FUTURE “development opportunities” of land now occupied by Mount Martha Public Golf Course will be reviewed by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. The shire has hired consultants @leisure Planners and WellPlayed to “develop a vision and long term plan” for the golf course. Described by the shire as an “exciting project”, the shire is inviting public comment until 5pm Wednesday 11 November. With easing of COVID-19 restrictions the 18-hole course off Forest Drive reopened for golfing on 21 October. “We will be reviewing all aspects of the site, including its role as a significant open space for the peninsula and undertaking…
Author: Keith Platt
DISTANCE can be a barrier to friendship but, with new technology, staying in touch has never been easier. Although Jo Cooper and Vi Fleming, both aged 103, live in aged care centres at Mornington and Frankston, the stay in touch on a regular basis. Friends since meeting at Baxter Village, Frankston some years ago, the pair are great supporters of Zoom, the videotelephony and online chat service that has become an integral part of daily life during the coronavirus pandemic. Ms Cooper’s daughter Joyce Curry says her mother and Ms Fleming are “tech savvy” and enjoy their “magical moments” on…
UNITED Energy has been working under and above ground to reduce the risk of power lines causing bushfires. Nearly 600 metres of power lines have been put underground along Valley Views Lane, Main Ridge where a pine tree fell onto the cables earlier this year leaving customers without power for 12 hours. It has also installed aerial bundled cable in high risk bushfire areas. The company says 55 large pine trees in the lane are leaning towards the power lines, “posing a risk of starting a fire or causing a power outage”. “This line is located on the north west…
STATE MPs from both the major parties have now become involved in campaigns being run by candidates in this week’s Mornington Peninsula Shire Council elections. Mornington Liberal MP David Morris has posted his personal how-to-vote card on his Facebook page, listing Briars Ward candidates Steve Holland, Bruce Ranken and Stephen Batty. In August, Nepean Labor MP Chris Brayne made an early entry in the campaign by providing Facebook space to Jared Tipping in Seawinds Ward, Melissa Goffin and Claire Thorn, Red Hill and Sarah Race, Nepean (“Anger over MP’s poll roll” The News 31/8/20). Mr Brayne also used the shire’s…
FRENCH Islanders have reacted angrily to suggestions that their island home be “absorbed” into the Mornington Peninsula. The French Island Community Association has urged voters in the upcoming Mornington Peninsula Shire Council elections to reject the suggestion by Watson Ward candidate Stefan Borzecki that the shire take over the island. The islanders cannot vote in the election but want “peninsula residents to reject Mr Borzecki’s campaign on our behalf”. The surprise suggestion by Mr Borzecki was made in an advertisement in The Western Port News on 29 July. He said incorporating French Island into the shire would “double our green…
VOTING in the election to fill 11 vacant seats on Mornington Peninsula Shire Council winds to a close on Friday (23 October). The results will not be announced until next month. Friday 13 November could be an ominous day to remember for those who miss out on a place around the decision-making table for the next four years. But for those who win, it will mark the start of a council faced with an enormous job of bringing everyone in the municipality back from the economic and social setbacks caused by COVID-19. Five of the sitting councillors are seeking re-election,…
THE days of spotting the small horse pulling a made to measure jinker along Mount Martha streets and footpaths have gone. Taffy the horse has died. On vet’s orders, his owner, Simone Kelly, had been exercising Taffy by getting him to pull the jinker. Taffy had become a bit overweight and unfit, grazing with his cow and goat mates in the paddock which forms part of the six-hectare Woodclyffe property off the Esplanade. The vet gave him his marching, or trotting orders, when checked for a hoof complaint. Ms Kelly and Taffy soon became popular regulars along the Esplanade and…
THE multi-award winning documentary “Can Art Stop a Bullet: William Kelly’s Big Picture” is having its final online screening on Thursday 29 October. Described as a peace documentary, the film follows Cheltenham-based artist William Kelly through various countries, recording his views on peace along with those of actor Martin Sheen, photographer Nick Ut (whose photo of a child fleeing napalm bombing is credited with adding impetus to ending the Vietnam War) and philosopher A C Grayling. The image of that young girl is also incorporated in Kelly’s 13-metre long “Peace and War/The Big Picture” banner, which hangs in the La…
