ALTHOUGH there is no shortage of days dedicated to particular issues, some frivolous and many that draw attention to worthy causes, World Bee Day is one that lines up with the latter. World Bee Day is on 20 May and Mornington Peninsula Shire councillor David Gill does not want it to go unnoticed. Mornington Peninsula Shire councillor David Gill has become something of an advocate and authority on bees. He says much of the world’s food production depends on the survival of healthy communities of bees and regularly speaks at schools and to community groups and clubs about the insects…
Day: May 11, 2020
PROPERTY manager Nichols Crowder is lobbying Frankston and Mornington Peninsula councils to help landlords and tenants by deferring property rates and dropping marketing levies. Director Michael Crowder says councils, banks, utilities, insurers and governments “should be waiving or freezing payments – interest free – in line with the mandatory code-of-conduct”. “In this way the costs a [landlord] saves can be passed on directly to their tenants.” Mr Crowder wrote to the councils asking them to waive the marketing and promotional fund levy for commercial businesses. Mornington Peninsula Shire had not responded by Friday 1 May, but Frankston Council refused to…
DESPITE being hit by high winds and storms, work continues on the sandbag seawall at Portsea’s front beach. New sandbags are replacing old ripped inside the area protected by a temporary rock wall. With nearly 30 per cent of the work completed, contractors plan to remove the timber handrail at the rear of the sandbag seawall to make way for the final rows of sandbags. The handrail will eventually be replaced further back. A geotechnical investigation has been made on the stability of the cliffs east of the sandbag seawall. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 12 May…
EXTRA measures to ensure those experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence know where to get help during the coronavirus pandemic. The Help is Here campaign is part of a $150 million federal government package helping support services meet demand. Advertising will be splashed across TV, digital, social media, radio, magazines and newspapers, as well as at shopping centres, hospitals and GPs’ surgeries. This comes after a family violence victims’ advocate said she feared enforced isolation because of enforced restrictions could lead to an increase in abuse. Dromana resident Geraldine Bilston said isolated living, less contact with people outside their homes,…
HASTINGS police arrested and charged a Gippsland couple with a range of offences last week. The couple, in their 20s, from Bairnsdale and Morwell, were nabbed at a Hastings house on Wednesday 6 May after a verbal dispute with neighbours. They were charged with armed robbery, home invasion, burglary, possessing stolen property, car theft and driving offences – as well as breaching COVID-19 restrictions. Acting Senior Sergeant Stephen Reidy, of Hastings police, said the man was also charged with possessing a loaded homemade handgun, or pen-gun. The pair appeared at Frankston Magistrates’ Court. They were remanded to appear at the…
A WOMAN arrested at Rye last week has been charged with 11 counts of burglary of homes and holiday homes on the southern Mornington Peninsula. The 41-year-old, of Tootgarook, faced Frankston Magistrates’ Court charged with stealing clothing, jewellery and household items. She was further remanded to again face court at a later date. Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Tony Henry, of Somerville CIU, said the woman’s arrest on Wednesday 6 May followed a series of burglaries at Tootgarook, Rosebud and Rye over several weeks. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 12 May 2020
THE Peninsula Community Legal Centre is offering free over-the-phone legal assistance during the coronavirus crisis. The centre can help with family law, family violence, tenancy, fines and general law, debt, crime and employment issues. While COVID-19 restrictions apply, the centre will provide duty lawyer services remotely at the Federal Circuit Court in Dandenong and the Magistrates’ Court at Frankston and Moorabbin. The centre’s social worker is available to help with non-legal needs. Phone appointments can be made by calling 9783 3600, 9am-5pm Monday to Friday. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 12 May 2020
A CHANGE in focus is allowing tasty and nutritious meals to be prepared for struggling families on the Mornington Peninsula through the COVID-19 shutdown. This has come about by having kitchen staff at the Somers Residential School Camp cook 350 meals a week for needy families in the district, rather than children who are usually staying at the now-closed camp. The meals are delivered to nominated schools and picked up by parents doing it tough for their evening meals. Camp principal Mark Warner said a “bright idea” from staffer Coralie Gibson to use the idle camp kitchen for community meals…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire will support small scale residential village-style accommodation for low-income earners away from the foreshore as part of its new social and affordable housing strategies. The mayor Cr Sam Hearn estimates up to 1000 people are homeless on the peninsula on any given night, with 30-50 sleeping rough and others “couch surfing” or making do as best they can. Up to 11 tents were at Rosebud camp ground one night last week, with others at foreshore camping grounds from McCrae down to Sorrento. “Council can play a significant role in supporting grassroots action to address homelessness and connecting…
