SRA Membership
Membership of the SRA is open to all Somers Residents. "Resident" means a person of voting age who owns or rents a property within the Somers coastal village as defined by the Postcode 3927.
To join the SRA, please click on Join the SRA Online in the Quicklinks section on the left to fill in an application form online. Alternatively, you can click on Download Membership Application Form to download and print an application form which can then be filled in and mailed to us.
Membership fees are currently set at $10 per person per year. All work undertaken by the SRA is done on a voluntary basis and membership fees are used to cover the association's running expenses such as stationery, printing, postage and web hosting.
We encourage as many people as possible to join in each household. Apart from appreciating your financial support, the greater the number of financial members we have, the stronger our voice will be in representing our community to Federal, State and Local Government members and departments.
The Benefits of SRA Membership
The SRA enjoys a very strong support from both property owners and renters in the village with membership in almost 50% of all dwellings in the 3927 Post Code. This support is vital in our representations to the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council (MPSC) and to our local State and Federal Representatives.
The SRA holds regular meetings with all levels of Government to communicate the concerns that members raise with us and we have been able to access all of these people to discuss issues of concern.
When members do contact us we are able to first give advice about the appropriate level of Government to approach. We also recommend specific people that may be able to assist them with their concern together with contact details. Finally we will also assist members to ensure that their concerns are properly addressed by the relevant authority.
Many of the concerns raised by our members relate to planning and building procedures. In Somers we are very fortunate to have many planning overlay documents that severely limit inappropriate development. Despite this protection, there have still been developments which have drawn strong criticism. In most cases when approached by members we have been able to access documentation and decisions by the MPSC that verify that proper process have been observed.
Past Achievements
Surveys
The SRA has conducted a number of surveys in recent years to gauge village opinion about issues of concern. Out of these surveys, the SRA has formulated a clear understanding of the residents’ key areas of concern and requirements and has also assisted us to define the character of Somers which needs to be protected.
Some examples of positive outcomes resulting from member feedback include :
- Access to reticulated gas. Following representations from the SRA our village was added to the list of reticulation areas and we have seen the successful completion of this project. Initially many residents had long delays in being connected to this system but after active lobbying we managed to expedite a number of connections that have saved our members significant cost to their energy bills
- The management of ‘Dogs on the Beach’ was initially a contentious subject that divided much of the Community. Following a survey of residents we were able to negotiate what we believe is a sensible and pragmatic solution to this awkward problem. While some dog owners choose to flout the regulations most of our permanent residents adopt a very responsible approach to the management of their pets particularly when there are children in the area. If you encounter irresponsible management of dogs anywhere in the Somers Village please report your observations to the MPSC on 1300 850 600.
Open Days
The SRA has organised Open Days over recent years where residents can meet with not just the SRA Committee but other Village organisations such as the Somers Foreshore Committee of Management (SFCoM) and the CFA to discuss issues of concern.
All issues raised are discussed with the appropriate level of Government and are reported in our regular Bulletins to members. Very positive feedback has been received from members about the results that have been achieved.
Sewerage
As its initial task in 2001, the SRA was successful in ensuring that Somers received the most appropriate sewerage system.
Bulk Electricity Purchasing
One new initiative that has been taken up by the SRA is a ground breaking move to engage the major electricity retailers in a negotiation on utility pricing on a community wide basis.
While this must be a voluntary response from the Somers village residents we are optimistic that all residents will be attracted by the prospect of a 15% discount to the total bill together with other benefits.
The aggregate savings from this initiative will be very substantial and over the entire village are likely to be as much as $200,000. This would amount to an average saving of more than $100 per household.
It is important to declare that with potential greenhouse gas legislation that the cost of energy will inevitably rise. The initiative by the SRA will not protect Residents from these rises but it will lock in savings to the general rate charged to individuals by the successful retailer, Neighbourhood Energy.
For further information, please click here to download the notice sent to residents outlining this exciting initiative.