Author: Jo Winterbottom

STATE government MP David Morris claims federal funding to Mornington Peninsula Shire has decreased and has warned against giving the commonwealth more power over local government at a referendum in September. Mr Morris, the Liberal MP for Mornington,  said funding for the coming financial year was $166,412 less than received for 2012-13. Describing the cut as a “major blow for the council when it is finalising its annual budget”, Mr Morris said federal funding to Victorian councils had decreased by $13.4 million in 2013-14. “The hardest hit councils have lost almost half a million dollars in federal funding,” he said.…

THE spate of burglaries at schools on the Mornington Peninsula continues with three raided over the past week. Rosebud police believe there may be a link between two burglaries that occurred on the same night, at Boneo Primary School and Red Hill Consolidated School. Senior Constable Chris Zurek of Rosebud crime investigation unit said laptop computers were the target in both cases. Security alarms at Boneo primary went off about 1.40am on Wednesday 5 June. Three notebook computers were stolen from the administration area. Senior Constable Zurek said that there was no sign of a forced entry. A few hours…

HOOLIGANS lit a fire at a service station in Mornington and sped away, leaving the terrified lone attendant to douse the flames. Police are reviewing security camera footage and seeking information about the incident at the Shell service station on the corner of Nepean Highway and Pentecost Rd opposite Tanti Ave. Detective Senior Constable Rohan Brock of Mornington crime investi­gation unit said a blue Holden Com­modore sedan drove into the service station about 5.45am on Sunday 2 June. It was closely followed by a white Holden station wagon with two men and a woman. Detective Brock said a man emerged…

A MORNINGTON woman missing in Victoria’s remote eastern high country for four days was rescued by police late Sunday morning. Lynette Joyce Bond, 68, was found lying on the banks of the Snowy River, where she had scrawled the word “HELP” in the sand. Her plea was spotted by Air Wing police searching the area by helicopter and she was winched to safety about 11.30am on Sunday 7 April. Police said Ms Bond had been touring in the Snowy River National Park when her car broke down on Wednesday. Ms Bond’s plight was not discovered until Saturday when a hiker…

WORKERS at Bluescope Steel are reeling after the company announced yesterday it would shed 170 jobs from its Hastings plant. The shock announcement comes just 15 months after more than 200 people were made redundant during a “restructure” of the Long Island Point steelworks in 2011. Workers were said to be stunned by Monday morning’s news, after the company had provided assurances in recent weeks when rumours of job cuts began circulating. “I’m still in shock myself,” said long-time BlueScope employee Billy Hassan yesterday afternoon. He said the latest round of redundancies would hit harder than those of 2011. “The…

HASTINGS police have uncovered an amphetamine laboratory allegedly ope­rating in a factory in Marine Parade. A private house in Hastings was also raided as part of an ongoing investigation into amphetamine manufacture and trafficking in the Hastings area. Detective Sergeant Ron Fauvel of Hastings crime investigation unit said the six-week operation was conducted with members of the clandestine laboratory squad. As a result of the raids on Friday 30 November, two Hastings men aged 36 and 37, and a 48-year-old woman of Templestowe were charged with multiple offences relating to the manufacture and trafficking of amphetamines. The woman and the…

MORNINGTON Peninsula’s oldest house is in danger of closing unless more volunteers are found to help run the historical property. The National Trust has appealed for assistance to keep McCrae Homestead open to the public. McCrae Homestead manager Sharon Bowen said peninsula residents could “keep alive our pioneer heritage”. “There is an urgent need for more people to assist in guiding visitors, housekeeping and maintenance of the house, visitor centre and gardens,” she said. Volunteers are asked to give two half-days each month. Built in 1844 on Arthur’s Seat Run, the largest lease in the fledgling Port Phillip colony, the…

A 22-year-old Frankston man has been charged with the assault of Mical Jones in Mornington last month. Kyle Pollard appeared in Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday charged with intention to cause serious injury and multiple assault-related charges after he was apprehended at his home around 6am on Tuesday. He did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody to appear in Melbourne Magistrate’s court on Monday. Detective Senior Constable Rohan Brock of Mornington crime investigation unit said police were still investigating a second person believed to be involved in the assault in Empire Street Mall about 4am on Sunday…

DOGS may be banned from Mornington Peninsula National Park, bringing it into line with nearly all other national parks in Australia. Parks Victoria is seeking community feedback before deciding whether to ban dogs from the park, which covers the beaches and foreshore from Portsea to Bushrangers Bay and inland along Main Creek to Greens Bush at Main Ridge. Chief ranger Libby Jude said there had been “numerous reports of dog attacks and threats to local wildlife”. “There are 32 fauna species listed as endangered, vulnerable or near threatened living in the Mornington Peninsula National Park and we need to protect…

A REPORT on the vanishing Portsea Beach has concluded sand erosion is a natural process and there is nothing to be done about it except to shore up the fast-eroding shoreline. Department of Sustainability and En­vi­ronment contractors are set to return to the eroded beach to repair the eastern end of the 150-metre sandbag wall – again. DSE has released the Port­sea Prefeasi­bi­lity Study produced by international consultancy firm Aurecon and a sand monitoring report by GHD. The report considers erosion manage­ment options for the popular family beach and concludes maintenance of the sandbag wall is the best way to…

A MORNINGTON-based construction company has gone into receivership owing 92 creditors almost $465,000 and raising fears it could be the first of more bankruptcies due to a softening in the building industry. The 92 people and companies listed as being owed money by Nepean Constructions (Australia) were notified of the company’s demise in a letter from liquidator David Vasudevan. It came as a surprise to many, particularly those still working on construction sites on the peninsula. Michael Knoop, proprietor of Alltrade Scaffolding, which is owed $7784, said he knew of one Nepean Constructions building site where a delivery of timber…