HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based trainer Rachael Frost landed her first black-type race at Flemington on Saturday 12 September with her inform gelding, Travimyfriend. The eight-year-old son of Tavistock had relished the wet tracks of late to pick up a win and second placing at Caulfield in his three prior runs, but demonstrated on Saturday that he’s not just a mudlark. With the rain setting in later than expected at Flemington, Travimyfriend did what he had never done before and saluted on a good surface for the first time in his career. Ridden by Dean Yendall, the gelding sat at the rear…
Year: 2020
ON Wednesday last the Railways Commissioners arrived at Frankston by special train on their annual tour of inspection. They were met at the station by Cr F. H. Wells, and Mr H. Vicars, President of the Frankston Progress Association, and the secretary, Mr W. C, Young. Cr Wells reminded the Commissioners of the necessity for a sub-way or some other method to connect Wells Street with Cranbourne Road, and specially referred to the notice recently posted in the vicinity warning the public that trespassers at that point would be prosecuted. This, he contended, was contrary to a previous promise given…
HERE’S a way to keep the children occupied and creative during the school holidays – Saturday 19 September to Sunday 4 October – with a series of activities they can enjoy from home. The young ones can get artistic by crafting collages, creating indigenous animals and learning about their habitats, as well as creating watercolour and food dye artworks. Those keen to get crafty now can take part in the activities already online, so there’s no need to wait until the holidays. Artist/educator Jill Anderson has created a series of creative activities inspired by works from the Mornington Peninsula Regional…
THE outgoing commodore of the Canadian Bay Club at Mount Eliza says he has been unsuccessfully fighting for years to get Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to resurface the public car park. Grant Haworth says the shire had obfuscated on the necessary works for “five or six years”. “Yet during that time they hypocritically demanded that the club resurface its driveway to make it safe at a cost to the club of $3500,” he said. Mr Haworth said the car park surface is so bad that older members have complained they would not be renewing [memberships] because they felt unsafe on…
PARENTS, staff and students at Goodstart Mount Martha, on Bentons Road, have been bitten by the nature bug. This has led them to beautify and revegetate an otherwise neglected pond area in partnership with Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. From the beginning of June through to late August, works have transformed the area with about 80 plants providing food and protection for native bird and animal life. Passers-by can see it from a nearby path. “Parents and children have been involved in the planning and feedback of the project,” teacher Amanda Brewer said. “Due to COVID-19 we couldn’t do a community…
RESIDENTS and staff at the Village Glen Aged Care Residences, Mornington are this week expecting to be tested for COVID-19. If the Department of Health and Human Services does arrive, it will be for the “fourth or fifth time” since five deaths and 37 positive cases were recorded at the home in August. Chief operating officer Peter Nilsson said on Saturday (12 September) that while five residents had died “with COVID-19”, the home had been virus-free for 23 days. He said DHHS had been told that it was wrong to keep saying there were still active cases. He expected DHHS…
OBLIVIOUS to restrictions onshore, a pod of about six dolphins provided entertainment for morning walkers at Mornington. Alan Dillon watched from the pier as the bottlenose dolphins leaped from the water, possibly as part of a ploy to catch fish. Mr Dillon said the dolphins appeared to be “in a frenzy at times” and thought it may also have been a training lesson for a younger spotted one among the group. While untouched by the restrictions facing those on land (except maybe seeing an increase in fish stocks due to a ban on fishing), the dolphins would be just as…
A MAN is being sought over an aggravated burglary at Hastings, Wednesday 2 September. Police say the man entered a house on Elisa Place and assaulted the victim. He then demanded money before stealing the victim’s 2007 Mercedes sedan, registration BEQ 477. The man was wearing white/grey coloured pants, blue and white check shirt, and cap. He arrived in a maroon sedan with a missing hub cap on the rear passenger-side wheel. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 15 September 2020
THREE offenders in a white Holden Commodore are being sought by detectives over a series of car break-ins at Hastings, Tuesday 8 September. Detective Senior Constable Nick Passmore, of Somerville CIU, said about half a dozen cars were broken into in Olivia Way about 2am. He said the offenders targeted tradies’ utes to steal mainly power tools, as well as wallets and other items. “The loss of their tools means the tradies are finding it hard to do their work,” Detective Passmore said. “It’s causing a huge disruption to their working lives.” First published in the Southern Peninsula News -…
THINGS seem a little lighter this week, with the reopening of children’s playgrounds, exercise times being extended to two hours and a later curfew (9pm-5am). On the Mornington Peninsula active cases of COVID-19 have dropped from 18 on Monday 7 September to four on Sunday 13 September. In Frankston, the drop has not been so dramatic, falling from 20 to 13 over seven days. Frankston Hospital was on Sunday reporting six active cases from a total 90 positive cases among staff and patients. Mornington Peninsula Shire has issued a reminder to parents that maternal and child health and immunisation services…
HMAS Cerberus – the Royal Australian Navy’s oldest commissioned base – has celebrated its centenary. Known as the “cradle of the navy”, the 15 square kilometre base at Crib Point faces Hanns Inlet, between Sandy Point and Stony Point in Western Port, was bought in 1911 and formally commissioned as Flinders Naval Base on 1 September 1920. To commemorate the milestone, Commanding Officer Captain Mike Oborn and his senior leadership team this month unveiled a centenary plinth at the site of its original commissioning. Cerberus provides training for recruits from all three branches of the Australian Defence Force. About 1800…
