THE submarine Otama is again firmly held in place by its moorings of Crib Point, avoiding urgent action which could have included being sold for scrap. A decision by Ports Minister Luke Donnellan to fix the moorings follows desperate appeals from the Western Port Oberon Association for $50,000 to carry out repairs ordered by Park Victoria. However, the 14-year-old plan to make the Otama the centrepiece of maritime museum at Hastings remains in limbo because of financial difficulties. The association’s president Max Bryant puts the cost at $15 million and says that if either the state or federal governments provide…
Month: June 2016
THE man at the centre of the Rye siege last December has been jailed for three years. Colin Wade Gower, 69, of Rye, held his estranged wife, and a co-worker, hostage for seven hours in a Point Nepean Rd cafe, causing mayhem for weekend shoppers. He was armed with two low-calibre hand guns. Angry traders later said they missed out on thousands of dollars in trade after specialist tactical police shut their shops and cordoned off the area. Gower pleaded guilty in the County Court to five charges. The court was told he repeatedly threatened to kill his wife –…
A REVISED framework for controlling the use and number of gaming machines and minimising harm to the community on the Mornington Peninsula was adopted by council on Monday. A report by the social planning and development department revealed $79,400,240 was lost through the 821 poker machines in the shire during 2014/2015, with the daily loss rate being $217,535. The report found that although gambling is recognised as a “legitimate leisure and entertainment activity”, it acknowledged the potential for financial and social harm. The new Responsible Electronic Gaming Machine policy aims to encourage responsible gaming by guiding council’s decisions on the…
AFTER years of frustration it seems the calls for better mobile phone reception at Red Hill and Shoreham have finally been heard. Flinders MP Greg Hunt is “delighted” that money needed to improve telecommunications in the two areas will be available if the Coalition government is re-elected at the 2 July federal poll. Mr Hunt, who holds Flinders for the Liberals with a more than 11 per cent margin, is competing against five other candidates: Yvonne gentle (Rise Up Australia Party), Shane Lewis (independent), Willisa Hogarth (The Greens), Carolyn Gleixner (Labor) and Ben Wild (Animal Justice Party). Mr Hunt said…
BLAIRGOWRIE Miss World entrant Nicolette Holt is one of 10 delegates selected to represent Victoria at the state final in Melbourne on 6 July. Charity work is integral to the Miss World ethos and part of her brief is to volunteer her time and fundraise for a good cause. Nicolette has chosen children’s charity Variety which aims to improve the lives of sick, disadvantaged and disabled children. To raise funds she has organised health and wellness event – Yoga 4 Variety – at Flinders Yacht Club, 10am-1pm, Sunday 26 June. The event will begin with an hour’s yoga class conducted…
IT’S tempting to say that the years have flown for Dromana police sergeant Paul Dixon, who recently received his 35-year clasp at an awards ceremony for Mornington Peninsula and Frankston police officers. Joining as a 17-year-old cadet in 1980, Sgt Dixon completed his HSC (now VCE) as part of the educational squad and was named academic cadet of the year. He was off to a good start and being paid the grand amount of $93 a week, minus $15 for board, lodgings and food at the Spencer St complex where he lived-in for 12 months. Sgt Dixon’s first training station…
A TRIP to Canberra this week by Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Graham Pittock on top of him already spending more than $10,000 in “professional development” has again highlighted concerns about the vagueness of the councillor expenses policy. Cr Pittock is rubbing shoulders with political leaders at this month’s National General Assembly from 19-22 June. On Monday last week, council approved Cr Pittock’s request to attend, despite the mayor already having spent $10,091 on “professional development” this term. Cr Pittock will attend as an official representative of the shire at the estimated cost of $2678 allocated to his conferences and seminars…
