Month: July 2015

INDIGENOUS artist Bob Kelly, of Rye, was named Artist of the Year at the annual NAIDOC Ball at Mornington Racecourse on Friday 3 July. The event heralded the start of NAIDOC Week, a major happening on the Indigenous calendar, with events across the country celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contributions to our way of life. This year’s theme was: “We all stand on sacred ground – learn, respect and celebrate”. Djirri Djirri dancers performed traditional dance, accompanied by the didgeridoo, before the crowd of 250. Among the guests were Mornington Peninsula mayor Cr Bev Colomb, Cr Tim Rodgers, shire…

THE shire council approved the controversial $135 million RACV resort expansion at Cape Schanck at its meeting on Monday night last week in front of a packed and sometimes unruly gallery dominated by resort opponents. Just four councillors were needed to approve the development, which was first publicly proposed in mid-2013. The council was reduced from 11 to seven councillors with three absent (Tim Wood, whose ward covers the resort, Lynn Bowden and Hugh Fraser) and one declaring a conflict of interest and leaving the council chamber, Graham Pittock (who has shares in the National Golf Club, which adjoins the…

NEPEAN LEAGUE With just six rounds before the end of the MPNFL Nepean Division season, former Devon Meadows coach and radio RPP commentator Brent Clinnick assesses the chances of the six sides still in the premiership hunt. Here is Clinnick’s views on the clubs looking to claim the 2015 Premiership. Rosebud FC Impressive. Really starting to come together Loved the balance between attack and defence versus Red Hill Midfield depth is strong, but just how much impact will the Rob Forest injury have? Also the Nick Jewell situation, what effect on the group will it have for the remainder of the…

PENINSULA LEAGUE EDITHVALE-ASPENDALE proved that it cannot be discounted in the race for the Peninsula League premiership after thrashing Pines by 72 points in Saturday. The Eagles were relentless from the first bounce, opening-up a three goal break at quarter time before smashing seven goals to four in the second quarter to open-up a 36-point break. The home side was unrelenting in the second half also, booting four goals to one in the third and six goals to two in the last, eventually winning 24.11 (155) to 11.17 (83). You could sense the week before against Langwarrin that the Eagles…

NEPEAN LEAGUE RED Hill has been knocked out of the top five after going down to Rye on Saturday. The Hillmen were blown away in the third quarter by a much-improved Rye outfit and were never able to recover, going down 16.4 (100) to 11.10 (76). Red Hill’s place in the top bracket has been snatched by Sorrento, who led all day to beat top of the table Rosebud. Rye’s three big guns in Nathan Henley, Kris Bardon and Ryan Mullett were superb for the Demons on Saturday, responding to criticism that they, along with some of their teammates, were…

HOMELESSNESS is a growing concern across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula. SalvoCare records show there were 2,200 “unique clients” seeking emergency housing in Frankston in 2012-13 and 600 “repeat clients”. Volunteer organisation Community Support Frankston reports 444 people with no fixed address needed help from the agency last year, up from 292 in 2013. Christian Youth and Community group Fusion Australia is turning the spotlight on the problem of youth homelessness with a fundraiser that also aims to show people what it means to sleep out in rough conditions. A ‘Sleep In Your Car’ fundraiser will be held at Mornington…

IT’S doctor’s orders, really, that bring Taffy out onto the street on a regular basis. The 10-year-old small horse had a hoof complaint and, when being looked at by the vet, was also judged to be a bit overweight. So, regular exercise was seen as being part of the cure. Taffy, hauling a jinker containing his owner Simone Kelly, have become a regular sight along the Esplanade and side streets in Mt Martha. “It’s amazing how many people stop to chat, especially parents with little children,” Ms Kelly said. “He’s very well trained and we’ve had no big frights, although…

THE Luke Batty Foundation and Mornington Freemasons are joining forces to combat family violence. Lodge Master Edy Wilfling said the Freemasons had been supporting community groups on the peninsula for 125 years and wanted to raise $125,000 for the Luke Batty Foundation, which was established last year after his tragic death. “Everyone in Australia was hugely affected by the manner in which Luke was killed and communities from far and wide responded generously by sending his mum, Rosie, hundreds of cards, beautiful flowers, and donations large and small,” he said. Now, Lodge members have created “Lewis the Bear” to assist…

MR S. S. Price, dentist, will visit Frankston this week end, July 25th. *** AT the last meeting of the Frankston Fire Brigade, it was resolved to donate £5 towards the Country Fire Brigade Ambulance Fund. *** THE following is the result of the Art Union, drawn at Cranbourne on July 15th, in aid of the Cranbourne Belgian Relief Fund :—First prize, No 773 ; second, 686; third, 877 : fourth, 798 ; fifth, 47 ; sixth, 739. *** A prominent store, at Somerville, is  being repainted. It has had a large sign with “Shell spirit for motors” upon it.…

