IN what is hoped to be the first of many games, years 8 and 9 boys from Mornington Secondary College hosted boys from the Clontarf Foundation at Alexandra Park last week. The Clontarf team is made up of Indigenous boys from across Victoria in Mornington for a sports camp. The foundation is set up to improve the education, discipline, self-esteem, life skills and employment prospects of young Indigenous men. “The game was played in fantastic spirit as the two groups combined together to create two very even and well-skilled teams,” the college’s sport and community engagement teacher Ben Hall said.…
Year: 2019
MORNINGTON police say the 500 students, parents and grandparents who rallied at Mornington Park last Friday (20 September) demanding positive action on global warming were well behaved and got their message across in a constructive way. Theirs was one of more than 100 school strikes for climate occurring around Australia. The rallies were coordinated through the student-run School Strike 4 Climate website and followed strikes in March at which 150,000 people marched in Australia and 1.5 million took part worldwide. Students came from Rye, Mornington Park, Balnarring, St Macartans and Mornington primary schools; Balcombe and Dromana colleges and Woodleigh, Peninsula,…
THE driver of a Black Toyota Hilux being driven dangerously on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway later blew 0.249 per cent – or just under five times the legal limit, 1.15pm, Monday 16 September. Rosebud Police spotted the vehicle after it exited Mornington Peninsula Freeway onto Boneo Road. The car was being driven in an “atrocious manner” before being intercepted, police said. The painter, 46, from St Albans, who was on his way to work, had his licence suspended and his car impounded. He will be summonsed to appear at Dromana Magistrates’ Court at a later date. Police would like to…
BURGLARS stole two cars and a motorbike from a Dromana property, overnight, Friday 13 September. Detective Senior Sergeant Miro Majstorovic, of Somerville CIU, said a 47-year-old man was asleep at the Jamieson Street house when “at least three” offenders removed tiles from the garage roof and entered his house. They took car keys from inside before stealing the cars – a 2013 grey Mazda CX5 and a 2015 maroon Mazda Neo and a 2001 Yamaha motorbike. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au First published in…
SOMERVILLE Highway Patrol police relieved one confused driver of four bags of cannabis he had allegedly left on the passenger seat, overnight Tuesday 17 September. He was among 29 drivers issued with summonses to appear at court at a later date. Police also impounded seven vehicles. Among 24 drug drivers intercepted was one suspended female driver who police allege “quickly turned down a side street and did a quick switch-a-roo with their passenger”. The woman then allegedly refused to undergo a drug test stating she wasn’t the driver, despite number plate and video cameras showing her in the driver’s seat…
THE sale of the heritage listed Continental Hotel at Sorrento has fallen through. Despite believing he had sold the four-storey limestone hotel earlier this month vendor Julian Gerner told The News last week that contracted purchaser LBA Capital was “unable to meet their obligations under the contract of sale”. This is a blow to the experienced hotelier who had been thrilled to pass on the 1875 landmark with plans and permits for apartments and retail after a two-month sales campaign by Colliers International. (“‘Conti’ in new hands – again” The News 9/9/19). The sale price was rumoured to be about…
JOCKEY Michelle Payne weathered a few handicaps before winning the 2015 Melbourne Cup on Prince of Penzance. The film Ride Like a Girl, which traces the 24 year old’s life before the track as well as her victories, is being screened at Sorrento on Friday (27 September) to raise money for Sorrento/Portsea/Rye unit of the Red Cross. Former Australian of the Year, businessman and philanthropist Simon McKeon will open the screening which starts at 6pm with fish and chips and a glass of wine. Ride Like a Girl – directed by Rachel Griffiths and starring Sam Neill (Paddy Payne), Teresa…
THE executive chef at RACV Cape Schanck Resort, Joshua Pelham, will represent Australia in next year’s international Bocuse d’Or culinary contest. He will be joined in the Bocuse d’Or Asia Pacific qualifier by RACV City Club apprentice chef Harrison Caruana. The pair will be trained by head coach Scott Pickett and a panel of senior chefs. Pelham says he has has dreamed of competing in the elite event ever since he watched Pickett training for Bocuse d’Or 2005. “At the time I was an apprentice at Matteo’s with Scott’s commis chef Cate Robertson,” he said. “She invited me to watch…
