Month: December 2019

Water Police with the assistance of Search and Rescue, Police Air Wing and Coast Guard are continuing to search for the missing mother and son Felicity Loveday and Adrian Meneveau after their boat was located this morning. It is believed the submerged boat was located by a fisherman about four nautical miles from Ricketts Point. Water Police are towing the boat to Black Rock where it will be examined. The 83-year-old and 56-year-old were last seen at 7am on 11 December at Olivers Hill boat ramp in Frankston. The pair told family they were going on a trip for a…

Officers from State Highway Patrol got more than they bargained for following an intercept in Rye last night. Members observed a Honda Civic driving erratically along the Mornington Peninsula Highway about 9pm. It Is alleged that the driver was using a mobile phone, travelling at 137km/h in a 100km/h zone and swerving in and out of traffic. Police intercepted the car and spoke to the driver, a 17-year-old boy from Glen Waverley. He underwent a roadside drug test which returned a positive result. The boy has been interviewed for drug driving, speed dangerous, learner driver fail to have qualified driver,…

THE First peoples’ Health and Wellbeing organisation says Aboriginals in Frankston and on the Mornington Peninsula have been left out of the federal government’s “commitment to improving the health of all Australians”. The health service’s CEO Karinda Taylor said that despite the area having 6000 Aboriginals, it was “one of the only regions in the country where the local Aboriginal health service did not receive any investment under [Flinders MP and Health Minister] Greg Hunt’s recently announced $90 million boost for Aboriginal health services”. First peoples’ Health and Wellbeing earlier this year opened a clinic in Station Street, Frankston to…

WESTERN Port Coast Guard crews brought Christmas cheer and help to five boats in trouble out on Western Port Bay, Sunday 8 December. Commander Jeremy West said having so many other boats out on the water on “such a glorious day” meant no one was in any real danger, although breakdowns have the potential to turn nasty if the weather deteriorates. Boats assisted off Corinella, Tyabb and Yaringa had flat batteries; one was a motor fail. These mostly minor issues reinforced the necessity of boat owners conducting gear and safety checks before going out on the water, Commander West said.…

PENINSULA PEARCEDALE have slumped to an outright loss against Pines at home. After being bowled out for 85 on day one, Pines declared at 0/95 to set themselves up for a shot at an outright win. Pearcedale’s second innings went a little better, but they still gave Pines an opening to come back in and chase them down. They were bowled out for 121 of 54 overs. Pines made quick work of the rest of the day, reaching their target after 23 overs to secure a second innings victory. At Ditterich Reserve, Main Ridge and Red Hill’s contest went down…

SOCCER THE fate of Langwarrin triallists Sammy Orritt from Mornington and Jordon “Kaka” Avraham from Peninsula Strikers will be decided after Saturday’s clash with Melbourne Victory. Langy gaffer Scott Miller wants to see how they perform against the third-tier NPL outfit in a friendly that kicks off at 11am at Lawton Park. Another triallist, Strikers forward John Prescott, flew back to England last weekend and won’t return until next month but Miller will make a call on all three after the Victory game. Should he want to sign them it then becomes a matter of agreeing terms. It emerged last…

HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based racehorse trainer Logan McGill is looking to reach new heights with his inform Sale Cup winner, Gold Fields, in the coming months. The last-start $160,000 Group Thee Sandown Stakes winner will head to Sydney next to race in the Group Two Villiers Stakes (1600m) on Saturday 14 December, before embarking on a potential trip to Dubai. McGill said he was “50/50” between heading overseas or staying in Melbourne to have a crack at the $5 million All-Star Mile in March. “It is such an honour for him to have an invite to race in Dubai and at…

JOHN Ditchburn, managing director Frankston and District Gas and Electric Company, acknowledging receipt of Council’s letter of 6th October in regard to electrification of public lamps in Frankston, pointing out there is no obligation on his company to supply current except under the terms of the agreement between the parties. His company was quite prepared to undertake this work as soon as they have an agreement with the Council for a period of years. It would be necessary to provide a separate current for the public lamps, and this would involve an outlay of at least. £100. He had already…

THE family of a Mount Martha woman who died in a horrific collision in Seaford last week has praised her as a “loving wife and mother to her beautiful 10-year-old son”. Rose Kelly, pictured, 43, died when a Nissan Navara ute being driven by a P-plater veered onto the wrong side of Nepean Highway and slammed into her, 6.30am, Thursday 5 December. A 20-year-old Sandringham man, arrested at the scene by an off-duty police officer, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He has since been charged with one count of dangerous driving causing death. Ms Kelly’s grieving family said…

CRITTENDEN Estate in Dromana has won international recognition for its efforts to achieve sustainability in making wines. The estate has won the 2020 BRIT/FIVS international winegrowing competition in the wake of a decision more than a decade ago to stop using chemicals. Estate manager Rollo Crittenden said soil fertility at the Harrisons Road vineyard dropped noticeably about 12 years ago following 25 years’ use of herbicides, pesticides and fungicides. Chemical residues had made the soil “chalky” and lacking in nutrients, which led to vines being “not as healthy as they could be”. The decision to adopt other ways of improving…

