News of Bass Coast

B-day: Roxanne Smith, operations manager for Bass Coast Cultural Venues, Anne Davie, Mayor Michael Whelan and Hannah Eisen, the council’s senior project manager at the opening of Berninneit

By Catherine Watson

IN JULY 1992, as a councillor for the Shire of Phillip Island, Anne Davie moved that the council explore the opportunity for a community and arts centre on this site. When her fellow councillors narrowly supported her motion, she remembers jumping up and shouting “Hallelujah!”

The jubilation was premature. There were to be five designs, two different councils, many council terms, 31 years, $31 million and countless disappointments before Phillip Island got its cultural centre.

For Anne, the toughest time was when the incoming council cancelled the project after the 2016 election. “But then they revisited it and redesigned it, and the outcome is probably even better.

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Cr Le Serve elected mayor

15/11/2023

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Bass Coast Mayor Clare Le Serve is flanked by Deputy Mayor Rochelle Halstead and acting CEO following a tense election.

By Catherine Watson

THE last time Clare Le Serve was elected mayor of Bass Coast was in November 2012 and she’d been a councillor for just two weeks.

Eleven years later, following a tense contest, she’s been re-elected mayor for her swansong year as a councillor representing the Western Port Ward.

At today’s council meeting, she defeated fellow Western Port councillor Rochelle Halstead by 5 votes to 4.

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Broadbent dumps Libs

13/11/2023

Liberal no more: The MP for Monash will serve out his term on the crossbench.

By Catherine Watson

RENEGADE Liberal MP Russell Broadbent had one more trick up his sleeve after the Liberal Party called time on his political career. He responded in kind.

Yesterday he announced he had left the party he has belonged to for almost half a century and would move to the crossbench.

“On Sunday, there was a pre-selection where I received less than 10% of the vote,” Mr Broadbent posted on his Facebook page. “This was a clear signal from members and one which I believe revokes my licence to represent the Liberal Party in the electorate of Monash.

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That's NO! from us

16/10/2023

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By Catherine Watson

TWO out of three Bass Coast voters voted NO in the referendum on a First Nations voice to Parliament, well above the state average of 55 per cent and the Australian average of 60 per cent.

YES votes were a majority at just four of Bass Coast’s 16 polling places: Cape Paterson, Cowes, Inverloch and Newhaven.

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Dinosaur dream takes shape

13/10/2023

The entrance to the Gondwana Garden in Wonthaggi featuring Koolasuchus cleelandi, named for legendary local palaentologists Lesley Kool and Mike Cleeland.

CREATIVE designs for the $18 million first phase of the Bass Coast Dinosaurs Trail have been released, showcasing six sites celebrating the polar dinosaurs that inhabited the region 125 million years ago.

The designs feature sculptures, gardens, a treetop walk and adventure playground, along with interactive experiences incorporating sensors, LED lighting, full-body tracking and immersive 3D animations.

The trail – so far unfinanced – is planned to open in 2026 and forecast to attract almost 100,000 extra visitors a year by 2035.

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Cowes renaissance

22/9/2023

By Catherine Watson

IN RECENT years, the adjectives used to describe Cowes would probably have included dowdy, tawdry and daggy.

But suddenly it’s all happening in Cowes. The $27 million Cowes Cultural Centre, Berninneit, is due to open in November; the Phillip Island Community Hospital will open next year, and two major hotels are in the works.

On Wednesday, councillors unanimously approved an $85 million waterfront hotel on the former Isle of Wight site. The development by Moda Phillip Island Pty Ltd includes a seven-storey mixed-use hotel with 163 rooms, a pool deck overlooking the ocean and rooftop basketball and tennis courts.

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Yes we do

21/9/2023

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Yes supporters gathered for the council vote.

By Catherine Watson

BASS Coast has joined the ranks of Victorian councils that have formally endorsed a Yes vote in next month’s referendum.

At Wednesday’s meeting, councillors debated whether the council should take a position before narrowly endorsing council support for a constitutionally enshrined First Nations Voice to Parliament.

As of August 30, just 16 of Victoria’s 79 councils had endorsed a Yes vote, including three other rural shires: Yarra Ranges, Hepburn and Surf Coast.

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'What's on at Berninneit?'

19/8/2023

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Berninneit, the Cowes Cultural and Community Centre

By Catherine Watson

BERNINNEIT … get used to saying and hearing it because we’re going to be using it a lot.

Following a public vote, Berninneit (pronounced burn-eh-neet and meaning “gather together”) has been endorsed as the First Nations name for the new Cowes cultural centre which is scheduled to open late this year.

The council will now submit the name to the State Government’s Registrar of Geographic Names for consideration and inclusion in Vicnames.

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Crunch time for beach settlements

18/8/2023

AFTER all the tumult and the shouting about Surf Beach and Sunderland Bay upgrades, it’s now up to the affected ratepayers to make the final decision.

Councillors at Wednesday’s meeting unanimously supported the declaration of a special charge scheme for the works, estimated to cost $35 million.

