Month: March 2017

THE long term operation and safety of Tyabb airfield is being scrutinised as part of the preparation of a precinct plan by Mornington Peninsula Shire. “Council recognises that the airfield and the surrounding areas require careful consideration and the development of a policy and planning framework to provide for the long term operation of the airfield while protecting the safety and amenity of residents,” shire strategic projects manager Allan Cowley said. As well as making written submissions residents can attend three drop-in sessions being organised with consultants hire by the shire, Kneebush Planning and Arcadis. Mr Cowley said that “as…

MORNINGTON Peninsula horticulturalist Lisa Brassington knows that crops and ducks sometimes don’t mix, but the crafty inventor has come up with a simple solution to the problem that leaves both unharmed. Ms Brassington, who works at Peninsula Fresh Organics in Baxter, has spent the past three years watching ducks shift from foraging for insects to organic leafy green produce as they take advantage of what she calls “the best buffet in Baxter”. Wanting a solution that would save crops without hurting the ducks, she combined her education in rural planning and physics with her love of farming to come up…

THE state government is promising strict contract conditions to ensure a reliable ferry service from Stony Point to French and Phillip islands. Public Transport Victoria is offering a five-year contract for the service with a five-year extension option. The current contract ends in June and tenders for the contract close 5 April, with the successful applicant expected to be announced in May. “The Western Port ferry service provides an important service for the communities of French Island, Phillip Island and Stony Point,” executive director of franchise operator management at PTV Alan Fedda said. “PTV understands the importance of public transport…

By Ben Triandafillou TWO AFL premiership players will be coming to the peninsula in April to play a few matches for local Nepean League football teams. The Pearcedale Football Club will have the ex-AFL stars Daniel Kerr and Barry Hall joining their line-up for a couple of one-off matches at the start of their season. Kerr, 33, spent his entire career at the West Coast Eagles and helped take the side to a one-point victory in the 2006 AFL grand final. Kerr will play his first match for the Tyabb Football Club on 01 April before slipping on the boots…

PROVINCIAL BAXTER are just two wickets away from MPCA Provincial premiership glory against Mt Eliza. The Mounties were still 100 runs short of the Baxter total of 272 at stumps on Sunday. They will head back to Tyabb this Saturday in the hope that Tim Clark (37no) will carry them to the promise land. It is highly unlikely though. Baxter are on the verge of winning their fourth flag in less than 10 years – a sensational performance from the club. On Saturday night at the end of the first day, Baxter had left themselves in a commanding position, batting…

DISTRICT DELACOMBE Park are in a winning strong position in the MPCA District premiership against Red Hill. The Hillmen, the best team in the competition all season, still need more than 230 runs with just seven wickets in hand against the Parkers in the final day of the match at Graydens Rd this Saturday. With skipper Simon Dart still unbeaten at the crease, one wouldn’t be wise to write off the Hillmen just yet. However, there is no doubt that the parkers are in the box seat after Joel Malcolm finished with an unbeaten 104 and Jon Guthrie hit 94.…

SUB-DISTRICT HASTINGS has won the last ever MPCA Sub District Grand Final, humiliating Frankston YCW by more than 100 runs. And for the township of Hastings, it was more about adding a cricket pennant to the footy pennant it won last season. The Blues bowled out the Stonecats for just 99 on Sunday after posting a score of 214. The game was looking to be an intriguing battle at the end of the first day’s play on Saturday night. In a see-sawing opening day which saw both sides have their purple patches, Hastings were 7/189 at the close of play.…

SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie CHAMPIONSHIP aspirants Casey Comets and Mornington slug it out on Friday night at Comets Stadium in a blockbuster opening to the 2017 league season. Both sides have made significant changes to their squads during the off-season and the visitors have boosted their chances of a State 1 South-East title threepeat by improving both the quality and depth of their personnel. Both camps are keen to get off to a flyer in a season where the championship winner is offered a place in the second tier of the elite NPL competition for 2018. At the heart of…

LICENCES are to be issued shortly by the Federal Government for the exportation to Great Britain of practically the whole of the surplus Australian apple crop. The arrangemnent made with the Imperial authorities is for the admission of 500,000 cases, It applies only to the present crop, however, and after July the British prohibition will be absolute unless conditions undergo a change. *** THE daylight saving scheme, which has aroused much opposition, particularly in country districts, will cease to operate at the end of the present week, On Sunday next, at 2am, the clocks in the Commonwetalth will be put…

A P-PLATE driver who crashed on the Esplanade, Mt Martha, Sunday 12 March, was lucky not to have plunged 50 metres onto rocks. Roadside vegetation snagged the Holden Apollo’s axles after the driver, 19, of Dandenong, lost control while reportedly racing up to six other cars on the narrow, winding road, at 9.30pm. Although it has a designated 60kph limit, police believe he may have been going much faster. Police, ambulance and CFA trucks rushed to the scene and used ropes to prevent the car from falling over the jagged clifftop with the man still trapped inside. He was later…

