FORMER Mornington resident Damien Mander and his charity, the International Anti-Poaching Foundation, are continuing to make headway in the fight against wildlife poaching in Africa. Now, the self-confessed Mornington schoolboy “ratbag” has joined with Sydney philanthropist and businesswoman Judith Neilson to make a big impact on the global stage. Mander, a former Australian Royal Navy Clearance Diver and special operations military sniper who joined the Australian Defence Force at 19 and spent three years in Iraq, started the IAPF in 2009, focusing on training rangers in the tactics of modern warfare used by skilled elite special forces. In Mornington recently…
Author: Liz Bell
THE incredible rescue of an elderly man found floating face down in the water at Mornington has highlighted the need for more people to be trained in rescue and resuscitation techniques. The drama began around 6pm on Friday 10 March, when 12-year-old Harry Pascoe noticed a body in the water near the boat ramp at Schnapper Point. After raising the alarm, another bystander and mother-of-four Leah Wernert jumped into the water fully clothed to pull the unconscious man out of the water onto the slip ramp. Two other bystanders, Harry’s mum Maryann, a personal trainer, and beach walker Chris Monnier,…
RESIDENTS and environmental groups have joined Mornington Peninsula Shire Council in calling for more protection from development for green wedge zoned areas. Home owners living near a rare semi-rural pocket of Rosebud are concerned that a remaining slice of undeveloped land abutting a residential subdivision on one side and state park on the other could one day be sold and developed, despite being important wildlife habitat. Merete Crofts, who lives on the Carrington Park subdivision next to the land, said she and neighbours were told in 2016 that the land at 12 Angley Rise would never be developed, and would be…
MORNINGTON Peninsula wildlife activists and residents concerned about the state’s weak wildlife protection laws used a protest at state parliament two weeks ago to highlight concerns about peninsula kangaroos. The Animal Justice Party-organised protest in Melbourne drew attention to the mass slaughter of kangaroos under the government’s controversial harvesting program, which often results in target animals and their joeys left maimed and suffering. Rosebud resident and wildlife protection council member Craig Thomson said the protest highlighted widespread community anger about the commercial kangaroo meat industry, and highlighted flaws and gaps in the state’s wildlife protection laws. He said the problem…
TWO men from Queensland are being praised as heroes after rescuing two people at Rye beach who had been swept out to sea after an encounter with an aggressive seal. The ordeal began on Thursday afternoon (9 March) when an elderly woman walked to the end of the pier but was unable to retrace her steps when a large seal blocked her path. Witness Trish Williams said the seal appeared to act aggressively towards the woman, who jumped into the water fully clothed. As the tide began to pull the elderly woman further out, her husband, who had been watching…
THE previously Liberal-heavy business group the Committee for Mornington Peninsula is realigning itself with new partnerships as a bipartisan lobby group to bring money and support to the “ignored” Mornington Peninsula. The committee’s CEO is Josh Sinclair, former staffer for ousted Nepean Labor MP Chris Brayne, and has now added to its ranks members from the non-profit sector, Wallara Disability Services and Lord Somers Camp. Wallara supports adults with different abilities and has a recently opened cafe and a gift shop at Sage’s Cottage, Baxter while the Lord Somers Camp is a charity for disadvantaged children. The organisations are the…
MORNINGTON Yacht Club is reviewing its boat name policies after being accused of having an “outdated” culture and receiving a complaint that some names emblazoned on members’ boats are “misogynistic”. Club member Kitty O’Sullivan said she was shocked and disappointed that “inappropriate” boat names were allowed at the club, giving the club the appearance of being “behind the times” and at odds with public opinion. She said she was particularly offended by names such as Himalayan Women, on a boat which is believed to be for sale, Screaming Seamen, and Big Black Cock, and described them as being loaded with…
FREE events, including live performances, drew crowds of all ages to Main Street Mornington on Wednesday 8 March, as Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and Mornington Chamber of Commerce helped the community celebrate and raise awareness of International Women’s Day. All events showcased women performers and women-owned businesses, as well as businesses supporting women and girls. International Women’s Day was also celebrated right around the peninsula by community and business groups and venues. International Women’s Day is a global holiday celebrated annually as a focal point in the women’s rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights,…
THE 6 May coronation of Charles III and his wife Camilla as king and queen of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth brings back special memories for Mornington retiree Geoff Strongman. As a teenager in the 1st Mornington Scout Group, the now 88-year-old was one of just 14 Queen Scouts representing Australia for the 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It was the first overseas trip for the starry-eyed monarchist, who remembers feeling privileged and honoured to have been selected for the occasion, and still cherishes the trip as one of the most eye-opening and transformative events in his life. It…