Mayor Cr Michael Whelan said formally starting the process did not mean it will go ahead. “This process is about giving residents as much information as possible, so they can make a decision on whether they support the project,” he said.

The preferred concept design was Option 1 (with modifications), which was the lowest cost option. It includes road sealing, kerb and channelling, underground drainage, meandering footpaths on only the main connector roads, road narrowings to slow traffic and vegetated swale drains at selected locations.

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Albert Ruttle wetlands safe … for now

17/8/2023

By Catherine Watson

RESIDENTS of the Albert Ruttle estate west of Inverloch are waiting for the next move in the long-running battle to preserve their wetlands.

The 8ha Albert Ruttle Wetlands Reserve is an important biodiversity site, popular with birdwatchers and walkers from the estate and also the wider Inverloch community, and part of the Inverloch-Wonthaggi biolink,

The development of the wetlands, which featured in marketing of the estate, was a condition of the original planning agreement for the Albert Ruttle subdivision back in 1993.

Or so residents of the estate believed. In 2017 a real estate agent informed them that the heavily wooded reserve was being sold as two housing blocks.

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RACV $13.6m resort plans approved … with caveat

17/8/2023

Councillors call for government guidance on how to handle coastal development in an age of climate change.

By Catherine Watson

BASS Coast Council has approved a $13.6 million extension of the RACV’s Inverloch resort despite the risk of inundation to the access road.

The RACV proposes to add 44 rooms, 39 car spaces and a new wedding deck to the existing resort. But first it will have to address concerns around the flooding risk to the satisfaction of the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (CMA).

The CMA objected to the development on the basis that the Cape Paterson-Inverloch Road has been identified as at risk of inundation with no alternative exit for guests and staff in the event of a major flood.

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Thumbs down for 'eco-retreat'

17/8/2023

Kitty Miller Bay residents Linda Cuttriss, Greg Newell, John Field and Kate Field with Michelle Maes (Phillip Island Conservation Society) welcomed the decision to refuse the development.

By Catherine Watson

A PROPOSED $8 million ‘eco-tourist resort’ at Kitty Miller Bay has been emphatically rejected by Bass Coast Shire Council.
Councillors unanimously rejected the application.

But while residents and conservationists celebrated the refusal, potential tourist developers would have been confused by the result.

The application was the first major development submitted under the new Bass Coast Unlocking Rural Tourism (BURT) Strategy, adopted in March, which encourages large-scale tourist ventures in the farming zone and designated Special Use Zones at Newhaven, Ventnor and Kitty Miller Bay.

The development proposal explicitly referred to the BURT strategy, noting the resort would capture new tourism activities and markets – in this case parties of Chinese tourists – as Bass Coast tourism recovers from the Covid pandemic.

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Kent steps down

7/8/2023

Bruce Kent

By Catherine Watson

BASS Coast councillor Bruce Kent resigned today, following criticism of his minimal input into council affairs over the past six months. (Missing in action).

Bass Coast Shire Council has notified the Victorian Electoral Commission of the resignation, which clears the way for the return of former councillor Geoff Ellis.

Mr Ellis, who served as a councillor from 2016-20, will fill the vacancy as the only other candidate for the three-councillor Western Port ward at the 2020 election.

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$1.5m bailout for State Coal Mine

27/7/2023

Visitors to Wonthaggi’s State Coal Mine State Park hear stories of life underground, often from descendants of the miners. Photo: Parks Victoria

By Catherine Watson

THE Friends of the State Coal Mine are over the moon at today’s announcement of a $1.5 million bailout to restore Wonthaggi’s historic State Coal Mine and reopen underground tours.

Environment Minister Ingrid Stitt and Bass MP Jordan Crugnale visited the state park this afternoon to announce the funding before the Friends group and supporters, including former coal miners.

The funding will pay for vital maintenance and upgrade works on the track and carts that take visitors inside the mine, as well as support training for volunteers and Parks Victoria staff to safely operate the system.

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Ali Wastie: the exit interview

22/7/2023

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Our departing council CEO reflects on the good, the bad and the memorable in Bass Coast.

Ali Wastie: “CEOs come and go but what counts is people who love the area they live in.”

Bass Coast Post: We knew you’d have to move on from Bass Coast but it came sooner than we expected.

Ali Wastie: I wasn’t looking to make a change. I’ve been incredibly happy at Bass Coast and there’s still a lot to do. I was approached by the recruitment company to apply for the position at Geelong when they went out a second time. I’ve got connections and family in Geelong.

It’s a fast-growing city and also a beautiful environment. Of course it's much bigger than Bass Coast but they’ve got many of the same challenges: coastal erosion, the impact of climate change, housing affordability. There are pockets of real wealth in Geelong but some real entrenched disadvantage that local government has a role in addressing.

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Missing in action

21/7/2023

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By Catherine Watson

BASS Coast councillors are paid an allowance of $25,650 a year – just under $500 a week – plus super to fulfil their duties. Not a fortune for the average councillor who puts in 20-plus hours a week on council business but easy money for those who don't take the job seriously.

