Month: April 2018

THE Port of Hastings is being seen as an integral link in supplying liquid hydrogen to Japan. The hydrogen, produced from brown coal in the Latrobe Valley, will go overseas while the CO2 released in the process is planned to be stored under the Gippsland Basin using carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. Details of a $496 million four-year pilot project announced last Thursday (12 April) have been hailed by both the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Premier Daniel Andrews. However, even if the pilot is successful, full scale exports of hydrogen will not start until sometime after 2030. The…

BATTLING his demons since he was 12 years old Nik Shepheard has used public speaking and kiteboarding to lift him past his dark times and now wants to help others do the same. Shepheard is hoping to raise $1 million for the beyond blue depression and anxiety support service by circumnavigating Australia on a kiteboard and will launch his venture on Saturday 21 April at the Mt Martha Lifesaving Club. Shepheard said he has been living and breathing kiteboarding for 18 years and has spent the past five years preparing for his circumnavigation attempt. “The idea has come about through…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire’s new communications executive manager Randal Mathieson has a background in marketing and promotion. During his time at the Australian Broadcasting Commission Mr Mathieson also “led a major organisational change project … as the head of change management, stakeholder liaison and communications”, according to information compiled and distributed by the shire. Mr Mathieson sits on several boards in the not-for-profit sector (The Big Issue and its offshoot Homes for Homes) and is involved in the arts, co-founding and co-chairing the Southbank Arts Precinct Group. His profile on the online jobs networking site LinkedIn begins with his four years…

A FINGAL woman preparing to move house after 15 years is offering $1500 for the return of family heirlooms she mistakenly gave to opportunity shops in Rosebud. “The reward is a lot more than the items are worth but, to me, they’re everything,” Ann Robb said. Ms Robb said about eight weeks ago she filled the family utility with black garbage bags full of clothes and other unwanted items and took them to the Rotary and Lions op shops, opposite the Plaza. Four days later she realised that at least two of the bags contained her precious items. “We are…

PARKS Victoria is inviting feedback on three designs versions of “eco sleeper pods” being displayed at Point Nepean National Park. The pods are seen as being suitable for overnight or short-stay accommodation. Parks wants visitors to comment on the design, amenity, accessibility and visual impact of the pods. The pilot pods include styles with and without kitchens and bathrooms, as well as fully self-sufficient “off grid” models with electricity and water. The pods will be at Point Nepean until July and can be seen from 10.30am – 2.30pm Thursday to Monday until 30 April. The pods have been designed by…

UNION lawyers were last week looking over documents to be lodged with the Fair Work Commission following a breakdown in negotiations aimed at saving the jobs of rangers and their supervisors at Mornington Peninsula Shire. Australian Services Union organiser Ty Lockwood said the shire was offering redundancy packages to 13 employees in its compliance unit who had been told they could then reapply for their jobs (“Union moves to protect jobs at shire” The News 3/4/18). He said the shire could face a $1 million payout. “We want a Fair Work hearing – conciliation is the first part – as…

HUNDREDS of thousands of giant spider crabs are about to begin their annual migration into the sandy shallows at Rye and Blairgowrie. The armada of orange crabs arrives as the bay’s waters begin to cool in May and stays until July. Marine biologist Sheree Marris said that, as the name suggests, these crabs are massive, with long spindly legs and bodies up to 17cm wide. “They move in organised chaos on eight long legs,” she said. “Their weapons are swollen claws and their mission is to seek shelter in the safety of the shallows, moult and, in some cases, mate.”…

MELBOURNE Water is tight-lipped about any future sales of land alongside the pipeline from its Eastern Treatment Plant at Bangholme to the ocean outfall at Gunnamatta. Speculation surrounds the possible sale of many blocks of various sizes – probably for residential purposes – as the authority seeks to make money from land reserved for the pipeline. Concerns have been raised about the “piecemeal” sale of blocks which will reduce the land now being used as public reserves for playgrounds, walking and riding trails, and open space. Other concerns are that Melbourne Water is using “speculative land sales” as a revenue…

WRITER and actor Kate Mulvany has written a play based on a book that takes its readers out of this world. Mulvany attributes the award-winning Masquerade by Kit Williams with helping her recover from a bout of childhood sickness. “Within a few words my mind exploded, my imagination went crazy be-cause I was on that adventure with Jack on his way across the universe, and I think that book helped me get better,” Mulvany says. “I always kept the book Masquerade by my side, my entire life. Then a few years ago I decided I wanted to turn that book…

A man and woman were arrested last night over the fatal shooting of a 31-year-old man in Rosebud last year. The shooting allegedly occurred on Eastbourne Road on 3 September, 2017. A Mount Waverley man was found in the passenger seat of a vehicle with a gun-shot wound to his head about 8pm. He was taken to hospital but died the following night. A 25-year-old-man and a 31-year-old woman were arrested in Smithfield, New South Wales about 7.15pm last night. The man has been charged with murder while the woman has been charged with being an accessory to murder. An…

