Month: January 2019

WATER can be the key ingredient to helping wildlife survive in backyard gardens during summer. “Often people have the belief that when it comes to wildlife it’s an us or them situation but, with some small considerations, we can all happily live together,” Paula Rivera said. Ms Rivera, of Langwarrin and her friend Janet Wheeler, Frankston South, give talks and promote good relations between humans, animals and birds under the name, Living With Wildlife. “You can prevent wildlife ‘dying for a drink’ by having a water bowl and bird bath in your garden,” the pair stated in a news release…

A MAN arrested over a series of burglaries of businesses and churches across the Mornington Peninsula and Frankston over the past four months has been remanded in custody to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court at a later date. The 37-year-old, arrested by Detective Sergeant Adrian Mizza, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, at his Rosebud home last week, is facing 28 charges over 14 alleged burglaries involving more than $60,000. The man appeared at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday on unrelated charges but detectives will apply for the burglary charges to be heard at Frankston Magistrates’ Court. More charges are pending as…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council’s recently adopted Wastewater Management Plan 2018-2023 aims to address the “environmental and public health risks posed by residential and commercial wastewater on the peninsula”. The term wastewater covers liquid waste from toilets, kitchen sinks, showers and basins. The peninsula’s environment is especially affected by wastewater because of the high number of properties serviced by septic tanks. In these cases, householders are responsible for installing and maintaining their own treatment systems. “The shire has the highest number of septic systems of any Victorian council, leaving over 22,000 properties across the peninsula without reticulated sewerage,” the mayor Cr…

A MOTORBIKE rider who tried to do a runner from police ended up getting his friend’s bike impounded, Tuesday 18 December. The incident occurred when Somerville Highway Patrol officers in Lyrebird Drive, Carrum Downs, spotted a motorbike with a false plate “RUNA” attached. The rider allegedly failed to stop and was clocked at more than 80kph in a 50kph zone before being pulled over in nearby Quarrion Drive. The rider, 18, of Skye, was found to have never held a licence and the bike was unregistered. He told police it was a friend’s bike, and that he hadn’t initially pulled…

FOUR men have had their boats seized and are facing various charges for allegedly overfishing squid at the southern end of Port Phillip Bay. Fisheries officers as part of Operation Jazz will allege that the men used a boat on two separate days to take more than the individual daily bag limit of 10 squid. They say the men made several boat trips in one day, taking squid on each trip, which is referred to as multi-tripping. Operation Jazz ran from October to December during the peak squid spawning season when large aggregations gather around the southern end of the…

NEW meeting procedure rules adopted by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council set “a new benchmark for local government”, according to a lawyer. Terry Bramham, of Macquarie Local Government Lawyers, who helped write the new rules, said “the protocol establishes a new benchmark for local government, with [the shire] leading the way”. Adopted at the shire’s Tuesday 11 December public meeting, the Meeting Procedures Protocol 2018 is described by the mayor, Cr David Gill, as being “a more transparent and accountable decision making process”. “I believe that the reforms will make MPSC the leader of municipalities in Victoria regarding open, fair and…

THE outcome of a Mornington Peninsula Shire Council decision on Tuesday 11 December was a foregone conclusion. The agenda item to agree to spend close to $1100 to send Cr Rosie Clark to Canberra was purely for the record and the bureaucratic process. The conference Cr Clark was to attend was held on 27 and 28 November, nearly two weeks before her colleagues were asked to retrospectively agree to the cost. Unsurprisingly they signed off on the expense. Cr Clark’s meals and accommodation came in at just under $500 while her return flights from Melbourne to Canberra cost $573. In…

DESPITE publicity and the pleas for parents to use common sense, every year in Australia more than 5000 children are rescued after being left alone in hot cars. In the year to the end of August, Ambulance Victoria was called to 1587 cases of people locked in cars in Victoria – the majority being toddlers and babies. Last week, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and Kidsafe Victoria launched its Kids in Cars awareness campaign at Seawinds Community Hub, Capel Sound, ahead of the annual influx of an estimated 140,000 visitors over the summer holidays. The temperature inside a parked car could…

Artists who opened their studios to the public over two weekends late last year see the annual Peninsula Studio Trail as a chance to share information. “I find it rewarding to share information with the public and other artists, including advice on non-toxic materials which is of great importance to many of us,” Mt Martha-based painter and printmaker Jennifer Fletcher said. “I see this generosity as small gifts to the public. Art is very important in our society, it should be readily accessible and our visitors can enjoy art and the beautiful Mornington Peninsula at the same time.” Visitors follow…

SIX young Mornington Peninsula performers are getting ready for the musical theatre experience of a lifetime. Aussie All-Stars members Leikny Middleton, Baylin Carradine, Chloe Mason, Tamika Buckby, Miki Looker and Zac Krause will be part of a 41-strong musical troupe touring the United States over three weeks in January. The six performers will join Junior Theatre Celebration Australia, in partnership with Music Theatre International Australasia and youth performing arts tour provider Travel Gang, for the US tour. They will head first to New York for a performance piece as part of Madagascar Jr: A Musical Adventure. There, they will attend…

THE “temporary” fence designed to block access to The Pillars cliff jumping site at Mt Martha has effectively divided the community. Dubbed an eyesore and ineffective, the fence also sits on a narrow track that could be used by pedestrians along the Esplanade between Deakin Drive and Marguerita Avenue. Hot days still draw a crowd to the cliff top, with many either scrambling over the fence or forcing their way along the inside until they reach the track towards the water. The number of boats and jet skis anchored within the 200 metre no go zone declared by Mornington Peninsula…

IT is the height of the summer holidays and the roar of jet skis is the background noise at many Mornington Peninsula beaches. Rye and Safety Beach are two of the main launching places for what are officially known as personal water craft (PWCs), although their use extends well beyond these two areas. On some days the water traffic from Safety Beach to The Pillars cliff jumping site at Mt Martha rivals that along the cliff top Esplanade roadway. Although it has been frequently criticised for adding an extra boat ramp at Rye to the benefit of jet skiers, Mornington…