Dear friends and supporters,
Thank you all for helping our petition reach over 1,055 signatures! Your voices have made it clear: the community demands urgent protection for our native trees and wildlife habitat on the Mornington Peninsula.
Unfortunately, despite our petition being tabled, clearing continues - with chainsaws running near homes, precious wildlife displaced, and habitat lost every day. I’ve personally reached out to the Shire’s CEO with a detailed email expressing the community’s concerns and the toll this is taking on both the environment and local residents’ wellbeing.
You can help by writing to the CEO too!
I’m sharing my email below as a guide - feel free to copy, adapt, or write your own message. The more voices the CEO hears, the harder it will be to ignore us.
Dear Mr Stoermer,
I am writing to you as both a resident and a registered wildlife carer who has been directly witnessing, and deeply affected by, the escalating destruction of habitat and tree canopy across our township.
In the past months, I have seen:
• The removal and severe pruning of street trees by contractors whose methods stripped entire canopies, destroyed saplings, and cleared understory shrubs - wiping out vital wildlife habitat.
• Threats and verbal abuse towards me when I raised concerns about these works.
• Works on Truemans Road, Capel Sound, resulting in displacement and death of possums, which I reported to DEECA as a likely breach of the Wildlife Act.
• Current foreshore clearing at Capel Sound to make way for tourism infrastructure, destroying trees that are part of essential wildlife corridors.
This is not just an “amenity” issue. For wildlife - including possums, birds, and pollinators - these trees are irreplaceable habitat. For the community, they are part of our identity, environmental health, and connection to nature.
In response, I started a petition that was tabled by Council at 200 signatures. It now has over 1,050 signatures. I urge you to read it, along with the updates and community comments:
🔗 Petition link
Beyond the environmental harm, the ongoing chainsawing, mulching, and clearing - often for oversized developments with no room for vegetation - is taking a real toll on my mental health and quality of life. I hear chainsaws multiple days a week, and my once-wildlife-rich neighbourhood is becoming unrecognisable.
The Health Minister and local MP Sam Groth have confirmed that the Shire is responsible for protecting wildlife, regardless of local planning or road safety rules. Yet our vegetation, canopy, and wildlife corridors are rapidly disappearing under this “gentrification” process.
I am asking you directly:
• What immediate steps will the Shire take to halt unnecessary habitat destruction?
• Will the Shire commit to stronger protections for remaining vegetation, including on streets and foreshore areas?
• How will you ensure proper consultation with residents who are directly impacted?
I am not writing this as a lone voice. The petition and its comments reflect a growing frustration in the community. We are losing not just trees, but the very character, livability, and biodiversity of our town.
I ask for a direct response to discuss a way forward.
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Email to Mornington Peninsula Shire CEO
Subject: Urgent: Habitat Loss, Community Concerns & Petition – Request for Immediate Action
Dear Mr Stoermer,
[Your message here — you can use the email I wrote or personalize your own.]
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
⸻
CEO Email: customerservice@mornpen.vic.gov.au