MAIN Ridge Pony Club and Nepean Equestrian Club members were jumping for joy at the opening of their water jump complex at the Main Ridge Equestrian Ground, Baldry’s Rd, last Friday (December 11). This comes after a year of appealing for help from the community, businesses and organisations for the project which was identified by a government study as an essential component of the environmental protection at the ground. “Its achievement – only 12 months on – is very much thanks to the many partners who came on board, especially businesses and individuals who donated money, materials and/or labour, to…
Day: December 14, 2015
TALENT, originality and audience appeal were the rather subjective tasks judges were asked to assess at last month’s second Rosebud Buskfest. Musicians, dancers, singers, puppeteers and circus performers were on the street performing for the $1000 cash prize. While the judges roamed shoppers stopped to stare, appreciate and applaud. Top act was duo Deer Prudence (Mariah McCarthy and Georgia Delves). The over-14 group was Those Kids (Bethany Shields and Drew Alsop). Dancer Santhini Barratt won the adult solo performer section and the junior category was shared by singer/song writer, Fox Deroche, with Jarrett and Holly Sweeney on keyboards. Pictures: Yanni…
SINCE its relaunch in January the Sorrento-based Tuckey Track Friends Group has been restoring habitat along the two kilometre track and reserve. “The commitment of our core members and having the support of the wider community when we need it, make our achievements possible,” convenor Julie Corridon said. Despite some protection from planning overlays the track was under pressure from planned developments. “Recent discussions of plans for a large scale development and heliport adjacent to Tuckey Track in Ivanhoe St, Sorrento, and the Mornington Peninsula National Park, have further raised residents’ concerns,” Ms Corridon said. “Other subdivision plans along the…
UP and coming skateboarder Charlotte Heath, of Arthur’s Seat, is taking her skating skills to new heights. Last week she received a youth encouragement award after success in the Phruntside Skate Park Jam competition at Mansfield. Charlotte, 8, was presented with her award by Hayley Wilson, under-14 Australian female skateboarding champion. They know each other, with Charlotte skating with her idol for the past season in the North Western Skateboarding Series. Wilson says she sees a future for Charlotte in the sport, with the youngster able to compete successfully against girls nearly twice her age – after skating for only…
CAR parking fees at Frankston Hospital have been condemned as “exorbitant” by Frankston councillors. Councillors unanimously voted to write to the board of Peninsula Health and Health Minister Jill Hennessy to ask fees be reviewed amid council concerns about “excessive parking fees”. Cr Suzette Tayler said she had been shocked at the price of parking at Frankston Hospital on two recent visits. She said she had been charged $9 for a one hour and 10 minute stay. “I think it’s really important as a council to stand up and say something about the fees that are being asked for Frankston…
RYE traders are confident strategically placed CCTV surveillance cameras will give them the upper hand over crime. The cameras are part of a deal involving Rye Beach Business Association and Mornington Peninsula Shire offering rebates to traders buying their own cameras. The shire has granted the association $48,000 over two years to pay up to $1500 – or 50 per cent of the camera costs. The minimum CCTV package is $2425, putting a trader’s out-of-pocket expense at $1212. The cameras are already paying dividends, with two women filmed allegedly stealing the morning’s bread delivery from Imola Red Cafe. The cameras…
TREE clearing has started to make way for the Skylift and its string of gondolas running up to the summit of Arthurs Seat. The first trees to go were near the summit, opening up the vista and removing what has previously been seen as natural foreground for scenic snapshots. While there is no doubt the $16 million project will proceed, unresolved matters include the bushfire emergency plan and the final number of trees to be removed. The Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) gave permission for 26 trees to be removed, lopped or pruned. Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors were advised by…
BEWARE: Spider Crabs are coming to Rye! They’ve been spotted by members of Rye Beach Community Action Group near an arts’ project by Rye Primary School pupils. But relax: Their arrival is all part of a large mosaic art piece called: The invasion of the spider crabs, by artist Simon Normand. Mr Normand designed the artwork with assistance from the pupils during the mosaic process. It is on the wall of the toilet block facing the community playground, which also came about through the efforts of the action group. “We decided we wanted something beautiful for the Rye community and…
