The voters of the Nepean electorate will head to the polls on 2 May to elect a replacement for retired MP Sam Groth. The date was announced yesterday (Tuesday 17 February) by Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Maree Edwards, and leaves candidates and voters a little over ten weeks of campaigning. Crucially, candidates will have only ten weeks run their campaign to be elected and only 23 days if they wait until the final nomination day for candidates on 10 April. Voters have even less time to update their enrollment, with the electoral roll closing on 20 March News from…
Author: Cameron McCullough
BEC Watson, who has risen to digital fame with her “Bec’s Unhinged Reviews” social media account has had a short but succinct look at the Nepean by-election before deciding to pass. The Mornington resident has had a meteoric rise since starting her page in October last year to over 40,000 Facebook followers of her scorched earth reviews of local towns and landmarks that have captured the imagination of a community who always knew it but were too polite to say it. Taking to social media on 6 February, Watson told her followers “Alright I need to be very clear because…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire mayor, and Briars Ward councillor Anthony Marsh has joined the Liberal Party and has confirmed with The News he has nominated for preselection as the Liberal Party’s candidate for the upcoming Nepean by-election. Marsh submitted his application last week and was approved by a Liberal Party administrative committee meeting last Thursday (12 February). The Liberals waived the usual two-year wait before a member can nominate for preselection. A Liberal Party source told The News there are at least six other contenders for preselection for the upcoming Nepean by-election, and that applications closed Monday (16 February). Among the…
REGULAR McClelland Guild of Artists tutor and demonstrator, Jenny Croom of Patterson Lakes, has won the first Australian Portrait Artist of the Year competition screened by the ABC. An exhibition of her portraits was opened on Sunday (1 Feb) at the Art House Gallery, within Tyabb Packing House, and is on show until 28 February. The ABC’s Portrait Artist of the Year is a spin-off from the popular British program now in its 13th series. The local version was judged by three Australian art experts – Director of the National Portrait Gallery Bree Pickering; award-winning multidisciplinary artist Abdul Abdullah; and…
A Liberal Party source has told The News there are at least six contenders for preselection for the upcoming Nepean by-election with applications believed to be closing on Monday 16 February. Among the mix are ex-Frankston City mayor and two-time Dunkley candidate Nathan Conroy, who contested the 2024 by-election after the death of Peta Murphy, and again in the 2025 federal election, both times losing to Labor’s Jodie Belyea. Also putting her hand up for another attempt is Briony Camp (nee Hutton), who ran for the seat of Hastings in the 2022 state election, losing to Labor’s Paul Mercurio. Her…
Independents for Mornington Peninsula have announced they are stepping up their search for a candidate for the state seat of Nepean, after the news of Sam Groth’s resignation and the forthcoming by-election. President of Independents for Mornington Peninsula, Phil Riley, told The News they had been searching for candidate for this year’s state election since November, but the by-election had created a “new urgency”. “The voters of Nepean will be forced to the polls twice in eight months,” said Riley. “Once again, voters of the Mornington Peninsula find themselves paying the price for Liberal Party incompetence. “This by-election isn’t about…
IN response to a parliamentary question, Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny has attempted to shift blame for the flawed interim erosion management overlay back onto the shire, despite an earlier letter appearing to leave the municipality little choice in the matter. Described by some as a major “overreach”, the interim erosion management overlay (EMO7) targets land assessed as highly susceptible to landslides, affecting about 33,000 lots. Of these, roughly 27,000 are residential properties not already covered by existing erosion overlays. Many residents have expressed anger and confusion after their properties were suddenly included, with many believing they face no landslide risk…
MEMBER for Mornington, Chris Crewther, has vowed to focus on a Liberal win in November after failing in his bid for the deputy leadership of the Victorian Liberal Party. The position opened up after the announcement by Nepean MP Sam Groth that he would not be contesting November’s election and would relinquish his deputy leadership role (Groth calls game, set and match on political career, The News 13/1/26). David Southwick, who had previously served as deputy to both Matthew Guy and John Pesutto, was challenged by Crewther, who is in his first term as a state member, after previously representing…
MEMBER for Nepean, Sam Groth, has announced his resignation from parliament, triggering a by-election for the seat of Nepean, just months out from the next state election. A statement released by Groth today (4 February) stated “Next week I will resign from the Parliament of Victoria as the Member for Nepean to pursue other opportunities”. “It has been an honour to serve the people of Nepean, and I sincerely thank them for the trust they placed in me for the opportunity to represent our community. “I am very grateful to my staff for their professionalism, dedication and tireless work in…
HMAS Cerberus will be “partially divested” as part of a massive sale of 35,000 hectares of defence real estate – including some of the nation’s most historic barracks – that is expected to raise almost $2b. Announced by Defence Minister Richard Marles on Wednesday 4 February, the announcement is the long-awaited response to a sweeping audit of the nation’s defence estate portfolio released in 2023. The government has acknowledged the sale of defence facilities has been a challenging issue, with the expectation of push-back from veterans and local communities to the sale of some of the country’s most iconic defence…
