A PENINSULA-based solicitor has criticised the Mornington Peninsula Shire after his client found himself in court facing the possibility of a hefty fine over a litter of puppies he sold on Gumtree. The client, from Mornington, believed he had abided by all applicable regulations by having the eight puppies microchipped and registered before listing them for sale, only to be hit with charges that could carry potential fines totalling over $65,000. The charges related to the shire’s Community Amenity Local Law 2022, section 22, which states: “A person, other than the proprietor of a registered domestic animal business or a…
Author: Cameron McCullough
The board of inquiry into the McCrae landslide has concluded, with inquiry chair, Renée Enbom KC today delivering her report to the Governor of Victoria, Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, at Government House. The board of inquiry’s findings and recommendations are set out in the report which is now with the Victorian government. It is expected the report will be reviewed by the government before being released to the public in the coming days. On 18 March 2025, Enbom was appointed by the Governor in Council to chair the board of inquiry into the 14 January 2025…
Six males aged between 17 and 21 have been arrested following an overnight aggravated home invasion in Rosebud and pursuit through multiple suburbs. It is alleged the group of male offenders forced entry into a property on Bilbul Avenue in Rosebud about 2.50am. The two occupants, a man, and a woman, barricaded themselves in a bedroom before the youths, allegedly armed with two firearms and a knife, opened the door, threatened them, and demanded valuables. The man and woman, who were forced to hand over around $1,000 in cash, both sustained minor injuries during the incident. The offenders fled in…
DESPITE heading to Canberra together last week, there were no happy memories being made between Frankston mayor Cr Kris Bolam, Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Anthony Marsh, and Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula CEO Josh Sinclair. The mood couldn’t have been frostier between Bolam and the other two, with Bolam criticizing the trip in the lead up before being temporarily uninvited. He ultimately travelled to Canberra with the support of Dunkley MP Jodie Belyea (Canberra trip sparks conflict, The News 26/8/25). After returning from Canberra, Marsh made critical comments about a planned overseas trip by the Frankston mayor. Bolam…
VISITORS to the Hastings public boat ramp this week have been met with a strange sight: a boat moored to the dock made entirely out of rubbish. The creation is not only floating, but seaworthy, and the man behind the mission, Samuel McLennan, has sailed his craft along the Victorian coastline for over a year after making the journey across from Tasmania. The 48-year-old’s inspiration was born from a time of reflection in his personal life when he returned to Tasmania in 2020 after a stint living in Sydney. “Things weren’t really working out for me. I couldn’t really find…
The federal Labor government has reconfirmed it commitment to build a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Somerville, despite a call for tenders indicating a preference for the clinic to be located in Hastings. The South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network invited accredited general practices to submit tenders for the establishment of four new Medicare Urgent Care Clinics including one on the “Mornington Peninsula – with a preference for Hastings”. During the campaign, Foreign Minister and Leader of the Government in the Senate Penny Wong joined Labor candidate for Flinders, Sarah Race, to announce the Somerville-based clinic would begin operating in…
Major job cuts have been announced at Mornington Peninsula Shire as the new CEO, Mark Stoermer, enacted a plan to change the operational structure of the organisation. Shire mayor Cr Anthony Marsh has also called out reports that he is responsible for the job losses as an “absurd misrepresentation”, saying “The council sets the budget, and it is the CEO’s responsibility to implement that decision through operational changes, including any staffing matters”. A statement issued by the shire on Thursday (21/8) stated “The restructure will result in up to 48 redundancies with redeployment opportunities identified for many of these staff…
A NEW “climate plan” is set to be presented to councillors at their 2 September meeting, filling the void created by the ditching of the shire’s Climate Emergency Declaration and the Climate Action Plan in April. The shire’s climate plan was adopted in August 2020, one year after the shire declared a climate emergency. The plan entailed a ten-year program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lessen the effects of climate change. The newly elected council first questioned the plan in January this year with a motion passed for shire officers to prepare a report to help councillors make informed…
A STRONGLY worded statement released by the RSPCA criticizing the activity of “concerned community members regarding animal welfare” has been seen as a direct swipe at those protesting against the alleged abuse of horses at a Moorooduc property. “At RSPCA Victoria we care about animals,” said RSPCA Victoria CEO, Dr Liz Walker. “We know animal cruelty issues evoke strong responses from our community and we truly value the shared passion and concern people have for animals. “We understand seeing images or footage of an animal suffering online can be incredibly distressing and motivate people to action. “We are unable to…
Rosebud police officers have charged a woman after multiple cars were damaged in Rosebud last month. It’s alleged the woman left a licenced premises on Point Nepean Road in Rosebud on 25 July just after 3am before damaging panels on three separate vehicles. The woman self-presented at a police station yesterday. She has been charged with three counts of criminal damage and was bailed to Dromana Magistrates’ Court on 4 September.