THE amount of rental housing regarded as being “affordable” has dropped from 30 per cent of the total on offer to 7.6 per cent in a decade. “Affordable housing is generally defined as accommodation expenses that account for no more than 30 per cent of gross household income,” Peninsula Community Legal Centre CEO Jackie Galloway said. “With the Victorian housing crisis centred on the availability of affordable housing, the urgency to raise the rate of Newstart is becoming pressing. We are seeing the impact of the crisis with 75 per cent of PCLC’s clients on no to low income. Low…
RESIDENTS of green wedge properties hit with 20 per cent rates increases say they are at a “dead end” after writing to councillors and politicians in protest. The rates increase affects 724 Mornington Peninsula Shire green wedge properties under two hectares. They are aimed at property owners said to be enjoying the benefits of a green wedge lifestyle while not participating in activities conducive to that zoning, such as farming. Paul Whitaker, of Red Hill, said residents hit by the jump in the Rural Living Rate were “shocked” . He said the rate introduced this year affected residents whose land…
SPRING can mean many things: flowers, lawn mowing, weather warming, going for walks and bike rides. It can also mean swooping birds. Magpies, much admired for their warbling, seem to be the most feared of the winged warriors, although outdoor eaters in Mornington would most likely nominate seagulls as the biggest threat. There are several other bird species that can become aggressive when nesting or protecting their young, but magpies and seagulls are the most common. “Bird swooping is part of life in Australia, as we share our environment with native wildlife,” environmental compliance manager at the Department of Environment,…
RENOVATIONS underway at Crib Point Recreation Reserve include improving the change rooms and reconstructing the oval. Mornington Peninsula Shire is spending about $3 million on the mixed gender and accessible change rooms and a new playing surface, drainage and irrigation. The mayor Cr David Gill said the project was a timely response to the rapid increase in sports participation in recent years, particularly female and juniors in field-based sports. “Through these projects we’re making improvements to our sporting facilities where it’s needed most,” he said. “We’re working to close the gap in local sporting facilities and provide inclusive, accessible and…
POSTERS supporting the continued operation of Tyabb Airfield have started popping up around the Western Port area. The poster campaign follows the easing of a protracted dispute with Mornington Peninsula Shire over plane take-off and landing times. The shire has said it supports the airfield but will insist that businesses operating there have appropriate permits. The posters were the brainchild of Alicia Slater and Paul Mercurio, who said on social media: “It is our opportunity to voice and display our positive support for Tyabb Airfield. “Getting as many people as we can putting up our posters will show just how…
AN auction of antique furniture and old wares has raised $8000 for the ongoing restoration work at Coolart Homestead, Somers. The items, including curtains, crockery, beds, chairs, pool table, sewing machine, paintings and dressing tables from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, were donated by the owners of the heritage-listed Landene, in St Kilda Road, Melbourne. The 1895 home had been used as a boarding house and then became the St Kilda Post Office in 1962. “[The owners] had no room for any more furniture and generously asked if we would like it,” Friends of Coolart president Julie…
MT ELIZA Soccer Club is keen to ride on a wave of popularity in girls’ soccer. The club’s Stephen Bonfield said it was looking to expand the girls’ game and develop a girls’ soccer academy. “We currently have 40 girls playing over three teams: Under 8, Under 10 and Under 12 competing in leagues in and around the peninsula,” he said. “This summer we will be running a girls-only soccer clinic run by ex-professional player and coach Stuart Munro.” New change rooms and toilets for boys and girls are being built with help from Mornington Peninsula Shire. “The council have…
