Month: February 2020

Fast-acting police have saved the lives of three male fishermen after they were swept from rocks at a Rye beach today. It is believed the men were fishing on rocks near Harold Road when they were swept into the water about 12.10pm. A nearby passer-by noticed the men struggling in the water and alerted emergency services who arrived on scene shortly after. Police Airwing searched the area for a short time before locating the three men with the assistance of local Mornington police. Police managed to winch two of the men to safety before attending to the third man struggling…

Mornington Peninsula Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating a burglary at a church in Red Hill on 10 February. It’s believed two unknown males have attempted to jemmy open the front doors of the Arthurs Seat Road church sometime between 12.10am – 12.30am. The males eventually gained access by forcing a side door. A distinctive religious icon that holds significant value to the church was stolen along with a green wooden donation box containing money. The silver icon was made in Greece in 1974 and would cost between $5,000 to $10,000 to replace. Investigators have released images and CCTV in…

THE Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) has chided Mornington Peninsula Shire Council for going over the top in its demands that Peninsula Aero Club satisfy stringent noise and master plan conditions just to move a shed beside a runway. The authority’s ruling, handed down Monday 17 February, centred around an amendment to a PAC permit to allow the maintenance shed to be moved from the north-east to the west side of the Tyabb airfield runway. VCAT member Christina Fong said the council was making a “deliberate attempt to impose conditions … and impose restraints on the lawful conduct” of…

A “DROWN-IN” by members of Western Port Extinction Rebellion at Balnarring last Friday aimed to raise “climate crisis as a local issue and not just city centric”. Organiser Murray Lindsell Turner said the action at the village shopping centre promoted the science behind climate change and asked people about their concerns about being in a time designated as a climate emergency. “Morning Peninsula Shire Council has already declared a climate emergency and are actioning the policies required to help future residents understand the effects of climate change at unprecedented rates,” Mr Turner said. “Already discussions of an 80 centimetre sea…

CAT and dog owners must renew their pet registrations with Mornington Peninsula Shire by Friday 10 April. It costs $45 per year to register a desexed dog and cat. Discounts apply for pension card holders. The current fine for owning an unregistered dog or cat is $330. In issuing a renewal reminder, the shire says registration fees enable it to provide such services as leash-free dog areas (mornpen.vic.gov.au/leashfree); the Community Animal Shelter and Pound for lost pets and finding new homes for unclaimed cats and dogs (mornpen.vic.gov.au/lostpets); rangers to respond to dog attacks and complaints; and, a state government levy.…

IT was 11 or 12 years ago that Ron Farnill was told he could expect to live “about another two and a half years”. Not one to give up on enjoying life so easily, Farnill decided to “paint, instead of spending time cutting grass or fixing up the house”. While still painting daily, he’s also spending time choosing 100 or so paintings for his upcoming exhibition, Sky, sea, sail and other things (93 years in the making). The exhibition at Oak Hill Gallery, Mornington is also a lead-in to his 93rd birthday. “People have talked about the need for me…

AS the summer bushfires raged and roared, TV news reports and images of the devastation caused to the flora, fauna and, of course, the people, in hard-hit areas were etched into the minds and souls of everyone watching. Personal accounts about those losing their homes and even their lives in the crisis areas stirred within viewers a mixture of helplessness and, in many, a strong desire to help. Especially vulnerable were children bewildered by the experience of being swept into the drama and not knowing what’s going to happen next, some losing everything, many worried if their parents are OK,…

SAILORS from the Mornington Yacht Club have arguably had their most successful sailing season in the club’s 74-year history. They won two world championships, one national championship and placed second in another national title. The club gives credit for the successful campaigns to its training and development coaches. They worked hard to develop the young sailors’ skills before they were selected for advanced training. Three were then included in the Victorian Institute of Sport program and another six in the Victorian Pathway program. Sophie Jackson won the world RS Aero 5 Title at Black Rock Yacht Club and Rhett Gowans…

IT was a case of winning once, winning twice for Amelia Martin who claimed the Australian National Squash Title in mid-February. The result was even sweeter coming as it did against her sister-in-law Melissa Martin who she beat 11-7, 11-7, 11-7 at Carrara, on the Gold Coast. At 36, Martin is a veteran of the sport having first won the women’s title 15 years ago. “I was very surprised to win,” she said from Tonic Squash and Gym, the Dromana business she took over five years ago. “I’d been training hard and it all just came together.” Martin started playing…

GET fit and get fearless is the theme of a women’s event at a Mornington kung fu school this month. With Sunday 8 March being International Women’s Day – a celebration of women’s achievements – Peninsula Kung Fu is inviting women to attend any women’s class for free during March. Instructor Sarah Hanna said this year she wanted to help as many girls and women as possible be safe by having the ability to defend themselves. She has “runs on the board” having organised an anti-bullying seminar 18 months ago. “I will be instructing the classes and offering a safe…