LOCAL government representatives from around the world have been told about Mornington Peninsula Shire’s efforts to attain “climate neutrality” through lessening its carbon emissions. Cr Hugh Fraser last week outlined the declaration of a climate emergency by the shire and 1000 other Australian municipalities to a conference in Madrid, Spain. He said the move by local governments to recognise the climate emergency in Australia started in 2016 and was adopted by the shire on 13 August this year following an audit of its carbon footprint which was first undertaken five years ago. Cr Fraser told his international audience that the…

CHILDREN feeling unsafe or suffering from personal issues at three Mornington Peninsula primary schools can sit in a Buddy Bench in the playground and someone will come to check on their welfare. Members of the New Peninsula Men’s Shed, Mt Martha, installed a Buddy Bench at Rosebud Primary last week – their seventh so far – with others having been installed at Eastbourne and Balnarring primary schools. Shed president Andrew Doncovio said sitting in the seat triggered a “hierarchy of help” for the students, meaning they could feel confident they were not alone and that others were looking out for…

JUDO expert Harrison Cassar is on a mission to win the required number of ranking points to gain selection into the Australian Olympics team to compete at Tokyo in July. Described as an “elite athlete” by his coaches at Mornington Judo Club, Cassar has been a dedicated club member since he was eight. Now 20, he has wins at both state and national championships behind him and placings at recent international events. His most recent success was a bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Open, ranking him number one in Australia for his weight division. Cassar, of Dromana, is confident…

GIVING more people more access to the bay’s beaches is the aim of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s beach matting program. It is part of the Beach Access program which has been running at Mount Martha beach since 2016 and is now at Mills Beach, Mornington. The beach matting is permanently on the sand offering those in wheelchairs, or with limited mobility, the chance to get to the water’s edge during summer. The matting was rolled out on Friday 8 November and will remain until Easter Monday (13 April) with beach accessible wheelchairs available on weekends during patrol hours. The Disabled Surfers…

A MOUNT Martha man allegedly stormed into two neighbours’ houses and terrorised the occupants, 12.30pm, Sunday 1 December. The man, 43, allegedly forced his way in the front door of a house on the Esplanade and began threatening and verbally abusing a middle aged couple. While they cowered the man, possibly substance-or-drug affected, left and kicked in the front door of another house, again allegedly verbally abusing and threatening the occupants. No one was injured in the incidents although the occupants were said to be shaken. The man allegedly refused to come out of the house before being arrested by…

A TERRIFIED couple in their 60s was ordered out of their car in Mount Martha by two men who then drove off and crashed it into a tree, 3.15pm, Sunday 24 November. Detective Acting Sergeant Peter Drake, of Somerville CIU, said the couple was being tailgated by a silver Honda SUV in Dickson Grove when the incident occurred. Two men in the Honda pulled in front of the couple’s Mercedes and stopped. One, who “appeared to be holding something under a white cloth”, ordered them out, Detective Drake said. One jumped into the Mercedes and it, and the Honda, was…

PLANS to develop a 4.85MG solar farm in the Dromana industrial estate have received support from Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. The Dromana Clean Energy Farm in Collins Road is the first regional solar farm on the peninsula and aligns with what the council sees as a practical response to its declared Climate Emergency stance. Cr Simon Brooks said after the planning services meeting, Monday 18 November, that councillors had applauded the “effort that the applicant had gone to in bringing the proposal to this point”. “The location is ideal for grid connection into the southern peninsula electricity grid,” he said.…

BEACHES on the Mornington Peninsula will be a focus of the police Operation Summersafe until March. The police are armed with an arsenal of tools and resources to help ensure community safety, including the public order response team, mounted branch, water police, drone unit and dog squad. Commander Libby Murphy said police would have a highly visible presence on beaches within the Southern Metropolitan Region. “We will focus on using real time intelligence and technology through the drone unit to detect and deter offending, giving us the ability to flexibly deploy resources to where they’re most needed,” she said. “Those…

ALEX Dellaportas describes herself as “a living example of someone who doesn’t always fit in – someone who thinks differently, who experiences emotions uniquely”. She admits to having a “sometimes difficult relationship with mental health” but also as someone who has learned to embrace and see “differences as a superpower”. Dellaportas, of Capel Sound, started Spark Youth Dance Company (SYDC) in 2016 hoping it would enable 7-25 year olds “speak about mental illness and to normalise difference, to encourage it, to channel it into art that speaks to people, that tells stories that change the way our young people live…

SOMEONE with an intimate knowledge of the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery’s latest exhibition Sublime Sea – Rapture and Reality won’t be around to admire the paintings. In what is seen as a shock move by the close-knit peninsula arts community, gallery director Jane Alexander was made redundant on Friday 8 November, after 16 years with Mornington Peninsula Shire. Programs and invitations to Sublime Sea – which opens on Saturday (14 December) and is billed as a fitting tribute to the gallery’s 50th anniversary year – still bear her name and best wishes. Indeed, Ms Alexander commissioned Dr Vivien Gaston to…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Regional Gallery’s summer exhibition Sublime Sea: Rapture and Reality will run 14 December-23 February. This major summer exhibition will feature about 100 paintings, sculptures, photography, film and the decorative arts. They aim to reveal “how the sense of wonder and awe that has driven artists across the centuries is heightened today as the sea itself is under threat”. With loans from major galleries and museums, including NGV, NGA, Art Gallery of NSW, Queensland Art Gallery, Australian National Maritime Museum, Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Museum Victoria and various private galleries, Sublime Sea: rapture and reality evokes the…

