Month: July 2018

BLUESCOPE is exporting tens of thousands of tonnes of steel to the United States from its Western Port base in a growth surge the company says has helped it create 150 jobs over the past year. Last week 10,000 tonnes of steel was shipped from Hastings to the West Coast port of Longbeach – later to be galvanised or pre-painted for various applications, such as building, general manufacturing or car making. BlueScope is able to sell to the US through its Steelscope joint venture because Australia has, so far, escaped tariffs imposed on other countries’ steel exports by US President…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors will meet their counterparts from Frankston Council next week at a “working dinner” to chew over their differences in policy over the electrification of the Frankston line to Baxter. The dinner, to be held on Wednesday 8 August at Frankston Football Club, comes after shire councillors in May called on the federal and state governments to recognise the shire “as a major stakeholder”, since talks have mostly been conducted between politicians and Frankston Council. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and state opposition leader Matthew Guy visited Baxter station on 17 July to announce the Liberals, if elected…

AFTER nearly two years of sometimes acrimonious debate, Mornington Peninsula Shire has increased the rent for land leased by the Hastings Cricket and Football Social Club in Marine Parade. However, the increase from $4000 a year to $15,000 initially, could have been $61,000 if the shire had adopted a “commercial” figure. The club, which has 50 gaming machines, will be charged $15,000 (plus GST) a year in the first year of a its new 21-year lease, rising to $25,000 a year in three years and then paying three per cent increases for the following 18 years. The decision by council…

Police responded to an incident at a holiday park in Dromana last night. Emergency services were initially called to the Nepean Highway, near Kangerong Avenue, following reports that a gunshot was heard about 8.10pm. Local police, with the assistance of the Dog Squad and Critical Incident Response Team, set up a cordon at the holiday park about 9.30pm. A 51-year-old man was taken into custody without incident about 11.25pm. It has since been established that an alleged altercation occurred between the man and another male earlier in the night. That male was arrested for being drunk at the same location…

BASKETBALL THE Finals Series kicks off on Saturday 4 August in the Big V, with several of the Mornington Peninsula sides still in the running for the championship trophies. The Chelsea Gulls division one men’s side is one of them, having been low flying throughout this season. The Gulls have put together 13 wins in-a-row after round 17, and have claimed 20 victories from their 23 matches. Chelsea Gulls head coach Peter Caspersz is hoping that winning momentum can continue through to the finals. “We’ve been flying,” he said. “But without getting ahead of ourselves we still need to put…

NETBALL THE Peninsula Waves and Southern Saints suffered respective blows from the Geelong Cougars and Hawks Netball in round 14 of the Bupa Victorian Netball League. Peninsula Waves struggled to match it with the Geelong Cougars as they run away with a 17 and 18-goal victory in the championship (49-66) and division one (45-63) games. Jess Maher put in a top performance for the Waves in goalkeeper and goal defence, while her sister, Alex Maher, was also dominant in the division one match, shooting at an 87 per cent success rate in both goal shooter and goal attack. The fourth-ranked…

SOCCER BAXTER teeters on the edge of the State 4 South relegation abyss after the controversial abandonment of Saturday’s clutch away fixture against Hampton Park United. Baxter was losing 2-0 in the first half when the decision of referee Zhihao Lu to give Baxter striker Liam Kilner a second yellow card triggered a reaction that saw his brother and Baxter captain Owen Kilner also sent off. Their father and Baxter senior coach Roy Kilner believes that he also was sent off as Saturday’s clash descended into farce. Referee Lu abandoned the match in the 39th minute and Roy Kilner claims…

DIVISION TWO DROMANA have confirmed that they will finish on top the ladder with an impressive come from behind win over the in-form Red Hill at Dromana Recreation Reserve on Saturday. Red Hill entered the contest full of confidence, coming off a remarkable seven-game winning run which saw them move up to second spot on the ladder. The visiting Red Hill stunned the home crowd in the first term, racing away to a five-goal lead and holding Dromana goalless in the opening quarter. Dromana used the break to gather themselves and looked a much better side in the second quarter,…

DIVISION ONE PINES have pulled off a major upset in MPNFL Division One football this Saturday, defeating top of the ladder Sorrento at their own home ground in a tense contest. Pines got off to a red-hot start at David Macfarlane Reserve, kicking the opening three goals of the game inside five minutes to put the Sharks on the back foot right from the outset. Sorrento settled to get back into the contest, keeping the margin at just 11 points at the first break. Pines again flexed their muscle in the second term though and ran away to a 28…

‘Thunder Road’ are without doubt Australia’s number one Bruce Springsteen show. Formed in 2010, featuring a line up of seasoned and professional musicians and a repertoire of over 50 songs, Thunder Road is dedicated to enjoying and sharing Bruce’s music in a live setting, playing all the classics from ‘Born to Run’ to ‘Glory Days’ and through to his recent releases. The group captures the classic Springsteen sound. ‘Thunder Road’ remains true to the spirit and energy of the music, while delivering the songs with all the passion and conviction of the Boss. Each member of ‘Thunder Road’ has proudly…

