Day: June 15, 2020

A “notorious bottleneck” on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway is closer to being removed with $3.5 million from the federal government. The money, part of a 2019 election commitment, will go to the state government for the planning and development of a business case for the upgrades, to include grade separation and duplication of the freeway to Boneo Road, pedestrian upgrades and a flyover at Jetty Road, Rosebud, and sound barriers between Rosebud and Dromana. Flinders MP Greg Hunt said residents of Rosebud and the southern Peninsula had waited for years for improved traffic flow at the intersection of Jetty Road…

SEARCHERS scouring dense bush in central Victoria for a missing autistic boy last week were supported by rescue dog Obi. The black Labrador – owned and trained by Andrew and Julie Cowan, of Somerville-based Search and Rescue Dogs Australia – used his exceptional air scenting skills to home-in on the area where Will Callaghan was found. His owners say Obi’s barking may have alerted human rescuer Ben Gibbs, who was close by, to push through “horrendous” vegetation and up the bank where he says he found the 14-year-old looking “angelic”. Will, who loves dogs, was standing up “trying to look…

Story and picture by Barry Irving RYE resident Barney Cain celebrated his 100th birthday with family and friends, Saturday 6 June. Mr Cain, third from left at right, was born in 1920 at the home built by his grandfather Michael Cain as the first of seven children for Owen and Ethel Cain (nee Hill). He is the great-grandson of Owen Cain, one of the early settlers of Rye. After attending Boneo and Rye and then St Joseph’s (Sorrento) primary schools he moved up to St Joseph’s Christian Brothers at South Melbourne until 1935. He says he enjoyed his time…

A CHARITY set up as a social enterprise wants to open a trauma recovery and mental wellbeing centre on the Mornington Peninsula. The site could be a former hospital or a donated section of a large property. Enveco Health founder Moniquea Spiteri said the organisation had unsuccessfully “approached numerous foundations, applied for grants [which is] the usual process that not-for-profits do…”. “Seed funding and seed capital is the hardest to get [because] when it comes to backing innovation everyone is focused on technology start-ups or others doing the same thing,” she said. Generous philanthropists were hard to find. “We’ve been…

AUTISM crusader Bianca Jane Appleford has received an Order of Australia Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for “service to people living with autism”. The Rye resident, who has an autistic son, was previously honoured by being named Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Citizen of the Year in 2017 and Queen’s Baton-bearer for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. Ms Appleford founded Light-Up Autism Foundation in 2012 to introduce improved teaching aids into southern peninsula schools so students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and those with other learning difficulties, could more easily stay happy, and focused, in the mainstream system. The…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire denies it is using aerial drones to find private swimming pools in the lead-up to compulsory registration in November. The shire says drones may be used for vegetation inspections. A reference to the use of drones in the council’s 12 May Quarterly Report said drones were being used “to assist conducting formal inspections of land, which has reduced the risk to officers in navigating hazardous sites and eliminated the need to contract external providers … for aerial imaging”. Glenn Murphy told The News that he suspected drones were being used to find pools when his mother-in-law, who…

FISHERIES Victoria has no plans to ban catching spider crabs despite Rye pier having to be closed on the Sunday night 7 June because so many fishers were targeting the crabs and ignoring social distancing rules. Victorian Fisheries Authority director Dallas D’Silva said six fisheries officers inspected 200 catches over the long weekend and rated compliance rates as “high”. Environmentalists acknowledge bag limits of 30 crabs a person are legal, but say “esky loads” are being stored in cars with the same fisher returning to catch a “new” bag limit. They fear widespread “plundering” of the moulting crabs in their…

THE Mornington Peninsula is among the top six Victorian municipalities when it comes to the number of homeless people being forced to “sleep rough”. However, Mornington Peninsula Shire has reiterated that it is a problem the state government – not the council – should be fixing. The situation came to head last week when police and council staff used a bobcat to clear Rosebud camping ground of tents being used by the homeless. (“Homeless on a merry-go-round” The News 9/6/20). The mayor Cr Sam Hearn said the shire had been trying to find alternative places for the campers to stay…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors are again appealing for the public to help them decide on a name for the $50 million aquatic centre being built at Rosebud. The councillors deferred voting on a short list of names when they met on 26 May, and instead decided to again ask the community. The short list of five names is now being publicised and public comment sought, but the final decision will be made by councillors. In a widely circulated email Cr David Gill stated “the last minute change by council is now also an opportunity to firmly state that we…

By Danielle Collis A MT MARTHA restaurant has prepared more than 1000 meals for Mornington Community Information and Support Centre to deliver to people and families in need. Volpino owner David Weill said a customer who donated $1000 had wanted to help keep the restaurant in business during the coronavirus emergency while also helping the broader community. Mr Weill contacted the Mornington Peninsula Foundation about the customer’s plan and was put in touch with the Mornington Community Information and Support Centre. The centre’s general manager Stuart Davis-Meehan said due to coronavirus restrictions the centre had replaced its face-to-face meal program…

SHIRE officers have been given a rocket over the condition of the coastal path from Royal Beach and continuing behind Mornington Bowling Club to the Barkly Street roundabout. Cr Bev Colomb told the council’s 26 May meeting that the scenic and historic coastal path should be “brought back to a standard that allows access and safety for community use”. She successfully moved that this be done before the end of June. Adding to the blast, Cr Colomb insisted the officers report back before the end of July on the process they use to “make decisions that involve public community coastal…

SOCCER LANGWARRIN and Seaford United will participate in the 2020 league season. The last two local clubs to decide their response to the disrupted season have informed Football Victoria of their decision. Langwarrin president Tanya Wallace addressed the senior squad last week before making the decision to play this year. “All of our players returned and have agreed to play so I’m really grateful for the commitment they’ve shown and for wanting to stick by the club in challenging and difficult times,” she said. “I’m really proud of the way everyone throughout the club has reacted to what needed to…

HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based trainer John McArdle has hit a purple patch of form with three of his up-and-coming two-year-old’s breaking their maidens on debut in the past fortnight. Sure Am Invincible, Twain’s Express and So Let’s Toast all came through the same jumpout (Heat 4) at Mornington on Wednesday 27 May before going on to score victories at their respective debuts. In the 1000m jumpout, it was Sure Am Invincible who showed the early toe to lead the heat before her stablemates So Let’s Toast (first) and Twain’s Express (second) swept past the field to runaway with the clear fastest…

WHILE driving along the Tyabb road with their father in a buggy on November 15, 1919, Frederick Lewis Davis and Benjamin Shersby Davis, orchardists, of Hastings, heard the report of a shot gun from the bush on the north side about two miles from Tyabb, and felt the sting of pellets. Both sons were shot in the eye, and received wounds in other parts of the body. Subsequently a man came out-of the bush carrying a shot gun and a dead rabbit. In the County Court last Tuesday the brothers proceeded against Hecter Henry Swann, carpenter, of Mornington, each claiming…