CRIMES by youths across Melbourne and its suburbs mean people increasingly feel unsafe in their own homes according to state Liberal opposition leader Matthew Guy. Mr Guy visited Seaford and said it is unacceptable that young offenders are released on bail, especially for violent crimes including home invasions and carjackings. Some of those released show no respect for the law and reoffend upon release. “We need to get tougher on law and order in this state by changing the bail laws, particularly for juvenile offenders who can’t now be held,” he told The News. “You don’t give a second chance…
Year: 2016
HOW to make a scarecrow? That was one class especially enjoyable for grade 5 pupils at Eastbourne Primary School. Red Hill artist Michael Leeworthy was at the Rosebud West school as part of the Mornington Peninsula Hinterland Scarecrow Festival and Trail. “Scarecrow making takes pupils away from the digital world into craft making and gets them to use their imaginations and work with others,” he said. Leeworthy is visiting eight peninsula schools and kindergartens as part of an artist-in-residence program. Showing the pupils two ways of making a scarecrow he sensibly kept the details simple. In his kit was a…
CREWS from three volunteer rescue organisations joined forces off Safety Beach last week for coordinated water training exercises. The Water Police took an active role and oversaw the exercises on Sunday 31 July. About 40 volunteers from Southern Peninsula Rescue Squad, Mornington Volunteer Marine Rescue, and Safety Beach and Queenscliff Coast Guards, manned six boats to practise man overboard drills and search and rescue operations at sea. Crews reported that the sight of the rescue vessels all lined up in Martha Cove was “impressive”. The aim of the exercises was to simulate the demands and dangers of real life rescues,…
INCREASING pressure from developers to build bulky multi-storey apartment towers along Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento, has prompted Mornington Peninsula Shire to amend the planning scheme. Some of their planning applications – for buildings five storeys above ground level – are at odds with the low-scale character of the historic town. Senior planner James Bryan, in a report to the shire’s 25 July meeting, said that “without clearer development controls, the out of character developments will erode the valued historical character and built-form aesthetics of the village”. Amendments C203 and C204 aim to protect properties in the Sorrento activity centre, along…
A DOG was killed and two other dogs injured, one seriously, when a car they were riding in crashed into a pole at Rosebud, Thursday (4 August) night. The driver of the car, a 55-year-old Safety Beach man, was airlifted to Royal Melbourne Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The accident occurred at 6.40pm at the intersection of Point Nepean Rd and First Av. Sergeant David Collins, of Mornington Peninsula Highway Patrol, said the dead dog was on the front seat and hit the windscreen and the others were in the rear. He said marks on the rear of the front…
SAND trucked at great expense to Mt Martha Beach North has again “disappeared” after a series of storms. The sand loss has exposed the seeming flimsy supports on which many of the beach’s 90 bathing boxes sit. Some of the supports have been wedged with recently cut squares of timber while others teeter precariously on concrete pads. Many of the spindly frames have been pushed back towards the cliff by either wind or waves or, probably, both. Bolts are bent and timbers cracked. One bathing box leans backwards while another, set on a level earthen bank, is being undermined and…
IT’S not unusual for a mum to be proud of her son – that’s what mums are like. But the obvious joy and encouragement shown by Mornington’s Anita Duesterhaus for her 18-month-old bundle of joy is enchanting. Malakye was born without a right forearm and hand. In the great scheme of things, such an omission should hardly be noticed, so Ms Duesterhaus’s defence of her progeny, even while he was in her womb, is unsurprising. “I was offered a termination at 34 weeks,” she said last week. “There was nothing wrong with my son other than he never grew his…
THE federal election may be over, but the activist group GetUp! is still pursuing one of its regular targets, Flinders MP Greg Hunt. Mr Hunt lost some of his winning margin from the previous poll but retained his seat with a margin that would be the envy of most other politicians. GetUp!, which describes itself as “an independent movement to build a progressive Australia and bring participation back into our democracy” is running a survey to find out “your vision for Australia, for Flinders, for your neighbourhood and street?”. GetUp! claims to have had “a huge impact on the election…
MORNINGTON Racecourse is “putting the peninsula on a plate” with a new food and beverage regime that supports local businesses, farms and workers. Under a five-year program with Chisholm Institute 50 trainees each year will gain on-the-job experience working across race days and events. As well as new management and staff, the racecourse is working with 30 businesses – from wineries, fruit and vegetable farms to meat and smallgoods suppliers – to ensure that what’s served up on the plate represents the produce available on the peninsula. Under the guidance of the new head of food and beverage operations, Paul…
PENINSULA LEAGUE SEAFORD is in the top five after beating Karingal at Miles Reserve in MPNFL Peninsula Division on Saturday. The Tigers crept into the top bracket after Edithvale were beaten by Mornington, however, the chances of Seaford maintaining that spot is questionable given they don’t play this weekend and Edithvale play Karingal. Seaford played its round 17 game against Pines on the Queen’s Birthday weekend and went down by more than 10 goals. Karingal won’t be a lay down opposition for Edithvale at Ballam Park this weekend but given the Eagles have a place in the finals at stake,…