RESIDENTS have been left disappointed that renewal works at Lens Reserve in Crib Point have left the dog park a treeless dustbowl. The site was previously used as a landfill, with the shire responsible for managing the post-closure aspects of the site. An audit of the site in 2021 found the landfill cap had deteriorated and the site required rehabilitation work with a contractor appointed last year to complete the $1.5m project (Tip rehabilitation to fall on ratepayers, The News 25/3/25). Now complete, residents returning to the park have been disappointed with the outcome, which has left the area clear…
NEW signage has been installed at a koala death hotspot in the hope that motorists will slow down to help save the treasured marsupials. The temporary signage, which will stay in place until Easter, has been installed on Western Port Highway in Tyabb, which is the worst koala roadkill hotspot on the peninsula. Since 2024 on Western Port Highway near O’Neills Rd and Thornells Rd there have been 17 koalas killed (including one joey). President of Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation, Dirk Jansen, told The News “The new signage shows how community action and effective collaboration with the shire and Department…
THE death of Brendan Ryan on 8 January, following another rough sleeper’s death in November, brings the number of homeless deaths on the peninsula to five over the last year. Community leaders have expressed exasperation at the lack of state government response to the spiralling situation and are renewing their calls for urgent action. Melbourne Zero, which actively tracks homelessness, listed 114 actively homeless people on the Mornington Peninsula as of December. The data lists 88 of those as “sleeping rough”. In the lead up to the busy summer period, Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Anthony Marsh wrote to the…
Two men have been arrested as police continue to investigate a series of alleged ATM ram raids across Victoria over the last two months, including incidents in Frankston and Baxter. Police have linked nine alleged burglaries and attempted burglaries which targeted a variety of businesses across the state from November to January this year. It will be alleged stolen tow trucks were used to force entry into the businesses, including those with ATMs affixed on walls outside, causing more than $1 million in combined damage. The alleged incidents across Melbourne included a restaurant on Heatherhill Road in Frankston about 3am…
THE board of BlueScope Steel Limited announced last week (7 January) that it had unanimously rejected an “unsolicited, non-binding, indicative and conditional takeover proposal”, and listed the unrealised value of its land bank, including at Western Port, as one of the reasons for rejecting the offer. The offer was presented by a consortium comprising ASX listed SGH Limited, and BlueScope rival United States steelmaker Steel Dynamics, at $30 per share, valuing BlueScope at $13.2b. SGH Limited was founded by Kerry Stokes and is headed by son Ryan Stokes. The company is said to be a “diversified operating company, with market…
THE two monitors appointed to oversee Mornington Peninsula Shire Council will commence their roles next week. Victorian Minister for Local Government, Nick Staikos, announced on 23 December that two municipal monitors would be appointed to the shire. Municipal monitors Prue Digby and Rebecca McKenzie will be in place for 12 months from 19 January 2026 until 18 January 2027. A press release from the state government said “They will advise, assist, and support the council to improve its governance processes and practices. They will also work with the council to support good governance including in relation to service delivery, the…
MEMBER for Nepean, Sam Groth, has announced he will not be recontesting his seat at the upcoming November state election, and will stand down as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition next month. In a statement released on Monday 5 January, Groth said “After many conversations with my wife and with a great deal of personal thought, I have informed the Leader of the Opposition that I have decided that I cannot continue in Parliament beyond the 2026 election”. “The public pressure placed on my family in recent months has been significant and realising that some of it came from…
Police have arrested a man and recovered an allegedly stolen jet ski in Rye, as well as counterfeit money used in a series of alleged deceptions. Officers from Rosebud Uniform executed a search warrant at a property on Collingwood Street on Friday, 9 January as part of an ongoing investigation with South Australia Police. A jet ski and trailer, allegedly stolen from Mannum in South Australia on 21 September 2025, were located. Police also seized over $11,300 of counterfeit money, allegedly used in a series of cash deceptions, as well as three outboard motors, another vessel and drugs. A 32-year-old…
The Victorian Minister for Local Government, Nick Staikos, has today announced that two municipal monitors will be appointed to Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. Municipal monitors Prue Digby and Rebecca McKenzie will be in place for 12 months from 19 January 2026 until 18 January 2027. A press release from the state government said “They will advise, assist, and support the council to improve its governance processes and practices. They will also work with the council to support good governance including in relation to service delivery, the health and wellbeing of councillors and staff, and council meeting procedures and decision making”.…
A high-angle rescue is currently underway after a person fell from a cliff at Diamond Bay in Sorrento this morning (23 December). It is believed the person fell around three metres. A spokesperson from the CFA said crews have locted the person and the rescue is underway. The incident is not yet under control. Fourteen emergency units are currently on site, and the Air Ambulance was in attendance. An injured person has been airlifted to the Alfred Hospital.