ROSEBUD Memorial Hall has become a busy distribution centre for non-perishable and personal hygiene items for those doing it tough during the pandemic. Redeployed Mornington Peninsula Shire staff and up to 800 volunteers pack and send the goods bought from funds donated by members of the community. They are distributed through community information and support centres at Mornington, Hastings and Rosebud and other peninsula-based food relief programs. “It’s amazing how the staff and the volunteers have come together to help,” the mayor Cr Sam Hearn said. “It an example of community caring in which up until last week had distributed…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire staff have reportedly been spared the full impact of redundancy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Corporate services director Mark Brady said none of the shire’s 1200 staff had been affected and there had been “no formal stand downs”. The mayor Cr Sam Hearn said: “We have made a strong commitment to share the pain. Our staff are mostly local people and keeping them on is beneficial to our community.” However, staff in neighbouring municipalities have not been so fortunate – some having been laid off without assistance. Liberal Senator for Victoria David Van said he had been…
BATA Shoes in Mornington is offering a free pair of $50 work shoes to aged care and health care workers during May. The company’s graphic design and marketing manager Brad Rayson said the offer was influenced by the valuable role these workers are playing during the current COVID-19 pandemic. “The sign went up [outside the factory] today and we are starting to get lots of calls,” he said, Thursday 7 May. “To take advantage of the offer workers can come in and flash their employer ID.” First published in the Mornington News – 12 May 2020
OBJECTORS have until Friday 15 May to voice their opposition to the Ryman Healthcare application for a multi-storey residential aged care development in Kunyung Road, Mount Eliza. A sign nailed to a post at 60-70 Kunyung Road outlines the permit application which include plans for six four-storey buildings, two four-storey wings attached to the existing mansion, three three-storey buildings, a chapel and 362 car spaces. The buildings will house 272 apartments, including 55 assisted living units and 217 independent living units, and 124 aged care beds. Up to 400 people will call the site home. Plans for the $80 million…
CONSTRUCTION of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s $47.4 million aquatic centre is said to be “on budget and on track” for completion at the end of the year. The mayor Cr Sam Hearn said despite the “ongoing challenges” presented by the COVID-19 pandemic the aquatic and activities centre at Rosebud was expected to be finished by late December. Chief financial officer Bulent Oz said the shire received a $5 million federal grant and organised a $10 million low interest loan from the state government for the project. The balance will be financed by council asset sales of $2 million and a $30.3…
SOCCER FRANKSTON Pines has signed off on a $3.9 million revamp of Monterey Reserve with work to start next February. The State 3 outfit is also eyeing a deal with Melbourne Victory as part of an ambitious expansion plan that could return the club to former glory. Pines has been keen to redevelop a junior program that waned and eventually shut down around 12 years ago. Enter A-League heavyweight Victory with an offer of free weekly clinics for local primary school children. It was too good to refuse and was quickly accepted by Pines president Lee Davies. “I think it’s…
HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based apprentice jockey, Campbell Rawiller, has made a flying start to May by riding two trebles within a week of each other. The 19-year-old hoop landed his first treble at Bairnsdale on Sunday 3 May before booting home a second treble five days later at Wangaratta on Friday 8 May. Rawiller started with a bang at Bairnsdale, kicking home a winner in the third race for his boss Logan McGill. Rawiller sat just off the leader before pouncing around the bend and kicking clear in the straight for a comfortable 5-length maiden victory aboard the lightly raced Beguilement…
BERT McSweeney appeared to answer a charge of unlawfully discharging a missile at Frankston on 27th March, last. He pleaded guilty. Constable Keogh, deposed that on the date in question he was on temporary duty at Frankston. From information received he interviewed defendant who admitted having discharged a pea rifle near Jacobs stables in Frankston in company with two other lads named Mills and Hodgkinson. Witness was able to trace the bullets which penetrated a paling fence and were embedded in an opposite wall. Senior Constable Bray, who conducted the prosecution stated that the practice of using pea rifles within…