Compiled by Boronica King THE bakery business of Mr W. Grant, of Frankston, has changed hands, the new proprietor being Mr J.A.S. Arthur, of St Arnaud, who solicits a continuance of the patronage accorded his predecessor. *** MR Norman Jackson, youngest son of Rev. and Mrs Jackson, who resided at Frankston for some time, enlisted for active service abroad this week, but greatly to his disappointment was rejected as physically unfit for service. *** REV E. Tonkin will conduct both services in the Frankston Methodist Church on Sunday next. The services will be of a special character on account of…

WIND gusts of up to 100kph on Monday night last week brought down trees in gardens and blocked roads in Mt Eliza and Mornington – keeping SES crews busy until 2am Tuesday. Spokesman Brian McMannis said 20 Frankston SES members worked in harsh conditions to move fallen trees from Tower, Humphries, Overport, Walkers and Canadian Bay roads from 10am Monday until clearing was called off at 2am next day. Then it was back on the job later Tuesday morning until 8pm. “We received about 35 calls relating to trees coming down, mainly on roads,” Mr McMannis said. Crews were rotated…

SOMERVILLE Highway Patrol’s drug-driving Operation Nemesis on Friday and Saturday nights, 20-21 July, detected three drink-drivers, one refuse breath test, nine drug-drivers, four refuse drug tests and six unlicensed, suspended or disqualified drivers. Four people with outstanding warrants were arrested and one who was wanted on a Whereabouts list was found. Police in one unit working in the operation watched on as man drove into a Seaford Road, Seaford, service station and met another man, 7.40pm. The driver then moved over into the passenger seat and the second man got behind the wheel. Police stopped the car further along Seaford…

HOLLYWOOD came to Frankston, Wednesday 18 July, when members of Somerville Highway Patrol ran Operation Hollywood in the south-bound lanes of Peninsula Link. Over six hours police used an automated number plate recognition van to scan the plates of passing vehicles for anomalies, and pulled offenders over further down the road. Those nabbed included seven suspended drivers, drug driver, drivers of 29 unregistered vehicles, two unlicensed drivers, speeding driver and one driving an unroadworthy car. Somerville Highway Patrol’s Acting Senior Sergeant Pete Martin said the operation aimed to create high visibility policing and reduce road trauma. “Unauthorised drivers and unregistered…

A CAR sped off after knocking down a 68-year-old man in Mornington, 10.42am, Wednesday 18 July. The man, who has Alzheimer’s disease, was walking along Wilsons Road when struck by the car which then sped off. Police said a witness heard the thud and then heard the car accelerate away. The injured man had crossed the Downward Street T-intersection while the car is believed to have been turning into Downward Street. The man hit his head in the incident but then got up and continued walking along Wilsons Road before collapsing in a front yard. He was taken to The…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire rangers spent summer warning dog owners off a beach at Mt Martha even though the 80 metre strip of sand is a leash-free area. The rangers visited the beach more than 40 times, telling dog owners it was a no-go zone for their pets. The shire has now admitted that the southern end of the leash-free Hawker Beach begins at the beach access stairs at the end of a track off the Esplanade between Augusta and Helena Streets. At one stage shire rangers displayed a large “Dogs prohibited in this area” sign at the top of the…

NEIGHBOURHOOD learning and support groups at Mornington Community House have been thrown a lifeline with Mornington Peninsula Shire stepping in to underwrite the 33-year-old centre. The news is a relief for parents and participants who had feared for the future of the Albert Street centre which was shut down by liquidators in March. Mornington Community Contact had run the drop-in centre, meeting place and short term child minding centre from 1977 before it moved to its present address in 1985. Services included education and adult literacy programs, volunteer support, playgroups and childcare. Shocked parents gathered outside the house after being…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have been reassured they can claim child care costs for more than one child and child care agency fees. Councillors last week voted to amend the Councillor Expenses Reimbursement, Resources and Facilities Policy to make it clear that these costs can be claimed for children up to 16 years. The policy was adopted by council on 12 December 2017 and will be reviewed before the next municipal election in October 2020. Shire senior policy advisor Anthea Hastie said councillors can be reimbursed for child care costs while “discharging their official duties”. “Councillors are eligible for reimbursement…

A TOYOTA van picked up outside Dromana Magistrates’ Court last week was sporting home-made plates: CPOAU92 (above). The 53-year-old male driver, of Cheltenham, told police he was a self-appointed “Commonwealth Public Official of Australia” who didn’t need to have a licence or pay registration fees. Unsurprisingly, police found no basis for his claims, and had his white van impounded. The man will be summonsed to appear at court at a later date for unlicensed driving, unregistered, false plates and refusing to undergo an oral fluid test for drugs. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 31 July 2018

DRIVERS must keep left, either when driving on a multi-lane road where the speed limit is more than 80kph, or where a keep-left-unless-overtaking sign is displayed. Somerville Highway Patrol police say this rule applies to Peninsula Link, Eastlink, Mornington Peninsula Freeway, Frankston Freeway and the Western Port Highway (duplicated section) and parts of Nepean Highway, such as between Mornington and Mt Eliza. Drivers on these roads are permitted to drive in the right-hand lane only when overtaking – when the speed limit still applies; are making a right turn or U-turn from the centre of the road; are avoiding an…