On 2 August around 150 people filled the Flinders Civic Centre for a community meeting to hear about the impacts of the shire’s cuts to performing arts funding and decision to rescind the Climate Emergency Declaration and Action Plan. The environmental and arts advocates chose to combine their causes, finding common ground, despite differing challenges. The arts community is facing a considerable cut in funding from historically high levels, and climate groups the removal of the action plan that provided structure for the peninsula’s approach to climate change mitigation. The audience included shire mayor Cr Anthony Marsh, shire CEO Mark…
IT appears the battle against a fast-food franchise, rumoured to be McDonald’s, opening in Safety Beach may not be over with an unscheduled council meeting to be held tomorrow night (14 August) to discuss appealing VCAT’s decision. The move comes after the applicant AA Holdings Pty Ltd successfully appealed Mornington Peninsula Shire’s 24 August 2024 decision to deny the planning permit application to redevelop the service station on the corner of Marine Drive and Nepean Highway to include a modernised service station with a fast-food franchise. The VCAT decision, handed down on 18 July, gives the green light to the…
The proposed Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal (VRET) in Western Port Bay is a step closer after the federal government deemed the project a “controlled action”. The announcement, by federal Environment Minister Murray Watt on 31 July, progresses the project to a combined state and federal Environment Effects Statement (EES) assessment process and potential approval. The VRET involves building a dedicated assembly port in Western Port Bay to support the construction of Victoria’s first offshore wind farms along the Victorian coast. The decision comes after plans for the terminal were put on hold in January 2024, when the former federal Environment…
The heritage-listed Norman Lodge gatehouse on Nepean Highway, Mount Eliza, is due to commence being dismantled by Monday 18 August to be in compliance with an order issued by Heritage Victoria. The deadline comes a year after a demolition order was issued for the building after a structural engineer’s report identified it as having suffered “total loss of structural integrity”. The protected gatehouse has fallen into disrepair over the past decade and has been the subject of planning applications in 2013 and 2020 that would have seen the structure deconstructed and moved just metres away to be reconstructed on a…
The Mornington Peninsula now has the highest number of people sleeping rough out of any local government area in Victoria – including Melbourne City. In 2024–25, more than 948 people sought support through independently funded homelessness services across the peninsula. As of 30 June 2025, there are 110 people recorded as homeless, with 75% sleeping rough in tents, cars and on foreshore reserves. A large proportion of these are women, youth and people over 55. Mornington Peninsula Shire has renewed its advocacy to state and federal governments for urgent resources and committed to working closely with community partners to “deliver…
Councillors look likely to set aside the entirety of the parkland at 11a Allambi Avenue as public open space at the council meeting on Tuesday (12th August). The issue of what will become of the 21,893 square metres of land has been a long-running one with residents fearing it will be developed for affordable housing. The land was originally set aside over 70 years ago by the Coleman family as open space during the subdivision for Bayview Heights Estate. Despite assurances never to develop it, a portion of the land was carved off in the 1970’s and used for Eastbourne…
SOMERVILLE businessman and publisher of the Somerville Times and Peninsula Local publications, and the stplnews.com.au website, Jamie (Jay) Scicluna has been ordered to pay $5000 towards the legal costs of a Somerville businesswoman, after it was ruled he applied for a personal safety intervention order (PSIO) against her “frivolously”. The businesswoman, who works in the professional services field, had a PSIO taken out on her after she approached Scicluna on the street on 5 December 2024 to request he pay outstanding invoices owed to her company. The order forbid her from contacting, discussing, or going near Scicluna. The businesswoman was…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have voted to hand residents of retirement villages across the peninsula a 20 percent rebate on their general rates for the 2025/26 financial year. The decision comes after an assessment by Valuer-General Victoria’s (VGV) contract valuers led to increased Capital Improved Values (CIV) for retirement village units across the peninsula. Further, a historical bulk discount to the CIV of these units was removed by the shire following VGV advice, leading to substantially higher rates for retirement village residents. The motion presented to councillors recommended a 10 percent rebate on general rates for retirement village units for…
AN agenda item dealing with Mornington Peninsula Shire’s flag policy, set for this week’s council meeting (Tuesday 22/7), has been pulled to allow more time to ensure the policy “matches the intent” of councillors.The flag policy review comes after a furore when it was discovered a flyer produced by the shire encouraging families to register their children in the shire’s kinder programs included the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Pride flags – but not the Australian flag (Kinder flyer flag snub prompts councillors to take over, The News 10/6/25).Cr Bruce Ranken raised the matter as an urgent business motion at…
THE Australian Electoral Commission has acknowledged an issue at one of its polling places in Flinders during the 3 May federal election, where an AEC employee allegedly instructed voters how they should cast their vote.A letter to the AEC seen by The News detailed the issue where, at the Bayview Church polling booth at Rosebud South, voters were instructed by an AEC worker to place the number seven next to the box of Trumpet of Patriots candidate Jason Smart as “he had pulled out of the election”. It is understood the information was being conveyed to voters as they queued…