THE southbound freeway service centre on Peninsula Link at Baxter is scheduled to open on Thursday. It will end controversy that has lasted more than five years and saw Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors butt heads with the well-connected developer AA Holdings as well as former roads minister Terry Mulder and former planning minister Matthew Guy, who approved an amendment to the shire’s planning scheme to enable the centres to be built and ignored the shire council’s desire to stop commercial buildings in the green wedge. The southbound servo is a “twin” and its northbound version will likely open in December.…

RIDE-SHARING business Uber has highlighted a lack of public transport options across the Mornington Peninsula in a submission to the state government asking for its controversial uberX service to be legalised. US based Uber, backed by corporate giants such as Google and investment bank Goldman Sachs, launched its unregulated uberX service across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula late last year (‘Uber’s arrival challenges taxi operators’, The News 20/1/15). Licenced taxi operators and drivers are angry that authorities have failed to stop Uber operating illegally in Victoria although the Taxi Services Commission has charged 11 Uber drivers with allegedly driving “a…

STATE ports minister Luke Donnellan is this week expected to announce the completion date of the $15 million Mornington pier replacement project. The long-awaited opening of the 75-metre, new outer section is unlikely to match the pomp and circumstance surrounding the opening of the original pier in the late 1850s attended by many of the 2600 residents in the district. The genesis of a pier at Schnapper Point (as Mornington was called until 1864) occurred in 1856 when a Ports and Harbours Commission looking into the state of piers in the colony of Victoria met prominent citizens of the town…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is calling for an “urgent meeting” with the state government over the effects of its plans to lease the Port of Melbourne. Under the terms of the lease being considered by the government, it will promise not to allow another competitive port to be built for at least 50 years, effectively ending plans for a container port at Hastings. Instead, the government wants Hastings to be used as a “bulk” port, adding processed brown coal to the existing trade in petroleum products and natural gas. The call for talks by the shire comes after similar concerns raised…

ARGUMENTS over the dismantling of a timber retaining wall and removal of vegetation along a quiet Mt Martha street has resulted in a family feeling “vilified” by shire officers who are “rude, hostile, incompetent and unwilling to admit their mistakes”. The 1.7 metre wall was a sticking point between neighbours who claimed it stopped them from using a road reserve in Potts Lane and Grandview Terrace. Mornington Peninsula Shire last week replaced the wall with a row of bollards, stating it “was inappropriately constructed within the road reserve which is not acceptable to the shire”. However, property owners Karen Williams…

TOXIC foam produced in large amounts during strong winds in May killed coastal vegetation at Mt Eliza like it had been sprayed with weedkiller. The foam is generated when a high tide coincides with a strong west-northwest wind. It is whipped up by the wind and waves, and blown inland. The most recent event was during the big blow on 6 May and results of scientific tests just released reveal the foam contained anionic surfactants (used in detergents) and hydrocarbons (mostly found in crude oil and then refined into fuels). Foam and foam residue samples were collected by Jeff Yugovic…

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a car at the bottom of a cliff in Flinders this morning. The car was found by members of the public, near the Flinders Blowhole on Blowhole Track and Boneo Road just before 11am. Sadly a man has been found deceased in the car. Search and Rescue members are heading to the scene to co-ordinate the recovery of the body. CFA and Victoria State Emergency Service personnel are also on the scene. Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime…

FRANKSTON detectives have released a still image of a man they would like to talk to over a robbery at Mornington’s Thirsty Camel liquor outlet, 1.40pm, Friday 10 July. Detective Senior Constable Marty O’Brien, of the Embona Armed Robbery Task Force, said the man was aged 40-45, 175cm tall, medium build and Australian. He was wearing a black hoodie top with white draw strings, dark coloured pants, black beanie and dark wrap-around sunglasses. The man strode into the outlet at 1000 Nepean Hwy with what is believed to have been a hammer hidden inside his jacket. He demanded the sole…

NEPEAN LEAGUE PEARCEDALE leapfrogged Crib Point on the MPNFL Nepean Division ladder on Saturday after coming from behind to earn a 17 point victory. The Magpies, who played in a grand final against Sorrento last year, are now second bottom on the ladder with just two wins for the season. The Pies led by 18 points at three quarter time on Saturday after booting six goals to one in the third, however, couldn’t sustain the momentum in the last. Pearcedale, through the likes of Michael Williams, who played his best game for the season with four goals, snagged five goals…

CRIB POINT FC – By Jared Newton CRIB Point’s nightmare season continued as they failed to break their Tractor Park hoodoo for another year in a 17 point loss to the Panthers. In difficult conditions the Pies and the Panthers were locked in a tight tussle for much of the game with several momentum swings throughout. Pearcedale had the upper hand in a tight first half before Crib Point exploded in the third term with a 6.4 quarter, slamming home five unanswered goals on the back of dominance from Beau Monty up forward, Brad Davidson across half back and Luke Herrington…

HAIR About Town will be doing their bit to end slavery as part of the annual Style for Life Day later this month. Now in its third consecutive year, the national event will see Hair About Town open its doors to cut, colour or style as many customers’ hair as possible. All proceeds from the day will be donated to not-for profit organisation, Hagar. Hagar is an international charity that works to restore the lives of women and children who have survived severe human rights abuse including rape, paedophilia and modern slavery. With housing and education centres in Cambodia, Afghanistan…

