Mornington Rotary Club and The Bays Hospital have launched a fund to pay for specialised training for nurses. The Rotary club has made an initial $25,000 donation to The Bays Nursing and Midwifery Education Fund and is urging members of the community to also contribute and support their local hospital. “We are thrilled to have had the support of Mornington Rotary Club over many years, and have worked with them over the last year to identify the most worthy project for them to support into the future. Nurse education is certainly that,” The Bays CEO Jade Phelan said. Incoming president…
Browsing: Mornington
Volunteer deer hunters ‘professional operaters’ The opening line of your article “Non-professional deer hunters have been recruited by Parks Victoria to shoot deer at Devilbend Natural Features Reserve, near Moorooduc” is, in our view, leading, alarmist and not a true reflection of the level of training, expertise and oversight applied to SSAA Victoria’s Conservation and Pest Management (CPM) volunteers on these programs (“Hunters recruited for Devilbend cull” The News 20/6/23). While our CPM volunteers are not “professional”, paid, we are concerned that using the term “non-professional” will likely lead readers to conclude that CPM volunteers are unprofessional. Accepting that it…
HAND therapy practitioners are campaigning to raise awareness of their role in restoring hand function following a workplace injury. Safe Work Australia statistics show that the wrist and hand were the most common injury site at 38 per cent of all work-related hospitalisations in Australia. Hand Therapy Week from 5-11 June will shed light on the advanced practice of hand therapy and the practitioners leading the way in assessing, diagnosing and treating upper limb injuries. The Australian Hand Therapy Association and 1000 practitioners across the country will educate the community about their ability to help patients with burns, scars, fractures,…
GROWING numbers of “middle class” Mornington Peninsula families are lining up for food support and help paying bills. Support services across the peninsula say a perfect storm of high rents, rising interest rates and burgeoning household bills is forcing a new wave of individuals and families to seek help. Mornington community support centre is hoping its winter appeal will raise $50,000 by the end of June to help deal with the crisis. CEO Ben Smith said there was unprecedented demand for support services, with all agencies and services reporting being stretched to the limit. “We are experiencing at least 20…
SEAS whipped by wild winds once again made Mornington pier a focus of attention on Saturday (17 June). While phones and cameras were used to record the ever-changing event from the safety of Schnapper Point, others decided to take a closer, wet look. Each time the spray from the crashing waves subsided, onlookers were also astounded to see anglers still trying their luck from the pier’s frequently doused boards. First published in the Mornington News – 20th June 2023
Mornington Crime Investigation Unit detectives have arrested three teenagers following multiple aggravated burglaries in Mornington between 8 and 9 June. It’s alleged an offender entered a property on Nunns Road, Mornington and stole personal items about 2am on 8 June. It is also alleged the offenders reattended the Nunns Road address where an elderly female occupant was confronted and assaulted by one of the offenders before stealing her Hyundai i30 just after 11.30pm on 8 June. It’s alleged the same offenders then entered a property on Nelson Street, Mornington just after midnight on 9 June where a grey Toyota Hilux…
By Peter Aldenhoven, CEO Willum Warrain Gathering Place THE 1967 referendum produced the highest ever Yes vote in support of including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the census for the first time. Up until then, the Australian government had a clearer idea of how many sheep were in the country than Aboriginal people. It was a heady achievement. Australian people voted to right a great wrong; they voted for fairness and justice for First Australians. The best version of ourselves as a nation rose to the fore. Together, we can do this again in 2023. We can make…
By Zoe McKenzie, MP for Flinders THERE are times when something very special happens in the Australian Parliament, when a debate makes us look carefully and critically at ourselves and the society in which we live. This parliamentary sitting fortnight’s focus on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament has been one of those moments. I have seen parliamentarians of all backgrounds bring their best selves, their love of our country, their sense of responsibility and their reflection of their communities, to the debate – for all to hear and see. If you have time, read Hansard. You will not be disappointed…
A HASTINGS to Mornington bus service is one step closer after the state government announced an extra $36.4 million in this year’s budget to improve bus services in growth areas. Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll and Hastings MP Paul Mercurio were in Hastings on Wednesday to announce that planning is underway for the cross-peninsula bus link. No details have been released on when work might start on the bus route. There are currently no direct bus connections linking Hastings to Mornington, with trips requiring lengthy travel via Frankston. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council last year used the results of a community…
IN a world where colours come to life and imagination takes flight, there exists a mastery that can transform mere air into whimsical wonders. Welcome to the realm of balloon art, where skilled hands and fertile minds twist and shape the ordinary into the extraordinary. It may seem like child’s play, but this is an art form that requires mental and physical dexterity and more than a little imagination, as Mornington couple Tammie and Trevor Timmers can attest. The couple, currently battling it out on Channel 7’s Blow Up Australia to vie for the crown of national champions, has been…