LEON Cox, of Moorooduc, doesn’t shirk at challenges, so it was no surprise to his family when he announced he would complete a solo swim of the Rottnest Channel in Perth. The businessman and avid swimmer had already completed the swim 19 times as part of a team, so the solo trip was the next obvious step. On the last Saturday of February Cox took eight hours and 24 minutes to swim the 19.7 kilometres – along with 2700 others who kicked off in groups every 10 minutes. Cox said he had been thinking about the swim for 20 years,…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors are being urged to publish an itemised list of all their expenses each month to improve accountability and transparency. At tonight’s council meeting (7 March), Cr Anthony Marsh will move that all councillor expenses during the current council term be published on the shire website every month. If the motion is approved in its entirety, the onus will sit with individual councillors “to reflect on whether any expenditure incurred or reimbursed is an appropriate use of public money”. In a report to council, Marsh said it was “appropriate” that the public could scrutinise the use of…
A LIVE music forum attracted about 150 musicians, promotors, tourism officials, venue owners and supporters keen to see the Mornington Peninsula return as a major live music destination. One of the organisers of last Wednesday’s (1 March) forum, musician and businessman Steve Myles, described the energy and passion in the room as “palpable”, and showed there was a collective commitment to revive the music scene devastated by the pandemic. The forum heard that new programs by Mornington Peninsula Shire and a concerted energy from within the live music industry would work to give the music sector a much-needed boost. Myers…
SOMERVILLE highway patrol detected 241 traffic offences during operation SAST over the past few months, focussing on speeding on high risk roads within Frankston and on the Mornington Peninsula. Of the offences, 169 were related to speeding. Police urge motorists to report dangerous or speeding motorists to 000 or CrimeStoppers. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 28 February 2023
TWO family history sleuths have uncovered a treasure trove of information about Mornington’s early beginnings and the people behind the street names and condensed the information into a book Naming Mornington Streets: the people and their stories. Authors Lynne Emblin and Leonie Marshall are members of the Mornington Peninsula Family History Society and are experts at connecting the dots in family and social history. Emblin said the opportunity to dig into and document the history of some of the people recognised for their contributions to the area was one she and Marshall grabbed with enthusiasm and excitement. “It’s quite amazing…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council’s call for Airbnb owners to open up properties for long-term rental has largely fallen on deaf ears, with few owners taking their properties off the holiday rental market. In a desperate attempt to resolve the shire’s rental shortages, the shire sent emails and letters to property owners over summer to encourage them to switch from offering short-term holiday leases to longer-term leases. The mayor Cr Steve Holland said it was hard for the council to know exactly how many people responded to the appeal to holiday home owners, as they were asked to contact real estate…
RESIDENTS of the peaceful and sleepy coastal town of Somers are upset they were given less than two weeks to have their say on a 35-metre telecommunications tower planned for green wedge land in view of homes. Submissions were due on Monday (13 February). Under federal law, contractors are within their rights to approach private landholders to host phone towers on their land, under the mandate of improving telecommunications across regional and rural areas. But that’s where the residents around the Sandy Point Road site don’t see eye-to-eye with the contractor, arguing that there has not been “proper and orderly…
THE inaugural Flinders Fringe Festival – a three-day creative arts festival to celebrate the diversity of the Mornington Peninsula’s art scene, will be held 17-19 February. Artistic director Melissa Jackson is one of the instigators of the event, along with a team of artists who aim to showcase local established and emerging artists. “Following a tough two years for the arts, the festival is set to showcase and support local artisans and performers with a new platform to share their craft,” Jackson said. Shen said there would be more than 30 events and a mixture of free and ticketed activities…
THE repeated discarding of fishing line and tackle on the Mornington Peninsula continues to take a toll on seabirds and wildlife. Dozens of emergency calls to wildlife rescue volunteers and animal welfare organisations this summer have highlighted the problem of people irresponsibly throwing away hooks and line, or just not monitoring their baited lines adequately. Last Wednesday paddle boarder Steve Scagliarini and a kayaker known as “Mick” were on Mornington harbour when they saw a Pacific gull struggling to keep its head above water, and with fishing line wrapped around its legs. After paddling out to the bird and keeping…
THE Pinot Noir Celebration Australia on the Mornington Peninsula last weekend (10 and 11 February) had a global focus, with around 33 Australian and international scientists, sommeliers, journalists, growers, makers, market analysts and CEOs presenting, and events scheduled to continue overseas into March. The peninsula is one of the largest pinot noir growing regions in the country and comprising half of all grape plantings. Chair of the Pinot Noir Celebration Australia Martin Spedding said it was important for the Australian pinot noir community to keep its gaze above the horizon, and to shape a collective conversation about the quality of…
A MOVEMENT to grow the live music industry on the Mornington Peninsula is gaining momentum, with a call for industry leaders, musicians, venue operators and Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to work together to be part of its revival. The peninsula was once a thriving live music destination but has not yet bounced back to its pre-COVID glory days, according to industry professionals. Musician Steve Myles is one of hundreds of peninsula residents who laments the slow decline of the live music scene, and says all players need to work together to make sure that live performances are available and accessible.…
