Month: August 2017

ABOUT 40 cooks and catering staff formed a picket line outside HMAS Cerberus yesterday (Monday 28 August) to protest over what they claim is substandard pay. The full and part-time staff, engaged by labour-hire contractor Broadspectrum, staged the protected industrial action, 5am-1pm. This meant senior Cerberus staff had to be rostered on to prepare and serve breakfast and lunch for the Crib Point base’s 800 trainees. The striking cooks and caterers say they have no grievances with the naval base – only its labour-hire contractor. The dispute comes after failed enterprise bargaining talks between Broadspectrum and the Australian Workers’ Union.…

POLICE carried six members of the Love Makes A Way refugee advocacy group out of the Hastings office of Flinders MP Greg Hunt after a four-hour sit-in. No charges were laid against members of the group, which included Uniting Church minister the Rev Alex Sangster and church members Kristen Furneaux and Jake Doleschal, after they refused a police request to leave the reception area about 6pm. They did not resist when being evicted. “The police were fantastic and very respectful and all the relationships were very cordial and polite,” Ms Sangster said after last Tuesday’s protest. The Love Makes a Way…

THE Mornington Peninsula’s plovers seem destined to be both victims and indicators of the pressures of population. The hooded plover has for years been fighting for its very existence, mainly on the peninsula’s ocean beaches. Its plight is so precarious that dogs have now been permanently banned on the sand within the Mornington Peninsula National Park. Rope barriers were erected along parts of Balnarring beach in Western Port yesterday to protect red-capped plovers, cousins of the hooded plover. Not regarded nationally as being endangered, the red-capped plovers are rapidly losing ground on the peninsula, again to off-leash dogs and foxes,…

PLANS to build a maritime centre at Hastings centred on the Otama submarine are not included in draft plans for the foreshore because they require state and federal government approvals. The draft Hastings Foreshore Precinct Plan – designed to “establish a consistent identity” for the Hastings foreshore from Hodgins Rd in the north to Reid Pde in the south – is now on public exhibition and open for public comment. Investigations conducted into forming the draft plan included consultations with 21 groups, organisations and government departments, but not the proponents of the maritime centre, the Western Port Oberon Association. The…

ROSEBUD Country Club member James Marchesani has strung four impressive rounds of golf together to finish tied second in the $1.5 million Fiji International on Sunday 20 August. Marchesani finished just four strokes shy of fellow Australian, Jason Norris, closing his final round off with four birdies and not a single blemish on the back nine holes of the Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course. Finishing tied third at the Victorian PGA Championship earlier this year, Marchesani was confident that he was building up to this performance. “I felt like my game had been warming up recently. I had played well…

SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie SOUTHERN United’s under-13s clinched the NPLW championship with a 2-0 win over Geelong Galaxy United at Monterey Reserve on Saturday and are zeroing in on a finals campaign that could end in glory. Southern’s title success with two league games remaining has secured a home final and a win in that match on Saturday 16 September will take Debbie Nichols’ and Emma Bracken’s charges into the 2017 Grand Final on Sunday 1 October. Ace predator and leading league scorer Rhys McKenna missed Saturday’s success due to trials for the State cricket squad and Nichols and Bracken…

A DELEGATION of 10 Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football Clubs has requested that AFL South East call a Special General Meeting (SGM) of the competition after the governing body handed down a new competition structure that included South East Football Netball League (SEFNL) clubs from 2019. Despite unanimous lack of support at two separate MPNFL club president meetings to divisional football involving SEFNL, AFL SE continued its push for divisional football within its region by handing down the new structure. Former Edithvale-Aspendale FC president Ted Turner, longtime MPNFL Director Russell Jacgung and Frankston YCW premiership captain Paul Theobald make up part…

