MORNINGTON Peninsula has recorded 227 reports of animal cruelty over the past financial year with 22 animals either seized or surrendered. The new data was released in RSPCA Victoria’s latest animal cruelty report, making the peninsula the 13th highest in the state for animal cruelty. The report ranked each Victorian local government area (LGA) with Geelong topping the list with 560 reports, followed by Casey (470), and Hume (431) for the 2024-25 financial year.Mornington Peninsula’s 227 cruelty reports matched the previous year’s figure but was still fewer than the 2022-23 financial year (281 reports). There were also fewer animals seized…
Browsing: Mornington Peninsula
Around 120 wallabies will be relocated from The Briars wildlife sanctuary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the population, after a unanimous vote of councillors tonight (16/9). Last year, an increase in the availability of food for the wallabies, brought about by increased rainfall, stimulated high breeding rates. The change to drier conditions this year has conversely reduced food availability, leading to pressure on the population and the environment. It is estimated there are approximately 150 wallabies currently in the sanctuary at The Briars, while the recommended carry capacity – the number of animals to remain sustainable – is around…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have endorsed a draft “Community Disaster Resilience Plan”, which will now be released for community input. The decision was made at the council’s 2 September and will identify local strengths, needs, and priorities with emergencies and disasters.The draft plan will guide how the council supports the community to prepare for clear communication during emergencies, as well as plan and prioritise emergency preparedness activities, and assess the impact of its actions and improve future responses.A statement from the council’s draft plan said it focused on leading change and coordinating preparedness through strong networks and partnerships, and also…
Ambulance Victoria has expressed serious concern after two female paramedics were allegedly set upon in a violent assault on Main Street, Mornington earlier today (13/9). The paramedics were walking the street at approximately 11:30am when they were allegedly attacked. They were not treating a patient or attending a case at the time. One of the paramedics sustained injuries after allegedly being kicked by the alleged offender and is currently being assessed in hospital. The matter is now in the hands of Victoria Police, who are investigating. Members of the public who witnessed the alleged assault came to the paramedics’ aid.…
BIRD lovers and nature enthusiasts are in for a treat as the Mornington Peninsula gears up to host its inaugural Bird Festival, featuring guided trips, an art show, expert talks and beginner-friendly workshops. Running on the weekend of 22–23 November, the event will shine a spotlight on the diverse birdlife of the region, offering visitors of all ages a chance to connect with nature in meaningful and exciting ways. All events and activities will be based at Coolart Homestead and wetlands. This includes bird watching with well-respected bird guides both mornings, plus a trip on Western Port and another to…
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…
A TRAIL running couple from the Mornington Peninsula are preparing to represent Australia at one of the world’s most prestigious endurance events this month in Spain. Tom Dade and his partner Miah Noble have earned their place among the world’s elite after being selected to compete in the 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships from 25-28 September.The event will be held in Canfranc-Pirineos in the Spanish Pyrenees known for its stunning mountain scenery and rich history. It will bring together the top trail and mountain runners from across the globe as they take on gruelling courses featuring steep climbs…
DEVILBEND Golf Club is set to undergo a major pro-shop and clubhouse redevelopment after the Mornington Peninsula Shire backed the project by agreeing to act as a loan guarantor. The $1.1m project would see the clubhouse facilities upgraded to provide additional and upgraded services for its members. Councillors voted unanimously at their 2 September meeting for the shire to act as a loan guarantor as part of the club’s bid to secure a $450,000 loan from Bendigo Bank, which would be repaid over ten years. The club, based in Moorooduc, has received in-principle approval of the loan from the bank,…