THE speed limit along a large stretch of Peninsula Link will continue to remain at a reduced 80kph until at least February. The reduced limit coincides with the peninsula’s busy summer period that sees hundreds of thousands of visitors using the main arterial into the peninsula. A statement from Service Stream Limited, responsible for the management of Peninsula Link, seen by The News said “While the resurfacing works carried out to date have largely been completed, the final layer of specialised asphalt has not yet been applied”. “This type of asphalt requires both warmer temperatures and dry conditions to set…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have rejected an officer recommendation that the shire lodge an objection to the Arthurs Seat Eagle’s planned upgrades, at their 2 December meeting. The upgrade of the Arthurs Seat Eagle was mooted last year with the expansion of both the bottom and summit stations, the addition of a pedestrian bridge over Arthurs Seat Road, the building of an observation tower, and the building of a “luge-style” ride down the escarpment. The plans were subsequently altered after community feedback, including the scrapping of the pedestrian bridge, and shortening the proposed luge track (Eagle plans scaled back but…
Ryman Healthcare has sold its Moondah Estate site to the Jacobsen family, owners of Village Glen in Rosebud, and holders of a number of properties neighbouring the historic site. The sale comes after Ryman Healthcare has decided not to proceed with its contentious retirement of the historic site and reportedly offloaded it at a loss. A statement from Ryman, provided to The News, said “Through a comprehensive review of Ryman’s land bank holdings in New Zealand and Australia, the Mount Eliza site has been confirmed for divestment and we now have an unconditional agreement to sell the site to another…
Ryman Healthcare has decided not to proceed with a contentious retirement development of Mt Eliza’s Moondah Estate on Kunyung Rd and is reported to have offloaded the site at a loss. A statement from Ryman, seen by The News, said “Ryman has recently been assessing its future village development sites across Australia”. “Unfortunately, we’ve decided we are no longer progressing a village at Mount Eliza and instead will pursue other locations within Victoria. As such, we will be progressing the sale of our site at 70 Kunyung Rd.” Ryman Healthcare, which owns and operates 49 retirement villages in Australia and…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have been presented with a recommendation from officers that the shire lodge an objection to the Arthurs Seat Eagle’s planned upgrades, with the objection set to be voted on at the 2 December council meeting. The upgrade of the Arthurs Seat Eagle was mooted last year with the expansion of both the bottom and summit stations, the addition of a pedestrian bridge over Arthurs Seat Road, the building of an observation tower, and the building of a “luge-style” ride down the escarpment. The plans were subsequently altered after community feedback, including the scrapping of the pedestrian…
Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors met last night (18 November) and elected mayor Cr Anthony Marsh and deputy mayor Cr Paul Pingiaro for another 12 months, appearing to continue the majority councillor’s campaign of change at the shire. The meeting started with a motion resolving to determine the term of a new mayor and once determined at one year, to establish the office of deputy mayor. Calling for nominations for mayor, Cr Andrea Allen nominated Marsh while Cr Michael Stephens nominated Cr Max Patton. Given the opportunity to speak on their nominations, Marsh said “As an incumbent, I don’t think what…
RESIDENTS of Prince Street in Mornington are unhappy about planned rerouting of the 784 Mornington to Frankston bus service that would see the route travel along their street and a new bus stop constructed. Currently the 784 bus travels down Nunns Road before turning up Strachans Road and back to Nepean Highway. The proposed new route would see the bus turn off Strachans Road and onto Prince Street. Indications are the bus would then travel along Hoylake Grove to Dava Drive, eventually intersecting with Bentons Road. As part of the proposed changes, new bus stops would be constructed. Member for…
AWARD winning wellness spa Peninsula Hot Springs is looking for a new owner, with an expression of interest for the sale of the venue being run by JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group. Peninsula Hot Springs was founded in 1997 by brothers Charles and Richard Davidson, inspired by Charles’s experience visiting hot springs in Japan. In the same year they purchased 42 acres of cleared bushland in the rolling sand dunes of Fingal, envisioning an Australian-style retreat that blended with the natural landscape. In early 2002 the Davidson brothers finally struck hot springs 637 metres underground after 18 months of drilling.…
A REPORT on coastal estuaries has highlighted, in some cases, dozens of chemical contaminants in Mornington Peninsula waterways. The report “Exploring Unseen Threats: Contaminant Trends and Impacts in Port Phillip Bay” by RMIT aquatic ecotoxicologist Dr Jackie Myers, contained the results of the first round of sampling of 34 estuary sites; 18 in Port Phillip Bay and 16 in Western Port. The report stated that “Contaminants of concern are chemicals that can cause harm to aquatic ecosystems and human and environmental health due to their toxic, persistent, and bio-accumulative properties”. “Port Phillip and Western Port bays and their estuaries hold…
FROM THE EDITOR ONE of the great scourges of our modern democratic system is that political parties view power as an end in itself, and not a means to an end. Of course, governing is the end. Power is just the means to be able to govern. We live in a state where the Labor government seems unwilling or incapable of performing the tasks required to effectively govern. Decision making is tortured and flawed, with the best outcomes taking a distant second place to political considerations. Whether it is crime, cost-shifting or crumbling infrastructure, the result is that we live…