THREE teenagers from Mornington, Mt Eliza and Frankston have been arrested over a range of thefts from motor vehicles and burglary-related incidents. Detectives from Frankston Crime Investigation Unit charged the men – a 19-year-old from Mornington, 18-year-old from Mount Eliza and 20 year-old from Frankston with five petrol drive-offs in various suburbs, five thefts from motor vehicles overnight 11-12 February in Mount Eliza and Frankston South, and a burglary at Karingal Hub Shopping Centre on 11 February. All were bailed to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court on 4 August. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 25 February 2020

POLICE on a drive-by say they spotted cannabis plants growing in the backyard of a house in Rye last week before arresting the occupant. Senior Sergeant Steve Duffee, of Rosebud police station, said the officers acting on a tip-off “looked over the fence” of the Dundas Street property before returning with a warrant, Saturday 9 February. As well as the six cannabis plants they allegedly found stolen tradies’ tools valued at $10,000. A 64-year-old Rye man was later charged with cultivating a drug of dependence and handling stolen goods. He was bailed to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court in July.…

ROSEBUD police stopped a bus last week to catch a couple of suspected crooks. A 35-year-old man and woman, 32, of Tootgarook, were later charged with theft from a motor vehicle, handling stolen goods and handling the proceeds of crime. A woman who spotted the couple loitering in a business park near Rosebud Plaza later realised items, including an iPad, portable speaker, and personal id, were missing from her car. She activated her Locate-My-Device App and tracked the items to a nearby bus stop where, coincidentally, the couple she saw earlier were waiting. When the suspects boarded the bus, she…

ANTONY’S eyes said it all – they were alive, shining, animated. The cerebral palsy sufferer was thrilled at being able to get to the water’s edge at Sorrento in a wide-tyred disability chair. That something so simple could mean so much speaks volumes about the significance of the chairs and how beneficial it would be to have them readily available. However, red tape – often involving Mornington Peninsula Shire Council – is restricting the chairs’ availability because the insurance and public liability concerns. Four of the chairs sit under the Sorrento Sea Baths with baths’ owners James and Helene Gibson…

AN “external planning expert” is being hired to review all permits relating to the development of Martha Cove at Safety Beach. The audit of the $650 million housing and marina project will go back 20 years. The Martha Cove investigation will run parallel to Mornington Peninsula Shire’s review of all planning approvals involving three Mornington-based companies, engineers, planners and developers Watsons, Schutz Consulting and Wolfdene Built. Frankston and Kingston councils are also undertaking similar internal investigations in the wake of last year’s hearings by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) which last week led to the state government sacking of…

PENINSULA Aero Club members were in shock last week following the tragic deaths during a training flight of respected members Peter Phillips, 47, and Ido Segev, 30. The men died when their Beechcraft Travel Air collided with another plane over Mangalore airfield, 11.25am, Wednesday 19 February. Their plane had left Tyabb airfield at 10.55am and was descending over Mangalore at about 4000 feet when the other plane, a Piper Seminole with two people on board, was about three minutes into its ascent. Cloud banks may have prevented the pilots seeing each other before impact, with both planes plummeting to the…

FEEDBACK from angry neighbours will be considered in a Mornington Peninsula Shire Council review of a noisy music afternoon at The Briars. Mount Martha resident Ken Anderson was furious at being subjected to the “disgusting noise which overwhelmed a large part of Mount Martha in the Bay Road area all day” on Sunday 16 February. “I demand that [the shire] never again issue a permit for such an inappropriate event at The Briars,” he said. The event was: “The Mobile Disco – Carl Cox and Eric Powell will be digging into their record collections and playing some of their favourite…

HOODED plovers are moving into Sorrento in a big way. The small birds are usually spotted darting around near the waterline or, when nesting, protecting their exposed eggs from predators and the elements (just 2.5 per cent of the birds survive from egg to fledgling). But now there’s no excuse for not knowing what a hoodie, as they’re affectionately known, looks like. Jimmy “Dvate” Beattie has used his aerosol paints and mural skills to cover a wall at Sorrento back beach with a hooded plover and chick. Beattie is known for his work on Victoria’s silo art trail and spaces…

PENINSULA A BRILLIANT knock by opener Riley Shaw has put Red Hill in a good position in their two day clash against Pearcedale. Shaw has struggled with form this season, but showed his ability with a massive score on Saturday. He scored 93 before being caught and bowled. A strong middle order performance by Red Hill brought them to a total of 5/242 after 60 overs. The Hillmen declared, wanting a chance to attack Pearcedale’s batting lineup. Pearcedale came in to bat for a disastrous 20 overs before stumps. They ended the day at 5/32, facing certain defeat. At Bruce…

SOCCER THE wait is finally over. Four Fijian internationals fly in to Melbourne today (Tuesday) to play for Frankston Pines. Last week the Monterey Reserve outfit received news that visa applications for the quartet had been approved and flights were promptly organised. The recruits are 20-year-old midfielder Savenaca Baledrokadroka, 19-year-old goalkeeper Asaeli Batikasa, 20-year-old defender Peni Tuigulagula and 20-year-old striker Tito Vodowaqa. Baledrokadroka captains Fiji’s under-23s and has also made seven full international appearances for the national team. Pines gaffer Kevin “Squizzy” Taylor has seen Tuigulagula and Vodowaqa in action at the Pacific Cup in New Zealand last year and…

HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based racehorse trainers had a stellar day out at Caulfield on Saturday 22 February having claimed two of the three Group 1 events, and finished runners-up in the featured Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes. The John and Chris Meagher training partnership landed their first Group 1 victory as a team with their speedy mare, Pippie, in the Oakleigh Plate while a well-executed late nomination for the Group 1 Futurity Stakes paid dividends for trainer Shane Nichols as the gutsy Streets of Avalon clung on to win the $500,000 contest. The Meagher camp utilised the excellent front-running jockey, Linda…

ON Monday, the 16th inst., his Excellency Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson, Governor-General, accompanied by the following gentlemen, paid a visit of inspection to the Frankston plantations: Capt. Duncan Hughes, aide-de-camp; Mr. Owen Jones, chairman of the Victorian Forest Commission; Mr. A. D. Hardy, president, Field Naturalists’ Club; Mr. J. Johnstone, Chief Supt.; and Mr. P. R. H. St. John, head gardener of the Melbourne Botanical Gardens. The vice-regal party was met by the superintendent, Mr. W. L. Hartland, and for three hours worked its way through the thick undergrowth amongst the pines, despite a shade temperature of 106 and fierce…

Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are investigating after a car struck a tree in Hastings last night. The car was travelling along Hendersons Road when it hit a tree near Tuerong Place shortly before 8pm. The male passenger sustained life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to hospital. The female driver was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. Detectives are investigating to determine the cause of the crash. Any witnesses or anyone with dash cam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

CENTRELINK and Medicare services look set to continue in Mornington with a scaled down privately-run service set to begin next month. The about-face follows widespread community discontent at a decision by federal government services minister Stuart Robert to shut the two Main Street offices on 23 March. (“Centrelink shutdown” The News 11/2/20). The mayor Cr Sam Hearn described that decision as a “real kick in the guts” and a “terrible outcome for the community in terms of the challenges it creates making it really hard on families who rely of those services”. The new agency, to run over 15 hours…

A Peninsula Aero Club instructor and student were among four people killed in an aircraft collision near Mangalore this morning. Emergency services were called to two separate crash scenes east of the Mangalore airfield about 11.25am. It is believed two aircraft have collided mid-air before crashing. Two occupants in each aircraft died at the scenes. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau attended the scene and police are currently investigating and will prepare a report for the Coroner. The Peninsula Aero Club have put out the following statement: “With deep sorrow we advise there has been…

ENTRIES are still open for the 92nd Red Hill Show to be held on Saturday the 7th of March. The Red Hill Showgrounds come alive with the festivities of one the State’s most popular agricultural shows. Kids and Adults can enjoy a full day of activities at this “Community Event of the Year 2019”, now in its 92nd year run by the Red Hill Agricultural & Horticultural Society. Visit our website and enter online: www.redhillshow.com.au/forms $10 Kids | $20 Adults | $60 Family | $10 Student & Pensioner Once you enter the showgrounds pavilions, activities, entertainment and RIDES FREE (with…

FREQUENT attacks by vandals on toilets at the Jacks Beach picnic area – the first on the day they opened – has members of the Crib Point Stony Point foreshore management committee tearing their hair out. “We can’t understand what makes the block a target for repeated vandalism attacks,” secretary Cecelia Witton said. In September, the volunteer community group replaced the old toilets with money they raised themselves. “Since they were opened – in fact on the very day they were to open – vandals struck [by] spraying graffiti over the building,” she said. “Since then they have been the…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors were last night (Monday) considering asking planning minister Richard Wynne to amend the planning scheme covering Tyabb Airfield. If given the go ahead, changes could then be made to the special use zone that covers development at the airfield and other properties identified in a proposed design and development overlay. Current approvals only allow Peninsula Aero Club to use the site as an authorised landing ground, not as an airport, airfield, flying school, transport terminal (or heliport) or place of assembly/major sports and recreational facility. There is no existing approval for the east-west landing strip. Strategic…

A CHARITABLE service providing housing for adults with intellectual disabilities has opened its third property on the Mornington Peninsula. Bittern House on Frankston-Flinders Road, built by Frankston Peninsula Carers, is 150 metres from Bittern Fields shopping centre, with its supermarket, restaurant, pharmacy and medical clinic, and near Bittern train station. The residents will be looked after by genU – which provides disability services, including individual support, accommodation and recreation activities, to its members. Frankston Peninsula Carers secretary Leon Black said: “It was lovely having the families at the opening whose children will live there. “We have spent five years fundraising…

LITTLE did the judge know when sentencing a 19-year-old farm labourer to spend years in Britain’s Van Dieman’s land penal colony that his actions would have a profound effect on as yet unnamed town of Portsea. James Sandle Ford was transported to what was to become Tasmania aboard the Eliza in 1831, a convicted fellon because of his role in an uprising of agricultural workers. After being granted a free pardon in 1836, Ford went to Sydney in 1838, marrying Helen Sullivan in 1841. The Sullivan family had emigrated from Ireland two years earlier hoping to find employment in the…