By Patricia MacLeod ENVIRONMENTAL group BERG MM is urging residents to look out for blue-tongue lizards taking advantage of the warming weather. The indigenous reptiles are being drawn out of their dormant phase to soak up the sunshine – making them vulnerable to being inadvertently killed. BERG MM member Hansi Wegner said the cold-blooded animals must sunbathe each morning to produce enough energy to live but that “this can be to their detriment if they choose to do it on the road”. Mr Wegner said motorists seeing a lizard on the road should “avoid them, but only if safe to…
CYCLISTS should have a think about what they wear on their next ride. Brighter colours, such as yellow or white, will make them stand out and allow motorists to see them more easily. That’s the word from traffic police who say many cyclists passing their checkpoint at the bottom of Oliver’s Hill near the car park exit on Saturday morning (where there have been many car-versus-cyclist collisions), had not factored in that being easily seen makes them safer. Their tops were a mixture of fluoro yellow, red, blue, white and black, with leggings predominantly black. “Most of the car/cyclist collisions…
A CRIB Point teenager has been arrested and charged over a series of raids on chemist shops at Somerville, Hastings and Balnarring, overnight Friday 6 September. Detective Senior Constable Rohan Brock, of Somerville CIU, said the 19-year-old was tackled by a “Good Samaritan” as he left one of the shops early Saturday morning. During what was termed an “altercation” his keys were thrown into a bush and he was intercepted by police before he could find them and drive off. The man has been charged with four counts of burglary and remanded in custody. As he was on bail for…
IT took only a minute for two offenders to force their way into the Australia Post shop at Mornington and force open self-serve machines before fleeing with a “large amount of cash”, early Wednesday 11 September. CCTV images show the men parking a dark coloured late model Land Cruiser or similar outside the shop in Main Street at 3am before breaking open the glass front door. The robbery is similar to a raid on self-service registers at the Woolworths supermarket, also in Main Street, 1.50am, Wednesday 4 September. In that raid three offenders stole two whole self-serve machines containing large…
VOLUNTEER fishers working as citizen scientists to tag, release and report the capture of King George whiting in Port Phillip and Western Port bays is helping improve our knowledge of their behaviour. The fishers, working on a three-year Monash University research project funded by recreational fishing licence fees, are helping track the fish’s movement patterns. “We know whiting enter our bays when they’re only a few months old and leave again at about four years of age to mature and begin spawning offshore,” Victorian Fisheries Authority CEO Travis Dowling said. “What we don’t know is how juveniles move within and…
FORMER Dunkley MP Chris Crewther has come up short in his bid to be elected to the senate. Mr Crewther was eliminated in the first round of voting. Sarah Henderson was instead chosen by Liberal colleagues to fill the vacancy left by Mitch Fifield. He told followers on social media “unfortunately I didn’t get across the line, but it was an honour to stand and I thank all the delegates and members of the Liberal Party who I was able to meet, speak with and who supported me over this journey from across Victoria.” “Particular acknowledgement goes to my wife…
THE 2019 Roy Ward Leadership Prizes for secondary students were presented at the Order of Australia Association, Mornington Peninsula Regional Groups annual luncheon held at the Safety Beach Yacht Club and Community Centre on Friday 23August. The Roy Ward Leadership Prizes have been recognised by secondary schools and students in our region, since its inception in 2000, as prestigious, with the process providing “real life” post-secondary education experiences. Twenty-one secondary schools within the zone were invited to forward submissions. Fifteen nominations were received, and these were evaluated by a selection panel of the Group’s members. Six submissions were short listed…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council has praised residents for their “vigilance” in detecting and reporting illegal foreshore works on the beachside of a Portsea property owned by trucking magnate Lindsay Fox. The mayor Cr David Gill said the residents “assisted in bringing this matter to our attention [and] demonstrated our community’s desire to protect the peninsula’s unique environment”. This led to a company associated with Mr Fox being fined $10,000 in Dromana Magistrates’ Court and ordered to pay the council $10,000 in costs over illegal works on a 4600 square metre parcel at Point King beach. (“Fox fined over beach land”…