NEPEAN LEAGUE ROSEBUD will play Sorrento for the second time in three weeks this Saturday in the second semi-final after beating Frankston comfortably in the Nepean Division Qualifying Final. Despite trailing by 30 points at quarter time, the Buds kicked 13 of the next 19 goals to record a 14.15 (99) to 12.8 (80) victory. There was a significant wind advantage to the Kars St end of Frankston Park, Rosebud kicking three goals against it and Frankston just one. It was Rosebud’s work rate and dare to take a risk that saw it boot two vital goals against the breeze…

PENINSULA LEAGUE MT ELIZA ended a frustrating season with an embarrassing 85-point thumping at the hands of Pines in the Peninsula Division Elimination Final at Chelsea on Saturday, 15.5 (105) to 2.8 (20). The Redlegs, who have copped an enormous amount of season-ending injuries to key players this season, including full back Jay Neratzoglou and full forward Justin Van Unen, were restricted to just two goals for the afternoon against a disciplined, well-structured and hungry Pines outfit. After a couple of tight one-goal results through the home and away season, Mt Eliza was not even competitive against the Pythons. The…

THE sad news was received Mrs Westaway, of Somerville, last week, that her son, Sergeant Leslie W. Westaway, had died in the Canadian Hospital, England, from erysipelas, on August 14th. Sergeant Westaway was a very valued and capable officer and his death is deeply deplored. *** MR S. S. Gault will hold a clearing sale this afternoon at Hastings on account of Mr E. Unthank, consisting of orchard, land, buildings, stock, implements, furniture, and sundries. *** FOR the convenience of residents of Frankston who wish to attend the Somerville fancy dress ball on Wednesday evening, a drag will leave Bay…

ALCOHOL will be banned at The Pillars diving rocks at Mt Martha if a push by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council is successful. The shire’s amended Consumption of Liquor Local Law will go on exhibition “in coming weeks” in the wake of a six-month trial ban. The council is now advertising to make the bans – which extend several blocks inland – permanent, with increased powers to be given to police to seize alcohol from visitors. The Mt Martha coastal hot-spot attracts visitors due to its appealing cliff face and pristine waters, but excessive drinking, discarded rubbish and abuse of parking…

Mornington Peninsula Shire is sending a three-person team to China to investigate “alternative waste facilities”. Cr Hugh Fraser, acting chief operating officer Niall McDonagh and waste services team leader Daniel Hinson will be in China 2-9 September and report back to council within 30 days on the value of the tour and “how knowledge gained may influence the future direction of alternate waste technologies in the region and the shire”. The trip will cost ratepayers about $7500. The shire is a member of the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group (MWRRG) and its team will join representatives from Greater Dandenong…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Regional Gallery echoed to the sounds of the second Victorian Music Crawl last week. It was all part of a contemporary music bus tour, Thursday to Saturday, hosted by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and the Musicians Network. Maxon and Nola Lauch performed at the gallery show before musicians, managers, booking agents and industry representatives. The artists of all genders, ages and genres, performed rock, jazz and blues at live venues, including pubs, a church, festival site, mechanics hall, winery, café, radio station, art gallery, brewery, nightclub and a Mexican restaurant on the peninsula, Bass Coast and in south…

MORNINGTON detectives last week charged three youths following an alleged theft and series of deceptions. The trio allegedly stole a car on 21 August which they used to evade police. A credit card in the car was allegedly used in a number of deceptions in the Mornington area. A 16-year-old from Mornington was charged with theft of a motor vehicle, two counts of obtaining property by deception and drug-related offences. A 15-year-old, also from Mornington, was charged with theft of a motor vehicle, committing an indictable offence while on bail and drug-related offences. A 15-year-old from Hastings was charged with…

A MT MARTHA doctor has for 30 years been able to combine her twin loves: scuba diving and medicine. In that time, Dr Vanessa Haller has made more than 2500 dives in idyllic locations while photographing marine life – including large sharks – and contributing to the knowledge of the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society. It’s a perfect fit for a diving doctor: the society studies, promotes and communicates with members on all aspects of underwater and hyperbaric medicine, holds scientific conferences at exotic South Pacific locations and fosters fellowship and friendship among members. What could be more exciting than…