The Mornington Peninsula has suffered a deluge of rain and damaging winds today as a cold front moved across Victoria. A deep low pressure system will move to the south of Tasmania and direct a series of active cold fronts across Victoria over the next few days. The strongest of these cold fronts will continue to affect the peninsula and other areas during the afternoon. Damaging winds are set to continue during the afternoon and thunderstorms are possible during the day and could produce damaging wind gusts above 90 km/h. The Bureau of Meteorology’s radar loop shows very heavy rain…

POLICE are searching for a woman following a series of deceptions at Hastings on Saturday 16 December. At about 2.50pm, the woman used an allegedly stolen credit card to buy several bottles of alcohol at a Church Street liquor store. The stolen card was later used at two other businesses, mainly to buy cigarettes – with three purchases totalling $138 made within 10 minutes. The woman is described as being Caucasian, about 20 years old, with a slim build and straight long brown hair. She was wearing a burgundy t-shirt, dark blue pants and slip-on shoes. Anyone with information can…

MODEL aircraft of all types, sizes and styles will take off in the Western Port Model Aircraft Club’s Wings over Western Port open day, Sunday 15 April. The club’s inaugural open day is the airfield at 360 The Esplanade, Crib Point. Gates will be open to the public 10am-4pm. Members fly model helicopters, jets, civilian and military type aircraft “all based on the real thing and sounding just as good”, secretary Stephen Gray said. The club, founded in the early 1990s, has a membership of about 100 and a diverse range of age groups and experience levels – with some…

THE Peninsula Sharks have officially become affiliated with Gridiron Victoria after a year and a half of pushing for a gridiron team on the Mornington Peninsula. The Sharks were awarded their chance to join the league on Wednesday 21 March and are set to take up the opportunity with their Men’s senior side when the season kicks off in June. Peninsula Sharks president Garry Smith said the club was ecstatic when they heard the news and are excited to get underway. “I have always been upfront with everyone at the club and everyone knew that there was the possibility that…

TENNIS players from across the world made their way to the Mornington Tennis Centre on Monday 19 March for the annual Mornington Peninsula Tennis International. The players which included Men’s Australian Open doubles semi-finalist, Marc Polmans, competed for a total of $50,000 in prize money which was spread over two tournaments. Mornington Elite Tennis Academy director Kate Antosik said the club really embraced the international tournament. “It’s a showcase tournament for our juniors to see the standard of play that they can aspire to get to,” she said. “There is only 10 of these international tournaments played in Australia each…

SOCCER A FIRST-HALF hat-trick from Ryan Thompson spearheaded Peninsula Strikers’ 4-0 away win over Old Scotch last weekend. The English import became the 22nd player to get a hat-trick for the local side and former Everton striker Femi Orenuga completed the rout in the second half when he ran onto Stefan Karac’s pass and rounded the Old Scotch keeper before stroking the ball into an unguarded goal. Strikers had lost the opening league fixture after a tumultuous pre-season and the victory kick-starts its promotion campaign under new head coach Jamie Paterson. The Centenary Park outfit was the only local State…

DIVISION TWO DROMANA overcame a slow start in MPNFL Division Two against Somerville on Saturday, winning by more than eight goals. The Tigers trailed by 19 points at quarter time, however they booted 15 goals to four after the first change to win 16.15 (111) to 8.6 (54). The Tigers boasted 11 goal kickers, Ethan Johnstone the best of them with three majors while former Rye coach Ben Holmes once again proved what a bonus he is with two goals. Andrew Howison was once again superb for the visitors, while Billy Quigley and Shaun Clarke were at the top of…

DIVISION ONE SORRENTO took just eight days to turn an embarrassing defeat into something a little more positive on Saturday, after beating Mt Eliza by one kick in MPNFL Division One football. Good Friday would have been a game that the Sharks quickly wished to put behind them, given the game was billed as the biggest local clash in two decades.  In good news for footy, the Sharks were able to do that, leading at every change and bringing home the four points. Chris Dawes was hooked last week for missing goals that perhaps he otherwise would have kicked but…

LEAVING Dandenong on Friday afternoon for Wonthaggi, Lieutenant M. H. Bolton, recruiting officer for Flinders, with Sergeants E. J. Coyle and R. Middleton had a most exciting experience in their new Ford recruiting car. After leaving Lang Lang the officers struck very bad roads, and decided to leave the main road and take a side track. It was dark and after looking over the road in daylight, it was seen that the car was but a few feet from a death trap in three very bad places. At one point the car had been was only a few inches from…

A MORNINGTON man was charged with reckless conduct endangering life, travelling at a dangerous speed and failing to stop when directed to do so by police after his Holden utility was clocked at 210kph on Peninsula Link, Frankston, 1.30am, Wednesday 28 March. The man, 28, was arrested next day and bailed to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court at a later date. His car was impounded. Somerville Highway Patrol crews say they are regularly seizing vehicles for speeding and hooning, especially at night. They said the Peninsula Link control room had alerted them to be on the lookout for a car…

