering Banksia Lodge for the grant, which is a huge amount and will make a big difference to the centre.

It is the biggest single contribution that Banksia Lodge has received, she said.

Small communities such as ours struggle with-out such generous dona-tions and rely on charitable contributions to develop and progress.

The James Charitable Trust was founded in 1934, with the primary purpose being to help hospitals and further the cause of medi-cine generally.

Mr Belcher explained that the trust legally has a life span of 80 years and after being alerted to the needs of Banksia Lodge by Mr Millers son-in-law, Dr David Polmer, the trust decided to give the gift that we are giving today, which comprises the bulk of the remaining trust fund.

It was necessary for us to fi nd a worthy organi-sation that could fulfi l the trusts charter and we be-lieve we have found that organisation in Banksia Lodge, Mr Belcher said.

The donation will go towards a new facility for aged care, with 60 beds. Banksia Lodge needs to raise $2.707 million, in order to have the building completed.

To date the fundraising committee has raised nearly

$1.3 million. Their goal is to reach $2 million by the end of the year, meaning that approximately $800,000 needs to be raised over the next 10 months.

The fundraising com-mittee has a number of proj-ects in the pipeline, includ-

ing the commemorative paver initiative. They hope to reach their target of sell-ing1000 pavers, which are available for $100 each. The pavers will then become a part of a sensory garden, or a courtyard outside the new building.

Big cheque: members of the James Charitable Trust hand over a cheque to Banksia Lodge Hostel. From left: Leanne Van Dyke, Trisha Moon, Doug Ev-ans, Julie Need, Dennis Belcher, Graham Miller, Claire Schmierer and Phil Nightingall.

Supporting cause: a scene from Relay for Life last year.

Cancer far from trivialTHE Mexican hat team is hold-ing a trivia night to raise funds for the Cancer Councils South Gippsland Relay For Life.

The event will be held on March 17 at the Dumbalk Hall at 7pm. Tables will be up to eight to 10 people, with the cost $10 per head.

Those who cannot organise a table are welcome to come and will be put with a team. Raffl es/door prizes will be held.

The theme of the night will be St Patricks Day and the evening promises to be fun for everyone involved. Bring your own nibbles/drinks and cups.

For bookings phone Belinda on 5664 4360 or email [email protected]

All the teams are having fun raising money for such a good cause and will be enjoying all the entertainment that is planned for the relay.

The South Gippsland Relay For Life will be held on April 21 and 22 at Dumbalk Recreation Reserve. We are still hoping for more teams and volunteers, so come along and register, walk for cancer research and join in the fun of the day.

For more information or to register your interest, please contact Chris or Walter on 0428 644 397.


By Sarah Vella

ZAKI Isaiah Burg-graaff was supposed to be a March baby, but he couldnt wait.

Instead, he was born on February 29 at 7.20am in the Leongatha Memorial Hospital.

He is a little brother for Maarli, 6 and Jada, 4, who are both excited to have a new baby in the family.

Zakis parents, Karen Aldridge and Martin Burg-graaff of Outtrim, have de-cided that he will have his usual birthday on the 28th, because he was born closer to the 28th than the 1st, Ms Aldridge said.

Zaki is the fi rst person on the Aldridge side of the fam-ily to be born in February and the fi rst Burggraaff grand-child to be born in February, which is no mean feat consid-ering he is the thirteenth great grandchild on that side.

Zaki has also been born in the Chinese astrology year of the water dragon,

EDNEYS is tak-ing over the Yamaha motorcycle franchise in Leongatha.

Dealer principal Dar-ryl McGannon of Edneys is excited about the ad-ditional range, which will complement the existing Hyundai and Nissan.

Motorcycles, partic-ularly with Yamaha being a high quality product, will fi t in perfectly with what Edneys already does, he said.

A few changes will be made to the store over the next few months, which will include expanding the range of bikes and ac-cessories.

The outgoing owners of the franchise, Kevin and Jo Gray thank their staff and customers for their loyal support over the last 25 years.

