Nepean Ward
Hugh Fraser

BIO

As the independent councillor representing Nepean Ward since 2012 (re-elected 2016), working hard for the community is more important than ever in this Covid-19 emergency.

I live in Rye and offer continuity, experience and ability on Council to sensitively and effectively deal with the inevitable Covid-19 financial fallout. The Nepean “community coalition” group I chair monthly and meet with residents by appointment each Monday afternoon.

Working hard with the community and council management in all parts of Nepean Ward –

$6.5 million has been brought in to rejuvenate Rye,
$5m for Sorrento ferry terminal traffic management,
$1.8m earmarked for Sorrento car parking,
$1.85m George Street tourism facilities, toilets and street mall,
$1.5m Dorothy Houghton Walk Eastern Sister,
$3m Point Nepean Road Blairgowrie/Rye footpath and St Johns Wood Road intersection,
$850,000 Wilkinson and Carmichael Streets drainage and Romney Park Tootgarook rejuvenation and playground,
$1m Portsea SLC clubrooms contribution.

Budgeted $5.9m ($25m Shire wide) but unfinished at 30 June Nepean Ward Capital works are unacceptably high.

Into the future, a clear pathway must be found to divert household waste from the methane-emitting Rye landfill to food and garden organics alternatives to waste-to-energy incineration. Climate change mitigation needs practical projects. The number of councillors ought to be cut back from 11 to 9 and have three in each of three wards. This would avoid the dysfunctional annual budget councillor bunfight for capital works money.

Working hard for the community rating reform has introduced contiguous land rate relief, a discounted Conservation Rate, and Trust for Nature Rate. These reforms should also include a new Heritage Rate discounted 65% to the general rate and will complement our new Sorrento heritage and Rye height controls.

What do you see are the key issues facing the Mornington Peninsula and how do you envisage contributing to a resolution?

Immediately, to keep our residents covid-safe and help our businesses restart - expand farm gate sales with all of Mornington Peninsula agricultural produce, rates and fees emergency relief and expand outdoor cafe dining.
Keep up Council capital works spending ($25m at 30 June "locked down" by the State Government).
Climate Change mitigation with practical projects, "no" to the floating gas import terminal planned by AGL at Crib Point, food organics alternatives to landfill at Rye.
Hillview's new quarry planned for Arthurs Seat - there must be a better way to satisfy the Ross Trust environmental objectives than blowing up Arthurs Seat.
Break the Tyabb airfield gordian knot.
Proposed "efficiency" planning scheme height, fences and reflectivity "reforms" "must not throw the baby out with the bathwater”.
Stop the State Government sandbagging our Portsea beach and return our iconic beach to the community.
Preserve our rapidly diminishing indigenous vegetation, fauna with planning and safe pest and weed controls.

What skills/experience will you bring to your role as a Councillor that will benefit the Mornington Peninsula community?

I am a barrister by profession and will continue to bring to council advocacy, not only on the issues confronting the Shire, but giving every resident the opportunity to be heard by Council and just plain “getting things done”. I was elected by the Victorian Bar to the Legal Services Board and I was a member of its Finance and Investment Committee 2007–10; elected to the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council 2012 and re-elected 2016, member Audit and Risk Committee 2012–19, council delegate to Friends of Lospalos, Timor-Leste and member Point Nepean National Park Advisory Committee. Details of my work on council and in the community can be found at hughfraser-morningtonpeninsula.com

What is your view on the Baxter Rail project that has a $225 million commitment from the federal government?

Get on with it – and get it to Hastings so that a neglected port area can be repositioned as a model integrated township on Western port Bay speedily connected by rail.

What will you do as a candidate to ensure that the Mornington Peninsula Shire honors its commitment to the State governments Small Business Friendly Program?

Keep sitting on the wheel of the Shire CEO and management

Do you believe the Mornington Peninsula is disadvantaged by being considered part of metropolitan Melbourne and not being able to access the same benefits as Geelong who are considered a regional council, and do you believe this should be a priority of a newly elected Mornington Peninsula Council?

My belief is unimportant. Evidence is required. What is important is whether, in considering State and Federal grants to the Shire, the Shire would be better off financially as a region, as we would all like it to be, or as part of metropolitan Melbourne. As to the latter, our green agricultural hinterland preservation from development, is underpinned by the urban growth boundary (which can only be altered by both houses of State Parliament) – preventing urban development spreading into our green wedge and destroying it. A move to a region would require substitute planning controls.

The Shire needs an image makeover, a new name and to reposition itself as a serious player in the Victorian economy. The Shire is not, as one former CEO one stated “the playground of Melbourne.”

The current Mornington Peninsula Council has recently taken an approach to enforcement that has seen a significant increase in prosecutions at VCAT and the Victorian Magistrates Court at great expense to ratepayers, and in relation to VCAT- very low success rates. If elected will you support this current approach to enforcement and if not how do you propose Council can create a more harmonious productive relationship with ratepayers?

The Shires planning scheme has serious green wedge objectives and a greenwedge management plan. These are fundamental to protection of the green wedge for the benefit of all the Mornington Peninsula community and its agricultural activity, require reasonable lawful compliance and if not, enforcement.

The newly elected Council will have significant work to do in response to the COVID-19 recovery phase— what do you believe the best way the Council can assist the community and business?

As discussed above.

Why should ratepayers vote for you?

With 6 of the 11 councillors retiring at this election – continuity, experience, ability and a clear understanding of council’s operations and the community’s needs are essential requirements for your councillor. These are the skills I will continue to bring to Council and the community.

If you are elected, what would you like your legacy to be at the end of your four year term?

I’ve no idea. Ask me again in four years.

Any final comments?

Very happy to discuss any of the above matters on 0418 379335
hugh.fraser@mornpen.vic.gov.au and follow my work on council and the community at hughfraser-morningtonpeninsula.com

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Nepean Ward Hugh Fraser