An arrest warrant has been issued for Somerville-based businessman Jamie (Jay) Scicluna after he failed to appear in Frankston Magistrates Court, as ordered, last week. The publisher of the STPL News was due in court to face oral examination last Wednesday (25 February) for failing to pay a court-ordered amount of $5000. After his failure to appear, the judgment creditor signed a “Request for warrant to arrest judgment debtor” that has now been signed off by a Magistrate. Last year the court ordered Scicluna to pay $5000 to his ex-accountant after it was ruled he applied for a personal safety…
Author: Cameron McCullough
THEY say a week is a long time in politics, and much has changed in the last seven days. Anthony Marsh was preselected as the Liberal Party’s candidate for the Nepean by-election last Tuesday, and has wasted no time in “hitting the hustings”. It wasn’t even close last Tuesday with Marsh winning the vote for preselection in the first round. Out of 19 votes cast, it is understood Marsh received 10 votes, Briony Camp received four votes, Nathan Conroy received three votes, and David Burgess received two votes. A statement posted to the Liberal Party’s website from Marsh said “The…
As expected after last night’s preselection as the Liberal candidate for the upcoming Nepean by-election, Marsh has taken leave from his duties as both Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor and Briars Ward councillor, effective immediately. A statement from shire CEO, Mark Stoermer, said “I have been advised by Mayor Cr Anthony Marsh of his intention to take leave to contest the upcoming Nepean by-election”. “Cr Marsh will not perform council duties or attend meetings between now and the by-election to be held on May 2, 2026. “Deputy Mayor Paul Pingiaro will act as Mayor during this time and has also agreed…
Anthony Marsh has won preselection as the Liberal Party candidate for the upcoming Nepean by-election. News out of Liberal HQ is that Marsh had a clear win against the other candidates in the first round of voting. Out of 19 votes cast, it is understood Marsh received 10 votes, Briony Camp received four votes, Nathan Conroy received three votes, and David Burgess received two votes. Marsh now has less than ten weeks to campaign for the 2 May poll to elect a replacement for retired MP Sam Groth. Precedent exists for what will be in store for Marsh, currently Mornington…
WITH the change of leadership for the parliamentary Liberal Party came the inevitable reshuffle of portfolios. Member for Flinders, Zoe McKenzie, remains in the shadow ministry after the ditching of Sussan Ley in favour of Angus Taylor, but in different roles. On 28 May last year, McKenzie announced that she had been asked by new leader Ley to serve in the capacity of Shadow Assistant Minister for Education and Early Learning and Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health. At the time McKenzie stated she was honoured at the elevation into the shadow ministry stating “I have a deep passion for…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire council have given the green light to a ramped-up redevelopment of the Emil Madsen Reserve Western Pavilion, against the recommendation of council officers. The examination of options for the redevelopment was touted at the 22 July 2025 council meeting, in response to a report considering expenditure options for remaining underspend from Commonwealth Government grant funds at Emil Madsen Reserve. At last week’s meeting (Tuesday 17 February), officers came back with three recommendations to consider. Option one was the original design, in accordance with council’s endorsed facility standards. Option two included amending the concept design to expand the…
OPINION: There is no doubt that the current councillor term at Mornington Peninsula Shire has been marked by considerable change. There has been a vast restructuring inside the organisation and a swathe of well-publicised changes including, perhaps most notably, the scrapping of the Climate Emergency Plan in April last year. While suggestions of a “block” are refuted by Marsh, some votes in the current council terms appear predetermined, if not by connivance, then by undoubtably by councillor’s personal philosophies. That is a pity. For the best outcomes for ratepayers are the ones where every item is carefully considered not through…
CHRIS Brayne, who was the Member for Nepean between 2018 and 2022 before being ousted by Sam Groth, has re-emerged from self-imposed exile with some pointed commentary about the upcoming by-election. Brayne was a shock winner in the 2018 state election when, at just 25-years-old, he snatched the seat retiring MP Martin Dixon had held for 16 years. Brayne pulled off an 8.5% swing in his favour, albiet holding the seat with a tenuous 0.9% margin. Brayne faced an uphill battle in 2022 against high-profile Groth and was ousted at the poll. Brayne retired into the background and has been…
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…
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…