The Grays also wish Mr McGannon and Ian Marshman, one of the new partners of the Ya-maha franchise of Ed-neys and their staff all the best for the future.

Yamaha changes over: Nick Mueller (left), the Yamaha state dealer support repre-sentative, with former owner Kevin Gray with new owners Dar-ryl McGannon and Ian Marshman.

Edneys to take on Yamaha

By Sarah Vella

ZAKI Isaiah Burg-graaff was supposed

Zaki leaps into 2012which is said be to very lucky.

Zaki was not the only baby born in our region on

the 29th, with one report-edly being born at South Gippsland Hospital in Foster.

to very the 29th, with one report-

Happy family: baby Zaki, born on February 29 with his family Jada, 4, with dad Martin, Maarli, 6 and proud mum Karen..


Letters guidelinesALL letters should be kept to 400 words or less.The Star reserves the right to edit all letters for length and style. Writers details, including full name, address and phone number (not for publication), must be included.

VOXVOXPOP!

E D I T O R I A L

of services compared to other groups of similar individuals.

Look at other councils. Ararat gives a 47 per cent differential rate reduction. That means far-mers pay a fair amount compared to town dwellers. Latrobe? They give 25 per cent. Looking at many shires, it seems South Gippsland are the meanest bar one in their level of support to farmers.

What about the commercial group? South Gippsland treats them the same as residential. Baw Baw increases their rate to over two times what South Gipp-sland charges. Other shires are even higher so overall, it seems that South Gippsland charges commercial groups nothing like as much as other shires. Seems South Gippsland can just rely on slugging the farmers.

I would think the majority of rate-payers would understand the issue with farming rates and agree that they should be reduced.

I approached 133 people for signatures for the petition going before council in April and only one person refused to sign. The people I asked were not just far-mers. I asked many town people as well and bar one, they all sig-ned happily.

There are 8000 farming rate-payers out there. Assuming two rate-payers per property and I am sure everyone can accept that they would have all signed if I had managed to get around to all of them. That, along with town rate-payers who saw the sense in this idea would be an overw-helming number supporting this issue.

I call upon council to consider seriously this matter and begin discussions about bringing a fair and equitable system in place for farmers, and all groups within the shire which after all is what the Local Government Act requires them to do.

Finally, I must stress that I am not suggesting residential rates should be raised. I have already suggested ways that council co-uld assist the farmers group wit-hout affecting town dwellers and after reviewing councils budget papers for this year, I am able to state categorically that council can make good by the farmers without raising residential rate-payers rates.

Anyone wishing to know more can call me on 5668 9269 7pm to 9pm any evening.

Don Hill,Wild Dog Valley.

I AM writing to inform thosewithin the shire that may nothave been notifi ed by the SouthGippsland Shire Council of therate-payers monies that willbe spent in extending the GreatSouthern Rail Trail from Fosterto Welshpool.

I received a letter from theshire dated February 27, 2012that states in part and I quote: OnDecember 21, 2011 the councilresolved to submit an applicationseeking $2,000,000 to the StateGovernments Regional GrowthFund.

The letter also goes on tostate that: The total project costis $2.9m with council allocating$900,000.

With the council announcingthat we the rate-payers will beexpected to pay rates that willrise each year to cover ongoingrising council operation costs.

These rises will come on topof the carbon tax and the expectedlarge rises in the cost of living.

My question to Mr Tamlin,chief executive offi cer andsignee of the afore mentionedletter is: in these hard times, howdoes the council justify spending$900,000 raised by the rates ofmany to benefi t so few?

Surely in these times themoney could be spent on moreworthwhile projects.

Reg James,Welshpool.

REGARDING Pulling the Plug and Korumburra to Grow (The Star, February 28, 2012).

Would common sense sug-gest that if Korumburra is rap-idly growing and we are to pro-vide extra land for potentially 600 new houses, then wouldnt it be good to have a community swimming pool?

Oh, thats right we do have one, but the shire is teasing ev-eryone with the idea of closing it.