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…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have approved a land lease expansion of the Main Ridge CFA brigade to allow the installation of a second water tank, boosting the brigade’s emergency response capacity.The decision, made at the council’s 2 September meeting, comes in response to growing concerns over water availability for fire callouts in the region with the nearest reticulated water supply being in Browns Rd in Boneo, near Graceland Rd, some 12km away. Currently the brigade operates with one tank onsite, however the lease expansion would permit a second tank to be placed within the brigade’s grounds at Main Creek Rd…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have rejected a motion to declare a homelessness emergency after the deputy mayor warned state and federal government inaction would pass “the burden onto the ratepayer”. The shire has had a housing crisis declaration in place since 2021 in response to the growing pressure on housing affordability and availability across the peninsula. But with the peninsula now having the highest number of people sleeping rough out of any local government area in Victoria, Cr Max Patton moved a motion at the council’s 2 September meeting calling for a homelessness emergency to formally recognise the worsening situation.…
Southern Metro Crime Squad detectives have charged four youths following an alleged aggravated home invasion in Rosebud and pursuit through multiple suburbs Thursday morning. A group of male offenders, allegedly armed with firearms and a knife, forced entry into a property on Bilbul Avenue in Rosebud about 2.50am. It is alleged they entered a bedroom, threatened the male and female occupant and forced them to hand over cash, before fleeing in a white Mercedes SUV. The allegedly stolen Mercedes was spotted by police a short time later on the Peninsula Link near Moorooduc, but it sped off. Details of the…
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…
Three people have been arrested – one facing serious drug trafficking charges – after police seized half a kilogram of cocaine and a suitcase full of cash from a home in Chelsea. Following investigations into the alleged trafficking of cocaine and ketamine in Melbourne’s southeast, detectives from the Caulfield Divisional Response Unit executed two search warrants at a home on Embankment Grove, Chelsea and on Wren Road, Moorabbin, from about 6am on Monday 1 September. At the Chelsea address, police located 500g of cocaine with an estimated potential street value of $150,000, and approximately $785,000 cash in a suitcase. Two…
A man has been charged with a string of offences after police seized weapons from a home in the Mornington Peninsula. Rosebud police officers attended a property in Rosebud about 8pm on 2 September in relation to an ongoing investigation. A 43-year-old man was arrested at the scene. Following further enquires, police attended the property again later that night, where they allegedly uncovered several weapons including: The Rosebud man was charged with: Further charges are expected including possessing drugs of dependence and prohibited weapons. The man appeared in Frankston Magistrates’ Court today where he was further remanded to reappear on…
MORNINGTON Peninsula’s first tiny house on wheels for crisis accommodation is nearly complete thanks to an incredible community effort. The unique project, the first of its kind on the peninsula, is being hailed as a significant step towards providing immediate, dignified shelter for individuals or a small family in urgent need. The fully mobile home is being built by former shire mayor Simon Brooks, along with a few other tradespeople, who have volunteered hours of their time to bring the vision to life. Supported by the Dromana Association and Rotary Club of Dromana, the project has been entirely community-funded, with…
THE federal government’s $50m commitment to upgrade Nepean Highway was front of mind when Frankston Council and Mornington Peninsula Shire sent their mayors to Canberra last week. It was a rocky road to Canberra for the delegation, which was organised by the Committee For Frankston and Mornington Peninsula. After making public comments about the Committee, Frankston mayor Cr Kris Bolam was temporarily disinvited from the trip. He ultimately attended, alongside Committee CEO Josh Sinclair, Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Anthony Marsh, Mornington Peninsula Shire CEO Mark Stoermer, and Frankston Council officer Kristen Thomson. Dunkley MP Jodie Belyea and Flinders MP…
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…
A CONTENTIOUS plan to build a 250-home housing estate near Mornington Racecourse is set to go before an independent panel to consider community concerns of traffic impacts, public space, and residential density. Mornington Peninsula Shire has received two planning applications that propose to subdivide land into 116 lots that border Racecourse Rd, Watt Rd and Carbine Way, covering 13 hectares; about six times the size of the MCG playing field. Named the “Woodbyne Estate”, the proposed precinct would apply to privately owned land at 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 Woodbyne Cres and 1, 2, 3 and 4…
A QUIET night at home turned into a life-or-death emergency for Mornington Peninsula man Alan when he suddenly collapsed from a cardiac arrest in February. In a moment of courage, his wife of 33 years, Anita, sprung into action – immediately calling Triple Zero (000) and beginning CPR. Luckily for Alan and his family, their neighbour Shannon had the GoodSAM app on her phone and was notified about Alan’s critical condition. Shannon and her two children, Jackson and Charlie, rushed next door, took over CPR and shocked Alan three times with an automated external defibrillator (AED) that was in their…
