Category Archives: Council Watch

Council Watch

Skylift skins knee at the 6-metre wall hurdle

November 2, 2015
Those anticipating a community meeting of Mornington Peninsula Shire Council at Somerville on Monday 26 October were gutted to learn of the change of venue to the Rosebud bunker. Reason: the Mechanic...

Rate cap may not quell cash calls

October 26, 2015
COUNCILS looking to get around the state government’s rate cap plan are believed to feel they have found an answer – special charge schemes, which are specifically excluded from the rate cap rules. L...

Kitchen heats up as election approaches

October 19, 2015
THE seemingly long wait over, it was all eager anticipation on 14 October at the first Mornington Peninsula Shire Council meeting in almost a month – at least for the eager ratepayers who filed into ...

Towards an age-friendly peninsula

October 13, 2015
THE “age-friendliness” of the Mornington Peninsula was a major topic at the shire’s first Positive Ageing Community Summit held on International Day of Older Persons, Thursday 1 October. That “friend...

Storm before calm as Canberra boxes on

September 21, 2015
GREAT sheets of silent lightning flashed over the Rip as Council Watch headed for the Rosebud meeting, listening in the car to excited radio speculation on who would be prime minister after this nigh...

An evening of passion and lost causes

August 31, 2015
WAS it a Ghillie Dhu* or a Shellycoat* who, at the 24 August council meeting, spirited a packet of family assorted biscuits on to the hospitality table in the council offices foyer? Council Watch, no...

Just a small jar – that takes the biscuit!

August 17, 2015
FOR council watchers, the shire’s austerity drive is plain to see. It’s the biscuits. Now only a small jar accompanies the pre-meeting tea and coffee, a small jar bereft of cream treats. The gallery ...

Don’t mind the squeaks, hark the whispers

August 10, 2015
THE sound you can perhaps hear on the shire’s recording of its 27 July meeting is not what you might suspect. The ceiling of the Besgrove St council chamber was not about to collapse, nor was there a...

Dramas of all sorts occupy councillors

June 29, 2015
Venue: Hastings Hub, 22 June 2015. Fine buffet, but spartan for the discerning vegetarian, with carnivores far more generously catered for. A restrained dessert; sugar addicts could fall back on soft...