In an interview with Jacob de Kunder on page 9 of The Star last week, councils stra-tegic planning manager, Mr Paul Stampton quoted: The planning process will ensure that important community in-frastructure is considered and fairly contributed to by new residents.

Six hundred new residents equals more rates, which equals more available funds to sup-port community infrastructure like swimming pools and sports stadiums.

If our community pools are judged on attendance, then you would envisage that this will grow with the town.

I have personally attended every pool in this shire except Foster this summer for swim-ming carnivals, school swim-ming sports and for simply keeping cool on a hot day.

My family have been mem-bers of the Korumburra pool for several years and have used this facility forever.

Wouldnt it be terrible to look back in 10 years and wish growing towns like Ko-rumburra, Poowong, Mir-boo North, Foster and Toora had a community swimming facility.

Maybe the shire could have put more thought into the devel-opment of SPLASH and spread the millions instead of dumping it in one area.

Maybe those looking to de-velop towns like Korumburra could spend some money in upgrading the local facilities, like swimming pools and sports grounds, to attract more people to live in, visit and invest in our towns.

Our shire has to stop be-ing negative with a one eyed solution and stand up as our representatives and adjust their fi nances to keep these pools!

PS. I would also like a break-down of how these pools cost us $54,982 per week.

MY wife and I have lived on thecorner of Simons Lane and BassHighway for over 63 years.

Countless thousands of ve-hicles have turned this cornerand yet no accidents of note.

There have been numerousaccidents on Bass Highway,quite a considerable numberfatal.

If this lane is closed prior tothe building of a better traffi cway, there will be considerableconfusion and congestion in themain street of Leongatha andKoonwarra Road.

There will need to be traffi clights in McCartin Street.

We agree with Cr Lewis forbetter signage and speed limitsapproaching the lane.

In the present situation,there does not appear to be anydanger.

Laurie and Mary Ryan,Leongatha.

Farm ratesNo mistakeREGARDING your editorial last week headed Over 55 and angry (The Star, February 28).

Yes, there is a dispute over the proposed development abutting The Grange retirement village (in Leongatha), but not over a mis-take, rather someone changing their mind after the event and conveniently suggesting it was a mistake.

There have been many occa-sions during the selling of villas at The Grange that purchasers were advised that the vacant land abutting was going to be an alike development; some told that a walk way was envisaged between the two villages; some told that the development would be under a separate owners cor-poration; some advised more re-cently that the builder had been asked by the developer to build an alike development but due to the builders retirement plans this was discounted.

Some were advised (and documented) that when building took place, it was envisaged that they would build single storey abutting The Grange and two sto-rey further down near the creek.

Reference is also made to the 173 Agreement. The document references a plan of subdivision - the subject land - that does not exist, despite this fact it was signed off by the developers and the shire back in 2004.

Yes, a mistake! However the

correct referenced plan of sub-division clearly incorporates the subject land that includes The Grange and Lot 36, the vacant land.

However despite all the above, the residents of The Grange, being reasonable people, have recognised that there are circumstances under which the developer may not wish to hon-our commitments that had been verbally given on numerous oc-casions prior to, times have a habit of changing.

So all that is reasonably be-ing requested is that the seven out of 23vacant lots abutting The Grange have restrictions placed on them to only per-mit single storey development, thus preserving not only what was promised but making sure that no one is confronted with a two storey house spoiling the retirement lifestyle that they were sold.

Not unreasonable one would think? More so a sensible, moral and mature compromise in to-days changing world.

We may be in retirement but we have not lost our marbles just yet! Lets hope VCAT does not have to be involved, which will protract the matter when reason-ableness at this stage could pre-vail.

Peter Griffi ths,For and on behalf of the

Grange Owners Corporation Committee and residents,

Leongatha.

I AM writing to make some points clear to the wider community, as I see that council is not upholding its role under the Local Govern-ment Act section 3(C) to ensure the equitable imposition of rates and charges.

Council makes use of a differential rating system whereby council places ratepayers into groups of similar rate-payers.

In South Gippsland they use the following groupings and apply the appropriate rate in the dollar as indicated in the table: residential (0.00351451), farm (0.00316306) and commercial (0.00351451).

