AT the Mornington police court on Wednesday before Mr J. G. Barrett, Js’P., an elderly woman named Mary Sandles appeared to answer a charge of drunkenness. She was fined 5s, in default 5 hours imprisonment. Defendant stated she was a resident of South Melbourne and sold matches for a living. She was offered a joy ride to the sea-side by a friend and finally arrived at Mornington where she was having a jolly time when the police interferred, and cut short her merry making. The police escorted Mary out of the town during the afternoon and she is now wending…
Year: 2019
POLICE are seeking dash-cam footage after a 71-year-old Tyabb cyclist was struck from behind on Mornington-Tyabb Road, between Jones and Frankston-Flinders roads, Tyabb, 7.30am, Wednesday 13 February. He is still in a serious condition in The Alfred hospital. The footage can be forwarded to Senior Constable Anthony Deason, Somerville Highway Patrol, call 5978 1358, or go to Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 26 February 2019
TWO men arrested at Tootgarook last week faced Frankston Magistrates’ Court charged with a range of burglary, theft and deception charges. Detective Sergeant Jason Hocking, of Somerville CIU, said the 22-year-old, of Rosebud, and the 42-year-old, of Tootgarook, were arrested in Raymond Street, 3.30am, Tuesday 19 February. They were said to have in their possession power tools, IDs and credit cards allegedly stolen from cars parked in the area overnight. Detective Hocking said CCTV showed one of the men using a stolen credit card at a Rye service station around that time. The Rosebud man appeared on six counts of…
AN alert courier driver was able to have his van stopped by remote-control after it was stolen from outside a house in Mt Eliza where he was making a delivery, Wednesday 13 February. The van was immobilised when the van was within two blocks – still giving the thieves time to transfer two dozen packages and parcels into a waiting station wagon before making their getaway. A man, 28, and woman, 27, both of the Somerville area, appeared before Frankston Magistrates’ Court, Friday 15 February, charged with more than 60 theft-related offences. (See Arrested delivery The News 19/2/19). They were…
OBITUARY Michael Owen Parkinson, 1954-2019Surfer Eat your chips first; no one’s going to take your flake. Sounds like good advice, but did it come from personal experience or have a deeper philosophical meaning? Maybe it was just something passed down as part of the Parkinson family law. The short sentence about advice given to a friend by Michael “Mick” Parkinson was just one of many entries in a memorial book left on a table of empty glasses at Sorrento back beach on Thursday 7 February. The glasses, tables with plates of sandwiches and chairs lined up in the sand facing…
THREE young Mornington Peninsula surfers have signalled they are contenders for state-level recognition following the first round of the Victorian State Junior Surfing Titles at Gunnamatta. While mainly west coast surfers dominated during the two-day contest (16, 17 February), brother and sister Sara and Lucas Hickson and Sarsha Pancic showed the peninsula’s young surfers are a growing force. Sara Hickson, of Rye, won the under-14 girls division. Her brother Lucas came second in the under-14 boys; Sarsha Pancic, of Blairgowrie, was third in the under-14 girls. While surfing her way to third place Pancic scored 9.43 for a wave, giving…
ROSEBUD’S Annalise Magee came across the Miss Universe Australia 2019 competition on Instagram and decided she’d “give it a go and see what would happen”. Then promptly forgot about it. One month later, she received an email saying she was one of 30 Victorian finalists. The pressure was on, not the least of which was her fear of being up there on stage and the centre of attention. “I’m used to being on the stage, but only for aerobics,” she said. “For me, public speaking has never been my forte and is one thing I wish to become better at…
AN inspection of hi-tech waste facilities in China in 2017 by officers and councillors was indicative of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s commitment to better waste management, it is claimed. Shire infrastructure services manager Jessica Wingad said the visit aimed to progress the use of advanced waste and resource recovery technologies to reduce the need for more landfill sites. The technology also improved resource recovery from municipal, construction and commercial residual waste, she said. “Mornington Peninsula Shire was committed to best practice waste management and resource recovery, taking an active role in transitioning the state to waste-to-energy technology,” Ms Wingad said. “We…
PERFORMERS from three generations will put on a multimedia retrospective of stories shared by women living on the Mornington Peninsula next month. When The Birds Come In, curated and crafted by Carole Patullo, Jane Bayly and Melanie Beddie, will be performed at the Southern Peninsula Arts Centre, Rosebud, 16-17 March. In what’s described as a “moving feast”, audiences will travel through various created environments and spaces offering live theatre, movement, soundscape, projection, song and installation in the show, which is being presented by A Woman’s Place and Dreamhouse Theatre. Students from Rosebud Secondary College, young people from Dreamhouse Theatre Company,…
HOPES are high that a “hyper-intelligent” eco-solar farm will be built on the outskirts of Dromana. Bunjil Energy and renewable energy developer Volt Farmer have applied for Mornington Peninsula Shire permission to create the 4MW solar farm to ramp up the southern peninsula’s electricity supply and power 1000 homes. It is hoped the pilot site will get the council’s nod mid-year. The energy company says the plant will produce clean energy as well as provide an “education experience centre and climate smart agricultural showcase” on Collins Road. Bunjil Energy founder Isaac Harrison launched the project at a gathering of industry…