NON-profit group Mentis Assist has its sights on age-friendly Mornington Peninsula as it works to provide support to older people in the community. The 30-year-old group last week received the Age Friendly Local Business Award at the Mornington Peninsula Delys Sargeant Age-Friendly Awards. The awards recognise individuals, clubs, services or businesses that contribute towards a supportive community for older people. They aim to shine a light on older people, promoting respect and an age-friendly community. “Mentis Assist is the only organisation on the peninsula that provides a range of social group services for over 50s to support their mental and…

MORNINGTON Peninsula grape growers are being urged to sign up to a program which would provide an early alert to threats from pests and diseases. Agriculture Victoria and the Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association (MPVA) are working to improve biosecurity management practices on the peninsula by encouraging growers to embrace the property identification codes (PIC) program. Less than 45 per cent of peninsula grape growers have registered so far. MPVA technical chairman Tyson Lewis said by registering for a PIC, Agriculture Victoria is able to quickly alert local growers about a plant pest infestation or disease outbreak that may hit hard…

MOVES to change “foreshore” to “coastal” when it comes to naming volunteer groups on the Mornington Peninsula involved with foreshore management are designed to iron out misunderstandings over the groups’ roles and powers. A review ordered by council in 2014 conducted by consultant Janine Haddow recommends asking foreshore advisory groups what they think of adopting “a less formal foreshore consultative group model”. Changes suggested in Ms Haddow’s report also take away the requirement for a council officer to attend up to 30 meetings of the various groups each year. Ms Haddow says the changes would provide the groups with greater…

Police say their vehicles fitted with Stalker Mobile Radar Units can measure the speeds of vehicles travelling in both directions – even while they are moving. Somerville Highway Patrol detected a blue Holden sedan approaching at 113kph in an 80kph zone on Balnarring Rd, Tuerong, 11.20pm, Sunday 13 August. The 59-year-old male driver, of Merricks Beach, told police he “thought it was a 100 zone”. Police quipped this would have meant he thought he was “only going 13kph over the limit instead of 33”. The driver was issued with an on-the-spot $436 fine with four demerit points and one month’s…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council will write to the Premier Daniel Andrews urging the state government to ban the distribution of single use plastic bags. The council at last Tuesday’s (22 August) meeting voted to back the Environmental Protection Amendment (Banning Plastic Bags, Packaging and Microbeads) Bill (2016), or alternative legislation aimed at preventing the distribution of free single-use plastic bags. The shire will also develop and implement a “community engagement campaign relating to the impact of plastic bags on the environment, waste and litter minimisation actions”, and “provide a platform for local, community-led plastic bag and litter reduction initiatives”. A…

EIGHTY friends and family from all parts of Victoria and interstate gathered at Rye RSL recently for a surprise party to celebrate Meryl Taylor’s 100th Birthday. Born in Torrita, a small farming town north-west of Ouyen in the Mallee, Ms Taylor was the first child of pioneers Heber and Doris Smith. She has outlived her four siblings. She attended the local one-room school where her mother was the teacher. After leaving school she trained as a nurse at the Ouyen Hospital and, after the war, moved to Maryborough in central Victoria  with her husband Victor, a New Guinea veteran, and…

SOMERVILLE’S Genevieve Beacom this month achieved her dream of playing in the Cal Ripken World Series of Baseball in Missouri, US. Genevieve became the first female starting pitcher in the 16-year history of the tournament and the first female to make a mixed-gender team playing for Australia. The Cal Ripken World Series is described as the place “where the world comes to play – the Ripken Way”. The Year 7 Flinders College student toured Japan with the Victorian Mavericks women’s team in the lead up to the tournament before heading to the US. She had a week’s training with her…