THE Briars homestead has been blessed with its second French connection. The first was a family link to Napoleon Bonaparte, who was a house guest of William Balcombe (1779-1829) at his house The Briars, on the island of St Helena, while he was in exile in the early 1800s. Balcombe’s son, Alexander (1811-77), went on to establish the Mt Martha property with a land grant in 1840. He and his wife built a rough-hewn slab house – also called The Briars, in 1842 – making it one of the oldest pastoral properties on the peninsula. Now, six French teenagers –…
NEPEAN LEAGUE SOMERVILLE has locked in a top three place on the MPNFL Nepean Division ladder following a strong fighting win against Red Hill on Saturday. The Eagles once again withstood a relentless opposition that refused to concede defeat, despite the fact that the Eagles appeared to put the Hillmen away a couple of times in the second half, winning 12.14 (86) to 10.9 (69). After a solid performance against Hastings last week, where they withstood a late charge from the Blues, it was always going to be interesting to see how Somerville backed up. The home side booted the…
Local Frankston band and teen sensations X MINUS took out the prestigious Frankston Freeza Fresh Start Battle of the Bands held at the Frankston Mechanics Hall on Saturday the 30th of July. All members hail from the Frankston area with only Bailey the drummer out of the area from South Yarra. Ben Gorman is the guitarist for X MINUS and he is modest about the bands early success “We are amazed and grateful for the comments we’ve been receiving. There were so many great bands on the night and we’re just happy we played tight on the night and the…
Direct from London, THE BOOTLEG BEATLES, the world’s first and finest homage to the Fab Four will be performing at the Frankston Arts Centre on Sunday September 4. Now in their 36th year, THE BOOTLEG BEATLES have performed over 5,000 shows worldwide. Their stunning authenticity coupled with their musical credibility has seen them perform at some of the world’s best-known venues such as Wembley Stadium, the Royal Albert Hall, Knebworth, Glastonbury Festival and the Budokan Stadium in Tokyo, where The Beatles originally played. They also performed on “The Graham Norton Show” in London. The legendary English Record Producer/Arranger/Composer Sir George…
FRANKSTON was privileged to be chosen once more for an afternoon’s outing for returned wounded and sick soldiers, on Wednesday last, and the lads evidently enjoyed the fun and the efforts made to entertain them. A wire was received Monday afternoon by the secretary of the “Wattles” Club (Miss Gray) asking if it would be possible to entertain 150 overseas soldiers, who were to arrive in Melbourne on Tuesday morning. So there was no time to be lost before making preparations. However, no difficulty whatever was experienced in providing the boys with the very best Frankston could produce. The Wattles…
A small 2.1 magnitude earthquake shook much of the Mornington Peninsula at 10.15 this evening. Centred near Mornington, and occurring at a depth of 10 kilometres, it was noticably felt as far away as Frankston South, Somerville, and Safety Beach. The 2.1 magnitude shake is not believed to have caused any damage to property, and Geoscience Australia have stated there is no tsunami risk associated with this quake.
LOLA the Molar and the Tooth Fairy explained to Western Port Primary School children how important it was for them to care for their teeth in this week’s Oral Health Week. They and Hastings Family Dental Care oral health therapist Hafize Coskun visited seven schools to share tooth tips and distribute healthy showbags. Pupils from Hastings, Wallaroo, Tyabb, Tyabb Railway, Somers, Crib Point and Moorooduc primaries got the message – and had fun at the same time. First published in the Western Port News – 2 August 2016
TWENTY nine dogs have been seized from a property owner at Blind Bight for contravening a local law that limits the number of animals allowed to be kept without a permit. Troy Scoble was found guilty at the Dandenong Magistrates Court in late June 2016, of keeping too many animals on his property and failing to meet basic registration requirements. “Council is in regular contact with the owner of the dogs, who are being vet-checked and will be cared for until a decision on their future is made,” Casey mayor Cr Sam Aziz said. “Council acted as swiftly as it…
POKIES losses across Frankston rose slightly in the past 12 months and still topped $63 million despite the introduction of voluntary pre-commitment cards for gamblers last year. Pokies punters in neighbouring Mornington Peninsula Shire and Kingston lost $82,381,143 and $83,473,105 respectively in 2015-16. The Labor state government launched a $197 million YourPlay scheme in December last year allowing pokies players to preselect losses limits using a swipe card to gamble on poker machines. Critics of YourPlay note gamblers can simply increase the preselected limit if they want to play on. Uptake of the scheme has been slow. Just 8130 YourPlay…
RIDING for the Disabled Western Port members are riding high – thanks to the offer of a new, more permanent home from Mornington Peninsula Shire. They have entered into a new five-year agreement to use land at Woolleys Rd Bushland Reserve, Crib Point, for $520 a year with CPI increases. This follows a one-year deal given to the riders last year to review their use of the land and, if suitable, to issue a new licence for a longer term. The shire last week offered the riders longer-term use of the land. The group had previously agisted horses on private…
