Author: Keith Platt

THE Committee for Greater Frankston wants the state and federal governments to “coordinate” their budgets to fully pay for extending and electrifying the railway to either Baxter or Langwarrin. The lobby group says the federal government has “led the way” to extend the line beyond Frankston by promising $225 million in 2018. A business case study by the state government estimated it would cost $840 million for the line to be extended to Langwarrin and $1.3-$1.6 billion to Baxter. The $3m business case was paid for by the federal government. The committee’s CEO Ginevra Hosking said the project was given…

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HORSES that have been mistreated have a new home at Pearcedale. The purpose-built stables opened last week at the RSPCA’s Peninsula Animal Care Centre will be used for vulnerable horses in need of care, rehabilitation, and rehoming. Since July 2014, more than 420 horses and donkeys have been cared for by the RSPCA after being reported to its inspectorate. Paid for by the state government, the Pearcedale stables are equipped to enable more effective treatment and rehabilitation of seized horses. The stables can accommodate animals with a range of health concerns and needing shelter and rest during treatment. RSPCA…

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MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is about to tackle waste and rubbish on several fronts. It has adopted a carrot and stick approach to recycling, with fines for recycled waste being “contaminated” and offering the chance to win a $100 voucher to households “doing the right thing”. Smoking is also being banned in some reserves and on popular foreshores and beaches, although no penalties will be imposed on anyone defying warning signs. Recycling bins will be randomly checked for non-recyclable materials, with households doing the right thing going into a monthly draw for a $100 voucher. Households with contaminated bins will be…

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HUNDREDS of signatures have already been added to a petition that accuses the government of “over-inflating” the number of kangaroos and allowing them to be “harvested” on the Mornington Peninsula. The petition, introduced into the Upper House by the leader of the Victorian Greens and the party’s spokesperson for animals, Dr Samantha Ratnam, follows Mornington Peninsula Shire asking the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) for details and scientific research about the peninsula’s eastern grey kangaroos. The petition, now available online, calls on the government to suspend kangaroo culls and improve methods used to count kangaroo populations as…

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ALTHOUGH it has been 30 years since an organisation was formed to investigate and improve the lives of dolphins in Port Phillip and Western Port, many questions remain unanswered. Solutions to some lifestyle problems have been found, but recent events have again highlighted the mysteries that remain. A sperm whale washed ashore at Phillip Island over the Labor Day long weekend and researchers have been unable to explain why so few dolphins live in Western Port compared to Port Phillip. Executive director of the Dolphin Research Institute, Jeff Weir, said dead whale and dolphin numbers were just two examples of…

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