ROSEBUD residents have won the first step in their battle against a multi-unit development, with Mornington Peninsula Shire reversing plans to support the proposal when it goes to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in August. At last Monday’s meeting, residents pleaded with councillors to reverse their support for the application, arguing that traffic congestion would make the area unsafe and higher density would be out of character and lead to costly environmental problems. The 12,141 square metre site at 46-469 Waterfall Gully Rd, at the junction of Bayview Av, has had a long planning history, with the shire originally…
THE sights and sounds of The Big Apple are a tantalising prospect for singers from Mornington Peninsula Chorale who will perform at Carnegie Hall in January. The 50 choristers will join others from around the world at the Distinguished Concerts Singers International, with Sir Karl Jenkins as composer-in-residence, and artistic director Jonathan Griffith as conductor of the performance. The invitation to sing came about after the chorale performed Sir Karl’s Armed Man at Frankston Arts Centre last year for the Anzac Day centenary celebrations. Senior chorister Judi McKee wrote to Sir Karl who invited the chorale to audition for a…
A MORNINGTON man is in jail following what police describe as a “landmark” child exploitation case. The 57-year-old was arrested after Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team detectives raided his home in September. The case is the first to be presented before a Victorian court relating to charges of producing child exploitation material outside Australia. Acting Sergeant Paul Turner, of the police media unit, said the case highlighted the high level of investigative expertise of the Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team who target child sexual exploitation offences internationally. The arrest ended a year-long investigation into the man’s production and possession of…
Words and pictures: Sheree Marris, aquatic scientist and raconteur FORGET the epic aggregations of wildebeest you’ve seen on documentaries, the Mornington Peninsula has something far more spectacular on its front doorstep. To see it, you’ll need to ditch the binoculars and grab a mask, snorkel and wetsuit because it’s in the waters of Port Phillip. Around this time every year as the waters cool, hundreds of thousands of giant spider crabs make their way up onto the sandy shallows along the southern shores of the bay. As the name suggests these crabs are impressive in size, with a body measuring over…
THE frustrating thing about tragedies is that many could be averted or dangers lessened with a little forethought. The deaths of two scuba divers at Mornington, Friday 10 June, are a case in point (“Two scuba divers die as waves batter pier”, The News 14/6/16). They may not have died if vital rescue equipment had been close at hand. That’s the view of the man closest to the drama, restaurateur Robert De Santis, who ran from The Rocks restaurant near the base of the pier after a teenager raised the alarm, and climbed down a ladder into the rough seas.…
BIPARTISANSHIP is thin on the ground around plans to tackle the scourge of ice in Dunkley ahead of the 2 July federal election. Both the Liberal and Labor candidates for the marginal seat are taking pot-shots at political opponents over similar approaches to help drug users in the Frankston and Mornington regions to hopefully also drive down crime associated with ice. Liberal contender Chris Crewther launched an “ice action plan” this month to establish a Frankston and peninsula taskforce “to fight the savage effects of the drug” and said Labor had ignored increasing ice use. “Labor ignored ice. Labor failed…
IT should be billed as one of the great short walks of the Mornington Peninsula, but it has been officially closed for years. The footpath known as the Beleura cliff path at Mornington winds its way along a cliff before descending steeply to Mills Beach. The track democratises views only available from the multi-million dollar properties built above it on the cliff face. Not everyone can own such a property because (a) there’s not enough space on the cliff and (b) few people have the money to live there. But the path was made for the public and the views…
THERE will be no extended sky rail from Mordialloc to Frankston along the Frankston line. Labor Transport Minister Jacinta Allan declared at last weekend “there has never been a plan for extended elevated rail on the Frankston line”. The state minister in the Andrews government decided to step in and end speculation about sky rail being built along the full rail line amid a doublecrossed.com.au flyer campaign, financed by the Liberal Party, in the federal seat of Isaacs urging voters to “put Labor last” and vote against federal MP Mark Dreyfus since “Labor is now planning to build Sky Rail…