So you see, farmers rate is 10 per cent less than residential and commercial rates. Because the rates are calculated on the value of the property and because farms have much more land than a residential house has surrounding the house, farms get on average a rate bill twice that of the average residential property. Although one farmer pays over $35,000 in rates!

This is not equitable. The Local Government Act states that a council can use the differential rate ifit considers that the differ-ential rate will contribute to the equitable and effi cient carrying out of its functions.

Therefore, by applying a dif-ferential rate, council is saying that the farmers group should pay less in the dollar than other groups.

By including all the value of the farm in the calculation how-ever, the result is perverse, result-ing in farmers paying twice that of an identical person living in town and using perhaps no more or less services than themselves.

The differential rating system was introduced into the act following a discussion in the Victorian parliament in 1949 where it was stated on the record that: farmlands shall be rated at a lesser amount in the 1 than other lands. Persons engaged in farming pursuits need much more land for a given return than those engaged in other branches of industry. They are undoubt-edly carrying a heavy burden under a system which rates on land values (Hansard: p 3811 [Assembly] November 10, 1949 Brigadier Tovell).

Maybe councillors are una-ware that the differential rate was inserted so that farmers co-uld be treated equitably compa-red to other rate-payer groups. One would presume that meant pay the same for the same level

Retain poolRight idea?

Simons Lane

Scott McKenzie,

Korumburra.

Mixed feelingsTHE approval of the South Gippsland Rural Land Use Strategy by the State Government last week is cause for relief, regardless of whether or not one likes it.

Those in favour welcome the ability to now move ahead with their dreams to build on titles that meet the new criteria for housing in the Farming Zone. Those against can take some degree of heart in knowing where the line is now drawn.

Regardless of their stance, South Gippslanders should be satis-fi ed that this council now offers greater freedom for one to live in rural areas than in many other Victorian shires.

In the Farming Zone elsewhere in the state, a permit applica-tion for a house requires applicants to demonstrate the dwelling is needed for agriculture.

South Gippsland council has at least been able to obtain per-mission to allow housing on lots up to 4.1ha without demonstrat-ing a link to an agricultural use.

There are such 2000 vacant lots in the shire and that is 2000 extra opportunities for people to live in the country than the mu-nicipality had before.

By the same token, even if all of those lots were to be built upon, the impact on agricultural land would be minimal, as the 2000 lots consume 2400ha or just 0.7 per cent of the total area of the shire.

Furthermore, the creation of Rural Activity Zones will permit greater business opportunities in certain outlying areas and is again another concession gained that council should be applauded for.

Nonetheless, the fi nalisation of the strategy does end the hopes of people with lots falling just beyond the scope of the relevant criteria.

They are now unable to build a home.To these people, no words can ease their anguish. Ideally, a

government funded buyback scheme or the like could have at least enabled people to offl oad an asset that will drop considerably in value.

Ultimately tax-payers would have to fund such a scheme and that in itself would create controversy.

Are you planning on attending the Stony Creek Cup this Sunday?

No, on Sundays I attend church at the Meeniyan Chris-tian Fellowship.

Paul Brailey, Leongatha

No, we have a basketball tour-nament on in Traralgon that weekend.

Jo Allen, Korumburra

No, I am not going; I am not re-ally interested in horse racing.

Cara Collins, Leongatha

Yes, it is going to be a family day out.

Dean Cashin, Leongatha


company, that is being applied is causing some farmers to second guess themselves.

It is not the position of UDV, ADF or Murray Goulburn to support the wants of DA, but rather to allow the farmers the right to judge for themselves what option they will vote for and allow them to do this with respect and dignity.

It is though, the responsibility of those who can see through the misleading and deceptive conduct to do what they can do to state the truth. I have challenged the arguments of DA that they not only deserve to stay in existence, but also worthy of a 10 per cent pay rise yet all they can offer as compelling evidence that DA is benefi cial to the farmers, are words.