A TEAM of fit and somewhat ambitious men from Peninsula Kung Fu are limbering up for the 2023 Push Up Challenge. The men are aiming to complete 3144 push-ups each over 23 days in June to raise money for suicide prevention and awareness of men’s mental health. The targeted number of push-ups is how many Australian lives were lost to suicide in 2021 – and helps shine a light on the prevalence of male suicide across the country. Peninsula Kung Fu’s Sarah Hanna said participants will get together each Friday during the challenge for a few sets of push-ups. “We…
AREAS of the Mornington Peninsula have been described as suffering from “third world neglect” because of their lack of reticulated sewerage. Polluted runoff from the peninsula’s 22,000 unsewered properties poses a public health risk as well as polluting drains, creeks and groundwater. As well as lobbying the state government and government agencies to set a timeline to fix the problem, Mornington Peninsula Shire will draw up a new wastewater management plan under the “guidance” of the Environment Protection Authority. Towns and areas which are not sewered include Rosebud, Red Hill, Main Ridge, Arthurs Seat, Baxter, Merricks and Crib Point. Cr…
SOCCER RILEY Anderton treated onlookers to a volleying masterclass on Saturday as he single-handedly broke Berwick City’s resolve with a breathtaking four-goal display. The Peninsula Strikers ace was the catalyst for a second-half turnaround at Centenary Park that saw a 1-0 deficit transformed into a resounding and unexpected 5-1 win. Until the Kiwi first struck in the 55th minute Berwick was the better side and deserved its slender lead but Anderton levelled when he spun on a deflected cross and volleyed with his right foot into the roof of the net. Within minutes he demonstrated a deft touch at the…
A NEW music show aimed at all music lovers across the Mornington Peninsula has been launched by radio station RPPFM. The playlist is chosen and presented by self-described music die hard Ross Woodward, of Mount Eliza. The Music Box will be broadcast from 9.30pm on Tuesdays and use Woodward’s own CD collection to create the two hour show. Musicians that Woodward has met over the years include Brian Wilson and Al Jardine of the Beach Boys, Colin Hay, Don Walker of Cold Chisel, Guy Pearce (who has released several albums), Vika and Linda Bull, Paul Brady, Richard Thompson, Jimmy Webb…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is investigating the positioning of dozens of signs along the path through Mornington Park on Sunday by anti-vax protesters. People out enjoying the weather could not avoid walking past the confronting signs while a small group of anti vaxxers remained in the park to talk to onlookers. The signs purportedly tell the stories of people who have had adverse vaccine reactions and claim that people are being “conned”. One woman who took photos of the silent protest said she felt the signs were “misleading” and should not have been placed in a public space. “I didn’t believe…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire officers have been “working closely” with police and the Environment Protection Agency to “combat” the illegal dumping of car tyres. The mayor Cr Steve Holland said a large numbers of tyres had been dumped “at various spots” around the peninsula. “The investigation requires extensive intelligence gathering and a strategic approach with regard to removing the dumped tyres,” Holland said. “Illegally dumping waste is a serious offence and a breach of the Environmental Protection Act.” Holland said fines of more than $9000 could apply as well as a conviction if offenders were caught and prosecuted in court. He…
MORNINGTON Liberal MP David Morris has slammed the previous state government over its “botched” Mornington pier project. His criticism comes just weeks before Parks Victoria names the successful tenderer for the replacement of the outer, condemned section of the pier. In May 2012, the state government announced it would spend up to $15 million to replace the outer section with its 125 pylons, which had been closed since August 2010 after a series of storms weakened the structure. In the Parliament last week, Mr Morris said the project had gone “seriously off the rails” under the Brumby Labor government. “In…
VICROADS is trying to offload the Esplanade onto Mornington Peninsula Shire. The shire and VicRoads have been discussing the status of shire roads for many months but councillors were briefed for the first time last week. VicRoads can force the shire to take ownership of the so-called government road but it appears the roads authority is adopting a conciliatory approach. The state government authority has told the shire it wants to downgrade the Esplanade’s status from an arterial to a local road, and give it to the shire. It told the shire the road is mainly used by locals but…
MORNINGTON Life Saving Club is in deep water after clearing an area behind its clubhouse on Mills Beach as well as starting internal renovations without a permit. The club removed sand that had built up behind the building over several years, disturbing an Aboriginal midden site. It placed two shipping containers in the cleared section as a storage area for new equipment. It also started renovating shower and toilet areas on the ground floor, which had been affected by rising damp. The existing facilities were insufficient for a growing membership. The clearing has triggered an investigation by the Office of…
THE restored grave of acting Prime Minister James Fenton will be unveiled at Mornington Cemetery at 3.30pm on Sunday 27 October. James Edward Fenton was an MP 1910-34 including acting PM for five months in 1930 during the Great Depression, one of the most tumultuous times in Australian politics. The unveiling will be the culmination of a campaign by Dunkley MP Bruce Billson and Mornington and District Historical Society to restore the grave. About $10,000 for the work came from the federal Labor government’s Your Community Heritage Program. Historical society member Val Wilson, who conducts tours of the cemetery and…