MORNINGTON Peninsula residents fed up with crime are behind a push for “community” policing in the fight back against a recent spate of thefts, home invasions and aggravated burglaries. At a community meeting in Hastings on Wednesday night (8 February), victims of crime, police, political representatives, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and local businesses met to discuss community concerns and ways people could share information and work together to combat rising crime, much of which is youth related. The high number of thefts, home invasions and burglaries in recent months has alarmed peninsula communities, and led to calls for better coordination…
AN inspirational eco agricultural movement on the Mornington Peninsula could be shaping the way forward for collective arrangements between farmers and the sustainable sharing of resources, knowledge and land. A small group of eco farmers have already taken up the ultruistic offer by a Main Ridge couple to share their 89 hectares (220 acres) over two properties and the hunt is on for other regenerative-focussed farmers who want to care for and protect the land and water resources. Beth Phillips and her husband Andrew Phillips, a co-founder of Camp Australia, are developing the Uncommon Folk farm – a model of…
THE incredibly moving story of the sinking of the Montevideo Maru in the Pacific – Australia’s biggest single maritime loss of life – was thrust into the spotlight again recently with the unveiling of a memorial seat in Mornington and a story board dedicated to those who died. The allied torpedoing of the Japanese prisoner-of-war ship on 1 July 1942 was an immeasurable tragedy, but one that somehow largely got lost in the horrors of the war. Unbelievably, the event is not something many Australians today have much knowledge of. But that will all change if the incident becomes part…
ENVIRONMENTAL advocates are pleading for people to be respectful of the Mornington Peninsula’s sensitive landscapes and the people who care for them, following recent criticisms of protection measures in place for native wildlife. Secretary of the Friends of the Hooded Plover (Mornington Peninsula), Karen Wootton, said recent media attention given to an incident at Blairgowrie where the endangered birds are known to be nesting had demonised the national park rangers tasked with caring for them. “Recently, in both print and radio media, there has been an article circulating which describes Mornington Peninsula National Park rangers as ‘making children cry’, and…
A SPATE of car thefts and burglaries in recent months in parts of the Mornington Peninsula has residents calling for more police action and tougher penalties to prevent recidivism. In late January, senior police attended a meeting with victims of crime, residents and member for Mornington Chris Crewther to discuss the alarming rate of thefts and home invasions around the Mornington/Mount Eliza and Mount Martha areas in the past few months, and what could be done. Crewther said he had been contacted by a large number of people recently and had raised the matter with Victoria’s minister for police Anthony…
LOCAL environment advocates have joined wildlife authorities in an appeal to members of the public to stop following or harassing seals that are resting on Mornington peninsula beaches. Officers from Parks Victoria and Victoria Police have been patrolling beaches around Blairgowrie to keep people away from a large Southern elephant seal resting at a Blairgowrie beach. The animal is believed to be the same one seen at Point Lonsdale last Friday week (20 January), attracting large crowds and dangerous behaviour towards the animal. But regular social media posts asking for the whereabouts of the seal have concerned authorities, who have…
THE Mornington Peninsula Shire has hit out at the state government for allowing the peninsula’s highly-valued green wedge protections to be eroded. The council is pleading for more help it protects its green wedge, after the controversial tribunal approval of a large residential and aged care development in Mount Eliza. At a special meeting on Tuesday 24 January 2023, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council noted its disappointment at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal’s decision to grant a permit for a large-scale development at 60-70 Kunyung Road in Mount Eliza, outside the urban growth boundary. Council also resolved to ask the…
AN enthusiastic group of skaters that uses the Rosebud Skate Park is calling on community support to improve the park’s facilities. A non-profit group called the Janice Earth Community, led by local skater Lenny Richardson, is putting out the call to help secure council support, money and labour to construct a quarter pipe ramp and installed, and some other improvements. Richardson said the plans were drawn up in 2017 and one of his concreter friends was willing to construct the ramp. “We are the only skate park I have ever seen that doesn’t have a transition ramp, and no one…
AN overhaul of jet ski regulations and enforcement policies are part of a raft of changes being called for by the Mornington Peninsula Council and beach goers fed up with appalling behaviour by some riders. In two shocking incidents this summer, boat passengers have been terrorised by rogue jet skiers, and in one case a boat was damaged and passengers knocked over. In the latest incident at Safety Beach last Monday week (16 January) a 16-year-old who had only just obtained his marine licence allegedly intimidated boat passengers by driving close to a boat and deliberately spraying those on board…
MORNINGTON Peninsula concreter Nik Shepheard knows firsthand the difficulties men face in recognising and dealing with depression, and has come up with a novel way of raising funds to increase awareness and support. On the Australia Day long weekend, the Bittern man will start on a journey to circumnavigate Australia by kiteboard, beginning at Mount Martha and heading west with the trade winds. Shepheard has been a kiteboarder for around 23 years and is confident of his skills, but also realises the trip comes with a large set of challenges. But he says the challenges pale when compared to the…