HASTINGS FNC SATURDAY saw the Hastings Football/Netball Club travel to our neighbour Somerville, for what was going to a terrific game of local football between two very well drilled sides. They did not disappoint in a fabulous hard fought clash that the Somerville Football/Netball club came away with a slender victory. The game see sawed throughout the afternoon with not much between the two sides Hastings kicking with a strong breeze in the last quarter certainly had their chances to put the game to bed to only hit the post on a couple of occasions, it certainly shows that the…
A DRIVER charged over the death of Mornington Cycling Club member Joel Hawkins in June last year has been bailed to appear at the County Court in April. The Rosebud man, 47, fronted a committal hearing at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court last week on charges of culpable driving causing death, dangerous driving causing death and summary charges. A “ghost bike” memorial near Ponderosa Place, Dromana, honours the memory of the 17-year-old, of Mt Martha, who was a popular clubman and member of the Victorian cycling team. “Joel was an extremely talented rider with dreams of riding in the Tour de France.…
TWO people are in custody after police found a “clan lab” – possibly used for manufacturing drugs – in Rosebud. Detective Senior Sergeant Miro Majstorovic, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said the clandestine drug unit, as well as a large amount of fertiliser, was found at the house in Balaka St, Wednesday 27 July. A Rosebud West man, 48, has been charged with drug-related matters and possession of possibly explosive materials. He appeared at Frankston Magistrates Court, Wednesday, and was further remanded to appear on 25 August. A Rosebud woman, 37, was released pending further inquiries. First published in the Southern…
A FRANKSTON South man hid from police for more than an hour in the dark, cold waters of Martha Cove, 5.30am, Saturday 23 July. Police called in the Air Wing to help search for the man, 21, and he was soon hauled aboard a pontoon after 90 freezing minutes. Police allege the man and a mate, 24, of Patterson Lakes, stole a white utility in Frankston and drove to Safety Beach where they stole another car after pushing it down a driveway. Martha Cove security staff intervened and called Rosebud police when the men “did a runner” – straight into…
THE Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has refused permission for a bottle shop to be added to the sales and restaurant activities at Tully’s Shed, in Moorooduc Highway, Mornington. The decision follows a site inspection by VCAT senior member Russell Byard who described the “shed” as a supermarket offering goods from around the world. The decision to not allow the bottle shop can only be overturned by the Supreme Court or VCAT. The 17.3 hectare property at the Wooralla Drive intersection is within a Green Wedge zone which bans shops but allows plant nurseries, sales of primary produce and restaurants.…
RESIDENTS who successfully stopped a quarry at Dromana from being used as a tip are now gearing up to oppose approval being given to extend the life of the quarry. If approved as requested, there would be no expiry date on the permit, allowing quarrying “for the life of the resource at the quarry”. A previous planning permit expired on 23 March 2004 although Hillview says the quarry is allowed to operate under Work Authority 380. Objectors will be arguing that the quarry is uneconomic and that by having an “open” permit its owners will not be required to spend…
ROSEBUD Police Senior Citizens Register has clocked up 21 years of providing peace of mind to more than 3500 older residents of the southern peninsula. Since 1995, co-ordinators Marie Parkinson and Elaine Wallbridge have worked with 35 other volunteers to provide assurance and security among senior citizens from Mornington to Portsea. For 21 years Ms Parkinson has been overseeing and updating the growing client list, ensuring the welfare of disabled, retired or isolated elderly via regular phone calls and home visits, as well as providing ongoing support and coordination with Rosebud Police. Ms Parkinson has been running things out of…
CONTINENTAL Hotel developer Julian Gerner says Mornington Peninsula Shire’s approval of his development application gives him “something tangible to show financiers” in the lead-up to starting the $50 million project. “I am pleased that the overall scheme has been endorsed,” he said. “I am excited, but there’s an awful lot of work to do – much of it well advanced.” The council at last week’s meeting backed an application by Mr Gerner’s Continental Development company for extensive alterations and additions to the historic hotel. This paves the way for the creation of 24 new hotel rooms, four-storey above-ground building with…
A CHANCE encounter between a group of scuba divers and a yacht club operations manager may have ecological benefits for Port Phillip Bay’s marine life. Dive2U’s Nicole Morton, a company which does dive training, marine science education and scientific diving and support, was taking a filmmaker from Old Pal Productions out to see the world famous spider crabs near Blairgowrie pier. “We got chatting with the yacht squadron’s operations manager, David Opie, better known as ‘Soapy’, who told us that the north-south trending wave wall had been destroyed by teredo navalis – or shipworm – and was no longer protecting…
A PLAN to halve Victoria’s suicide rate over the next decade by following up on hospital patients with mental health issues and increasing awareness in the community was launched by the state government in Frankston last week. Premier Daniel Andrews visited Frankston Hospital last Thursday (28 July) to announce a $27 million program, funded in this year’s state budget, aimed at increasing workforce training, school-based support and mental health literacy program within several regions including Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula. Suicide was the cause of death of 646 people across Victoria last year, more than double the road toll of…