A PRELIMINARY report into the fatal plane crash in Mordialloc last month has found the single-engine Cessna 172 was making its first flight since an engine replacement. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating the cause of the crash that killed pilot Anthony Liddell, 50, when the plane crashed onto Scarlet Street, Mordialloc at about 5pm on Friday 8 June. The Mount Martha resident, an employee of a maintenance company, was piloting the Cessna as the sole occupant after scheduled maintenance. In its preliminary report released on 18 July, the ATSB said Mr Liddell broadcast an “engine failure” mayday…

A PROPOSED solar farm in Capel Sound will be part of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s efforts to “address climate change and move towards a clean energy future”. The shire is seeking expressions of interest from parties wishing to lease the 10 hectare site in Truemans Road for a five megawatt solar farm. The site is in a public park recreation zone. The mayor Cr Bryan Payne said the shire was committed to demonstrating its efforts in climate change “mitigation and adaptation”. “It’s early days for this project but we’re optimistic it could be a great initiative for the peninsula and will…

A CAST and crew of more than 70 students from Rosebud Secondary College will perform the original high school musical next week, when they shine on stage in Fame the Musical. Based on the 1980 film of the same name, Fame the Musical follows a group of diverse characters through the final four years of a fictional New York City performing arts high school as they seek fame in music, dance and drama. “It’s a vibrant and edgy show that doesn’t shy away from the real-life pressures facing modern teens,” says teacher Anthea Mackenzie, who co-produced the show with dance…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire’s Planning Services department is patting itself on the back about being the busiest in the state. Data released by the shire shows the department processes about 2100 planning applications and receives more than 37,000 phone calls a year. Last financial year the department completed 77 per cent of the 2187 planning decisions within the statutory time frame. On top of this, the unit determined a total of 581 amendments to planning permits, 536 secondary consents and 408 extensions-of-time requests. “This is a total of 3712 statutory decisions made for a wide range of planning permit matters,” planning…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire had called on the state government to stop a $3 million rock wall being built at the Portsea front beach until a solution can be found to protect and restore the beach. The shire says the government’s rock revetment “by itself will achieve erosion protection but will not guarantee the return of this iconic beach”. The rock revetment treatment was chosen by Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) after commissioning a study in 2016 by consultants Advisian. The study produced seven options for the 600 metres of beach and foreshore which has receded by 25-30…

THE Sick of Freeway Noise action group aims to unite frazzled residents along the Mornington Peninsula Freeway from Safety Beach, Dromana, McCrae and Rosebud. The community group is targeting noise from the freeway which it says causes sleep deprivation, stress, high blood pressure, depression and eroded living standards. The group says noise level testing along several sections exceeds VicRoads’ 2005 policy of 68dB. It says the noise pollution issue has been known for at least 18 years with residents pursuing VicRoads and respective state governments, with parliamentary records noting concerns as far back as May 2003. “The traffic has significantly…

FIVE people were arrested by Mornington police after allegedly stealing alcohol and other property from the Mornington Hotel, early Sunday morning. Detective Sergeant Jason Hocking, of Somerville CIU, said police will allege alcohol valued at $150 was stolen from the bar area and clothing, tonneau cover and 12-volt air compressor, valued at $550, was stolen from a utility in the hotel’s car park, 5am, Sunday 22 July. A Dingley Village man, 26, and a Skye man, 27, were remanded to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Monday) charged with burglary, theft and theft from a motor vehicle. A Narre Warren…

By Jo Cranstoun SOMERS resident Slim Cook and his brother Steve love the sense of adventure that comes from a car rally but admit they’re not in it to win it. Slim Cook says he takes part in the Road Boss Rally for fun and to raise money for the charity GIVIT. The rally raised $250,275 for GIVIT – a national online not-for-profit organisation which connects charities with those offering essential, quality items on behalf of their clients. Slim, 58 (“That’s what everyone calls me but my mum called me Russell’’) and Steve, 60, who lives in Queensland, left Brisbane…

THE adage “it takes a village to raise a child” has been proven to work over the past 12 years as Hastings’ schools, kindergartens, service organisations and volunteers collaborate in the Linking Schools and Early Years partnership. The service organisations – Good Shepherd Youth and family Services, Hastings Western Port Rotary Club, Western Port Catholic Parish, businesses, agencies and volunteers – adhere to the linking schools’ philosophy that children living in Hastings are the community’s joint responsibility. Their aim is to develop and implement strategies to benefit all the area’s children. Recently retired St Mary’s Primary School, Hastings principal Richard…

LIBERAL politicians were out in force at Baxter train station last week spruiking a $450 million plan to electrify the Frankston line to Baxter. The announcement will come as a disappointment to Mornington Peninsula Shire Council which in May announced that it wanted the line electrified to Hastings. The shire says Baxter – which lies within its municipal boundary – would be an unsuitable terminus for the electric train service. An “advocacy paper” prepared by the shire says moving train stabling and maintenance and car parking “down the line” to Baxter “appears to be primarily to free up land in…