DA generates a return of $3.30 for

every $1 of levy paid. Quite clearly the return generated is below that of the CPI. There is no organisation in this country that could survive an investment return like this. It provides a very powerful picture that shows how far removed DA is from the reality that the farmers face.

If dairy farmers ran their businesses with the same mentality as DA the industry would collapse within a very short period of time. Thank goodness the majority of farmers ignore this short-sightedness.

I ask that those farmers who may be second guessing themselves to gather all of the information they can, challenge it and make an informed decision.

Kevin Ashworth,Koroit.

Poor performance

FOR the last three months, pro-ponents of Dairy Australia have pledged their support based purely on an emotional level that is nothing more that scaremongering.

Those who oppose DA can see through this facade and realise that they can be better off spending their money on the items that will return a better option for themselves, rather than continuing to pour good funds down the drain.

Unfortunately there is a factor of uncertainty amongst some groups of farmers. The continuous pressure from the UDV, the ADF, those fellow farmers who may or may not have some material gain in retaining DA and now a major farmer-owned milk

A CAPTIVATING collection of paintings is now on display at the Coal Creek Com-munity Gallery at Korumburra.

The Ships That Shaped Australia is an exhibition of famous vessels of dis-covery, magnifi cent sail-ing ships, pioneer steam-ships, naval vessels and contemporary craft.

All these wonderful works are acrylic on board by the late Jack Koskie, a professional artist and teacher, said Coal Creek co-ordinator Rowena Ashley.

He completed the se-ries during the 1970s and 80s for his book, Ships That Shaped Australia which was published in 1987. As you look at them, you can almost smell the salt air and hear the waves crashing!

The collection was recently presented to the

Maritime history unravelled

Maritime Museum of Vic-toria, a group of indepen-dent museums, and is on loan to Coal Creek until April 30.

The Community Gal-lery is open seven days a week, 9am to 5pm at Coal Creek Community Park and Museum,

Silkstone Rd, Korum-burra. Enquiries 5655 1811 or www.coalcreekvillage.com.au

Riding waves: enjoying the maritime masterpieces are Mina Ryad and Dan-ielle Todaro.

THE 45,500 Gippsland resi-dents covered by private health insurance will be hard hit by the Federal Govern-ments decision to means test the rebate.

Every Gippslander with private health insurance would end up paying more because of the legislation, local MPs have warned.

Gippsland MP Darren Chester said the means test would result in about 1.6 million Australians dropping private hospital cover over the next fi ve years and another 4.3 million Australians downgrading their level of coverage.

This will have an impact on the costs for everyone who remains in

private health insurance with higher annual premiums. The loss of younger members is also estimated to increase all premiums by 10 per cent, he said.

The means test provides that singles earning over $83,000 and families over $166,000 will pay up to $1000 more.

The governments decision to means test private health insurance will also place extra pressure on the public hospital system.

Its estimated that 845,000 new procedures will be forced onto the public hospitals system, putting further pressure on waiting lists.

McMillan MP Russell Broadbent was also concerned the insurance hike would result in a deterioration

of medical services in Gippsland.My main concern is that we

would not be able to continue to attract the base of specialists that we have in Gippsland and they would go back to the city, he said.

People who have held health insurance for a long time stand to lose out.

People who have paid health insurance for such a long time would not get the benefi t from the length of time they had paid into it, Mr Broadbent said.

He said by increasing the Medicare Levy, people would be forced to pay much higher taxes than they otherwise would, so they are being blackmailed into having to keep their private insurance.

Health insurance costs to rise

IF it hasnt been for the soaking that oc-curred in the last few days of February, it would have been quite a dry month.

Margery Robson of Ruby recorded a total of 100.5mm in February spread over 12 days.

So far this year Ms Robson has recorded 190.5mm in total.

Forty-seven of the 100.5mm that fell over Ruby in February came down in the last three days of the month, with Febru-ary 28 the wettest day with 42.5mm recorded.

Neville Buckland of Fish Creek has had 89.5mm fall on his farm this February, which is more than double the av-erage rainfall expected in that region for this time

of year. Mr Buckland also re-

ceived the bulk of his Feb-ruary rain in the last few days of the month, with 67mm falling on Febru-ary 27.

