Month: June 2015

PREPARATIONS are well underway for this year’s Arthurs Seat Challenge fun run from Rosebud to the top of Arthurs Seat. At last week’s event launch students from Woodleigh School, Mt Eliza Secondary College, Toorak College and Rosebud Secondary College spoke about the benefits of the Fit 2 Drive program funded by the challenge. They said the program gave them skills that they would carry with them throughout their entire time as young road users. People aged 18- 24 years are the most at risk group on the roads, with P-platers in their first year of driving, being 30 times more…

AROUND 2000 students from 22 schools will attend three Teenagers Road Accident Group presentations at the Peninsula Community Theatre this month. Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Robert Hill will be guest speaker on Tuesday 28 July. The first, on Monday 15 June, will host eight schools and 616 students; the next day (Tuesday) eight schools and 795 students and the third, on Tuesday 28 July, six schools and 589 students. The message could save their lives. Project manager Cindy Last said TRAG’s innovative program gives the students an insight into the dangers of modern driving. Speakers consist of CFA, ambulance and…

WORK to redevelop Andrew Kerr Frail and Aged Care Complex in Mornington is set to start as early as July. The much-anticipated start comes after almost four years of negotiations with Mornington Peninsula Shire as well as debate over the future of Glenbank, the 1875 Italianate mansion at the heart of the complex on the corner of Barkly St and Tanti Ave. The not-for-profit company initially wanted to demolish Glenbank but faced stiff opposition from the shire, neighbours, other Mornington residents, historical societies and the peninsula branch of National Trust. It withdrew its demolition application in early 2013 and, encouraged…

A MORNINGTON Marine Rescue Victoria volunteer has been awarded the Emergency Service Medal (ESM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. The list recognises a diverse range of contributions and service across all fields, including professional endeavours, community service, Defence and Emergency Services personnel, and acts of bravery. Michael John Turner, of Mornington, began his community work in 1990 with the then Mornington Community Bay Rescue Service. He has taken a key role in provisioning and maintaining boats and equipment, as well as turning out and managing the vessels. Along the way he has taken a lead role in mentoring young members…

Detectives from Frankston Embona Task Force are appealing for information following an attempted armed robbery on Thursday 4 June in Hastings. Investigators have been told a man with a tyre iron entered the service station on Frankston Flinders Road just after 2am. He approached the male attendant and demanded cash from the till before attempting to jump the counter. The attendant pushed the man back before the offender tried to strike him with the tyre iron but missed. The offender then ran out of the shop and into a waiting late model white Holden station wagon being driven by another…

Victoria Police have announced the approval of a $1 million for information to help solve the 1985 murder of  Rosebud woman, Helen Victoria McMahon. Around 3.30pm on February 13, the  48-year-old was found deceased at the Rye back beach near Dundas Street. Police believe she drove her green Toyota Celica along Dundas Street, Rye before parking it in the public car park. She then walked to the beach to sunbake. Her body was found wrapped in a blood soaked beach towel by a passer-by, her post-mortem revealed she died from head injuries. Police Commander Doug Fryer said he hopes the announcement of…

Rosebud Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating a jewellery store burglary. Officers have been told a late model Suzuki Swift was parked near a jewellery store on Ocean Beach Road in Sorrento around 3.30am on Tuesday June 3. Three offenders got out of the car and one of them produced an axe and used it to gain entry to the store. Once inside a second offender, armed with a shopping bag, joined the first and the two removed jewellery and other items from display cases before leaving. The third offender stayed with the car during the burglary. Police believe that…

PENINSULA LEAGUE WITH two minutes left on the clock on Saturday, Pines was six points in front of Bonbeach and looked like they were going to hold on for the win. A Pines kick across the body towards the new clubrooms end pushed across the face of goal and gave back possession of the footy to Bonbeach. The Sharks moved the ball quickly to the far end of Bonbeach Recreation Reserve and again Pines were able to cause a stoppage. With just seconds left in the game, the ball was thrown up inside attacking 50 for the Sharks. Paul Lewis,…

HASTINGS FNC – By Phil Stone, club president SENIORS REPORT GOING down to Red Hill was always going to be a test for the Blues. We started the game slowly and Red Hill got a few goals ahead and looked like they were going to kick away. We were able to weather the storm and scored were level at quarter time. Our tackles were down in the first quarter and the focus for the rest of the game was to get our pressure up. We were able to do this with 19 tackles in the second quarter, 28 tackles in the…

CRIB POINT FC – By Jared Newton MONEY can buy you good footballers, however it can’t buy you passion. Three Crib Point sides ventured down to Sorrento, three sides trailed all day, three sides pinched the lead with less than ten minutes to go, and three sides managed to hold on and win in what will go down as one of the more memorable home and away matches for the Pies in a long time. The fire and passion which has only been present in patches presented all day and the results fell the Magpies way. The win could be the…