Police have arrested two men following an alleged road rage incident in Seaford overnight. Investigators have been told a man was driving a Porsche along Nepean Highway about 11.50pm when the occupants of a blue Holden Commodore attempted to get him to pull over. It is alleged the occupants of the Commodore drove aggressively and forced the driver of the Porsche to take evasive action and leave the highway. Officers attended and a car matching the Commodore’s description was spotted at a service station on Nepean Highway, Chelsea. The Commodore drove off and police attempted to intercept the car on…
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued an urgent Severe Weather Warning at 4:52 pm Tuesday, 24 June 2025 for damaging winds and king tides in coastal regions including the Mornington Peninsula. A low pressure system in the Bight is extending a cold front over Victoria this evening. Vigorous west to northwesterly winds are developing ahead of this front, impacting alpine, western and central parts of the state this evening. Winds are then forecast to ease during Wednesday morning, although blustery showers remain possible in western parts of the state with southwesterly winds behind the front. For the Mornington Peninsula: Strong…
THE Mornington Peninsula will continue to offer crisis accommodation after the closure of The Ranch in Mornington with the announcement of new accommodation, coined “Ranch 2.0”.For the past four years, Mornington Community Support Centre (MCSC) and Southern Peninsula Community Support (SPCS) have partnered to provide emergency accommodation at The Ranch Motel in Mornington. The accommodation was only made possible as the developer had allowed it to be used as crisis accommodation while he finalised plans for redevelopment of the site. But it was announced in March that the developer was readying plans for the site, requiring the closure of the…
THE seat of Flinders was declared by the Australian Electoral Commission on Wednesday (28 May), officially cementing Liberal Zoe McKenzie for her second term. The final declared result had McKenzie attracting 60,090 of the two-candidate preferred votes, 5257 votes ahead of independent Ben Smith on 54,833 votes.McKenzie rejoins a depleted Liberal/Nationals coalition that will hold as few as 41 seats in the House of Representatives, compared to 58 after the 2022 election. Gone also is the Liberal’s leader, Peter Dutton, opening the way for new Liberal leader Sussan Ley; the first woman to lead the federal Liberal Party. The electoral…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire will spend $260,000 on the Hastings Club building so it can be repurposed into a space for community groups. The funding announcement was confirmed at the council’s 20 May meeting, and has been allocated in the shire’s 2025-26 budget capital works program. However, the funding falls well short of the $1m being initially proposed in the budget, that councillors voted in favour of at their 22 April meeting to “ensure the long-term survival” of the building.The Hastings Club, founded in 1967, was forced into liquidation in April 2024 after facing crippling debts associated with its gaming machines.…
LAST week started with a “heartbreaking announcement” from Mornington Peninsula Dog Rescue Inc. Money had gone missing from the organisation. Police had become involved, but with 30 dogs in their care, and only $200 left in their account, they faced a difficult path forward. It was a devastating blow for the volunteer-run organisation.“It looked terrible,” said founder Erin Shaw. “But we thought the best thing to do was to be transparent. We wanted to do this for all our foster carers who put so much into caring for these dogs. They deserved to know the truth.”Mornington Peninsula Dog Rescue Inc…
THEY were inseparable. Ray and William Lothian were well-known around Hastings. Always together, as they had been their entire lives. The brothers, born two years apart, were raised by their aunt and grandmother after their mother died when they were young and their father, a World War Two veteran, was unable to cope. They depended on each other with a bond that was unbreakable. That was until the evening of 12 May when William was hit by an illegally modified electric bike, suffering “unsurvivable” injuries. Now his younger brother Ray must find a way forward without his brother and best…
Police are currently on scene at a fatal fire in Langwarrin. Emergency services were first called the blaze at a residence on Lyppards Road about 2.10am. Three occupants were able to safely evacuate the property and escaped with no injuries. A fourth yet-to-be formally identified person was located deceased inside a rear bungalow. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined. An arson chemist will attend the scene later today. Anyone who witnessed the incident, has CCTV/dashcam footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
Independent candidate Ben Smith has conceded in the federal seat of Flinders, leaving Liberal Zoe McKenzie the winner in the protracted count. The outcome has stretched nearly two weeks beyond election day with a “complex count scenario” triggered due to the inability to separate second and third polling Smith and Labor’s Sarah Race. The three-candidate-preferred count was only finalised on Monday, with the AEC reverting to a two-candidate-preferred count with Smith and McKenzie. With nearly all votes now counted, Smith still trailed by 5515 votes this morning making the outcome an obvious McKenzie win with the seat to be retained…
THE Australian Electoral Commission has declared the results of its three-candidate-preferred (3CP) count in Flinders, with Liberal Zoe McKenzie and independent Ben Smith the final two candidates. Eliminated during the 3CP count was Labor’s Sarah Race. The AEC will now revert to a traditional two-candidate-preferred (TCP) count to determine the final winner out of McKenzie and Smith. The News understands a final result is expected by the end of the week. The most recent data on the 3CP count, published this afternoon, stated that 56 poling places and declaration vote counts had completed a 3CP count with the following results.…