AN exclusive fundraising event is coming to Frankston. Nationally acclaimed Opera Singer Lucy Nicolson, along with performances by Can-Can dancers will entertain guests as part of ‘Bastille Day’ – a fundraising dinner to raise funds for our clients with autism to fulfil their dreams of going on a camp. “Bastille Day is a fundraising dinner like no other,” says CEO, Kath Ferry from SASI – Statewide Autistic Services Inc. “Ms Nicolson will be performing arias from Carmen and La Boehme, Edith Piaff, and modern Broadway numbers from Phantom of the Opera. There will also be an exciting can-can floorshow.” The…
Frankston has spoilt its reputation for being slow and whosoever may have been under that impression will no longer think so when they consider the big undertaking and successful carrying out of last Wednesday’s programme. Word was received on Monday by the Red Cross Society that a trip had been arranged to Frankston for nearly 200 wounded soldiers, who had to wait four days in Melbourne for their boat before they could proceed to their homes in Queensland and New South Wales, and the society lost no time in making all necessary arrangements to provide the best entertainment possible for…
PENINSULA LEAGUE FRANKSTON YCW will not be beaten in 2016, according to two MPNFL Peninsula Division coaches. And worst still for the competition, the coaches believe that nothing will change in 2017 and beyond under the current MPNFL Player Points System (PPS). Guests on the RPP Footy Show on Saturday morning, Mornington coach Chris Holcombe and Seaford coach Ben Murphy were both steadfast when asked the question “can anyone beat Frankston YCW this season”. Without hesitation, both Holcombe and Murphy said “no”. Holcombe said that the Stonecats were a long way in front of any other team in the competition,…
NEPEAN LEAGUE FRANKSTON Bombers are absolute genuine contenders for the 2016 Nepean League premiership after comfortably disposing of Rosebud at Greg Beck Oval on Saturday. “Going hard enough for long enough” was the theme of the game for the Bombers after yours truly questioned whether they had the mental toughness to play out 100 minutes of football. The Bombers answered that question in spades. Rosebud tried on a number of occasions to unsettle the Bombers, however the home team stuck to the task at hand and extended their lead at every change. What was more impressive for Frankston Bombers was…
SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie IT’S official. Rosebud Heart now sits proudly on top of State 5 South and is hot favourite to take out its first ever championship in just its second year of competition. For the past few weeks Scott Morrison’s men have been the only side in the league with a perfect record but playing less games than arch rival Baxter forced Heart to wait before claiming top-dog status. Saturday’s 3-1 away win over Chelsea did the trick (as Baxter had a bye) with master predator Dave Greening scoring twice and setting up Luca Biancardi in the 87th…
LOBBY group Save Tootgarook Swamp will lead the community’s case at the Victorian Civil and Administration Tribunal this week for the refusal of a 99-house infill development in Tootgarook Swamp in one of the most important environmental cases the Mornington Peninsula has seen. The land – almost 30 hectares, or 74 acres – is at 92 Elizabeth Av, Rosebud West, one of several privately held blocks in the swamp that were zoned residential by the old Shire of Flinders before environmental considerations became common in planning. The application has been knocked back by Melbourne Water, which legally obliged Mornington Peninsula…
FLINDERS electorate candidate Ben Wild wants a new federal animal welfare office established to give more power to organisations such as the RSPCA. The Animal Justice Party candidate says such organisations want more power to intervene in animal cruelty cases, but fear losing government funding if they speak out too forcefully. “No one is standing up for people who care about animals,” Mr Wild said on Monday. He is one of six candidates standing for Flinders at the 2 July federal election. The seat is currently held by Liberal Greg Hunt with a more than 11 per cent majority. Mr…