Mr Buckland has had a total of 160.5mm this year, which is remarkably less than the cumulative total for the end of February in 2011, which was 221mm.

Leongatha has fol-

lowed the pattern of re-ceiving all of its rain at the end of February.

Kay Puru recorded fi ve rainy days for Febru-ary, with the total for the month reaching 71.8mm.

Again, February 28 was the wettest day of the month, with 47mm falling in Leongatha on that day. Ms Puru has now had a total of 120.8mm for the start of 2012.

February totals boosted by late rain


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By Brad Lester

DEBATE over whether Tooras fu-ture could be stifl ed by a heritage overlay has overshadowed a new plan for the de-velopment of Corner Inlet communities.

South Gippsland Shire Council recently adopted the Eastern District Ur-ban Design Frameworks, which guide the future of Toora, Port Franklin, Welshpool, Port Welsh-pool, Mount Best, Agnes and Hedley.

Council received 13 public submissions re-garding the strategy re-ferring to the possibility of a heritage overlay for Toora.

Deputy mayor Cr Mohya Davies said de-spite the reference, the strategy would not impose a heritage overlay.

Consideration may in the future be given to a

heritage precinct overlay and the community will have ample opportunity to be involved, she said.

I urge council to consider that because we may lose some of the his-torical buildings in Toora forever.

Cr Jeanette Harding, a Toora resident, sought to move an amendment to remove the reference to a heritage precinct over-lay. She also urged coun-cil to start talking with property-owners in Stan-ley Street about whether they were in voluntary agreement for a heritage precinct.

Cr David Lewis backed that intention.

I think there is every-thing to fear. They (Toora people) have been through this twice before and I can assure you that process is so complex that the docu-ments are hard for people to understand, he said.

There is nothing right now that is stopping coun-

Heritage talk sparks concerncil from asking the people in Stanley Street whether they want the precinct.

If there is nothing to worry about, lets just take the sentence (refer-ring to the overlay) out.

Cr Jim Fawcett said opposing councillors were raising unnecessary fears.

For council to con-sider the heritage overlay is a separate issue and if it does come back to council, there will then be an opportunity for the community to make their views known, he said.

I just fi nd this scare-mongering of the worst type.

Cr Bob Newton said the overlay reference was frightening a lot of people.

I think we are cre-ating a rod for our own backs by not accepting the amendment (of Cr Hardings), he said.

Cr Mimmie Jackson said some Toora residents would welcome having heritage protection rules.

Toora businesswoman Barbara Morris said heri-tage restrictions would hinder business, saying many shops are not open often enough now to ser-vice tourists and more rules would further con-fi ne their operations.

Mayor Cr Warren Raabe believed the heri-tage debate had removed emphasis on coun-cils good work on the strategy.

Council chose the Cor-ner Inlet communities for such a study given the im-pact of business closures, resulting in population de-cline, ageing communities and social disadvantage.

Among the actions

suggested by the strategy are:

Port Franklin: re-structure inappropriate subdivisions, consider developing public recre-ation facilities and link the town with the Great Southern Rail Trail;

Toora: rezone some land north of the highway to low density residential, rezone council owned recreation reserves, en-courage visitors to leave the highway and shop in town, support redevelop-ment of the former Bonlac milk factory, build new toilets in Sagasser Park, consider creating a com-munity hub, install plant-er boxes in Stanley Street and enhance the railway reserve;

Welshpool: improve the recreation reserve, support economic growth, improve cycling and pe-destrian paths, promote the rail trail, support outdoor dining, and up-grade facilities and tourist information;

Port Welshpool: en-courage tourism related development at the town entrance, support the re-furbishment of the Long Jetty and investigate the staged development of a marina;

Mount Best, Agnes and Hedley: support com-munity use of Mount Best and Hedley halls, enhance the entrances to Agnes, upgrade the picnic spot at Hedley; look for tourism opportunities at Mount Best, Hedley and Agnes; and upgrade and install signs along the Mount Best - Tin Mine Road drive.