PUPILS from Benton Junior College took a creative approach when submitting their ideas for the future of The Briars. The grade 4 pupils took their pens, and in some cases paintbrushes, to detail what they’d like to see long-term at the historic Mt Martha property. They were responding to a call from Mornington Peninsula Shire for community feedback and ideas to assist in the development of a master plan for The Briars, with the mayor Cr Bryan Payne saying it would look 10-15 years into the future. “The plan will articulate how the natural, cultural and heritage values of The…

A REDESIGNED wave protection system along the seaward side of Mornington pier will – hopefully, this time – better protect it from storm damage. Workmen were last week drilling 120 holes for supports and using a crane to attach a steel frame, while divers were down below cleaning up the seabed and removing previously damaged steel frames and debris. Parks Victoria engineers said the original waler – a type of brace that attaches the wave screens to the pier – would be replaced with a larger, stronger version, with the wave screens bolted through the panels for additional strength. A…

THERE is no doubting the attraction of a seal resting or sunning itself on beaches around the Mornington Peninsula. But the animals are unaware of the excitement and interest they cause and can suffer as a result. Wildlife activists are calling for fresh protocols to manage and protect the seals whenever they are spotted. They say laws aimed at protecting seals are clear but rarely enforced. Harming a seal can attract a $6000 fine or six months’ jail and there are limits to how close people, or dogs are allowed. It is illegal to touch or feed a seal. “Over…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is seeking information on two dogs involved in an attack at the Balcombe Creek walking track, near the Century Drive leash free area, about 1pm, Monday 2 April. The dogs are described as a large male, black and tan, possibly a Rottweiler, and a Staffordshire terrier-cross. The owner of the dogs is described as a woman in her 30s driving a dark coloured VW Golf or similar vehicle. A post on social media told a harrowing tale of “Alfie” and a new puppy “Charlie” being taken for a walk in the off-leash area when the larger dogs…

AN enthusiastic environmentalist who has devoted countless hours to weeding, planting and caring for indigenous species on the Somers foreshore has received a well-deserved pat on the back. South Sea Foreshore Reserve Committee president Rosemary Birney, OAM, received the Individual Achievement Award at the Australian Coastal Awards. Ms Birney, who was nominated by Mornington Peninsula Shire, has made it her life’s work to re-establish the natural foreshore coastal banksia woodland, as well as educating and inspiring others to join in conservation programs along the foreshore. Mornington Peninsula Shire is celebrating double success at the awards, which were held late last…

EFFORTS to shape an “age-friendly” Mornington Peninsula have seen the former chair of the Peninsula Advisory Committee for Elders Jeanette Lane being asked to spread the word to other parts of Victoria. Her success in engaging with older members of the community on the peninsula led to Ms Lane being invited to attend the Central Highlands Elder Abuse Prevention Project launch in Ballarat to speak on the committee’s programs and outreach. Ms Lane presented a 30-minute program with Gary Ferguson from Seniors Rights Victoria to help the central region start its first elder abuse program. PACE was established in May…

PROPOSED changes to the boundaries of Victorian federal electorates almost halve the seat of Flinders held by Liberal Greg Hunt, while the neighbouring seat of Dunkley held by Liberal MP Chris Crewther moves slightly north into parts of Isaacs. The changes – which create a new seat of Monash from the eastern and northern parts of Flinders – are designed to reflect population growth so that each electorate has a similar number of voters and have been made to accomodate a new electorate to be called Fraser in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Mr Hunt’s Flinders electorate could be scaled back to…

THE endangered hooded plover has appeared larger than life in Frankston. The wall mural was painted by Jimmy Beatie for last month’s The Big Picture Festival of street art. The appearance of the mural coincided with news on the bird’s survival front of 12 hooded plover chicks hatched on Mornington Peninsula beaches making it to the flying stage. Diane Lewis, president of the Friends of the Hooded Plover group, said the mural and fledging of the chicks “is a wonderful tribute to the volunteers and the public who now acknowledge the bird’s existence”. “Beachgoers, whether they are surfers, walkers, hang…

THE police traffic Operation Nexus held over the Easter holiday period tested 11,474 drivers for drink-and-drug driving across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula. The state-wide operation, which ran from late on the Thursday before Easter to midnight on Easter Monday, tested 7760 drivers on the peninsula and 3714 in the wider Frankston area in Southern Metro Division 4. Of these, 36 were detected exceeding the 0.05 per cent limit – or, in the case of P-platers, breaching the mandatory four-year zero-alcohol limit. Acting senior sergeant Peter Martin, of Somerville Highway Patrol, said the figures meant the division had the second-highest…

DOG owners who regularly walk their dogs on a 300 metre strip of beach at McCrae are annoyed at restrictions continuing over winter. They say theirs is the only “leash-free” beach on the Mornington Peninsula to face such restrictions. Mornington Peninsula Shire last month voted to make the beach leash-free until 10am and after 3pm daily. In doing so, councillors ignored a recommendation by environment protection manager John Rankine to bring McCrae into line with other beaches which allow dogs to be off-leash at all times outside of the daylight saving period. Cr Antonella Celi told The News that the…