MORNINGTON Peninsula farmers and animal producers may soon be protected from animal activists trespassing on their properties and shutting down their livelihood. The issue was highlighted earlier this year when animal activists occupied a Tyabb chicken farm. The Crimes Amendment (Trespass) Bill 2019, introduced into the state Legislative Council by Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party MP Jeff Bourman last week aims to “enhance protections offered to industries pertaining to animal enterprise and animal recreational activities” once it is passed. After several incidents involving animal activists entering businesses and farms, the issue was referred to a house committee to inquire into…
THE war on waste, the future health of our natural resources, bushfire preparedness and endangered species were topics of discussion at the Kids Teaching Kids environmental conference at Point Nepean National Park last week. The Point Nepean event, now in its eighth year, is one of the highlights of the conference which involved 370 students from 14 Mornington Peninsula schools, Thursday 12 September. Director and founder Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne Arron Wood said: “Our Point Nepean organisers do an amazing job putting on a program that schools look forward to every year. “The students have been working hard on…
SOUNDS of chanting and drumming coming from Rosebud shopping centre last week were orchestrated by one of the many pro-environment groups making up Extinction Rebellion Victoria. Organiser Kate Wilkins said the local response to the Thursday afternoon disruption was interesting: “We were mostly cheered, congratulated and thanked by onlookers – surprisingly by a lot of the elderly shoppers,” she said. The retailers’ response was mixed: “Woolworths ran us out quick smart, while Aldi was hospitable and quite unconcerned.” Ms Wilkins agreed it “probably seems like there are so many environment stories and so much climate-related news” these days. “This will…
A SAFETY Beach girl who embodies the values of the Mornington Peninsula’s healthy outdoor lifestyle is the new face of our international tourism efforts. Miss Tourism Australia winner Charli Wookey, 19, is getting ready to head to Malaysia to compete in this year’s International Miss Tourism Final in November. Charli, who attended Rosebud Secondary College, will compete against entrants from 40 countries in the lead up to the coronation ceremony at Sunway Resort Hotel and Spa, Kuala Lumpur. Her role as Miss Tourism Australia promotes Australia as a tourist destination which should suit Charli’s lifestyle: the outdoors girl is a…
MEMBERS of the community are invited to share their thoughts on Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s draft Smoke Free Environment Policy. Community consultation on the draft Policy is open until Monday 7 October. The initiative stems from the council’s public health and wellbeing plan and the Frankston Mornington Peninsula smoke free charter. The charter encourages the shire, other public land owners, businesses and community groups to provide smoke free public areas and implement programs to reduce smoking rates in the community. Many local businesses have joined the charter by providing smoke-free areas, such as at Bentons Square and Mornington Central shopping…
NEITHER the EPA nor Melbourne Water has been able to trace the source of a diesel leak in foreshore drains at Safety Beach and Dromana. Despite a four-month investigation in which booms were laid at the mouth of a large drain at Safety Beach and odours traced as far upstream as Rainier Avenue, Dromana, the contamination continues. Residents say diesel fumes and sheen is evident in water from a drain near the intersection of Marine Parade and Point Nepean Road, opposite a service station. A kilometre south at Dromana diesel odours are still noticeable in a smaller drain opposite another…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council is bracing for a “substantial administrative and enforcement obligation” when tough state government pool and spa regulations come into force early next year. The shire estimates it has about 10 per cent of the state’s private swimming pools and spas – the most of any local government area. About 17,000 are “known” to exist although the actual number could be as high as 25,000 – or one-in-four properties. The dates they were built are uncertain for all but 18 per cent – or 3040 – of the known 17,000. Officers estimate that up to 80 per…