VOTERS have just over one week to elect 11 councillors to run Mornington Peninsula Shire for the next four years. Social media has become an intense platform for debate in what is recognised as the most unusual municipal election ever because of the COVID-19 restrictions on campaigning. Ballot packs were mailed out to peninsula voters by the Victorian Electoral Commission last week and must be returned by 6pm Friday 23 October. Voting is compulsory for those listed on the state electoral role. Just five of the sitting councillors are seeking re-election and the results will be announced Friday 13 November.…
HUMAN imposed travel bubbles are the least of problems facing ruddy turnstones in their annual north-south migration from Siberia to the last land mass before Antarctica, Australia. Birdwatchers at Flinders are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the usual frequent flyers they recognise and identify from the coloured bands attached to their legs. There has already been a celebration with the arrival of ruddy turnstone seemingly ingloriously known as WLE. Because, rather than being just any weary returned traveller, WLE is recognised as being the oldest ruddy turnstone in the world. Tagged as a one-year-old, in 2003, WLE has unerringly found…
FIVE candidates in this month’s Mornington Peninsula Shire Council elections have signed a petition calling on the state government to reject changes to planning regulations affecting Tyabb Airfield. The petition claims the changes wanted by the shire will force “unworkable and invalid operating restrictions” at the airfield. “These amendments will cause significant limitations to flying and maintenance operations, leading to closure of businesses and loss of jobs,” the petition states. The president of Peninsula Aero Club (PAC) Jack Vevers is the first of 5470 signatures on the electronic petition, which was tabled in the Victorian Parliament’s Upper House on Wednesday…
THIS year’s Seven Sisters October women’s only “empowerment festival” is going online due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Originally held at Mount Martha in 2012 with 350 attending, the festival this year moved to Shepparton in March, ending one day before the imposition of an Australia-wide ban on events. Mornington Peninsula-based Lauren Woodman, one of the founders of Seven Sisters, said Victorians “are feeling the toll on their mental health”. “Lack of social connection, less time outside and anxiety around health and wealth are all massive contributing factors to worsening mental health,” she said. She hopes taking the next festival online…
THE 43 candidates lining up for the 11 seats on Mornington Peninsula Shire have little opportunity for physical interaction with voters, making this the first election that may be decided in large part by social media. Most candidates have Facebook and other social media accounts and online debate has, in some cases, been fast and furious for weeks. The Victorian Electoral Commission will mail out ballot packs between 6 and 8 October and votes must be either mailed back or delivered to electoral offices by 6pm on Friday 23 October. Ominously for some, results will be announced on Friday 13…
VOTERS will choose 11 of 43 candidates to form the next Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. The state government decided to go ahead with the October elections despite the COVID-19 restrictions which will impact on candidates’ campaigns. Nominations closed Tuesday 22 September and voting, postal only, will close at 6pm on Friday 23 October. Voting is compulsory and the Victorian Electoral Commission will mail out voting packs between 6 and 8 October. Just five of the 11 current councillors are seeking re-election, which means a majority of the new council will be new to the job, although at least one candidate…
AN exhibition to raise awareness of the campaign to stop AGL’s proposed gas import terminal from being built at Crib Point will run 3-25 October. Art is in our Nature includes the work of 54 artists while raising money for community group Save Westernport’s legal challenge to the proposal alongside Environment Victoria and the Victorian National Parks Association. “I reached out to the broader art community and was struck by the incredibly generous response of artists,” curator Penelope Gebhardt said. “Many have personal connections to the Mornington Peninsula and it has been heart-warming to hear their stories. Our community is…