THIS year’s six-week team challenge at Mt Eliza Bowls Club attracted 26 teams, up from 10 when the competition began last year. Coordinator Gordon Sanders said residents had embraced the idea of competing in 45-minute games, which allowed friends and families to enjoy the social and competitive side of the game, even with little former experience. He said the club had recently installed two synthetic greens with lights, and started the challenge to recruit players and make the most of the warmer days and evenings while they lasted. “We got 26 teams this year, which meant more than 100 non-bowlers…

A RUN and fun festival in Mt Eliza next Sunday (26 March) to raise money for people affected by multiple myeloma is likely to become an annual event. Event Organiser Geoff Nyssen said more than 300 people had already signed up for the scheduled 5km and 10km running and walking events at Emil Madsen Reserve, Wooralla Drive. The day will include a kids’ dash, skate, BMX and scooter competitions, as well as stalls and refreshments. “We’re extremely excited about this event and the awareness it will bring to this illness,” Mr Nyssen, who was diagnosed with the terminal blood cancer…

HOMEOWNERS in Mt Eliza’s prestigious Ranelagh Estate have defended their rights to embrace modern architecture in the wake of claims that new developments are changing the character of the 1920s “garden estate”. Their claims come in the wake of protests from a group opposed to what it calls “inappropriate” development. The Ranelagh Residents Association and several other property owners have appealed to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) against a planning application for a two-storey house in Rendlesham Av. The association, led by architect Victoria Grounds, is trying to retain what it says is the estate’s unique neighbourhood character.…

AN application for a $4 million “mega” supermarket on the site of the former Masters store on Mornington-Tyabb Rd is causing concerns among planners. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council is assessing a request from Home Investment Consortium Company to convert the existing building for use as a supermarket and other retail outlets with a variation to car parking layout. Eight tenancies are proposed for the 10,845 square metre site, including a 4250 square metre supermarket, six bulk stores ranging in size from 500-2000 square metres and a 100 square metre cafe. Coles, which already has a supermarket at Mornington Central shopping…

THE Mornington Peninsula Tennis International which started this week at Mornington, has attracted the highest number of international entrants in its three-year history. Players include former world number 16 Arantxa Rus and Australia’s Destanee Aiava. Rus has won 12 International Tennis Federation pro circuit titles and is a current member of the Netherlands Federation Cup team. Aiava won the Australian under-18 championships at the end of last year, reached the second round of the Brisbane International and two weeks ago won the Perth Pro Tour event. The Mornington Peninsula Tennis International gives top players a chance to earn world ranking…

IT’S never too late to have your first solo art exhibition. That’s what 85-year-old Mornington resident Brian Gibbs thought – and last week he was busy hanging 18 paintings on the walls of the Somers store for an eight-week show. Gibbs, who retired after 30 years as an engineer with and international oil company, began painting when he came to the Mornington Peninsula in 1986. “I retired to pursue my interest in art and water colours,” he said. “I joined the Peninsula Arts Society, taking classes with Robert Wade, Colin Johnson and Ron Muller, and did workshops with other water…

A “COUPLE of dills” who went on a vandalism spree at Rosebud Primary School last week are no match for the “many thousands of wonderful people” in the school community. Principal Stephen Fisher, who oversaw the clean-up and restoration of the heritage-listed before and after school care room, was speaking after a horror Labour Day weekend when vandals broke in and wrought havoc, early Sunday morning, 12 March. Mr Fisher said he had “never seen anything like” the destruction caused by the group which caused up to $10,000 damage to walls and floors, equipment, furniture and windows in their night…

PRESSURE is mounting to stop demolition of the iconic building that once housed Manyung Gallery in Mt Eliza. More than 400 people signed a petition in just three days to prevent the loss of the building. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has approved plans to turn the Nepean Highway site into a childcare centre, but demolition orders were put on hold until 31 March after the owner of  neighbouring Licciardo’s Bar and Grill, Rob Licciardo, took the matter to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Archaeologist and Mt Eliza resident, Peter Jupp, who organised the petition, said the building should be…

SOUTHERN Metro Region divisional commander Superintendent Glenn Weir last week downplayed a rise in crime in October-December last year. Crime Statistics Agency data released on Thursday painted a bleak picture: aggravated burglaries in Frankston surged 49 per cent in the past year – from 96 to 143, while motor vehicle theft was up 38.5 per cent – from 493 to 682. “We don’t deal with old data,” he said. “These statistics are three months out of date.” Theft from motor vehicles — described by local police as “volume crime” because of its prevalence — was up 10.6 per cent, from 1497…

A GRAND feeling of “independence” is a motivating factor in getting out on the water for blind sailor Latisha Davenport. An enthusiastic participant in Rye Primary School’s sailing program, Latisha said she “loves feeling the wind in my face”. The grade 6 pupil has been a regular at the helm, piloting her borrowed OziOpti dinghy in the calm waters off Rye sailing club. She handles the main sheet and the tiller, but receives a little help from instructor Trudy Clarke in handling the centre board. Mostly the weather has been fine and warm, but one day last week it was…

