Postergate: How Council is killing community involvement at Berninneit

THERE’S a deepening controversy over the Bass Coast Shire Council’s unwillingness to display handmade posters or pull-up promotional signs, created by Grade 5 students at Newhaven Primary School, in the Berninneit cultural centre at Cowes to highlight the blight of roadkill on Phillip Island’s wildlife.
The issue, which has been simmering away since the shire’s administration told roadkill activist, Ron Day, that it was policy not to display such material in the new cultural centre, was the subject of a community question from Linda Marston, Secretary, Island Voice at last week’s council meeting.
“As part of the ‘KIDS as Catalysts’ program some Newhaven primary students created posters promoting awareness of Wildlife on Phillip Island. They were unable to exhibit these at Bernnineit for free. As BCSC is partnered with this program, shouldn’t Council promote such projects as examples of young leadership?”
The shire’s CEO Greg Box responded by agreeing that the Council does provide support and access for KIDS as Catalyst program.
“However,” he said. “Not every request is able to be accommodated. The group was advised that the best option was to hire a community space in the building. Staff also spent some time with the group advising how best to promote their work and provided key contacts within media.”
Speaking this week about the controversy, Mr Day, who is also a member of Island Voice and a member of the Phillip Island Conservation Society, said it was regrettable in the extreme that shire wouldn’t display the posters, or at least allow the professionally produced pull-up banners to be used.
“I think it’s pretty dreadful that a community centre couldn’t support the worthy efforts of a group of 11-year-old local students to highlight what is a serious problem on the Island, the number of wildlife being killed on our roads,” Mr Day said.
“Following my interest in this issue, I was asked along to the school to assist them with their work which produced a wonderful outcome. The posters have been displayed around the area to raise the profile of the threat to wildlife and Phillip Island Nature Parks ordered a number of the pull-up banners, inspired by the kids, but professionally made by Print It Fast at San Remo.
“Why the shire wouldn’t allow them to be displayed at Berninneit is beyond me. A lot of people around the area say it just proves it’s a cultural centre for the shire not a community centre.”
Mr Day, who is continuing with his project recording the roadkill on a 3.6km section of the Cowes to Rhyll Road, said that following on from a study between 2019 and 2021 when there were 1200 wildlife deaths recorded, there had been 60 wildlife kills there in January 2025 alone.
“You’ve got two conservation areas there, on either side of the road, the Rhyll Wetlands to the north and Oswin Roberts Reserve and the wetlands to the south. Among the 12 species killed there in January were two Eastern barred bandicoots.”
The bandicoots have been the subject of Phillip Island Nature Parks recovery project since being introduced on to the Island in 2017.
“It’s not the only place on Phillip Island where there’s a problem with roadkill but it’s easily the worst.
“We’re advocating for a further reduction in the speed limit on Cowes-Rhyll Road from 80km/h to 70km/h during the day and 50km/h at night.”
Avid council watcher, Jon Trigt, has written to the Sentinel-Times this week, raising the issue of the kid’s poster ban at Berninneit urging the council to change the policy if it’s stopping worthy community involvement at the $34 million cultural and community in Cowes.