POLICE divers conducted a final search last week for the body of a New Zealand student who disappeared in rough surf off rocks near Blairgowrie after he had jumped in to rescue a friend a week earlier. Divers conducted an extensive search of the rocky coastline at Pearses Beach last Wednesday but were unable to find the 20-year-old man’s body. Underwater search efforts – following the Melbourne University student’s disappearance on Wednesday 6 November – have been hampered by poor weather and rough seas. Police search and rescue officials said no further dive operations were planned in the area at…
Month: November 2013
THE centenary of Anzac is to be commemorated in Flinders with a diverse range of community projects. Flinders federal MP Greg Hunt used Remembrance Day on Monday to announce that the Flinders Anzac Centenary Community Grants Committee has approved 22 local projects from across the Mornington Peninsula, Western Port and Phillip Island. The projects will be put to the Minister for Veterans Affairs, Senator Michael Ronaldson, for final approval. The new government has boosted funding to Flinders to $125,000, a small increase on the $100,000 already allocated by the previous government. Projects approved include a re-enactment of the firing of…
FRANKSTON Hospital has been revealed as among the state’s worst-performing emergency departments, failing to meet the majority of targets set by the state government for timely treatment of patients. Victorian hospital annual reports tabled recently in state parliament show nearly all emergency departments struggled to transfer patients from ambulances within specified time frames over the past financial year. Frankston Hospital, which is operated by Peninsula Health, was able to transfer patients from ambulances within the required 40-minute time frame just 56 per cent of the time – well short of the target of 90 per cent set by the state…
CONSTRUCTION of the $14 million Arthurs Seat chairlift could start as early as next spring and be completed before the end of 2015, says project chief Simon McKeon. Mr McKeon, head of Arthurs Seat Skylift, said it was hoped to submit a “package of reports” to Mornington Peninsula Shire and Parks Victoria before the end of the year. “If all goes well, we’re hoping to get approval by the end of the first quarter of 2014,” he told The News. “We’ll run a tender process with major chairlift makers such as Poma and Doppelmayr, and hope to start assembly and…
Police are appealing for witnesses following a road rage turned criminal damage incident, last month in Frankston. On Thursday 31 October, the victim was driving along Hillcrest Road, when he noticed a man riding erratically on a motorcycle. Both the victim and the motorcycle turned into Bloom Street where the abuse began. Initial verbal abuse soon elevated, as the offender began kicking the victim’s car – a Hyundai Getz used for driving lessons. In an effort to escape, the victim turned into Lardner Road but was followed by the offender who sped up on his motorcycle, and continued to kick…
SLEEP is a wonderful thing. It provides time to relax and recharge and escape the everyday grind. But with morning comes reality, and for Hannah Swinnerton, that reality has been one of sheer terror. Getting up each day was difficult because she knew what awaited her at school: heartless, relentless and terrifying bullying. Hannah can’t recall exactly when it started; in her mind it was a constant. For her entire school life, Hannah was bullied. From prep to year 12, Hannah would head off to a certainty no child should ever have to face. Everything suffered. Her grades, as she…
MORNINGTON Liberal MP David Morris has slammed the previous state government over its “botched” Mornington pier project. His criticism comes just weeks before Parks Victoria names the successful tenderer for the replacement of the outer, condemned section of the pier. In May 2012, the state government announced it would spend up to $15 million to replace the outer section with its 125 pylons, which had been closed since August 2010 after a series of storms weakened the structure. In the Parliament last week, Mr Morris said the project had gone “seriously off the rails” under the Brumby Labor government. “In…
THE weather was terrible– low cloud and driving rain. Marc Perdu and Christian Tiriault, pilots of Spirit of Nouméa, discussed turning back to Adelaide, but they had an appointment to keep. Besides, anyone willing to circumnavigate Australia in a tiny plane isn’t lacking in a sense of adventure. This wasn’t the first expedition undertaken by the New Caledonian men. In 2011, they flew from Paris to Nouméa and in 2012 flew the same route in reverse. This year, it was Australia, with an expedition from Nouméa, counter-clockwise around Australia, and then back home again. “We had clear and sunny weather…
VICROADS is trying to offload the Esplanade onto Mornington Peninsula Shire. The shire and VicRoads have been discussing the status of shire roads for many months but councillors were briefed for the first time last week. VicRoads can force the shire to take ownership of the so-called government road but it appears the roads authority is adopting a conciliatory approach. The state government authority has told the shire it wants to downgrade the Esplanade’s status from an arterial to a local road, and give it to the shire. It told the shire the road is mainly used by locals but…
MORNINGTON Life Saving Club is in deep water after clearing an area behind its clubhouse on Mills Beach as well as starting internal renovations without a permit. The club removed sand that had built up behind the building over several years, disturbing an Aboriginal midden site. It placed two shipping containers in the cleared section as a storage area for new equipment. It also started renovating shower and toilet areas on the ground floor, which had been affected by rising damp. The existing facilities were insufficient for a growing membership. The clearing has triggered an investigation by the Office of…
JOHN Bloggs’ life was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He was left feeling “lost” and unsure of the future after the cancer was removed and he was in remission. On the advice of a dietician, Mr Bloggs joined five other participants in a seven-week cancer rehabilitation program run by Peninsula Health. The program aims to improve quality of life, in particular the physical function, fatigue, stress or anxiety and diet of cancer survivors. It includes exercise, education settings and self-management strategies. “After I had received my treatment I felt cut off. It was more of…