ALL federal election candidates will be under pressure to agree to work towards adopting policies to tackle climate change, including opposing heavy industry around Western Port. Community groups, businesses and other organisations throughout Victoria are being asked by Environment Victoria to sign an open letter calling for action on climate change. The Western Port Climate Alliance (WPCA) is one of five groups in the state seeking signatures on letters worded specifically for their region. Carmen Bush, spokesperson for the WPCA, said the signed letters would be delivered to all federal candidates, including current MPs. The open letter calls for “faster…
Author: Keith Platt
FEARS are held over the export of hydrogen from Western Port leading to the import of marine pests. Kawasaki Heavy Industries has agreed to conduct surveys to monitor Western Port for marine pests already introduced into Port Phillip by ships from Japan. The hydrogen being transported from western Port to Japan is being produced from brown coal in the Latrobe Valley, a process that depends for success on carbon being stored underground through CCS (carbon capture and storage). The hydrogen from brown coal project began more than a decade ago and the state and federal governments each gave $50 million…
AFTER more than 20 years representing the people of the Flinders electorate in federal parliament, Liberal Greg Hunt is looking forward to spending more time at home with his family. When announcing his retirement from federal politics, Mr Hunt told parliament “it’s time to turn to focus on another family: Paula, Poppy, James, Elsa and Charlie the cavoodle”. “But for all the time that we have spent together, and as fond as I am of the Prime Minister [Scott Morrison] and the Treasurer [Josh Frydenberg], my card is ultimately elsewhere – sorry, Josh,” he said. “It is with my family.…
POLICE have been given details of a jet-ski rider using a mobile to record chasing down a dolphin in the bay off Mornington. Unknown to the jet -ski rider one of the Dolphin Research Institute’s dolphin watchers was watching from the cliffs off the Esplanade near the Royal Hotel. The volunteer took photos of the jet-ski both in the water and later when it was loaded on a trailer at the Fishermans Beach boat ramp. The incident happened about 5.15pm on Tuesday 28 September. Regulations stipulate that jet-skis must stay at least 300 metres away from dolphins. The DRI volunteer…
SNAKES are starting to emerge from their winter hibernation and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) has issued a warning to walkers to wear long pants and stick to paths, particularly near long grass or water. “Most snake bites occur when people try to capture or kill a snake,” senior wildlife management officer, Rebecca Dixon said. Snake most often sought the fastest escape route but, if cornered and feeling threatened, would defend themselves. The most common species found on the Mornington Peninsula and around Frankston were the eastern brown snake, followed by red-bellied black snakes and tiger…