Month: January 2020

HORSE RACING AEECEE Diamond topped off a state double for Mornington-based trainer Anthony Freedman on Thursday 16 January. Following on from Western Wingo’s maiden victory at Ararat earlier in the day, Aeecee Diamond relished the wet conditions and scored a tough victory to break his maiden at the Pakenham night meeting. Bringing up the stables 16th winner from their past 50 runners, the three-year-old gelding by Fighting Sun was forced to do it the hard way by racing three-wide the entire trip after drawing a wide barrier. Freedman’s racing manager Brad Taylor said he was pleased to see the track…

THERE are some truly beautiful entertainment bromances. Bert and Ernie, Lenny and Carl, Tyrion and Varys, Howard and Raj and then there is Brian and Russell. The lifelong friendship of Brian Cadd and Russell Morris should have its own name … Brussell. Brussell’s history has heritage. Both Brian Cadd and Russell Morris had their first hits in the ‘60s. Both Brian Cadd and Russell Morris endured through the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and into the 21 century.  Both Brian Cadd and Russell Morris are still delivering relevant new music in the ‘10s and now both Brian Cadd and Russell Morris are…

YESTERDAY witnessed the revival of the Frankston Show, and the public showed its appreciation by turning out in its hundreds. The “gate” proved a record, the takings at the turnstiles amounting to £60/10/-. This exceeds the results attained in previous years. In addition, a very large number of members’ tickets were sold, so that it is difficult to arrive at a correct estimate of the attendance. Competent judges incline to the belief that the number of people on the ground yesterday was far its excess of that of former shows. The weather, contrary to the promise of early forenoon, was…

WHILE most Mornington Secondary College students are packing their bags and preparing to head back to school, one of them will be noticeably absent. Fifteen-year-old Mia Pollock, right, will be in Bali. But, far from being in holiday mode, she will be competing in the 2020 Australian Supermodel of the Year competition. “I have been modelling seriously for about a year and a half,” Mia said before heading off. “The organisers of the competition reached out to me through Instagram and encouraged me to apply. After going through the heats, I have made it into the finals.” The supermodel of…

ARTHURS Seat could have been engulfed last week when vandals fired a flare setting fire to long grass, 2.50am, Friday 17 January. Detective Senior Sergeant Eddie Logonder, of Somerville CIU, said the flare damaged the sign at Chapmans Point Lookout, Arthurs Seat Road, and then burnt 30 square metres of grass. “The act was reckless,” he said. “The damage could have been far greater. Luckily no trees caught alight.” Three crime units attended the scene: two from Rosebud as well as detectives from Somerville. Police are waiting on CCTV footage to identify the culprits. Anyone with information is urged to…

LAST Thursday’s Mornington Art Show opening has been hailed “a resounding success” by one of its organisers. Mornington Rotary Club member John Renowden said more than 400 people attended the opening at Mornington Community Theatre, with “record sales” being made of artwork and items in a silent auction. “The silent auction alone raised more than $8000 for bushfire relief,” Mr Renowden said. The money follows $10,000 already pledged by the club for bushfire relief. Individual artists have also made donations. “The art show has continued to achieve high numbers attending in its first weekend,” Mr Renowden said. The exhibition of…

VANDALS are smashing glass bus shelters up and down Nepean Highway with regularity and seeming impunity. Commuter Lindy Clarke, who regularly drives up from Blairgowrie, said she has counted 10 smashed glass shelters from Tootgarook to Mt Martha along the 788 bus route from Portsea to Frankston since New Year’s Day. “All the glass was scattered over the ground – it was alarming and dangerous,” she said. “I can’t understand why the shelters are not made of steel mesh. At least then they couldn’t be damaged as easily.” Her complaint follows other instances on vandalism late last year. “I saw…

FLINDERS MP Greg Hunt years ago added his voice to those fighting to stop Melbourne Water discharging partially treated sewage into the sea near Gunnamatta. The protesters, led by the Clean Ocean Foundation, successfully forced Melbourne Water to lift its wastewater treatment to Class A, although hundreds of thousands of litres of water are still pumped daily through the ocean outfall. However, more uses are being found for the recycled water and Mr Hunt was pleased to visit Mornington Golf Club this month where $300,000 from the federal government is being used to bring water to storage dams. Recycled water…

SHOTGUN blasts and Molotov cocktails shattered the overnight calm in Dromana, early Saturday 11 January. Detective Senior Sergeant Miro Majstorovic, of Somerville CIU, said the occupants of a “white vehicle” fired two shotgun rounds at a house in Palmerston Crescent about 2.20am. They also threw Molotov cocktails onto the road out front. Pellets from the shotgun reportedly damaged two cars in the driveway. Three people were at home at the time: a 59-year-old female and two men, aged 51 and 32. No one was injured. Police “can’t rule out” that the parties knew each other, Detective Majstorovic said. First published…

A MAN who stole a bottle of spirits from a Mornington liquor store threatened staff who tried to intervene. He returned the next day but left empty handed when again confronted by staff. The man, pictured, is described as being in his late teens to early 20s, Caucasian, stocky build, about 177cm wearing a baseball cap, camo pants and blue jacket, stole a bottle of Wild Turkey valued at $46 from a bottle shop in McLaren Place, 10.30pm, January 6. He returned at about midday the next day. Police said he was wearing the same pants with a black jacket,…