POLICE are hunting a man and woman over the theft of a “much-loved family pet” from outside a home in Hargreaves St, Mornington, last week. Bailey, a small, white shih-tzu cross, was let out from the front yard of his home by his owners about 2.30pm on Monday and disappeared a short time later. Witnesses reported seeing a man and woman park their vehicles at either end of Hargreaves St in order to catch the frightened pet. “They were seen chasing the dog up and down the street until it was picked up by a passer-by, who then handed it…
THE state government has called for tenders to replace the condemned, outside section of Mornington pier. Replacement of the 75-metre long section will cost at least $13.5 million, allocated by the government last year. Work is expected to start later this year and be completed in late 2014, subject to weather and contractor availability. The value of the project is likely to see pier contractors from far and wide submit tenders. Mornington MP David Morris said the design for the outer section and wave protection would ensure “this iconic pier will continue to provide a destination for the residents and…
THE last of 74 large concrete wave screen panels was lifted into place on Mornington pier’s middle section last Thursday. Completion of installation is a significant event in the long-running saga to make the harbour safe from westerly and northerly storms. Carrum Downs-based K V Johnson Constructions started installing the panels – 43 on the outside of the pier and 31 on the inside – in late June. The screens are 1.2-metres wide on the bay side and 1.6-metres wide on the harbour side with some up to 6.7 metres long. Made in Geelong, they weigh about 15 tonnes each,…
ASBESTOS has been removed from vacant land in central Mornington, leaving a neighbour fearing that fragments of the deadly substance have been carried from the site by truck tyres. The former industrial land at 73-75 Barkly St is being prepared for townhouses. The land is next to Mornington Primary School and Josh Dawson, assistant manager of the Gillon Group development company, said asbestos removal was timed to coincide with school holidays. In a “courtesy” letter to nearby residents, Mr Dawson said asbestos on the vacant land was “limited to sheet fragments” and was classified as “non-fibrous and does not present…
MORNINGTON beaches are being polluted by rubbish from Melbourne. Trash collected by beach walkers in the past two weeks included five syringes as well as plastic containers, lids, straws, small pieces of plastic and parking slips, in total enough to fill several large garbage bags. More than three dozen parking slips came from the cities of Melbourne, Maribyrnong, Darebin and Yarra, revealing the exact time and date the slips were issued. Several had taken just three days to float from Melbourne to Mornington. Mornington Environment Association president Jan Oliver said “rubbish in appalling amounts was washed up on Mills Beach…
MORNINGTON solicitor and developer Joseph Alesci and his company Porsh Pty Ltd have been fined $12,000 and ordered to pay costs of $8000 over planning breaches at his Epicurean Centre in Red Hill South. Mornington Peninsula Shire communications manager Todd Trimble said the shire took Mr Alesci and Porsh to Frankston Magistrates’ Court “for various breaches of the planning permit and the planning scheme”. “The offences included the construction of a concrete pad and blast wall on the road reserve; creation of a dam for the purposes of waste water treatment; failure to satisfy a section 173 agreement; and constructing…
MORNINGTON MP David Morris says he is relaxed about his electorate receiving nothing in the recent state budget. “The budget doesn’t reflect my commitment to the electorate,” he said. Mr Morris spoke to The News after announcing the next stage of reconstruction of Mornington pier – a $1.5 million contract to install wave screens on the upgraded middle section of the pier (“Pier wave screens in June”, The News, 21/5/13). He said the electorate and peninsula region had done well over the past two years. Last May the state government promised up to $15 million to rebuild the outer, 75-metre…
A MORNINGTON woman missing in Victoria’s remote eastern high country for four days was rescued by police late Sunday morning. Lynette Joyce Bond, 68, was found lying on the banks of the Snowy River, where she had scrawled the word “HELP” in the sand. Her plea was spotted by Air Wing police searching the area by helicopter and she was winched to safety about 11.30am on Sunday 7 April. Police said Ms Bond had been touring in the Snowy River National Park when her car broke down on Wednesday. Ms Bond’s plight was not discovered until Saturday when a hiker…
THE Mornington Park precinct was marred by rubbish after the hot weekend and looked like a Third World country, says resident Paul Smith. Mr Smith and former chamber of commerce president Scott Crowe are “citizen cleaners” who pick up rubbish in the precinct during regular morning and evening walks. The pair has been calling for improved rubbish collection for several years. “At 8pm on Sunday I visited the precinct while walking my dog. The whole area was absolutely disgusting, littered with rubbish and picnic waste everywhere,” Mr Smith said. “Rubbish bins where overflowing in Mornington Park, the Mothers Beach picnic…
UNITED Energy could face claims of hundreds of thousands of dollars following a massive power surge from a Mornington electricity substation on Wednesday morning. Up to 10,000 properties in Mornington, Mt Martha, Moorooduc and Somerville received 300 volts, 20 per cent more than normal, surging through power lines at about 9am. The CFA said there had been more than 55 calls for assistance, mostly generated by householders smelling smoke from electrical appliances and smouldering wiring. The CFA set up an emergency response team at its Moorooduc incident control centre to take calls from 000 and coordinate its response. Calls were…