MILLIONS of dollars in taxpayers’ money is being spent restoring two Mornington Peninsula beaches despite experts being unable to find a permanent solution to sand loss. At Portsea, heavy machinery is being used to build a rock wall to protect workers repairing a sandbag sea wall first installed in 2010. At Rosebud, 20,000 cubic metres of sand will be dredged from offshore sandbars and used to renourish two beaches. Rosebud West beach is impassable at high tide and beach boxes have been undermined while the Bay Trail boardwalk has been washed by waves east of the pier. Within four weeks…

THE CFA says there is “still a short window of opportunity” for properties across the Mornington Peninsula to be cleaned up before the start of declared fire danger times on Monday 16 December. If fire is being used to clean up properties it must be registered. “So far this year, out-of-control burn-offs and unregistered burn-offs have caused unnecessary call-outs for brigades,” CFA District 8 operations manager Jamie Hansen said. He said there should be no burning off in strong winds or if they were forecast “not only on the day of your burn but for the days afterwards”. Mr Hansen…

Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives have charged a 20-year-old man after a fatal crash in Seaford yesterday that claimed the life of a Mount Martha woman. Emergency services were called to the Nepean Highway about 6.30am on 5 December to reports of a head-on collision. Forty-three-year-old Rose Kelly died at the scene. The Sandringham man was taken to hospital after the crash and has since been charged with one count of dangerous driving causing death. He will face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court later today.

Mornington police are hoping to identify two men after a security camera was stolen from a cricket club in Moorooduc. Police have been told two unknown men driving a SUV attended the club on Derril Road about 4am on Tuesday 12 November. It is believed the pair stole a security camera which was attached to a bracket off the wall and fled the scene. Both offenders are perceived to be Caucasian in appearance and aged 30 to 40-years-old. The first man had a shaved head and was wearing a singlet top, jeans and grey hooded top. The second man was…

PAINTING the Dermot O’Toole mural at Hastings has given artist Justine Wallace an insight into her subject as well as the Hastings community. While the mural in O’Toole Lane depicts milestones in the life of Mr O’Toole, who was murdered by an armed robber in his jewellery shop in early 2013, Wallace says it is the supportive comments of passers-by that has made the work more special. “The experience of creating this artwork as a tribute to the life of such a widely loved gentleman is really special,” Wallace said last week. “O’Toole Walk is a busy thoroughfare and so,…

WORK has officially started on a plant in the Latrobe Valley to extract hydrogen gas from brown coal which will be tuned into liquid at Hastings for export to Japan. The liquification plant now being built in Bayview Road, Hastings is scheduled to be completed by June 2020. Construction of a ship to transport the liquefied hydrogen is underway in Kobe, Japan. The plant to extract hydrogen gas from brown coal is being built at the AGL Loy Yang mine The state and federal governments have each contributed $50 million towards the $400m Japan–Australia Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain Pilot Project…

THE higher profile Global Day of Action for Climate Change rally, Friday 29 November, was the catalyst for an afternoon sit-down outside Flinders MP Greg Hunt’s office, Somerville, the same day. Organiser Meike Suggars said the government’s “inaction on the climate crisis [was] contributing to catastrophic fire conditions”. “People are hurting,” she said. “Communities are being devastated – and summer hasn’t even begun.” Ms Suggars said she had previously been unable to arrange a meeting with Mr Hunt “to discuss my concerns over climate change”. “So, when I saw [last] Friday was a day of action for ThisIsClimateChange, I decided…

PENINSULA PINES have secured a trouble free victory over Pearcedale in the first day of their two day battle. Pearcedale were sent in to bat first, and struggled badly. Their top order collapsed, and from 4/20 they never recovered. Pearcedale ended up all out for 85 runs. Pines came in and quickly chased that down, declaring at 0/95 off 21 overs to give them a chance at grabbing an outright win this weekend. Pearcedale will restart at 1/6 on day two. Long Island have set a mammoth target for Somerville to chase down in the first day of their matchup.…

SOCCER FIVE Fijian internationals could be joining Frankston Pines next season. Pines recently announced a partnership with the Victorian Multicultural Sports Association, a Fijian community group, and VMSA president Victor Kumar was quoted in a recent Fiji Times story announcing that the five players would be heading to Monterey Reserve. Kumar was elected vice-president of Pines at the club’s recent week’s AGM. The players are Ba midfielder Kishan Sami, Nasinu goalkeeper Alzaar Alam, Nasinu midfielder Savenaca Baledrokadroka, Lautoka central defender Muni Shivam Naidu and Nadi striker Tito Vodowaqa. They have all represented Fiji at under-19 and under-23 levels and the…