FLINDERS and Red Hill residents concerned by predictions of an intense fire danger season are meeting Mornington Peninsula Shire officers to discuss ways of making their communities safer. A blocked escape route is causing a double problem for residents of William and Bourke roads in Red Hill – residents cannot get out and fire vehicles cannot get into the area other than from Arthurs Seat Rd. It is believed the CFA is reluctant to enter parts of the area because of access problems. Twenty local residents met last month to discuss the blocked track that would enable them to reach…
SUB-DISTRICT Hastings will be digging deep for the win when it begins day two against Tyabb this Saturday. As the visitors, the Yabbies didn’t fare so well outside the familiar surroundings of the pond. The visitors lasted just 34.3 overs in their first innings and were bowled out for 55. Michael Edwards top scored with 14. 16-year-old Ryan McNamara was sensational for the Blues in only his third First XI game. McNamara bowled seven overs and finished with the impressive figures of 5/21. Luke Hewitt snared 2/2 and Mitchell Floyd 2/11 from 12 overs. The Blues didn’t do much better…
The Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League will be fielding only one team in the Vic Championships next season, shunning the traditional arrangement of both Nepean and Peninsula teams. AFL South East’s hand has been forced as AFL Victoria changed its Community Championships format to include both metropolitan and country leagues. In light of this decision, the AFL South East Commission decided that it would be in the best interest of the MPNFL to return to one representative side, ensuring they can compete strongly against the metropolitan leagues that have three or more divisions of players to select from. The MPNFL…
DISTRICT The Red Hill steam train shows no signs of slowing down after scoring 9/301 against Mt Martha on Saturday at the Red Hill Showgrounds. The Hillmen rely on no individual to win games of cricket, with all hands on deck whether batting, bowling or out in the field. After scoring more than 300 runs on Saturday, you’d be forgiven for assuming the likes of Simon Dart and Matt Merifield were amongst the runs. Either that or the Shaws, at the top of the order, dominated. But you should never assume anything with the Hillmen. While Riley Shaw did score…
PROVINCIAL Baxter has placed itself in a strong position to win its final match of 2015 against Somerville. Currently in eighth place on the MPCA Provincial ladder, a loss here would really put them behind the eight ball in 2016, leaving them at least two games out. With the competition so tight, picking up 24 points is a tall order. Nonetheless, the home side is most certainly in this contest after winning the toss and electing to bat. A 154-run partnership between Chris Brittain (79) and Dale Irving (76) really set Baxter up to post a solid total. With Ben…
THE star studded line up has just been announced! Peter Helliar from The Project, Michala Banas from Upper Middle Bogan, Damon Gameau – That Sugar Film, Acclaimed Australian Director Rob Connolly (Paper Planes and Balibo) and Actor Lachy Hulme will form the Peninsula Short Film Fest 2016 judging panel Held on Saturday February 6 at the Village Green Rosebud, the FREE outdoor film festival will showcase a selection of 12 short films. PSFF Festival Director, Steve Bastoni said there is still time to get your short film in for inclusion, “Entries have been extended until December 31 this year. The…
On the Beach considers the place of the beach within Australian life by bringing together paintings and photographs by some of Australia’s acclaimed Modernists with works by contemporary artists. The exhibition considers the ways in which people relate to the beach, its place in understandings of national identity and its history as a contested site. On the Beach features works by Arthur Boyd, Gordon Bennett, Daniel Boyd, Max Dupain, Charles Meere, Tracey Moffatt, David Moore, Sidney Nolan, Polixeni Papapetrou, John Perceval, Scott Redford, Jeffrey Smart, Albert Tucker, Guan Wei and Anne Zahalka. The exhibition also features a series of photographs…
A full report of the Shepherd-Jones wedding, at Tyabb will appear in our next issue. *** THE drawing for the suit from Messrs Lincoln Stuart of Melbourne will take place in Somerville Park on Saturday next, at the Garden Fete. *** THE Cigar bowl and tray raffled by Miss Butler in aid of Langwarrin Soldiers’ Xmas Dinner, was won by Mr A. Patterson, Davey St Frankston. *** MESSRS Brody and Mason will hold a clearing up sale of furniture and sundries at their rooms, Bay St, on Wednesday next, also a number of good lines of poultry. *** GOOD entries…
IN the 114-year history of the Royal Australian Navy, just five men have been awarded the George Cross, making them the Navy’s bravest of the brave. Although they are honoured individually at points across Australia there has never been a joint memorial to their heroism. That changed at Hastings on Saturday last week when Commodore Jack Rush, RFD, QC, unveiled a memorial tribute at Hastings Community Hub, Frankston-Flinders Rd. In a display of inter-service solidarity, he was accompanied by Army hero and VC winner Keith Payne. The tribute was prepared by the Victorian Maritime Centre to be part of a…