By Matt Dunn

CR JEANETTE Hardings voice cracks with emotion: I tried very hard but I obviously didnt try hard enough.

The South Gippsland Shire councillor and Toora resident believes a proposed heritage overlay may sound the death knell for her town.

While she battled hard at the recent council meeting to defeat it, she didnt have the numbers.

I tried to move a motion and the sec-retary typed it up, but when I tried to pres-ent that motion I was told one had already been presented and I couldnt do a second motion, she said. The motion in ques-tion, proposed by Cr Mohya Davies, was to adopt the Eastern District Urban Design Framework (the document that outlines councils heritage plans for Port Franklin, Toora, Welshpool, Port Welshpool, Mount Best, Agnes and Hedley).

While Cr Harding said she accepts the broad principles of the framework, she does not accept a proposal to slap a heri-tage overlay on Tooras main thoroughfare of Stanley Street.

I just feel devastated that the commu-nity here have been so emotional about this particular thing. The majority of my col-leagues have voted for the other proposal. That makes me feel that Ive failed my community. I had councillors Lewis and Newton supporting me, but we couldnt do

anything about it because we didnt have the numbers, she said.

Cr Harding said that when she was mayor in 2001-02 the heritage issue was raised, only to be howled down by the people.

The issue resurfaced in 2004, but was again quashed.

Its come up again in 2012. Why? There seems to be an idea in council that Toora is a heritage town. Well its my home and its a lovely town and Id do anything I thought was for the benefi t of it, but the people have to come fi rst, she said.

We are going to have to be continually on our guard against it. As long as Im in council, Ill fi ght for what my community wants.

Cr Harding believes a clause from a heritage study in 2002 was still active, with a requirement that council ask a property owners consent to implement the plan. Its a fact that she intends to use to safeguard residents and property owners, who she thinks will be hamstrung and out of pocket should the overlay be introduced.

Toora resident and business owner Bar-bara Morris, who spoke to council against the heritage overlay, said the timing is not right and will never be right.

I have been involved in and at Toora for the past 12 years and I dont have to tell any of you how lost Toora is at the mo-ment. I feel sure as councillors you know our situation, she said.

Heritage threat for Toora

Fighting the plan: Cr Jeannette Harding will continue to fi ght against a heritage overlay for Toora.


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By Brad Lester

THE Sandy Point community could have a new hall by May.

Construction of the $1.6 million Sandy Point Community Centre is expected to be fi nished then, herald-ing the end to a campaign that began in 2000.

The new centre will feature a main hall, meeting rooms, an offi ce/consulting room, kitchen and great outdoor deck, and will improve the social, recreational, cultural and civic activities available for residents and visitors.

The centre will feature a mod-ern design that will complement the coastal surrounds.

T.P. Taylor Reserve Committee of Management spokesperson Diane Casbolt said the centre would en-hance the sense of community.

We will have a community cen-tre that will start to provide a lot more activities, she said.

Dancing lessons, University of the Third Age activities, child mind-ing and bowls will be among the ac-tivities offered.

The consulting rooms will allow doctors and other health profession-als to visit, enabling residents to stay in their homes for longer.

The centre could also serve as a place of last resort in the event of a bushfi re and as such, the Country Fire Authority will pay for minor upgrades to improve the centres safety, includ-ing bollards, vegetation changes and fl yscreens.

The main space in the commu-nity centre will be about twice as big as the old hall, Ms Casbolt said.

Councils engineering manager Tony Price said the centre would pro-

vide the community with a fantastic new facility.

The structure and roof are com-plete, and cladding of the building exterior is underway.

This is one of the largest Com-monwealth funded projects to occur in South Gippsland and is an out-standing example of a determined local community willing to work in partnership with council, and State and Federal governments to achieve their goals, Mr Price said.

The Sandy Point community re-ally is to be congratulated for their tenacity and teamwork.

The Federal Government contrib-uted $1.295 million, South Gippsland Shire Council $150,000 and the rest will come from the community.

The campaign since 2000 has been long and one of persistence, Ms Casbolt said.