RESTAURATEUR Michelle Loielo hopes to set a legal precedent preventing state premiers from having the powers to declare a curfew like the one Victorians are under during the COVID-19 restrictions. Her decision to challenge the power of the Premier Daniel Andrews in the Supreme Court has led to widespread support, and condemnation. Ms Loielo’s legal team last Monday (14 September) filed a motion in the Supreme Court against Michelle Giles, who is Victoria’s Deputy Public Health Commander, for the curfew to be declared “unlawful and invalid”. A further Directions Hearing was scheduled for Monday (21 September) this week. Ms Loielo,…
BUSINESSES are pitching in to help Victorians cope with the stresses and strains of dealing with restrictions imposed in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19. While regional Victoria is feeling the benefits of restrictions being eased, the Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne remain under stage four restrictions. Charlie Ryan, of Red Hill, who started design agency Five Creative with James Baker in 2009, said they launched their V for Victoria campaign in the hope of “spreading a unifying message of love, hope and solidarity across the country”. The stylised hand forming a peace sign has been reproduced on posters…
FRANKSTON had 71 unintentional overdose deaths between 2014 and 2018, making it the third highest of any Victorian region. The Mornington Peninsula, with 50 recorded deaths, was fifth on the list of 14 regions listed by the Penington Institute. Topping the list of unintentional overdose deaths was Geelong, with 82, followed by Dandenong, 78, Frankston, 71 and Melbourne, 60. The Carlton-based institute’s 2020 Australia’s Overdose Annual Report said more than 2000 people died from overdoses in the previous year. CEO John Ryan says drug-induced death is not confined to either illegal drugs or those taken as medicines. “When used in…
OBLIVIOUS to restrictions onshore, a pod of about six dolphins provided entertainment for morning walkers at Mornington. Alan Dillon watched from the pier as the bottlenose dolphins leaped from the water, possibly as part of a ploy to catch fish. Mr Dillon said the dolphins appeared to be “in a frenzy at times” and thought it may also have been a training lesson for a younger spotted one among the group. While untouched by the restrictions facing those on land (except maybe seeing an increase in fish stocks due to a ban on fishing), the dolphins would be just as…
THINGS seem a little lighter this week, with the reopening of children’s playgrounds, exercise times being extended to two hours and a later curfew (9pm-5am). On the Mornington Peninsula active cases of COVID-19 have dropped from 18 on Monday 7 September to four on Sunday 13 September. In Frankston, the drop has not been so dramatic, falling from 20 to 13 over seven days. Frankston Hospital was on Sunday reporting six active cases from a total 90 positive cases among staff and patients. Mornington Peninsula Shire has issued a reminder to parents that maternal and child health and immunisation services…
IF they were cleared for take-off, it is most likely members of Peninsula Aero Club would be waggling their plane’s wings or doing victory rolls after winning two skirmishes with Mornington Peninsula Shire over planning controls. In February, the Victorian Civil Appeals Tribunal overruled the shire and allowed a maintenance shed to be moved within the confines of the Tyabb airfield and last week VCAT ordered the shire to remove the so-called Holy Hour restriction on flying on Sunday mornings (“VCAT backs aero club against shire” The News 25/2/20). However, the two wins against the shire are just the lead-up…
MOST of the more than 2000 Mornington Peninsula residents who voted in an online poll are opposed to power company AGL’s plans for a floating gas import terminal at Crib Point. The one-week poll held by Mornington Peninsula Shire showed 1932 (93 per cent) residents were against the plan compared to 131 being in favour. The poll results follow the shire’s own opposition to the plan and the long running anti-gas terminal campaign by community group Save Westernport. “This emphatic response [through the online poll] from our community aligns with council’s position that the project poses an unacceptable risk to…
IN what seems an unlikely scenario, birds, particularly seabirds, have become collateral victims to the coronavirus pandemic. Untold numbers of disposable but not biodegradable face masks are entering the environment, adding to the already overwhelming pollution of beaches and waterways. And people heading to the beach for exercise or just quiet contemplation, are offering birds tidbits and snacks that are not part of their normal diets. Processed foods, such as bread and mincemeat should not be on the menu. The birds may be killed out of kindness. Disposing of the masks, which can take years to break down, has become…