FORMER Bitten boy and now plumber, gym owner and boxer Kane Watts admits to being “a little bit nervous” in the lead up to his cruiser weight fight against boxing legend Danny Green. It’s not every day one gets to fight an icon of Australian sport in front of a big crowd at Hisense Arena. “I’ve rarely fought anyone of that magnitude,” Watts said Thursday as he prepared for a day on the tools. “But I am confident I’ll be a match for him.” The former Australian cruiser weight title holder, who has relinquished his belt for the chance to…
A MAN whose name is synonymous with squash, not just on the Mornington Peninsula but across the southern suburbs, has been inducted into the Squash and Racquetball Hall of Fame. For almost 40 years Allen Minchington owned and managed the Oakleigh, Portman’s and Dromana squash centres, as well as being a player, coach and administrator. He is still active in the sport, most recently running in-house practice and coaching sessions at Tonic Squash and Gym, Dromana, on Sunday afternoons. As a Victorian senior state team member, junior and senior state team coach and team manager, he is a highly sought…
YEARS of fundraising and advocacy by ageing parents of children with disabilities and their supporters has paid off with the promise of a secure future. The parents, who fear for the care of their adult children after they are no longer around to look after them, are overjoyed at the support they have received for a two storey, four-unit complex to be built at Rosebud by April 2018. The $2.4 million Cloverleaf centre, earmarked for Uniting Church land in Murray Anderson Rd, will be built to house men and women – many now in their 50s and 60s – who…
ROSEBUD artist Fiona Bilbrough doesn’t always find, or need, to have a strong bond with her subjects. But Rosie Batty was an exception. After their first contact where Bilbrough sought the anti-domestic violence campaigner’s cooperation of sitting for a portrait to be entered into this year’s Archibald prize, there was no doubting emotions had been stirred. “I feel I’m actually Rosie, except my son is still alive,” Bilbrough said last week. “There’s a similarity in our stories.” There’s now an ongoing relationship between artist and subject that stretches beyond paint on canvas. Bilbrough has become an active campaigner for a…
CELEBRITY chef Jamie Oliver would be proud of Kunyung Primary School’s canteen menu, thanks to a team of parents and strong school support, says “open minded” manager Mandy Biggins. “The canteen for 30 years has provided a range of snacks and lunches for the pupils and, over this time, it has seen many changes to the menu, but nothing as dramatic as our most recent project,” she said. “Gone are the pre-cooked packaged meals, snacks and juices, replaced by home cooked meals made from local produce, home baked muffins and cookies, fresh popcorn, fruity energy balls and delicious frozen yoghurt…
TWO men and a woman allegedly attempted to steal a car in Andrews Place, Mornington, and, when challenged, one man pulled out a gun at 8.30am Wednesday 8 June. Acting Senior Sergeant Peter Drake said the trio, driving a white Magna sedan, had called a tow truck to retrieve the car, possibly as a way of recovering a debt. When the victim ran out to remonstrate there was a brief argument before one of the would-be thieves produced a gun. No shots were fired. Police were called and the two men drove off, leaving the woman behind. A brief pursuit…
A MAN threw rocks through 10 windows in Mt Eliza and Mornington in the early hours of Wednesday 8 June. Acting Senior Sergeant Peter Drake, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said witnesses saw a man damaging houses and businesses, including windows at Mornington Golf Club. A wallet and credit card were stolen from a car in Canadian Bay Rd where several cars were later found damaged. A resident said he heard what he thought was an alarm and ran out to see a car parked beside his own. He challenged the driver, who quickly sped away. Anyone with information is asked…
THE judges presented 21 trophies to wineries from the Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley, South Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and even Italy at last week’s International Cool Climate Wine Show at Mornington Racing Club. Of the 400-odd entries, 80 came from the peninsula and, of the 21 trophy awards, seven went to peninsula wineries. Two successful peninsula wineries were Elgee Park and Tucks Ridge estates, which won inaugural perpetual trophies: Elgee Park for its Family Reserve Chardonnay 2015 and Tucks Ridge for its Buckle Pinot Noir 2013 wine. In her show comments, chief judge and master of wine Meg Brodtmann praised…