View from the chamber

Mum’s the word on special day

24/10/2019

Cr Pamela Rothfield, left, looks unimpressed as Cr Les Larke, right, accuses activists of desecrating Mothers' Day.

By Catherine Watson

A BASS Coast councillor’s invocation of the spirit of motherhood to denounce local climate activists backfired when the two mothers amongst his council colleagues turned on him.

On Mothers’ Day, members of a small group called Xtinction Rebellion Gippsland held a short vigil for Mother Nature outside the Inverloch hub in response to a UN report that a million species are at risk of extinction as a result of climate change.

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Democracy… what’s that?

18/10/2019

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Cr Les Larke

Councillor accuses Bass Coast Council of "authoritarian" leadership in its declaration of a climate emergency. 

By Cr Les Larke

COUNCIL decided not to rescind the climate emergency governance resolution of 21 August 2019 or allow debate thereon. In that regard, Council had been called upon to show leadership in relation to climate change. I agree, and let me illustrate the difference between two styles of leadership, namely autocratic and democratic leadership.

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How do you like that view?

27/9/2019

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Erecting large signs to block the view will put a dampener on property owners who cut down trees on adjacent public land, writes Cr Stephen Fullarton

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The people have spoken

13/9/2019

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Inverloch's beach erosion issues and shared pathway have nothing to do with each other, argues Cr Les Larke.

By Cr Les Larke

BASS Coast Shire Council recognises the importance of being community driven for the purpose of improving the overall quality of life of people in the local community.
In that regard, let me illustrate a few points on the community consultation results in relation to the Surf Parade shared pathway extension:

A letter was sent to all Inverloch property owners
A wide range of other engagement methods were used including targeted community group sessions, pop up tents, Facebook and other forms of social media and online survey conducted.
A high level of submissions were received
The result of the overall community consultation was overwhelmingly 73% in favour of the recommended Surf Parade pathway extension option 2.

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This one's for Seamus, Eliza and Thomas

29/8/2019

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Cr Michael Whelan and grandson Thomas

By Cr Michael Whelan

THERE are three reasons why I’m passionate about action on climate change. Their names are Seamus, Eliza and Thomas, and they’re my grandchildren. Little Thomas and his peers around the world have got more at stake in this business than anyone in this room. That’s what it’s all about. It’s about trying to turn this around because we are heading to disaster if we don’t.

This is an incredibly important issue because we are facing an existential crisis in the world. Business as usual won’t do it. We’re already seeing the consequences of 1 degree of global warming. Locally we’ve lost almost 50 metres of coastline at Inverloch. Cowes East is under attack. What’s happening at Jam Jerrup is scaring the hell out of the locals.

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New chapter for Grantville

20/7/2019

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A new Waterline library in Grantville is a vote of confidence in the area, writes Cr Geoff Ellis.

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Moving mountains of waste

20/6/2019

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With China’s ban on mixed waste imports, Australia’s recycling system is in crisis. Amidst the gloom, however, Cr Pamela Rothfield sees plenty of reason for optimism.

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Planning certainty essential

18/4/2019

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Clear guidelines on development in Bass Coast will help us balance growth and protection of what we most value, writes Mayor Brett Tessari

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We've got work to do

21/3/2019

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Jobseekers are being punished for being unemployed, writes Cr Michael Whelan, and the rest of us need to speak up on their behalf.

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Study hub a game changer

8/3/2019

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By Cr Brett Tessari

THE new senior campus of Wonthaggi Secondary College will be up and running by 2020. And if everything goes our way, we could also see a new university campus.

The idea is a central hub set up for anyone who wants to do any course Australia wide. Any university can come and utilise the facilities. Anyone who’s enrolled in a university can use the facilities. They can use it remotely, they can come and do one course, and the universities might send down people to lecture on certain occasions.

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Time and tide

4/2/2019

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After 10 years, the sand has stabilised and vegetation has returned behind the rock wall at Jam Jerrup. The story is very different at either end of the wall.

By Cr Geoff Ellis

AROUND a decade ago, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) turned the Jam Jerrup foreshore into a science experiment. The aim was to determine if a rock wall would hold back the forces of nature better than groynes or mangroves.

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What I learned

29/11/2018

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Former mayor Pamela Rothfield pays tribute to retiring CEO Paul Buckley and winces at the memory of her first combative exchanges with him.

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A new chapter

15/11/2018

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Farewelling our much loved mobile library is a wrench, writes Cr Geoff Ellis, but there has to be a better way to deliver library services to our small communities.

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Taking charge

19/10/2018

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It's up to councillors to set the direction of the council and the CEO to follow, writes Cr Les Larke

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Where are the women?

13/9/2018

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We need more women in positions of power everywhere, writes Cr Michael Whelan, starting with our own council.

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You can lean on them

30/8/2018

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Cr Bruce Kent salutes our volunteers, from the men and women who turn out to help at an accident scene on a winter night to those who run our hall committees and manage our foreshores.

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The change starts here

16/8/2018

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The murder of a young woman at Cowes prompted an outpouring of grief and a determination to tackle family violence in our community, writes Cr Pamela Rothfield.

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Battle of the back yards

20/7/2018

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Cr Geoff Ellis throws down the gauntlet in defence of the humble battle-axe block.

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A test of our character

4/7/2018

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Want to know what Bass Coast could be like in 20 years? Look at the Mornington Peninsula, writes Cr Julian Brown.

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The rubbish sorters

14/6/2018

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As our own mountains of plastic and cardboard grow, Cr Geoff Ellis finds plenty to admire in the South Korean approach to recycling almost everything.

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Next on the wish list

31/5/2018

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With our new high school and a hospital upgrade ticked off, Cr Clare Le Serve believes our next objective should be a rail service to Lang Lang.

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Look at us now!

19/5/2018

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Ten years ago, Wonthaggi was down on its luck, writes Cr Brett Tessari. But suddenly a lot of people are proud to call this place home.

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Go figure

4/5/2018

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It’s almost $100 million and it’s our money … but try talking about the Bass Coast budget and watch the eyes glaze over, writes Mayor Pamela Rothfield.

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Questions remain over ferry plan

23/2/2018

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Cartoon: Natasha Williams-Novak

The environmental, social and planning impacts of a car ferry must be assessed, writes Cr Michael Whelan.

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Island at the crossroads

30/11/2017

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Strategic thinking is needed to retain Phillip Island as a special place rather than a dormitory suburb of Melbourne, argues Cr Michael Whelan.

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