Wives weigh into quota fight
September 1, 2010
Wives of Port MacDonnell commercial cray fishermen anticipate tough financial times in the next few months with detrimental effects to families and business in the face of a shorter fishing season and a lower commercial catch quota.
The group of women said fishing families would have to tighten their belts drastically, deckhands would lose their jobs and fishermen would be exposed to more danger at sea when the season starts in November. Read more
Homeless left out in cold
August 30, 2010
Homelessness service providers have been left in the lurch in Mount Gambier as the Old Gaol has discontinued its emergency accommodation.
City Council advised Housing SA and ac.care last week that the Old Gaol, which has long been a stable source of crisis accommodation, will no longer offer the services space for their clients. Read more
Fishing quota cut creates waves
August 26, 2010
An already divided South East lobster fishing community is heading for the rocks following the announcement of a shorter fishing season and lower catch quota for 2010-11, with claims the decision could force some operators out of the industry.
Fisheries Minister Michael O’Brien’s announcement that he would slash the season by two months and the total allowable commercial catch quota by 150 tonnes has been met with a wave of animosity from South East rock lobster fishermen, although it has netted approval from one sector. Read more
Lobster fishing quota slashed
August 25, 2010
Professional South East rock lobster fishermen will go to sea to earn a living later this year with a reduced catch quota and a shorter fishing season.
Fisheries Minister Michael O’Brien has set the Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) for the Southern Zone Rock Lobster Fishery at 1250 tonnes and reduced the fishing season, which will run from November 1 this year to April 30, 2011. Read more
Mental health patients forced to Adelaide
August 23, 2010
People with acute mental illnesses in Mount Gambier and the Limestone Coast are being apprehended by police, detained and flown to Adelaide every week due to the lack of access to a local psychiatrist or acute care options.
The Border Watch can reveal Limestone Coast Police have apprehended 50 people with acute mental illnesses this year for their safety and the safety of others. Read more
Online health pledge praise
August 19, 2010
Leaders in the medical field have broadly welcomed the government’s election commitment to increase funding for telemeds in rural and regional communities, but say it should not replace efforts to draw more doctors to the country.
At the Labor election campaign launch on Monday, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced a $393m package focused on expanding and improving the current telemeds scheme, which primarily services regional areas. Read more
Farmers reject population growth claims
August 18, 2010
The South Australian Farmers Federation has claimed Mount Gambier Mayor Steve Perryman’s comments about population growth on national television last week were “irresponsible” and inaccurate.
Mr Perryman spoke about the potential for population growth in Mount Gambier on the ABC’s Q and A program on Thursday, which discussed the issue with a panel of experts, including Sustainable Population Minister Tony Burke and Greens leader Bob Brown. Read more
Rail land vision
August 16, 2010
Images representing a possible future plan for the Mount Gambier rail lands have surfaced on the internet while City Council kept the document in confidence, saying it has neither accepted nor rejected the vision.
Council engaged urban design company Hames Sharley to develop options for the disused rail land in the city centre, with the most recently produced images published on the designer’s website.
The redevelopment of the vacant site is one of the three key goals in council’s Vision for 2015, alongside the library and the main corner developments.
Council chief executive Greg Muller said the Hames Sharley plan had been kept in confidence because it was not finalised.
He said not all aspects made sense to council and members struggled to come to grips with the concept.
“Council is not necessarily ready to accept them,” he said.
“Council is well away from finding what is the best option for the site — we need to do a lot more work before reaching a decision we feel comfortable with.”
He said council had been preoccupied with the library and main corner development, but members were able to focus more on the rail lands now that the main corner works had commenced.
The rail lands have been discussed in confidence in council meetings over the past two months, but Hames Sharley project director David Cook said he had not had contact with Mr Muller since around Easter.
Mr Muller said he had no doubt council would go to the community with the plans when they were comfortable with them.
“My feeling is council doesn’t want to put to the community plans which aren’t finalised,” he said.
Council has discussed the “vision” for the rail lands in confidence, but Mr Muller told The Border Watch that councillors felt the site’s future development was contingent on long-term viability and unique design.
“It has to be something quite uniquely special — a unique inner city urban landscape in an urban context,” he said.
“And absolute viability of the site — what’s going to attract people to the site on a regular basis like the library and the main corner — it’s got to be different to a typical garden or park.
“The investment, which will be high, can only be spent once — for ultimate success we were never going to be rushed.”
Mr Muller said council respected the heritage status of the site’s long-standing railway station, but said it was challenge to find a future role for the building.
“It’s been a real struggle for us, but every day that passes we get a bit smarter as to what the best uses for the site are,” he said.
According to the Hames Sharley website, the rail land project involved a two stage consultation process for the precinct to develop a public area to link the shopping and main streets of Mount Gambier.
“The project explored the balance between commercial development and active open space,” according to the website.
“During the master planning process, issues such as water charge into the aquifer, water treatment and reuse were incorporated into the master plan.”
The site was transferred for government-owned land to City Council in 2006.
Meanwhile, works have already begun on the site in recent months with drilling grid holes and testing soil for land contamination.
Hames Sharley’s David Cook said he hoped to continue working with council on the project.
Funding for development on the rail lands has not yet been determined.
Council’s Rail Lands Working party will meet early in September to continue discussions on the site’s future.
Government plans bushfire response
August 12, 2010
South East councils have welcomed the State Government’s pledge to prioritise establishment of “places of last resort and refuge” in rural towns before the coming bushfire season as the nation looks for ways to prevent a repeat of Victoria’s Black Saturday tragedy.
Emergency Services Minister Michael Wright yesterday announced an interim response to Victoria’s Royal Commission into the disaster, which claimed 173 lives. Read more
Williams returns to political storm
August 9, 2010
Mitch Williams stepped into a political storm on Thursday, August 5, as the member for MacKillop made his first visit to tornado-stricken Penola, following criticism in the media over his absence.
Mr Williams was attending the Darwin Cup race meeting at the time of the disaster on a Liberal Party trip that also involved meetings with representatives of the Northern Territory fishing and mining industries. Read more
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