KATHY Robinson, of Hastings, is the recipient of this year’s Alf Tallon community memorial award. The award goes to someone who contributes their time and effort to their community. It is supported by the Bank of Bendigo. Ms Robinson started volunteering 40 years ago as a driver for the Association for the Blind, while also advocating for people with disabilities and working for the Office of Public Advocacy. After retiring, she continued to support her community as treasurer of the Probus club and Hastings U3A. She also volunteers at the Bays Aged Care, the Reading for Life program, Western Port…

THE latest “discussion paper” released by Infrastructure Victoria estimates building a container port at Hastings will cost more than double that of developing a new port at Bay West, inside Port Phillip. Using scenarios based on ships capable of carrying either 14,000 TEU (based on 20 foot long containers) or 18,500 TEU, the paper puts the cost of developing Hastings to handle nine million TEU a year brought in by the smaller vessels at $12.8 billion; building Bay West for the same number of containers is $6.14 billion. When the larger ships are taken into account, costs at Hastings go…

RYE boxer Jayde Mitchell has been awarded one of the biggest wins of his career. The super middleweight was named 2016 Australian Boxer of the Year at the annual Australian Boxing Hall Of Fame induction gala, Saturday 4 March. A cavalcade of Australia’s boxing royalty attended the function at the Pullman on the Park, Melbourne. “I’m such a huge fan of the sport of boxing,” Mitchell, 31, said later. “It feels like only yesterday my father (Len) was taking me to these special nights and I’d be in awe of all of the past champions and legends in the room.…

PROVINCIAL BAXTER will host Mt Eliza in the MPCA Provincial grand final this weekend after both teams recorded commanding semi-final victories on Saturday. While the MPCA played its cards close to its chest in relation to announcing grand final venues, it was widely tipped on Sunday night that no other ground than Mornington’s Alexandra Park should be the venue for a Provincial grand final. While Baxter went into its semi-final against Langwarrin as unbackable favourites, the same couldn’t be said for Mt Eliza over Peninsula Old Boys. Mt Eliza did beat POB before Christmas, however, the Old Boys have been…

DISTRICT RED Hill were comfortably the best team in MPCA District cricket this season and again proved why against Flinders in the semi-final. The Hillmen cruised into the grand final after smashing the Sharks at RM Hooper Reserve. An early Red Hill Show shifted the Hillmen from their home ground advantage, however, it made little difference to the end result. Flinders won the toss and batted first, however, things turned pear-shaped early for the Sharks losing 3/0 to be 3/3 early in the match. Glenn Collett was at his vintage best and removed Andrew Power for a duck, before Simon…

SUB-DISTRICT HASTINGS will play Frankston YCW in the Sub District Grand Final this weekend after both claiming strong semi-final victories on Saturday. However, despite their strong wins, things could quite easily have of gone the other way for the Blues and Stonecats. Despite Hastings finishing with 235, they were in some early trouble against Tootgarook before Luke and Jake Hewitt came together at the crease. At 4/50, the Hewitt brothers were able to steady the ship and get to tea in a reasonable position at 4/99. At that stage Luke was on 25 and Jake was on 15. AJ King,…

SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie SUPERSUB Michael Freeman’s extra time winner at Dallas Brooks Park on Saturday sent Mornington through to the fourth round of the 2017 FFA Cup. Mornington and fellow State 1 South-East title contender Malvern City went head to head in what loomed as the most intriguing cup clash of the round. The pair locked horns in a battle that didn’t reach the heights expected but nevertheless was a closely fought affair that saw Mornington run out a 2-1 victor. Mornington assistant coach Dale White stepped into the head coach’s role in the absence of Adam Jamieson, holidaying…

The celebration of Graeme’s ’60 Summers’ album continues as he heads to Frankston Arts Centre on Thursday 23rd March. He recently had three nominations for the 2017 Golden Guitar Awards held in Tamworth on Saturday January 28. The song 60 SUMMERS is nominated for Single Of The Year, Video of The Year and APRA AMCOS Song of the Year. This album has had the longest continuous run in the ARIA Top 40 Album Chart of any Australian  album newly released in 2016.  The latest single, MT EVEREST is currently sitting at #20 on The Music Network Country Airplay Chart and…

THREE of the biggest pop icons of the 1960s – Normie Rowe, Ross D Wylie and Johnnie Young – are coming to the Mornington Peninsula for a spectacular step back in time. Between 1965 and 1967 Rowe was the biggest male pop star in Australia, and for two years he reigned supreme as Australia’s first King of Pop. He had a string of solo hits, with Shakin’ All Over the top-selling Australian single of the 1960s and still one of the biggest-selling Australia recordings. Johnny Young started his career in the 1960s with number one hits Step Back and Cara…

TOORAK College recently celebrated the official opening of a new international-standard sports track and hockey field, and is hoping the ground will fill a gap in quality hockey and track facilities on the Mornington Peninsula. Hockey Victoria has expressed interest in having a permanent presence at the field, and the school hopes it can be a venue for  international competition. Hockeyroos goalkeeper, dual Commonwealth Games medalist and Olympian Rachael Lynch joined students during a training session for the opening and expressed her approval of the facility. Principal Kristy Kendall said the land used to be large open space known as…