MORNINGTON Senior Constable Dave Burton and Constable Dylan Beaumont spotted a Mitsubishi Triton ute and trailer parked on the side of the road at Somerville, Wednesday 15 January. Doing a spot check they found the number plates on the car, and the trailer, had both been reported stolen days earlier. Selecting a vantage point they sat and waited until a man walked up and opened the car’s door. When approached the man claimed he had “nothing to do” with the vehicle and had opened the door because he was curious about why it was parked there. The police searched a…

SWAMPS and low-lying areas were once seen as a blot on the landscape, fit only to be drained. But the ecological importance of wetlands is well documented and has been recognised for decades, so much so that there is an annual World Wetlands Day. The day has been held since 1977 and marks the date of the adoption of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971. Activities based around the importance of wetlands are being held on Sunday 2 February at Boneo Park, on the Mornington Peninsula and the Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands. The activities at Boneo (312 Boneo Road)…

TWO groups operating on the Mornington Peninsula are part of a global movement seeking government action to counter climate change. XR Westernport and XR Mornington are part of the British-based Extinction Rebellion movement that has a “core strategy” of “mass disruption of city centres through nonviolent civil disobedience”. Along with XR Frankston, the two peninsula-based branches are among 66 similar groups throughout Australia. Murray Lindsell Turner said people who joined XR Westernport at a meeting in Balnarring Hall on Tuesday 14 January were “willing to be arrested” at future demonstrations. He said the inaugural meeting included school teachers, former politicians,…

SOMERS resident Rowan Brookes decided against taking it easy over the Christmas holidays. Instead, she pushed her body to its limits to raise awareness of the effects of environmental change. Dr Brookes ran 250km over five days along the Great South West Walk in western Victoria, an area of national significance with a long history of indigenous settlement and rich biodiversity. The route through three national parks includes hardwood forests, the Glenelg River, Nelson, Aboriginal heritage sites, the Southern Ocean and its vast dunes, sandy bays and beaches, cliffs and freshwater lakes. Animals that live or pass along the coast…

CFA brigades on the Mornington Peninsula have been inundated by volunteers wanting to join up to fight the state’s unprecedented bushfires. However, while their interest is welcomed, the sheer volume of applicants is causing problems. Peninsula Fire Brigades Group officer Timothy Desmond said all brigades welcomed interest from volunteers, but 18 applicants in just the past week was too many to handle. “The Country Fire Authority is one of the most respected fire services in the world [and] we sincerely appreciate people wanting to step up and help their community,” he said. High fire activity across the state meant that…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors are being told that it is “prudent, diligent and in the public interest” to make sure the shire has not made corrupt planning decisions similar to ones alleged at the City of Casey. The advice is contained in a report seeking council’s support for a review announced by shire CEO John Baker last December of decisions made on planning requests from developer John Woodman and his Mornington-based company Watsons Pty Ltd as well as associated companies Wolfdene Built Pty Ltd and Schutz Consulting Pty Ltd. Several employees of two of these companies have previously worked for…

THE Mornington Peninsula’s horror run with road deaths has continued into the New Year with three deaths from collisions in the first fortnight. This toll follows 12 road deaths on the peninsula in 2019 – which included double fatalities at Mt Eliza and Bittern – and the deaths of two motorcyclists. The driver of a Hyundai Santa Fe SUV travelling along Baxter-Tooradin Road, Pearcedale, died when he attempted to overtake two cars and collided head-on with a semi-trailer, 12.20pm, Tuesday 14 January. Emergency services crews were unable to revive the man driving the SUV. The driver of the truck was…

WHILE CFA members from across the Mornington Peninsula were shuttling back and forth to help in East Gippsland last week, smoke from weeks of bushfires blanketed skies across the state. Semi-darkness throughout the days created an eerie feeling and presented unusual sights on the Mornington Peninsula. Among the most compelling were the lighthouse at Cape Schanck and Mornington Harbour. Red Hill Fire Brigade’s David Breadmore said 20 or so fires in in East Gippsland were difficult to control because they merged into one big fire, At one stage there was more 1000 kilometres of uncontained fire edge, including in remote…

OBITUARY Barry William Leslie Ross 30/1/1943-7/12/2019 Banker, surfer, conservationist BARRY Ross played a major role in the protection of green wedges in Melbourne’s southeast including Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula for almost two decades. He was a conservationist for more than 40 years. As long-time secretary of Defenders of the South East Green Wedge, part of the Green Wedges Coalition, Mr Ross was the bane of many a developer. Mr Ross, who died in his sleep on Saturday 7 December aged 76 after a long battle with oesophageal cancer, provided a sharp edge to the Defenders in the state’s planning…

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a fatal collision which occurred at Pearcedale yesterday afternoon (14 January 2020). Investigators have been told an SUV was travelling along Baxter-Tooradin Road at 12.20pm when it attempted to overtake two cars and collided head-on with a semi-trailer. Emergency services arrived on scene but were not able to revive the male driver of the SUV. The driver of the truck has been transferred to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Baxter-Tooradin Road was closed in both directions. Anyone who witnessed the crash or with further information or dash cam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers…