ALL stops are out in the war against Buruli ulcer – especially on the Mornington Peninsula. Researchers from the Department of Health and Human Services are collecting soil and faecal samples from possums, have laid mosquito traps and conducted field surveys of properties as part of the Beating Buruli in Victoria project. On a second “front”, peninsula residents are being encouraged to get involved in a case-control study by filling out a questionnaire, looking at possible risk factors and understanding how people may become infected. They don’t need to be diagnosed with Buruli ulcer to be included. “We would encourage…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is being forced to send recyclables to landfill. The shire will continue collecting household recyclable waste, but with 130 tonnes “temporarily” stored at the Rye transfer station which has now reached capacity. Meanwhile, the shire has joined other municipalities in trying to force the state and federal governments to find a solution to the growing crisis. Shortcomings in the state’s recycling operations were exposed on 15 February when the EPA ordered processing giant SKM – which collects the peninsula’s recycled waste – to stop drops at its Coolaroo and Laverton sites over concerns the stockpiled plastic posed…
A new festival will hit Mornington in a bid to connect locals with the diverse and unique marine environment that’s right under our noses. Day By The Bay will head to Mornington Park this Saturday 23 February, celebrating Port Phillip Bay and its importance to the identity and culture of communities that live around it. The festival is free to attend, family friendly and alcohol-free, featuring food vendors, community stallholders and activities for all ages. And a stellar live music lineup from local Melbourne artists who have a strong connection with Port Phillip Bay will add to the atmosphere. More about the Day…
Members of the Save Westernport group will be marching in Saturday’s Western Port Festival parade to promote their opposition to AGL’s proposal for a floating gas import terminal at Crib Point. The group will display puppets and representations of Western Port’s wildlife. “We want to remind people about the unique and wonderful wildlife in Western Port,” group member Julia Stockigt said. “Endangered bird species like the far eastern curlew rely on Western Port during their annual migrations, and they deserve to be protected from the pressures of big industry.” Festival organisers have turned down sponsorship from AGL (“Cash-strapped festival says…
AN armed robber threatened an attendant at a Tooradin service station with a shotgun last week. The man walked into the South Gippsland Highway servo about 3.15am, Tuesday 12 February. He went to the fridge, chose a milk drink and asked the attendant for a packet of cigarettes. He then pulled out a sawn-off shotgun and forced the attendant to hand over cash and cigarettes before fleeing the store. The man is described as Caucasian, in his 30s, slim build and wearing a Furphy beanie, black zip hoodie, black T-shirt with NXP on the front and jeans. Anyone with information…
A HASTINGS resident says he is “absolutely fed up” with children riding motor bikes and trail bikes on grass areas and pedestrian paths along the foreshore. Richard Harrison, of Skinner Street, said he had seen a number of “near misses” between the so-called “monkey bikes”, pedestrians and cyclists and fears “someone, quite possibly a child, will be killed if nothing is done”. He says repeated demands for action from Hastings police have come to nothing: “I was told the police must literally catch the perpetrators in the act before they can do anything. “Yet if a perpetrator is injured in…
PENINSULA MOOROODUC have held on by a thread to claim a thrilling victory in the first innings over Somerville. Chasing 168 to win, Moorooduc kept touch mainly thanks to an entertaining innings from Rashimal Mendis, who hit his half century by smacking 3 sixes over the boundary. Moorooduc passed their target with just one wicket in hand, and their numbers 11 and 9 batsmen at the crease. At Ballam Park East, Long Island surpassed their measly target of 70 despite a monumental batting collapse against Main RIdge. The winning side had passed their target and were flying comfortably at 3/96.…
SOCCER SOUTHERN United kicks off the 2019 season against one of the most cashed-up outfits in the NPLW when it hosts South Melbourne’s imposing women’s team at Monterey Reserve on Saturday. It is a massive challenge for a team that created records last season for all the wrong reasons finishing last in the elite competition with a solitary point having scored five goals and conceding 188. South Melbourne in stark contrast finished on top of the ladder and lost the Grand Final 3-1 to Bulleen. And Southern’s preparation has been far from ideal. “We go into the season with just…
SOME OF the best mountain bike racers from Victoria, interstate and overseas descended upon the Red Hill trail network on Saturday 2 February and Sunday 3 February. Red Hill has long been the preferred training ground for many state, national, and even world champions, but for the first time the trails were part of a tier one National Cross-Country Racing Series. Around 180 competitors lined up for rounds five and six of the Victorian Mountain Bike Championship Series with local shops and businesses also benefiting from the large numbers of hungry supporters and spectators flooding the race village. Members and…
GOLFERS from the Mornington Peninsula certainly aren’t lacking quality courses to choose from according to Golf Australia’s biennial top 100 rankings that were released on Wednesday 13 February. Golf courses on the Peninsula filled 10 per cent of the nation’s top 100 public access courses for 2019 with the list taking into account courses that are considered “pleasurable” for all golfers of every standard. The rankings were compiled over the past two years by Golf Australia editor Brendan James and a team of 32 other readers. It focussed on public access courses that offer tee times for visiting golfers, which…