Its been a struggle because its a seaside town with a transient popula-tion. It was hard for towns like Sandy Point to tick the right boxes set by the government to qualify for funds, she said.

It was a matter of lobbying the government to bend the boxes.

The community raised $16,000 in the fi rst year alone through fundrais-ing efforts and now has accumulated $150,000, with just another $10,000 to go. Raffl es, trivia nights, bush dances and markets have added to the tally.

When the Federal Government announced its national building stimulus package during the eco-nomic downturn some years ago, the Sandy Point Community Centre was a shovel ready project.

Mr Price said the old hall no lon-ger met the communitys needs.

Community consultation had

Coastal hub takes shape

Future vision: a concept drawing of the Sandy Point Community Centre.

identifi ed issues that needed to be addressed and for which a better facility was required: social isola-tion, internet access, aged, youth and childcare, life-long learning, visiting health professionals, environmental issues and provision of tourism in-formation, he said.

Although about 20 per cent of Sandy Points houses are occupied permanently, the town is growing and diversifying, with many young fami-lies and retirees.

With up to 7000 visitors in sum-mer, the community believes the cen-tre will be widely used.

The existing hall was a mainte-nance shed at the former Yallourn power station in the 1960s and will be demolished.

At last: members of the T.P. Taylor Reserve Committee of Management watch the new Sandy Point Community Centre being built, from left: Dianne Cooper, Mary Shaw, Etta Stewart, Diane Casbolt and Sally Gibson.


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By Matt Dunn

PARKS Victoria has declared it will not close public toilets at Agnes Falls, after commu-nity fears that a budget shortfall could mean the facility would go.

Parks Victoria has no plans to close the toilet facility at Agnes Falls Reserve, and we have applied for funding to replace and upgrade the existing facility, ranger in charge of South Gippsland Marine and Coastal Parks Gerard Delaney said.

We have been working closely with the South Gippsland Shire and The Friends Group on programs for Agnes Falls Reserve, with a recent promotional photo-shoot undertaken by Tourism Victoria to promote the

falls as one of the attractions within South Gippsland.

An arborist has visited the reserve only recently to clear the viewline to improve the visitor experience at the falls, so we are committed to maintaining the reserve.

But a stretched Parks budget is making it diffi cult for its staff to maintain the site, or contribute to upgrades. Wilsons Promontory and Cape Liptrap Coastal Park have priority as the main tourist attractions in the region.

A Parks ratings system that runs from one to fi ve with one being new and fi ve being ready for decommissioning puts the toilet block at four.

The toilet block is in a sorry state. Head of the Agnes Falls Project

Team Kathy Whelan said the toilets were essential to the tourist attraction

and modernised drop toilets were being favoured by Parks.

There is nothing being done in the near future, as far as Im aware, she said.

We were quite concerned with the state of the scenic reserve. The picnic tables look very tired. Theres a lot of work that needs to be done there.

Mrs Whelan said the roads leading into Agnes Falls were in a sorry state with a huge open rut causing concern.

The walking track to the lookout sites was also washed away and slippery and dangerous.

But more positive moves are afoot for Agnes Falls, Mrs Whelan said.

A Friends of Agnes Falls group is being planned, with indications from Parks that the establishment of the group would allow for grants to upgrade the site.

Kathy Whelan: the head of the Ag-nes Falls Project Team is hopeful the establishment of a Friends of Agnes Falls group would assist in the up-grade of the site.

Toilets to remain: Parks


SEVERAL groups are work-ing together to conduct planned burns this season.

Bass Coast Shire Council is working together with the Depart-ment of Sustainability and Environ-ment (DSE), Parks Victoria and the local Country Fire Authority (CFA) to plan and carry out burns to reduce fuel on public land.

Councils director of community and economic development Steven Piasente said the burns are a key part of a broader process to help protect life, property and the environment from the threat of bushfire.

The first burn planned on Coun-cil controlled land is in the Grant-ville Gravel Reserve between Stan-ley Road and the Transfer Station.

The Great Southern Star

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