THE shire’s cultural heritage officer Adam Magennis has presented to deputy mayor Cr Graham Pittock a painting of Aboriginal motifs inspired by Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali. The gift was to mark the council’s annual presentation of the Reconciliation progress report as well as recognition of National Reconciliation Week 2015. Other activities included a smoking ceremony and ceremonial dancing. Mr Magennis – a qualifed archaeologist who advises shire planners, government agencies and developers about cultural heritage management – said his work contained everything from “insects in the soil to stars in the galaxy”, and included elements such as “surf at…

COMMENT – By Jenny Warfe PHOTOS of recent erosion at Portsea beach show what happens when supposed experts ignore the fundamental laws of nature, and continue to throw millions of dollars of taxpayers’ funds at Bandaid “solutions” to complex issues. Sadly, these costly and useless efforts have been driven by government feeling it must respond to the shrill demands from various vested interests to “do something” to save the beach. Well, it hasn’t worked so what now? These hapless, ill-informed works to mitigate the damage have “hardened up” the coastline with sandbags and rocks, but have just moved the problem down…

PUBLIC comment is being sought on a proposed speed reduction in Coolart Rd, between Baxter and Balnarring. VicRoads is assessing a cut in speeds from 90kph to 80kph as “speed is a big contributing factor to the safety along this road”. It says the possible reduction is supported by Victoria Police and Mornington Peninsula Shire. The 17.4 kilometre stretch of rural road between Frankston-Flinders Rd, Baxter and Frankston-Flinders Rd, Balnarring has “a significant crash history”, VicRoads says. In the five years from January 2010 to December 2014 it was the scene of 32 crashes in which people sustained injuries -…

POLICE have all but confirmed there will be no public service counter at the soon-to-be-opened Somerville police station. Acting chief commissioner Tim Cartwright says he does not think the demand will justify taking police away from neighbouring police stations. “My judgement is that I would prefer to have those members available for patrols to Somerville and surrounding areas rather than take them from the neighbouring stations to provide a counter service which I do not think justifies the commitment,” Mr Cartwright told the public accounts and estimates committee on 12 May, adding that a final decision had yet to be…

FORMER police officer turned business and life coach Ruth Cyster-Stuettgen wants women to know they can have a bright future no matter how dark the present can be. The mother-of-three has turned her life around after leaving an abusive situation and has written a book called From Misery to Mastery: Journey to Freedom and Empowerment as a guide for anyone who has “ever felt lost, helpless or scared of what your life has become”. She hopes the book can find an audience with “women who are suffering in silence behind closed doors” and give women tips and strategies to empower…

MOOROODUC Primary principal Peter Quigley is getting ready to choose architects for a new teacher resource centre and administration block funded by a $1 million grant allocated in the recent state budget. “The $1 million is certain,” he said. “It is to be fully funded within the next months. We have done quite well.” However, Mornington MP David Morris doubts that the full amount needed for the new buildings will come through. “Promises have been made to a great many schools, the projects promised far exceed the funds available. Let’s hope Moorooduc is not one of them  … but the…

A RYE mother’s complaint about her daughters being made to pick up rubbish in the schoolyard has collected plenty of comment on social media. Messages posted on the Facebook page of the Mornington Peninsula News Group (publisher of The News) ran hot with comments for and against – well, mostly against –Lisa Stone. (“Mother’s call for safety first in schoolyard clean-ups”, The News 26/5/2015). In the article, Ms Stone complained about each of her three daughters being asked by teachers to pick up litter “with their bare hands” in the grounds of Rye Primary School. She acknowledged collecting rubbish and…

THE Opposition is accusing the state government of lying over its claim to be searching for the best site for Victoria’s second container port. The Labor government has all but backed away from choosing Western Port and is overseeing the slow demise of the Port of Hastings Development Authority (PoHDA). And now, with its intention of leasing the Port of Melbourne for 50 years with a guarantee of compensation if there is competition from another major port, the government appears to have abandoned its plan for another container port. The greatly diminished PoHDA says it is investigating investment opportunities for…

THE shire has more than 250 unsealed car parks and asphalting the 25 at the top of a newly created priority list could take up to 15 years and cost $10 million. These and other mind-boggling statistics were presented to the council at its 25 May meeting in Rosebud when councillors wrestled with the usefulness or otherwise of the shire’s new “Unmade car park construction strategy”. A large number of resident complaints are generated by unsealed car parks scattered throughout the 720-square kilometre shire with its 42 townships. Residents ring and complain about potholes. They complain about dust in summer…

ROSEBUD Primary School teacher Evan Rutherford has come up with a handy resource for teachers and schools called EzStaff. The IT teacher put his technological knowledge to good use by designing an app to easily and efficiently connect schools with available casual relief teachers. “I designed EzStaff to assist both teachers and schools,” Mr Rutherford said, who lives at Tootgarook. “Teachers get to choose where they work while dictating their own availability and how far they want to travel from home. “Schools can browse each teacher’s profile, match their skills and experience to the school’s needs, and then book them…