SEVENTEEN new homes will be built in Mornington and Hastings to support women and children, as the region battles a worsening housing and homelessness crisis. The Mornington Peninsula Shire has partnered with housing agencies YWCA Australia and Women’s Property Initiatives (WPI) to deliver the social housing through the provision and lease of five parcels of council own land valued at more than $3m. The housing and development will be funded by Homes Victoria under the state government’s $6.3b Big Housing Build and Regional Housing Fund.|As reported by The News earlier this month, the Mornington Peninsula now has the highest number…
THE heritage-listed Norman Lodge gatehouse on Nepean Highway, Mount Eliza, has commenced the process of being dismantled, before being rebuilt metres away from its original site. The dismantling comes a year after a demolition order for the gatehouse was issued by Mornington Peninsula Shire after a structural engineer’s report identified it as having suffered “total loss of structural integrity”.The protected gatehouse 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 concrete slab footing. The future of the building fell into doubt…
PLANS for a $25m redevelopment of Arthurs Seat Eagle (ASE) has been tweaked including scrapping a pedestrian bridge from the summit, but critics say the changes don’t go far enough. A revision of the masterplan’s design follows project planners meeting community groups and local representatives to gather a range of perspectives. The plans, announced last September, include upgrading facilities, attractions and the natural green space to “diversify the types of experiences offered to tourists”. Such is its scale, the planned redevelopment has been deemed a “project of significance” under Victorian planning provisions and is currently being reviewed by the Department…
A FRUSTRATED motorist is expected to face at least an $8000 damage bill after his high-end car struck a nasty pothole along an arterial road in Boneo on 18 August.Bradley Carter was shocked to discover his whole rear tyre was severely punctured and the wheel rim badly damaged on his pride-and-joy Bentley car after he hit a pothole at a bend on Boneo Rd near the Patterson Rd turnoff while travelling at the 80kph speed limit.The Aspendale resident was driving home after playing golf at Cape Schanck when he lost control and swerved to the other side of the road…
Frankston Crime Investigation Unit detectives are appealing for information after a man was found with serious injuries in Frankston last night. Emergency services were called to reports of a man in his 40s with head injuries on Cecil Street, near Victoria Parade, about 7.10pm. He was taken to hospital and remains in a critical condition. Police are working to establish the circumstances of the incident and where it occurred. At this stage, detectives do not believe the man was struck by a vehicle. Anyone who witnessed the incident, with CCTV/dashcam footage or any information that could assist police is urged…
A COMMUNITY fundraiser has been launched after heartless thieves stole a disabled man’s car along with his wheelchair in Capel Sound, leaving him without vital mobility. Daniel Laing, 39, was asleep when four intruders broke into his garage before stealing his Holden Berlina station wagon about 1.15am on 12 August. The car had special hand controls installed to help him drive with a wheelchair that he uses for work sitting in the front passenger’s seat. It is a massive blow for the disability advocate who can no longer get to work or appointments. Although his car was found a few…
A Somerville based company has received a $5,140 fine after deciding to dump waste in a Tyabb drain instead of waiting for the local resource recovery centre to open. Last year, the Shire received a report about a timber waste product dumped in an open drain on Denham Road, Tyabb. After investigating, Council’s Litter Prevention Officers confirmed the source was from the Somerville-based company. Despite being just minutes away from the Tyabb Resource Recovery Centre, the representative of the company told officers they dumped the waste because the facility was closed at the time. The representative also tried to justify the decision…
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…
An asphalt company has been fined $80,000 after an employee died when he was run over by a colleague driving a skid steer loader at the workplace, after hours. HSG Asphalt Pty Ltd was sentenced in the Melbourne County Court yesterday (Thursday 21/8) after pleading guilty to one charge of failing to maintain a safe system of work and one charge of failing to ensure people other than employees weren’t exposed to health and safety risks. In September 2022, four workers from HSG Asphalt and another related company were drinking alcohol at the company’s Bangholme depot at the end of…