Mornington Peninsula mayor joins community fight for freedom
The Mornington Peninsula mayor has joined the fight to free the region from lockdown. See what she told Dan Andrews.
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Melbourne’s holiday playground is calling for a more sophisticated approach to Covid lockdowns that better reflects active case numbers and locations.
Mornington Peninsula mayor Despi O’Connor wrote to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews urging him to reconsider keeping the region tied to metro Melbourne restrictions.
Cr O’Connor said the current “administrative boundary” keeping the peninsula in lockdown was not based on “current health indicators”
She pointed out that the City of Geelong had active cases but was under reduced restrictions while the Mornington Peninsula was in lockdown despite no active cases and only one positive test in 10 months.
“Council urges the government to approach any restrictions imposed on the Mornington Peninsula Shire in a more sophisticated manner based on current health indicators across out Local Government Area, not an administrative boundary that has no direct link to the spread of this pandemic,” the letter states.
“This will limit the unnecessary suffering caused across our community resulting from Covid-19 restrictions at times when there are no cases.”
A petition started by a Rosebud business owner and mum on Wednesday night now has more than 11,000 signatures.
Nicole Nicolle wants the Mornington Peninsula reclassified as regional.
Her online petition is not the first bid to change the shire’s status,
In 2020 Bittern businessman Lane Prowd collected more than 5000 signatures on his petition to release the peninsula from Stage 3 restrictions.
On Friday Mr Prowd said he sent the document to Mr Andrews but did not receive a reponse.
Mr Prowd has since packed up his business and moved to Queensland.
THOUSANDS SIGN PETITION FOR FREEDOM BID
Pressure is mounting on the state government to release the Mornington Peninsula from lockdown and offer it the same benefits as the rest of regional Victoria.
A petition started by a Rosebud mum and business owner calling for the peninsula to be reclassified as regional has collected thousands of signatures.
Nicole Nicolle said businesses and residents were disadvantaged by the “incorrect label”.
“This isn’t just about escaping Covid lockdowns,” Ms Nicolle said.
“This affects all of us in some way; payroll tax rates, household rates, access to government grants, ability to employ certain overseas travellers, financial assistance for access to business training, infrastructure projects, VicRoads upgrades, help for low income residents and so many more.”
The mum of three primary school-aged children runs Peninsula Gas and Fuel with her husband Daniel Nicolle and dad Dick Johnson.
She said the debate over the peninsula’s status had been raging for more than 15 years.
“It is time that we come together … and demand that a change is made.
“We deserve to be recognised correctly by our government.”
The online petition, which collected 8500 signatures by Thursday morning, compared state government funding allocated in the recent budget to the Mornington Peninsula with money given to Geelong.
“The Mornington Peninsula received just .09 per cent of the funding announced for our neighbours in the Greater City of Geelong in this years Victorian state budget,” the petition states.
“$424,000 of new funding was announced for the Mornington Peninsula while $463.43 million of new funding was announced for Greater Geelong, which has the same population as the Mornington Peninsula across three state districts.”
Meanwhile, an online poll created by Mornington Peninsula Shire councillor Steve Holland has lit up social media, with some locals calling for a boycott of lockdown restrictions.
Cr Holland posted the poll after receiving a flood of messages from residents and small business owners asking for help in the wake of Wednesday’s decision to extend the current lockdown.
He said many locals had asked him to advocate to the state government to release the shire from the tough restrictions.
Cr Holland’s poll asks residents if the shire should receive the same classification as Greater Geelong, and sought feedback on how lockdowns should be managed.
“Do you think lockdowns should be more targeted, by postcode or council region, rather than across the board? he posted.
Many had strong views including one man who called for a peninsula boycott of current restrictions.
Others argued that LGA lockdowns had not worked in Melbourne in 2020 and were not currently stopping the spread of Covid through NSW.
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council voted on July 27 to write to Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg requesting the urgent reinstatement of JobKeeper and Jobseeker.
Women in Business Mornington Peninsula echoed the call on Thursday saying that local traders were “desperate, frustrated and at the bottom of their reserves”.
The group also said business owners couldn’t understand why the region was enduring ongoing lockdowns and restrictions while other regions – including those closer to the current outbreak – had reopened.