So are our councillors earning their pay?

On the whole, yes. Most of them are working very hard but a few seem to be coasting to the finish line. (The current council term ends in November 2024.)

The Post analysed councillor records this year and found a vast disparity in the workload of our nine councillors, as shown by their attendance at council briefings, their committee work and their appearance at community events.

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Acting chiefs take turns

20/7/2023

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Acting CEOs: Jodi Kennedy, Greg Box and James Stirton

THREE senior council staff will get a chance to show their leadership style until a new permanent replacement is chosen for the current Chief Executive Officer Ali Wastie.

The council announced yesterday that the role of interim CEO would be shared by:

Greg Box – General Manager Partnerships, Economy and Culture,
James Stirton – General Manager Placemaking
Jodi Kennedy – General Manager Resilient Communities

with each taking the role for eight weeks.

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Games plan scuppered

19/7/2023

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The council was in discussion with the Welsh and Scottish teams about using the Silverwater Resort as a pre-Games athletes' village. Photo: Silverwater Resort

A SECRET plan by Bass Coast Shire Council to host an athletes’ village at the Silverwater Resort was scuppered when the State Government cancelled the 2026 Victorian Commonwealth Games yesterday.

The council revealed today it was poised to announce the plan, hatched in partnership with Casey City Council.

Planning was well advanced to set up a hub for more than 400 athletes and support team members at Silverwater Resort in San Remo. It would have been fully funded by the visiting team, set to inject up to $3 million into the local economy and create hundreds of jobs for several weeks before the Games were due to start in March 2026.

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Silverleaves homes at risk

18/7/2023

From left, Simon Woodland, Jordan Crugnale, Michael Whelan, Ken Hailey and Darrin McKenzie visited Silverleaves to observe the damage.

By Catherine Watson

WORKS will start immediately to stabilise the Silverleaves beach after storm surges eroded the dunes and left houses vulnerable to inundation.

Bass Coast Mayor Michael Whelan and Bass MP Jordan Crugnale met at Silverleaves late last week to see the situation first-hand and discuss immediate and long-term actions.

They were accompanied by Ken Hailey, chair of the Cowes East Foreshore Preventive Action Group, and Darrin McKenzie, regional director of the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), and Simon Woodland, the council's manager of sustainable environment

Immediate works will include sand renourishment and the placement of woody debris along the exposed shoreline to break up the wave energy.

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Driven bonkers

30/6/2023

Mark Robertson: "So where do I park?"

By Catherine Watson

RETAIL giant Bunnings has promised to reinstate Mark Robertson's missing driveway.

The White Road driveway disappeared during roadworks for Wonthaggi's new superstore.

Brett Moody, Bunnings General Manager Property, told the Post on Friday: “We recently reached out to Mr Robertson after being made aware of his concerns and apologised for the inconvenience the roadworks have caused him.

"We’re seeking to rectify the issue as quickly as we can and will work with council to build him a new driveway."

The council has also come to the party, with officers finally meeting Mr Robertson and his disgruntled neighbours on site on Thursday. A council crew will work with Bunnings to address concerns in the service lane off White Road.

Earlier story:
Living opposite the Bunnings big build in Wonthaggi, Mark Robertson and his neighbours have endured six months of noise, chaos and disruption.

For over two months they lost their driveways and footpath. A concreting crew finally came to replace the driveways last week ... all except Mark’s. Apparently it was not on the plans.

He doesn’t know if the concreters were contracting to Bunnings or the council – and nor did they.

He was told there would be a final inspection on Monday by the contractors, council and Bunnings. He waited three hours in the rain to talk to them. No one showed up.

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Council CEO departs for bigger role

23/6/2023

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Our loss is Geelong’s gain as Ali Wastie is headhunted to sort out troubled council. Ms Wastie is pictured with the two Bass Coast mayors with whom she worked during her tenure, Brett Tessari and Michel Whelan

By Catherine Watson

CEO Ali Wastie will leave Bass Coast Shire Council on July 28 to lead Greater Geelong City Council.

The council will appoint an interim leader and begin a formal recruitment process to find a permanent replacement.

Bass Coast Mayor Michael Whelan thanked Ms Wastie for her passion and inspiring leadership, particularly helping lead the region through the challenging pandemic and into strong recovery.

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Kinder chaos

23/6/2023

Photo: Victorian School Building Authority

By Catherine Watson

WHEN the Y (formerly YMCA) opened a new kinder in the Newhaven Primary School at the start of the year, many local families breathed a sigh of relief.

With most Phillip Island kinders fully booked, some families had been forced to take their children as far as Bass or Wonthaggi for kinder sessions.

The relief has turned to frustration as sessions are cancelled at short notice due to a shortage of trained staff at Newhaven and at the Y’s other kinders in Wonthaggi and Inverloch.

*Natasha told the Post that so far in term 2 her four-year-old had only attended two full days of kinder at Newhaven with four sessions cancelled and five shortened to half days.

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Rural tourism backlash

22/6/2023