MORNINGTON Peninsula residents are being warned that with spring in the air so too are swooping birds. The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning says it is the time native birds swoop humans (and their dogs) to defend their young for the six-eight weeks between when they hatch and when they leave the nest. Reports are already being received of birds, such as magpies and masked lapwings, swooping surprised passers-by. Senior wildlife management officer Rebecca Dixon said swooping happened every year during breeding season and was largely a defensive manoeuvre. For some species, including magpies, this is mainly carried…
AN “ambitious” climate emergency plan has been adopted by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council one year after declaring a “climate emergency”. The Ensuring Our Future: Our Climate Emergency Response plan aims to guide the peninsula towards having no carbon emissions by 2040 through seven “summits” and 21 “action steps”. However, the shire says the outcome “can only be achieved by the community and the shire working together”. A 10-year program includes targets around leadership and governance, climate advocacy, zero carbon energy, resilient and adaptive community, sustainable transport and travel, sustainable land use and environmental restoration, circular economy and zero waste. The…
ELDER abuse, an insidious stablemate of family violence, is rampant on the Mornington Peninsula during these strained days of COVID-19. With Victoria’s second highest population of elderly people, the peninsula has the highest number of police callouts per capita for family violence in metropolitan Melbourne. Data presented to Peninsula Health shows family violence presentations to emergency departments and inpatient settings have increased 88 per cent in the past year. Similarly, elder abuse presentations are up 59 per cent. Statistics suggests that at least 10 per cent of those living on the peninsula aged over 65 are at risk of, or…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is one of 13 councils representing two million residents in Melbourne’s east and south east lobbying for more social housing to “end homelessness”. Their focus was informed by research commissioned by Monash Council through the Council to Homeless Persons: ‘Making a Difference – effective local government responses to homelessness.’ It identified that the “single, most powerful way” councils can contribute to preventing and ending homelessness was to advocate for more social housing across Victoria. This housing is owned either by the state government or not-for-profit community providers and rented to low income households at either 25 per…
POLICE believe a fire which destroyed a beach box at Rosebud early last Friday (11 September) may have been deliberately lit. Rosebud police said the 3am blaze at beach box number 80 near Adams Avenue, was being investigated by the arson squad. The fire which caused a gas bottle to explode also damaged boxes on either side, destroying the roof in one. Fire Rescue Victoria from Rosebud and CFA crews from Rosebud and Dromana took one hour and 40 minutes to bring the blaze under control. Witnesses said they saw a man on the median strip on Point Nepean Road…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has the fifth highest number of male suicides in Victoria – one less than Frankston. From 2013-17 suicide was the cause of death for 100 people on the peninsula: 70 men and 30 women. For every 50 male deaths one is by suicide. Grim figures released this week show the municipalities with the highest number of male suicides from 2013-17 were Greater Geelong, with 113, Casey 102, Wyndham 71, Frankston 71, Mornington Peninsula 70 and Brimbank 70. The statistics are being used by Australia’s peak body for men’s health, the Australian Men’s Health Forum, as it calls…
Active cases of coronavirus on the Mornington Peninsula have dropped to just 10 cases. The dramatic slide has active cases on the peninsula at their lowest levels since 21 July. Just one week ago, there were 37 active cases on the Mornington Peninsula, and two weeks ago there were 52 active cases on the Mornington Peninsula. The low numbers will add weight to calls for the Mornington Peninsula to be excluded from the current metropolitan Stage Four lockdown. Local lobby group, Committee for the Mornington Peninsula, expressed “dismay” at Sunday’s announcement by the Premier that the peninsula would continue to…
IF they were cleared for take-off, it is most likely members of Peninsula Aero Club would be waggling their plane’s wings or doing victory rolls after winning two skirmishes with Mornington Peninsula Shire over planning controls. In February, the Victorian Civil Appeals Tribunal overruled the shire and allowed a maintenance shed to be moved within the confines of the Tyabb airfield and last week VCAT ordered the shire to remove the so-called Holy Hour restriction on flying on Sunday mornings (“VCAT backs aero club against shire” The News 25/2/20). However, the two wins against the shire are just the lead-up…
MOST of the more than 2000 Mornington Peninsula residents who voted in an online poll are opposed to power company AGL’s plans for a floating gas import terminal at Crib Point. The one-week poll held by Mornington Peninsula Shire showed 1932 (93 per cent) residents were against the plan compared to 131 being in favour. The poll results follow the shire’s own opposition to the plan and the long running anti-gas terminal campaign by community group Save Westernport. “This emphatic response [through the online poll] from our community aligns with council’s position that the project poses an unacceptable risk to…
