PORT Phillip Heads will have to be widened and deepened with a massive project that will make the controversial 2008-09 dredging pale into insignificance if the state government goes ahead with a 70-year lease of the Port of Melbourne, says peninsula MP Martin Dixon. Mr Dixon was speaking in the Parliament last week as the controversy over the government’s port bill reached fever pitch with the Opposition and Greens vowing to block the bill in the Upper House. The Port of Melbourne Lease Transaction Bill 2015 passed the Lower House last Thursday but the government does not have the numbers…
Day: June 29, 2015
RAKU firing is a hot topic for a group ceramic artists at Rye. Raku – meaning “enjoyment” – was practiced in Kyoto, Japan, as far back as the 16th century. Vessels produced were used in the Japanese tea ceremony, most often as tea bowls. Artist Sue Sanderson said raku firing was one of the most exciting processes in ceramics. “The smoke, the fire and the excited squeals when we see the end result has made us want to share these wonderful pieces,” Sanderson said. “Pots are placed in the kiln, the firing commenced and anticipation grows for that moment when…
STUDENTS starring in Rosebud Secondary College’s musical production of Footloose had not been born when the original film version came out in 1984, with its timeless themes of teenage angst and rebellion against authority. “Footloose tells the story of Ren McCormack, a teenager who moves from Chicago to small town USA where the local minister, Reverend Shaw, has outlawed dancing and rock music,” performing arts teacher Anthea Mackenzie said. “Ren starts dating the preacher’s rebellious teenage daughter, Ariel, who joins him on his crusade to have the bans lifted so they and their friends can enjoy the pinnacle of the…
NO doubt it will go unremarked on by horses, but a new equestrian centre at Merricks has overcome all odds and won a major architecture award. The winner of Sir Osborn McCutcheon Award in the commercial section of this year’s Victorian Architecture Awards, the equestrian centre is both a training centre and stud. Extensive use of rammed earth and wood is a feature of the curved building designed by Melbourne architects Watson Architecture + Design and Seth Stein Architects, of London. The Australian Institute of Architects’ said “any tendency to complicate the program or the resultant built form has been…
THE insurance savings in the budget have allowed Mornington Peninsula Shire to bring forward the sealing of the unmade car park at Currawong Community Centre in Mornington. The car park is number one on the shire’s list of 250 unmade car parks, revealed in late May when councillors adopted the Unmade car park construction strategy. The multi-building Currawong centre is home to more than 1000 University of the Third Age (U3A) members who use it every weekday. Also using the centre are two church groups, two programs that provide meals for children, and community groups that hire the hall. U3A…
THE word “restaurant” has disappeared from the website of a Red Hill business that may have breached Green Wedge planning regulations. Mornington Peninsula Shire officers last month recommended councillors seek an enforcement order from the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) against the Green Olive of Red Hill for not complying with its operating permit. Environment protection and community safety manager Claire Smith last week no complaints had been received about any other restaurants. The Green Olive is on a 10 hectare block and under the planning regulations no restaurant can operate on land under 40 hectares. In 2008 owners Sue…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors last week agreed to the Skylift gondolas at Arthurs Seat being painted a bright blue. Cr Tim Wood, a retired County Court judge, argued that councillors had “no jurisdiction” to deal with the matter because they had not been provided with the colour and texture schedule as directed by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Other councillors at the 22 June meeting said the colour depicted in illustrations that Skylift supplied was not named and that it did not, as VCAT required, “complement the natural landscape”. Councillors favouring the colour said it would blend with or…
MORNINGTON Botanical Rose Gardens’ volunteers can take a bow. Their efforts have been acknowledged by an Award of Garden Excellence from judges at the 17th World Rose Convention in Lyon, France. The 39 members of the World Federation of Rose Societies have confirmed that, while there are many wonderful rose gardens around the world, some are truly exceptional from a historical, educational and/or visual point of view. One of them is at Mornington. From 1995, the World Federation of Rose Societies has recognised the best of these outstanding rose gardens for the award. Of the three recipients in Australia all…
THREE Mornington Peninsula Shire representatives headed to Canberra this month for the National General Assembly hosted by the Australian Local Government Association. Mayor Cr Bev Colomb, deputy mayor Cr Graham Pittock and Cr Hugh Fraser attended the three-day annual conference for council delegates from across the nation on 14-17 June. Cr Colomb described the yearly meeting as “a great opportunity” for council to meet federal government ministers and their staff to highlight challenges faced by the Mornington Peninsula community. “It is also a great opportunity to gain a better understanding of potential funding sources for local government going forward, to…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has saved almost $700,000 by putting its insurance out to tender rather than staying with MAV Insurance, a company associated with the Municipal Association of Victoria, the peak body of local government. The windfall was revealed last Wednesday when councillors approved the budget for 2014-15 with its expected rate increase of 5.9 per cent and no change to the municipal charge of $180, which ratepayer groups claim is a regressive fee as all ratepayers have to pay it whether they own property in Portsea and Flinders or Rosebud and Hastings. The shire had allocated almost $1.5 million…
Venue: Hastings Hub, 22 June 2015. Fine buffet, but spartan for the discerning vegetarian, with carnivores far more generously catered for. A restrained dessert; sugar addicts could fall back on soft drink. A dearth of orange juice. THIS being Cerberus ward’s turn to host what is now its sole annual community meeting, parish news was to the fore. There was a big footpath scheme for Somers, good news on the Stony Point rail line’s level crossings, bad news on hoon motorbikes in Hastings (they’re getting worse) and more good news on the Warringine boardwalk. The popular boardwalk, destroyed in last…
WE are compelled to hold over a number of items of news till our next issue, owing to pressure on our space. *** MR Sheridan received the welcome news on Monday, by cable, from his son Percy, from the front, dated June 24th, that he was quite well. *** WE call special attention to an advertisement in another column in connection with the Recruiting movement. It will be seen that energetic action has been taken since the preliminary public meeting was held in Frankston on Monday evening last. It will be noted also that meetings will be held at…
PENINSULA LEAGUE MT ELIZA has an enormous amount of work to do if it is going to win that elusive Peninsula League premiership in 2015 after a poor showing against Frankston YCW on Saturday. It was billed as the match of the season. Fact is, it was an absolute fizzer. The ball spent more than 70 per cent of the game in the Stonecats’ front half of the ground and 37 scoring shots to 20 was a reasonable tale of the afternoon. The home side had 60 inside 50m entries to the opposition’s 31, while boasting 33 clearances to 17.…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Nepean Football League is about to face its biggest change in the history of the competition. Last Friday night (June 26), Peninsula League clubs supported the Nepean League clubs and issued the MPNFL Board with a ‘Notice of No Confidence’. There were eight of the 10 Peninsula League clubs who supported the vote of no confidence with both Mt Eliza and Frankston YCW not supporting the motion. Between the competitions, 19 of the 22 clubs (Somerville abstained from the vote) have demanded change. They only needed support of 75 per cent of clubs. A Special General Meeting will…
NEPEAN LEAGUE ROSEBUD proved once and for all on Saturday that it is right in the mix for the 2015 Nepean League premiership. In the match of the round, the Buds opened up an early break and despite Hastings getting within ten points late in the clash, the home side was able to put on the afterburners and boot five goals to two in the last to win 17.15 (117) to 11.11 (77). The Buds have now won six matches on the trot, their only losses coming at the hands of Rye in the opening game of the season and…