IT was a sea of green in Hastings on Sunday 12 July, as a large crowd braved bitter cold and driving rain to remember Hastings jeweller Dermot O’Toole. Sunday marked two years to the day since his murder and the laneway O’Toole Way that now bears his name stands as testament to a much-loved man whose life was taken by a savage and cold-blooded murderer. There were tears for Dermot, but also laughs as the family reflected on the wonderful times. An air of uncertainty still hangs heavily over the family as they fight for justice for Dermot. Last October,…

IT has been a record year for whale sightings in and around Western Port. Nearly 80 sightings of mostly humpback whales have been reported in the bay, from near Crib Point, Phillip Island and Sea Rocks. Others have been spotted off Mornington Peninsula surf beaches. With the whale spotting season ending next month (August) Dolphin Research Institute executive director Jeff Weir said the increasing number of whales “is consistent with the population of humpback whales still recovering from the days of commercial whaling”. The whales have provided a pleasant added extra for passengers on the French Island ferry as well…

FLINDERS MP and Environment Minister Greg Hunt is scheduled to begin his fourth 500 kilometre walk around his electorate next week – this time hoping to raise at least $25,000 for autism research. Although he’ll be out of his office for nearly three weeks, any urgent business from Canberra or affecting Australia’s environment will be handled by Mr Hunt while he is on the road. His first 500km sponsored electorate walk in 2004 raised $65,000 for diabetes research, a second walk for diabetes in 2007 raised $55,000 and his third third walk in 2011 raised $35,864 for the Abacus Learning…

MT MARTHA artist Bill Caldwell has seven works in this year’s Twenty Melbourne Painters Society’s exhibition. The society – membership by invitation only – has held an exhibition each year since 1918. This will be the 13th year in a row that Caldwell has entered works in the exhibition. His entries – six oils and one pastel – range from a portrait of former Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Antonella Celi, which he entered in last year’s Archibald prize, to a seascape looking from McCrae towards Mt Martha and a still life pastel. Caldwell, above, is pictured with Sign of the…

MEMBERS of some of the bands battling it out on the peninsula this year weren’t born when the FReeZA program started in 1997. Musicians, bands, duos and solo artists are being invited to enter the annual Mornington Peninsula Push Start Battle of the Bands. Presented by the young members of the Impakt Freeza committee, with assistance from Mornington Peninsula Shire’s youth services team, the event will be held at Peninsula Community Theatre in Mornington on 21 August. The winner will represent the peninsula in the southeast regional finals. The competition is open to people aged under 21 who live, work…

THE crime may be old, but Frankston police hope public assistance will help them find a man who held up the Blairgowrie Pharmacy with a handgun at 9.05am on 5 May 2012. The thief, who escaped with cash and drugs,  is described as being in his late 20s, Caucasian, 170-175cm tall and of medium build. He left behind a navy blue Chrome Tech tool carry bag. The bag has the words ‘SAMUEL J II written inside. Anyone who can identify the owner of the bag or has information about the armed robbery should call Frankston Embona Taskforce on 9784 5590…

MOTORCYCLISTS from Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula joined about 300 riders outside Parliament House on Saturday last week to protest anti-association laws being introduced by state governments in Tasmania and South Australia. They follow the so-called Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment (VLAD) laws introduced in Queensland by the Newman government in 2013. Riders also protested in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra where they rode around Parliament House. Co-organiser Dale Maggs of the Freedom Riders Association, who is known to many people in the region through his former role organising Christmas toy runs, said riders would stand together to prevent any…

THE final two hooded plover chicks to hatch on the Mornington Peninsula in the 2014-15 breeding season died just days before they were able to fly. An autopsy done at Deakin University revealed one chick was killed by a dog and the second drowned, possibly frightened into the water when its mate was attacked. They were about five days away from fledging (being able to fly). They would have been the fifth and sixth birds to survive on the peninsula this year. The deaths devastated Friends of the Hooded Plover, who were confident the birds had a higher chance of…

MORNINGTON student Eddie Swan scored plenty of goals on the basketball court and now he has scored them academically at an American university. The 19-year-old former Padua College student has been offered a full athletics scholarship to Eastern Wyoming College in the United States’ mid-west. The scholarship – to study law, sports science or communications – is valued at $150,000 over four years. Eddie completed Year 12 last year and played representative basketball for Mornington Breakers as a “small forward” – even though his height is 203cm (six feet eight inches). Height runs in the family: dad Phil is six…

OPPONENTS of the planned Arthurs Seat Skylift gondola plan a last-ditch appeal to the state planning tribunal to minimise the impact it will have on the precinct’s heritage landscape. They will ask the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to clarify when the project’s emergency management and bushfire plans must be released – before construction starts or before the ride begins operating. A second matter the opponents, members of Save Our Seat (SOS), will raise with VCAT is the gondola colour that shire councillors approved at their meeting on 22 June. SOS spokeswoman Alison Laird described the bright blue permitted for…