EMMA Coles was only able to eat her first full meal of solid foods when she was 11 years old. And that was years after she began working with Peninsula Health speech pathologist Danielle Surwald to overcome a case of severe food aversion. “You always get people saying they’ve got a fussy eater at home but it’s not quite the same,” mum Roz Coles said. Emma could only tolerate liquids until she was seven years old and then progressed to purees.  Until recently, her diet consisted of just soup and yoghurt. In a milestone event last month, Emma ate her…

HUNDREDS of firearms have been handed in for registration, sale or destruction in Victoria in the first month of National Firearms Amnesty. As of the end of July, 751 firearms had been surrendered in Victoria. Other items handed in include swords, a crossbow, ammunition and imitation firearms. Victorians have until 30 September to surrender unregistered and unwanted firearms, ammunition and weapons to Licensed Firearms Dealers without fear of prosecution. Anyone surrendering firearms, weapons or ammunition during the amnesty should surrender to a licensed firearms dealer, not to police. Explosives should not be surrendered during the amnesty. Any person wanting to…

IT’S not obvious to patrons, but a red line on a planning permit shows just where (and sometimes when) alcohol can be consumed at outlets throughout the Mornington Peninsula. A bid to extend the red line to include building extensions and two paths at the 19 hectare Mantons Creek Winery, Shoreham, has been knocked by the shire’s planning services committee. Despite planning services team leader Clydie Brewer’s assurances that moving the red line at the Tucks Rd property met all planning and legislative criteria, councillors agreed that it did not meet “objectives and decision guidelines” in the shire’s planning scheme.…

PUBLIC comment is being sought for a plan designed to “establish a consistent identity” for the Hastings foreshore from Hodgins Rd in the north to Reid Pde in the south. Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors are expected to approve the draft Hastings Foreshore Precinct Plan tonight (Tuesday 22 August) and place on public exhibition for four weeks. As well as creating a consistent identity, the plan aims to “celebrate” the environment heritage while creating “connections” and support “activity”. Strategic planner Jeska Dee said the priority of building the various projects in the plan would be driven by feedback from the public,…

CRIB Point Primary School pupils are “counting down the days” until they get to perform at next month’s Victorian State Schools’ Spectacular at Hi Sense arena. The theme for this year’s show on 16 September is: Anything is Possible. “The [pupils] have been practicing since February and will perform seven dances,” fundraising co-ordinator Rae McCracken said. “They practice once a week and have also been part of four group rehearsals with other schools at Officer Secondary College. “They have just received their costumes and are counting down the days until they get to perform.” The 13 Crib Point pupils, in…

PENINSULA LEAGUE BONBEACH put an end to Seaford’s season on Saturday, knocking them out of the finals’ race with a convincing 47 point victory. It was a key game for both teams, Bonbeach needing to win to maintain its place in the top three and getting the double chance, while Seaford needed to win to have any chance of playing finals. However, as one very good footy judge said at the Mornington v Mt Eliza game a week ago, even if Seaford had beaten Bonbeach (and Mt Eliza had lost to Mornington), they still would have missed out on the…

NEPEAN LEAGUE A WEEK is a long time in football. A little over seven days ago Rosebud drew with Hastings and came out of that game looking highly unlikely of winning the 2017 Nepean Division premiership. Wind the clock forward a week and the premiership race is well and truly alive after Rosebud inflicted Sorrento’s first loss of the season. The Buds jumped out of the blocks and booted seven goals in one of the best quarters we have witnessed for the season. Not only did the Buds hit the scoreboard (6.2.38), Sorrento also made the most of its opportunities…

SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie THE race for the State 1 South-East title and a spot in the 2018 NPL is on in earnest after Mornington’s 4-2 win over Langwarrin at Lawton Park on Saturday. The result cuts Langwarrin’s lead at the top of the table to just two points but Gus Macleod’s men still have their fate in their own hands while second-placed Mornington has to win its last two matches and hope that Langy slips up in the process. Langy is at home to Clifton Hill then finishes the season away to Malvern City while Mornington is at home…