Mayor's Message

By Cr Clare Le Serve

As I have previously discussed, Council has been continually working with a range of government bodies to get a positive outcome for the stressful situation at Wonthaggi North East Precinct with the Environmental Overlay Audit.

This week we have distributed letters to all affected landowners. Bass Coast Shire Council, the Victorian Planning Authority and the Environment Protection Authority are working together to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.

A dedicated website page is regularly updated with frequently asked questions and other information you may find useful: www.basscoast.vic.gov.au/building-planning/wonthaggi-north-east-growth-area/environmental-audit-overlay.

Our planning team is available to discuss this matter with you. I encourage you to contact them by phone or email if you have any questions, and they will include you on our mailing list if you aren't on that already. I have spoken with many of you individually over the last couple of months and am very happy to continue taking queries.

Equal Local Government Project

A new collaborative local project aims to create safe inclusive workplaces by ending work-related gendered violence including sexual harassment through gender equality education and promotion.

Bass Coast Shire Council is partnering with a range of providers and encourage all Gippsland businesses and organisations to visit the project webpage to engage with the project's progress and utilise project focused resources for their own initiatives in creating safe and inclusive workplaces. Find out more via the Gippsland Women's Health website: gwhealth.asn.au/our-equal-local-government/#our-equal-local-government-project

Environmental tourism

Bass Coast Shire Council in partnership with Destination Phillip Island is proud to be hosting a suite of inspiring events for the Festival of Big Ideas during June.

Berninneit will be the focal point of this festival and we are delighted to be hosting an inspiring evening with keynote speaker Barney Swan, eco explorer and founder of charity, ClimateForce.

Learn about local initiatives driving regenerative tourism and how you can play a part to make an impact. You can book tickets for this and other local events at tourismandthegreeneconomy.eventbrite.com.au

Harmony Bells

I was honoured to join acclaimed artist Dr Anton Hasell last week to look at the reimagined Harmony Bells.

Some of you may recall the beautiful Harmony Bells sculpture that Dr Hasell created in 2012 on Phillip Island. The story goes that on one dark night, they were stolen yet found months later on a ship heading overseas. Not all the goods were recovered but what was, has been expertly re-created by Dr Hasell himself and they now take pride of place back on Phillip Island in front of Berninneit. The bells have been reinforced onto concrete filled steel poles and we hope they will remain there for generations to come and for all to enjoy.