AT the recent annual meeting of the Hastings branch of the Bendigo Bank shareholders were advised that the reduction of interest rates had limited the growth of the bank. However, a profit was recorded and the previous level of dividend was maintained. The bank continued to support a variety of organisations in the local community and the total of grants made now exceeds $500,000. The Alf Tallon Community Service Trophy for 2019 was awarded to John Watson for his contribution to both the Hastings Fire Brigade and the Hastings Football Club. Mr Watson was recently presented with a 60-year service…

Police are investigating a fatal two car collision in Rye last night (13 January) that has left two people deceased. It is believed the vehicles collided at the intersection of Hygeia and Bimble Streets about 10pm. There were five occupants in the first vehicle, one male died at the scene and one male has died in hospital, one female has been taken to hospital in a critical condition and two males are being treated for non-life threatening injuries. The male driver and only occupant of the second vehicle has been taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The occupants of…

A man has died following a suspected drowning at a Mornington beach on Saturday. Investigators have been told male snorkellers located the man’s body in the water at Mills Beach on 10 January shortly after 11.30am. The 36-year-old Cheltenham man was unable to be revived. Police will prepare a report for the coroner and are not treating the death as suspicious. Anyone who witnessed the incident or can provide any information to investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au Victoria Police News – Monday, 13 January 2020

HUNDREDS of surfers and volunteers are expected at Point Leo beach on Saturday (18 January) for the first event of the year held by the Disabled Surfers Association Mornington Peninsula (DSAMP). Registration for surfers and volunteers starts from 10am near the Point Leo Surf Lifesaving Cub. The first surfers will be in the water by 11am with the event finishing at 3 pm. “You don’t have to be an experienced surfer to help, we have volunteers of all ages and backgrounds who help at our events,” DSAMP president John Bowers said. “And we have all sorts of things for our…

“OTHER than by connecting the doorknobs to a 240-volt charge I can’t see how we are going to keep them out.” Western Port Men’s Shed president Colin Proud was joking, but he was clearly upset after the club’s third costly break-in at its Frankston-Flinders Road headquarters in the past five months. The latest raid, on Friday 27 December, followed another overnight Sunday 27 October, when tools valued at $6000 were stolen, and an earlier robbery a few months before that. “It’s getting ridiculous,” Mr Proud said. “This time they came in through the front door, whereas the past two times…

TWO community groups have been busy in the background raising money for bushfire relief. Red Hill Lions and Flinders District Lions collected $11,500 from parking cars at the January Red Hill market. The money would normally go to peninsula-based charities and projects, but will this time go to the victims of the East Gippsland fires. Both clubs are in a district that stretches to Mallacoota, so there are close friends, family and communities that need assistance. As well as Lions club members, volunteers at the market came from the Red Hill CFA, schools, kindergartens and the wider community. “It was…

GENEROUS staff and management at McDaid’s Irish Pub, Point Nepean Road, Rosebud, had raised almost $17,000 for the state’s bushfire relief fund by Friday. Keen to support the fire victims, proprietors Caroline Leslie and husband Peter had been mulling over how best to help fire victims earlier in the week. They originally planned to donate 10 per cent of their takings from Wednesday 8 January – only to ‘up’ the percentage again and again until it was decided to donate the lot. They were thrilled to learn staff also wanted to pitch in a day’s wages for the cause, too.…

MORE police are out on Main Street, Mornington in a bid to stop potential antisocial behaviour and alcohol-fuelled violence near pubs, clubs and restaurants. Mornington police say they will conduct more foot patrols, more venue walkthroughs, and more engagement with the public to “ensure patron and venue staff safety”. They will focus on Uber pick-up points and take a zero-tolerance approach to any anti-social behaviour. Anyone involved in alcohol-fuelled violence will be banned from licensed premises under the Mornington Safe City Liquor Accord and Court Sanctioned Alcohol Exclusion Orders. Liquor Accord bans are a collaborative approach between venues in Mornington…

A ROSEBUD man is walking into 2020 after allegedly driving at 106kph in a 50kph zone along Point Nepean Road through Dromana, 3.30am, Tuesday 31 December. Rosebud police impounded the car for 30 days with a release fee of $1010. The 35-year-old is expected to be charged on summons with driving at a speed dangerous and exceeding the speed limit. All police vehicles have speed measuring devices and officers are authorised take action as required. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 15 January 2020

A MT MARTHA man allegedly clocked at 124kph over the speed limit on Christmas day is expected to be charged on summons with serious driving offences. The 69-year-old was behind the wheel of a silver 2015 Ford Falcon FGX Turbo sedan allegedly detected by a speed camera at 224kph going southbound on Moorooduc Highway, between Bentons and Craigie roads, 9.20pm, Wednesday 25 December. And he isn’t the owner of the car: It’s in the name of a 31-year-old Mt Martha man who has been issued with a notice to surrender his vehicle to the impound yard for 30 days. “In…