MORNINGTON-based racehorse trainer Jason Warren couldn’t be any happier with his gun two-year-old Brooklyn Hustle’s return on Saturday 9 February despite finishing fifth in the Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) at Caulfield. Brooklyn Hustle was all the rage for the $1.5 million Group One Blue Diamond Stakes on Saturday 23 February following her barnstorming last to first debut victory in December last year, but her most recent run has left some people questioning her capabilities. But, not her trainer, Jason Warren. “I thought it was a great run,” Warren said. “She ran the second fastest last 600m, 400m and 200m of…
MR Brierley, manager of the Frankston Gas and Electric Supply Works, has had a long and varied experience in his profession, but it remained to Frankston to provide him with something altogether out of the ordinary. All Tuesday night he and his staff had been endeavoring to find the cause of the block in the electric light current serving Melbourne Road and part of Frankston. He was expecting to find that a stray branch or twig was causing the damage, but the search was fruitless. It was not until daylight next morning that he found the cause of the obstruction. …
Author Fran Henke is about to publish the final chapters in her novel trilogy, A Fair Wind. However, the historical narrative so far has proved so absorbing that “I can see a fourth – I want to know what happens to the child of this third story”. If she writes another book in the Wind series – making it a quartet – Henke will have authored 23 books. But all that research into the past is in the future as Henke prepares to launch An Imperfect Calendar during next Sunday’s Hastings Festival (24 February). Her first novel in the series,…
Family and friends of Jannetje Witte went to The Bays aged care home in Hastings to celebrate her 100th birthday. Also at the afternoon tea on Tuesday 12 February were Hastings MP Neale Burgess, The Bays Healthcare Group CEO Elena Allen and other residents. Ms Witte was born in Texel, Holland where she also met her husband Tony, who died more than 20 years ago. The couple had four children, Margaret, Elizabeth, Rose and Theo, with Ms Witte working on farms to support their family during the Depression and World War II. They migrated to Australia in 1951, living in…
Mornington Peninsula Shire has been told it must immediately adopt strategies to tackle climate change. Minter Ellison special counsel Sarah Barker has told shire councillors and senior officers that climate change action and mitigation is a serious financial consideration for industries and communities across the globe. Ms Barker said strategies must immediately be integrated into all council activities to address climate change risks. She spoke on the approaches being taken by organisations worldwide, including the World Economic Forum, global banks, ratings agencies and insurance agencies to cope with its impacts. The mayor Cr David Gill said the council wanted to…
THE invasive pest phylloxera hasn’t got a foothold in the Mornington Peninsula’s estimated 1000 hectares of grape vines – yet. And that’s why the Mornington Peninsula Vignerons’ Association and Agriculture Victoria have launched a campaign to prevent it gaining a foothold. Mornington Peninsula Shire is also in the fight seeking “insider knowledge” of the presence of the pest in every nook and cranny. The phylloxera insect can devastate a commercial vineyard and is easily transmitted between vines. This occurs when infected soil or plant material is carried from infected areas, possibly on shoes or clothing. Peninsula residents are being asked…
Peninsula Surfriders’ Club begins its 2019 season this weekend with a contest site to be determined depending on the surf. Since being formed in 1974, the club has won state team events and seen its members in national teams. “With ties to the inception of the surf industry, PSC has been an integral link in the Victorian surf landscape for more than 40 years,” club president Lachy McDonald said. The 140-member club has a clubhouse on a property it owns near Gunnamatta, and “enjoys a thriving social and community scene with fundraisers, events, development camps and training programs run throughout…
Mornington Peninsula Shire’s infrastructure services manager Jessica Wingad says recycled waste from the peninsula is still going to China and other global markets. She said extra processing here was ensuring “compliance with these markets”. New recycling markets are expected to open in Victoria in the future. “While the [Chinese] policy shift hasn’t banned recycling, it has limited the level of contaminated accepted in recycling sent to China,” Ms Wingad said. “Clean, sorted recycling is still being accepted, so it is extremely important we continue to separate our waste from recycling and place only accepted recyclable items into our recycling bins,”…
AT just seven years of age, Harrison Daley is a little boy with a passion. He helps clean-up Mornington beaches and is always keen to educate beachgoers about environmental dangers posed by litter. This dedication has been recognised with Harrison being named Mornington Peninsula Shire’s first and youngest recycling ambassador and unofficial recycling champion. It’s a job he can’t do alone and the shire wants more volunteers to become recycling champions. This team of champions will support the shire’s efforts to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill. The mayor Cr David Gill said it was “more important…
TWO young women who allegedly attempted to steal clothing and a $200 beach towel from a Sorrento boutique are being sought by police. The women, pictured, selected the items and allegedly removed the security tags in the change rooms. Soon after, one attempted to distract staff while the other began walking out of the store with the clothing stuffed into a bag. An alert staff member stopped her and demanded she return the items. Both women protested their innocence but handed over the items and left the store when the staff member began calling police. It is believed the women…