A SWEET and dainty backyard buddy on the Mornington Peninsula proves you just can’t judge a book by its cover. As breeding season kicks off for cute little fairy-wrens, so begins their long list of illicit affairs. There are nine species of fairy-wrens in Australia currently partnering for the breeding season. The most common wren in Victoria is the superb fairy-wren. “Fairy-wrens are super cute with beautiful feathers and have delightful personalities, so it’s no wonder the superb fairy-wren was voted Australia’s favourite bird,” said Susanna Bradshaw, CEO of the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife. “But behind their fluffy…
EMERGENCY relief for the homeless on the Mornington Peninsula received a welcome shot in the arm in May with a $5000 grant from StreetSmart. The money allowed Southern Peninsula Community Support and Information Centre to establish a food pantry to assist those at high risk of homelessness, or those that are homeless, with food, medication, transport and other material aid. The pantry provides basic food to make needy people’s lives as comfortable as possible. It assists them to achieve self-reliance, thus encouraging self-determination over their lives. And local businesses are eager to help: Through the DineSmart campaign restaurants Pizza D’Oh,…
LITTLE Tommies Early Learning Centre will be built in Mt Eliza as part of a state government $50 million investment in the early childhood sector. Eastern Victoria MP Daniel Mulino said $650,000 would be spent on the stand-alone facility at St Thomas More School, Canadian Bay Rd. The centre will provide 44 funded kindergarten places as well as 44 three-year-old places. “This grant will help give Mt Eliza families flexible, accessible and affordable early learning and care services,” Mr Mulino said. “The facility will foster supportive relationships for the wider community. It will offer opportunities for community learning and allow…
WAR veteran John Missen takes issue with the old adage ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks’: he’s nearly 90 and he’s just written his first novel. A Mornington resident for 20 years, Missen has written 450 pages of “historical romance” set in the Wimmera district of north-western Victoria in the 1950s. ‘A One Man Band’ was officially launched at Mornington Library, Saturday. “It’s the area of Victoria I remember best as a child,” he said. The book’s jacket says: “The hero, Eric Fergusson, travels from farm to farm with his mobile engineering workshop in an old Bedford truck,…
A FRANKSTON South man has been arrested and charged over a spate of trailer thefts in the Mt Eliza and Mt Martha areas. Police will allege the man, 25, stole four trailers and $20,000 worth of tradies tools over several weeks. Two of the trailers have been recovered. Detective Sergeant Mel Nixon, of Somerville Police Complex, urges tradies to identify their tools “anyway they can” to make returns easier. Engraving an owner’s name and address or driver’s licence number on their tools is easy and practical, she said. First published in the Mornington News – 15 December 2015
WORK will begin early next year to fix a collapsed path leading down the cliff to the northern end of Mills Beach, Mornington. Known as the Beleura cliff track, the path was closed for safety reasons after a landslide in 2013, although barriers erected by Mornington Peninsula Shire have been torn down and “track closed” notices ignored. A concerted effort to get the shire to repair the track was rewarded last week when the shire managed to find an extra $50,000. The state government last month announced it would give $50,000 towards the work, which was then matched by the…
MULTINATIONAL ride-sharing company Uber was knocked back from holding an “information session” at Mornington Secondary College last Tuesday evening. The purpose of the session included signing up new drivers. Acting principal Jim Papas confirmed the school had cancelled the booking once it became aware of the recent Melbourne Magistrates’ Court conviction and fine of an UberX driver for operating a commercial passenger vehicle illegally. “We decided not to associate with the service if it is illegal,” he said. Despite the knockback, Uber managed to move its session to The Grand Hotel. Uber spokesperson Katie Curran said: “We have hundreds of…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire mayor Graham Pittock has invited the public to attend an “open presentation” about the recent Paris climate talks. The invitation posted on the Mornington Peninsula New Group’s Facebook page comes after 17 mostly critical and derisive comments about the shire paying for the mayor to attend the international talks. However, with the page having more than 29,500 followers, the post could have seriously embarrassing results, with thousands potentially turning up either to hear the mayor discuss a serious topic or to be involved with the “drinks after” part of the invite. The Paris trip has also inflamed…