MYSTERY surrounds the reasons for dogs becoming ill after being exercised at two leash-free areas at Rosebud. Mornington Peninsula Shire’s environment protection manager John Rankine said that drinking water at Murrowong Park and Truemans Reserve had been tested and was given the all clear while Agriculture Victoria had not received any reports of notifiable diseases at either reserve. “Unfortunately, the vets who treated the affected pets couldn’t provide any indication as to the source of the illness,” Mr Rankine said. “Council has not received any further complaints over the past fortnight, but will continue to monitor the situation.” Mr Rankine…
JENNY Angliss-Goodall is developing a special relationship. It is one of co-dependency and is not her first. The last one lasted 12 years and, when it ended, she felt as though she had “lost my right arm”. Heartbroken, but realistic enough to know that nothing lasts forever, Angliss-Goodall set about finding a new partner. The loss more than two and a half years ago of her assistance dog, Dudley, left a huge gap in her life. “We did everything together: from helping me around the home picking up anything and everything that I dropped – hair brush, shampoo bottle and…
A CLEVERLY edited but misleading video disparaging Mornington Peninsula Shire, its staff and Cr David Gill has encouraged one viewer to comment: “That guy needs shooting.” Clearly made in support of Tyabb airfield, a link to the video has been included in the latest edition of Peninsula Aero Club’s newsletter, The Tyabb Flyer. The mayor Cr Sam Hearn issued a statement “to remind everyone” that “misleading or inaccurate information” about candidates in the October municipal elections is against Victorian Electoral Commission regulation. Shire CEO John Baker said: “Council is aware of the video that is clearly misrepresenting the council and…
SURFERS have been cleared for take-off on Mornington Peninsula beaches by the Department of Health and Human Services and Parks Victoria. However, they still may face a wipeout if they are caught by police outside a five kilometre radius of their homes. Confusion last week saw police on the peninsula saying they would book surfers as surfing was a recreation and not exercise. Under COVID-19 restrictions you are allowed to drive within a five kilometre radius of your house to exercise, but within days of the police interpretation of what constitutes, exercise both Parks Victoria and the DHHS confirmed surfing…
NEPEAN MP Chris Brayne has involved himself in the October Mornington Peninsula Shire Council elections by listing several candidates on his Facebook page. In doing so, he has angered several sitting councillors and is in line to be admonished by the shire for using its logo. Amanda Sapolu, the shire’s head of governance and legal, said the shire logo – prominently reproduced on Mr Brayne’s Facebook page – is trademark-protected corporate intellectual property. “It should only be used for council endorsed business and should not be used without permission,” Ms Sapolu told The News. “It should not be used by…
POWER company AGL says “safety mechanisms” and “noise mitigation measures” are included in the design of the floating gas import terminal it wants to moor at Crib Point. “The safety of our people and the communities in which we work and live is AGL’s highest priority,” the company’s project director Ricky McNally said. He said the 10,000-page environmental effects statement (EES) produced by the company “includes in-depth investigations to identify potential hazards during construction and operation”. Mr McNally did not respond when asked to comment on the suggestion by Flinders MP Greg Hunt that there were “much more appropriate gas…
YOUNGSTERS are doing it for themselves following playgrounds and skate and BMX ramps being declared out of bounds because of the stage four coronavirus restrictions. Informal BMX ramps and accompanying bike tracks have sprung up across the Mornington Peninsula, many within protected bushland reserves and parks. But it’s not just enterprising youngsters digging in to build the BMX tracks. Parents have used excavators at Somers and Flinders to help their children build BMX tracks. The track at Flinders between the football oval and cemetery in Stokes Street “started with the kids just using spades … and has progressed through to…