SOCCER SOMERVILLE Eagles senior coach Stan Packer and assistant Paul Robinson have committed to the State League 4 outfit for 2021. Packer filled the void last June created by David Greening’s unexpected departure. Director of football Zach Peddersen was delighted with the news and has given both coaches his backing. “I’m really pleased to have Stan and Paul leading the club forward in 2021,” Peddersen said. “Both are keen to get stuck into pre-season as soon as restrictions allow us. “Stan’s been busy speaking with our squad from last year and Paul is looking into bringing youth into our reserves.”…
HORSE RACING THE 100 per cent strike rate continues for Mornington-based trainer Clayton Douglas as his sole runner to date, Barocha, brought up his second straight victory at Geelong on Sunday 6 September. Coming off a five-length maiden romp at Sale last month, Barocha once again demonstrated that he’s a serious city class talent by scoring a two-and-a-half length victory in benchmark 64 grade. The four-year-old gelding by Ilovethiscity settled three-wide with cover at the rear of the field before steaming straight past his rivals in the straight and landing a comfortable win under the guidance of jockey, and Douglas’…
AT the special meeting of the shire of Frankston and Hastings last Wednesday week, Cr. Hoban, president, presided for the last time. Cr. Oates spoke in high praise of the capable manner in which Cr. Hoban had carried out his duties as President of the Shire. He had been thoroughly impartial in carrying out the responsible duties of his office, and the council felt proud of the capable and dignified manner in which he had represented the shire on all occasions. Crs Mason, Armstrong and others spoke in appreciation of Cr Hoban and while regretting his departure, hoped that on…
MORE than 2100 Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association players can look forward to their home at the RM Hooper Pavilion, Tuerong, getting a much needed refurbishment. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has committed $760,000 from its capital works program plus a $250,000 grant from Sport and Recreation Victoria’s community sports infrastructure fund for the project. The works have started and are expected to be completed in December. “This pavilion upgrade will include female change rooms and amenities, new kitchen and kiosk, first-aid room and additional storage space,” the mayor Cr Sam Hearn said. “This project is crucial to removing barriers to female…
WASTEWATER being used on the Mornington Peninsula and pumped in-to the sea at the south-eastern outfall, near Gunnamatta is being checked and treated for the coronavirus. The Eastern Treatment Plant at Bangholme is one of the sampling sites established across Victoria as part of the ColoSSoS (Collaboration on Sewage Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2) research project. The Department of Health and Human Services says New Zealand, the Netherlands, Canada, Turkey and other countries also test wastewater as part of their coronavirus surveillance. There are 25 sampling sites across state including the sewage treatment plant in Craigie Road, Mount Martha. The DHHS says…
MORNINGTON police were surprised and caught off guard last week by a protester who used a thin bike lock to chain herself to a pillar outside their Main Street headquarters. The Mornington woman, who arrived about 10am, Thursday 3 September, said she was protesting in support of a Ballarat woman charged with incitement after allegedly taking to social media to organise an anti-lockdown rally. The mother-to-be was handcuffed in her home, which saw police accused of being “heavy handed”. Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson described it as a “disproportionate” response. Undeterred, an exasperated Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said police were sick…
MORE than $34 million has stayed in the pockets of Mornington Peninsula pokies players prevented from getting their gambling fix during COVID-19 restrictions. Poker machine players across Victoria have saved themselves $1 billion. “COVID-19 is presenting us with a unique opportunity to rethink the dire situation Australia has gotten itself into with the prevalence of gambling,” Alliance for Gambling Reform chief advocate the Reverend Tim Costello said. “Australians lost $25 billion gambling last year – the highest rate of losses per head in the entire world.” The mayor Cr Sam Hearn said gambling-related harm could affect health and community services,…
THE on-again, off-again saga that is the redevelopment of Sorrento’s Continental Hotel is, well, on again. The latest consortium behind a proposed $100 million rebuild has unveiled its vision and restarted construction at the iconic site which it says should open in time for summer 2021-22. The emergence of the new backers follows disappointment over the drawn-out and ultimately failed dream of Sorrento local Julian Gerner, who bowed out amid fears the heritage-listed limestone structure could “sink into its foundations” (“Hotel ‘clean’ and up for sale, again” The News 16/3/20). Consortium partners Victor Smorgon Group, Kanat Group and Trenerry Property…
CONCEPT plans for the redevelopment of the Rye foreshore are on display and open to public comment until 5pm Friday (11 September). Mornington Peninsula Shire plans to upgrade the promenade, park and camping areas as part of a $6.5 million Rye township plan. The latest plan shows the promenade linking the northern end of Napier Street to the Rye pier providing what officers say is “both a physical and visual extension of the pier”. A deck extends from the pier to the land where a pedestrian crossing at Point Nepean Road leads to the Napier Street plaza. New outdoor furniture,…
IN what seems an unlikely scenario, birds, particularly seabirds, have become collateral victims to the coronavirus pandemic. Untold numbers of disposable but not biodegradable face masks are entering the environment, adding to the already overwhelming pollution of beaches and waterways. And people heading to the beach for exercise or just quiet contemplation, are offering birds tidbits and snacks that are not part of their normal diets. Processed foods, such as bread and mincemeat should not be on the menu. The birds may be killed out of kindness. Disposing of the masks, which can take years to break down, has become…