SHIRE councillors have abolished the council committee that deals with major planning matters on the Mornington Peninsula. The Development Assessments Com-mittee (DAC) was scrapped via a late-night Notice of Motion at the council meeting in Rosebud on Monday 25 May. Planning matters will now be dealt with at ordinary council meetings. The motion was put up by Cr Hugh Fraser who has pushed for what he calls the streamlining of council processes and procedures since last October. This was when the balance of power on the council changed following the election of Cr Tim Wood, who replaced Frank Martin. When…

WORK has started on Mornington’s long-awaited Gateway Park on the corner of Barkly and Gordon streets. The park was first proposed in the Mornington Structure Plan of 2007 along with several other public spaces. At one stage the shire erected a sign proclaiming work would start in 2008. Since then there has been a drawn-out process that included the shire seeking public feedback in 2009, another round in 2011, and a plan being shown to residents in September 2011. Perennial Mornington Peninsula Shire contractor Maw Civil started on the multi-stage project mid-May and the stage two work is expected to…

DRIVERS who think it’s OK to leave handbags, wallets or money in cars parked in residential streets or driveways should think again. That’s the advice from police on the Mornington Peninsula who are frustrated that thefts from vehicles are on the rise again – with almost 70 offences committed in a recent three-week period. “Most of these vehicles were left unsecured with money and valuables clearly on display,” Detective Acting Sergeant Rob Vine, of Rosebud CIU, said. “We are seeing many thefts where thieves are particularly looking for mobile phones, wallets and handbags which contain identification and credit cards, which…

A FEMALE driver in her mid-30s was lucky to escape serious injury when her car hit an embankment and flipped onto its roof on Nepean Hwy, near Mt Eliza Way, on Thursday night. The Mornington woman, in a Kia Rio sedan, was trapped upside down for about 10 minutes and appeared to be in a state of shock. Leading Senior Constable Ron Trainer, of Mornington police, and an off-duty officer from Frankston, arrived soon after and climbed into the car to unhook the woman’s seatbelt. She was taken to Frankston hospital by ambulance but discharged herself on Friday morning. “A…

FIVE unregistered motorbikes have been destroyed after being seized by police. The vehicles were among nine mini-bikes, motorbikes and one motorised scooter impounded under an amendment to a Mornington Peninsula local law that imposes a $500 release fee. Just four of the motorbikes were reclaimed by their owners who came from Hastings, Bittern, Crib Point, Tyabb, Rosebud and Mornington. “None of the bikes crushed were able to be registered as they were not in a roadworthy condition,” Claire Smith, the shire’s environment protection and community safety manager, said. Police were given power to seize the unregistered recreational vehicles when the…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is spending millions of dollars to reduce the risk of flooding with big projects completed or about to start in Mt Eliza and Mornington. They are part of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s $30 million, 10-year Local Integrated Drainage Strategy or LIDS, which the shire says will “flood map” the entire peninsula, “implement a capital [works] flood mitigation program” after the mapping has been completed, and develop planning overlays to “protect future development”. About $1.5 million has been spent in Mt Eliza shopping precinct, which included: A new rubbish “interceptor” beside Canadian Bay Rd near the community centre to remove…

A RATEPAYERS association and an animal rights political party are lined up against the alleged poor treatment of cats at Mornington Peninsula Shire’s pound. The clash involves the banning of two volunteers from the pound in Watt Rd, Mornington, in February, amid claims the building had been “ignored by the shire and is dilapidated, dangerous and does not comply with the code of practice for the operation of shelters”. Doris Campbell of the Mornington Peninsula Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association wrote to shire CEO Carl Cowie in April saying $250,000 in the council’s 2014-15 budget for a cattery “has not gone…

Mornington Peninsula Shire community council meeting, Rosebud Memorial Hall, 25 May 2015. No personal account can be given of the meal, but it was up to the usual high standard, according to usually reliable sources. THIS is a Council Listen rather than a Council Watch, as your correspondent was absent from the meeting. But there’s always the shire’s recording, which is posted on its website a few days later. So let’s soak up the drama and atmosphere without actually having been there. Unsealed car parks appeared a straightforward agenda item until it was pointed out the shire had more than 250 across…

MESSRS Brody and Mason will hold their usual monthly sale at Somerville on Wednesday next, for which they invite entries. *** Messrs Alex Scott and Co will hold their monthly sale at Tanti on Monday next, when they will offer for sale a good yarding of cattle, sheep and sundries. *** Mr S. S. Price, dentist of Melbourne, will visit Frankston for the convenience of patients on Sunday, June 13th, and may be seen at Garrood’s Prince of Wales Hotel. *** Mrs J. Reynolds, of Bay St Frankston has on view in the window a “towel tidy” which she intends…

OPINION THE time has come for Peninsula and Nepean Football Leagues to take control. The farsical nature of the handling of the Player Points System issue this week by the MPNFL highlighted the fact that the current administration of the league is incapable of governing effectively. The member clubs’ appointed MPNFL Board is also incapable of providing the necessary direction to their appointed administration. The time has come for Nepean and Peninsula clubs to cease complaining about the constant poor administration of their league administration and stop accepting mediocrity. It’s time for the clubs to demand strong leadership and direction…