FESTIVAL-GOERS heading to this weekend’s Mordialloc Food, Wine and Music Festival may prefer to get there under their own steam after Metro Trains decided to carry out track upgrade works between Moorabbin and Mordialloc at the same time. Up to 60,000 people are expected to attend the two-day festival, a major event in the City of Kingston held in March each year. A Metro Trains spokeswoman told The News that the train operator had not been informed that the Mordialloc Food, Wine and Music Festival would be taking place on the weekend the upgrade works were scheduled. Metro originally decided…
Author: Neil Walker
INCREASED transparency was on the agenda at this week’s Kingston council meeting but councillors opted not to tighten procedures surrounding potential conflicts of interest when distributing ward funds. Cr Geoff Gledhill said councillors should no longer be allowed to give ward funds to politically motivated groups or organisations. A Local Government Investigations and Compliance Inspectorate state-wide review of discretionary funds distribution by councillors found many councils, including Kingston, did not have appropriate controls in place to prevent corrupt or fraudulent behaviour. The inspectorate’s report, released late last year, noted that “risks include potentially fraudulent or corrupt practices by individual councillors,…
BONBEACH couple Tony and Daniela Ruberto have a personal drive to raise money for children’s brain tumour research. Their eldest son Marcus passed away in November 2009 at the age of five due to a brain stem tumour, two months after initial diagnosis. The Rubertos and their two sons James, eight, and Simon, four, now spend all available spare time organising events in aid of medical research that could help those afflicted with brain tumours in future. Mr and Mrs Ruberto have organised a classic car day at Bonbeach Sports Reserve on Sunday 2 March. Entry is by gold coin…
COUNCILLORS backing a planning scheme amendment that could open up Mentone Grammar’s playing fields in Keysborough to residential development have justified the move as “logical”. The News contacted councillors Geoff Gledhill, Tamsin Bearsley, Ron Brownlees and John Ronke about their support for the proposal. Council’s green wedge consultant Planisphere recommended the playing fields remain within Kingston’s green wedge zone in its Kingston Green Wedge Plan, which was completed in 2012. However, Cr Geoff Gledhill said he believed the area should be converted to “an appropriately zoned residential” area. “It’s logical to include that land since its utilisation is limited from…
KINGSTON beachgoers fear it is just a matter of time before jet-ski riders who fail to observe designated swimming zones maim or kill someone. Eyewitnesses told The News that jet-ski operators were seen regularly straying within a ‘Swimming Only’ zone at Edithvale beach on Saturday 8 February. Parks Victoria implemented the Swimming Only zone directly in front of Edithvale Life Saving Club in June last year as part of a move to improve safety across Port Phillip and Western Port by introducing new boating and swimming zones. Jet-skis can still be operated along the foreshore within 200 metres of the…