By Wayne Chamley NEWSPAPERS’ reporting of matters such as business and property sales can sometimes overlook other important consequences of such developments. A case in point is the expected sale of the Continental Hotel in Sorrento and an adjoining, council-owned, public car park. There is an important story about these sales and it covers the protection Victoria’s heritage, the greed of a shire and the disinterest of its councillors. On 25 July, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council considered, in sequence, two reports prepared by its staff. The first report considered the possible sale of the car park to Continental Developments Pty…
Author: MP News Group
TWO of the biggest names in the surf industry have quietly moved onto the Mornington Peninsula. Rip Curl came first, buying out Peninsula Surf and next month Billabong takes over the Trigger Brothers store at Sorrento. Recognising the strength in local branding, Rip Curl still displays prominent Peninsula Surf signs at its Frankston, Mornington and Rye stores and Billabong is set to do the same with Trigger Brothers in Sorrento. “After the Rip Curl buyout of Peninsula Surf stores six months ago Billabong needed to ensure rack space or real estate on the peninsula,” Phil Trigger said. “They approached us…
COMMUNITY groups are ready to be consulted on landscaping plans for the area around the new Sorrento seawall. The Department of Environment Land Water and Planning-funded stepped seawall is currently being built and is endorsed by Nepean Councillors and Mornington Peninsula Shire officers. “It is crucial the community has genuine input into the landscaping plans before the seawall completion, expected before the summer holiday period,” Julie Corridon, of Nepean Conservation Group, said. “All our members care deeply about where they live and many are feeling a real sense of alienation about their rapidly changing environment and decisions imposed on them.…
THE Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital has unveiled revolutionary new technology at Frankston Hospital to connect patients who present at an emergency department with eye injuries or conditions in outer metropolitan, rural and regional areas with specialist advice without having to travel to East Melbourne. Eye and Ear Hospital CEO Mark Petty said the initiative will enable Peninsula Health’s emergency department clinicians who are not ophthalmic specialists to manage patients with the help of a remote eye and ear specialist when needed. In 2014, 2700 people travelled from the Mornington Peninsula to the Eye and Ear Hospital for urgent…
MORNINGTON Football and Netball Club players enjoyed a half day’s “experience” with the Saints last week as winners of the FOX Footy Club Rewards program. Eight Bulldogs players, who sit third on the Peninsula Football Netball League ladder, visited St Kilda Football Club’s Seaford headquarters for a behind-the-scenes view with senior coach Alan Richardson and his assistants. The aim of the rewards program is to support grassroots sport and recognise local football clubs and recognise the benefits they deliver to their community. The Mornington club has had a long partnership with the Salvation Army: it donates $1 from each club…
PADUA College’s year 10 students from Tyabb and Rosebud will be based at the school’s Mornington campus from 2019. The move comes amid a series of curriculum changes outlined in the school’s educational strategic plan, launched last week by principal Anthony Banks. “The plan will mean greater flexibility for subject choices for year 10 students, including making year 11 and year 12 VCE and VCAL subjects available a year earlier and offering more VET courses on-site,” he said. “It also outlines a revitalised, stand-alone year 9 program and a streamlined year 7-8 curriculum to be rolled out in 2018.” Mr…
KEEPING older drivers safe and mobile is the aim of a free driving seminar at Mornington Community Theatre, 10.30am-12.30pm, Thursday 1 September. The seminar is open to all senior drivers, their families and friends. “Older people make an important contribution to the economic and social well-being of the community as owners, employees or customers of businesses, as volunteers, and through the support they provide to family and friends,” organiser Nancye-Joy Gardner said. “They need to stay mobile to sustain this contribution and to maintain their own sense of independence and well-being. “It is important to keep older drivers driving safely…
A “SPARKLING musical mash-up” will be performed this week to celebrate a century of Tallis family ownership of the now state-owned Beleura house and gardens, Mornington. The musical 1916! will be performed at 6.30pm, Friday 19 August, with a matinee at 1.30pm, Saturday 20 August and a final show, 6.30pm Saturday. Organisers predict the John Tallis Pavilion will morph into the legendary Her Majesty’s Theatre, from where the entrepreneur oversaw his empire as managing director of JC Williamson’s – known as The Firm in theatrical circles. The musical 1916! is set in Sir George’s office at the theatre on Saturday…
Twenty-six-year-old Torres Strait Islander Daniel O’Shane won the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery’s National Works on Paper Prize of $15,000 sponsored by Beleura House & Garden. National Works on Paper was established in 1998 and incorporated the former Spring Festival of Drawing and the Prints Acquisitive which began in 1973. The National Works on Paper is a biennial prize and exhibition organised by Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery to discover and showcase the most outstanding contemporary works on paper from across the nation. Works acquired from the National Works on Paper become a part of the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery’s collection –…
By Andrea Louise Thomas Melbourne-based author Toni Jordan has penned four critically acclaimed novels. Originally from Brisbane, she studied physiology at the University of Queensland. She worked in molecular biology as a protein chemist amongst other things before becoming interested in copy writing. She took a Professional Writing and Editing course at RMIT and it was there that her first novel, Addition (2008), was born. It became an international bestseller. Her latest novel, Our Tiny Useless Hearts, has just been released. It’s brilliantly written, insightful and hilarious. I caught up with Jordan before she speaks at Frankston Library on August…
SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie BAXTER continued to celebrate promotion from State 5 South with a 3-0 win over visitor Pakenham United on Saturday. Baxter created enough chances to make this a double-figure rout as Shaun Walker turned on a midfield masterclass while strikers Mark Pagliarulo and Liam Kilner terrorised the Pakenham defence. The visitors can thank keeper Jarrod Reynolds whose heroics time and again kept his team in the contest. Baxter should have scored four goals inside a five-minute period of the first half highlighted by an interpassing combination involving Frank Ntim and Pagliarulo and ending with a first-time Kilner…
A POLICE armoured vehicle blocked off a Mornington street this morning (Friday 12 August) as heavily armed Special Operations Group police arrested a man at gunpoint. The 26-year-old was seen crawling on his hands and knees from a Pamela Place property about 10am. He was handcuffed and led to a police car. The police Eastern Region Crime Unit is believed to be clamping down on burglaries and thefts in the area. “The SOG have arrested a 26-year-old man in Mornington this morning as part of an investigation into burglaries and thefts,” Victoria Police spokesman Thomas O’Byrne said. The night before, a home-made incendiary…
MT ELIZA and Mornington fire brigades rushed to extinguish a fire at a laundromat in Mt Eliza Sunday 7 August. The Mt Eliza Pumper was first on the scene at 8.10am when crews found smoke billowing from the business and flames spurting from a dryer. Firefighters wore breathing apparatus to quickly extinguish the fire and make the building safe, Mt Eliza Fire Brigade 4th Lieutenant Mark Turnham said. “Using thermal imaging cameras and a gas detector, crews investigated the premise and found all to be OK.” Lieutenant Turnham said a passer-by had made a valiant attempt to put out the…
HASTINGS FNC ON Saturday the Hastings Football/Netball Club played against its local rival Crib Point Football/Netball Club. The Hastings boys certainly had to win this game to guarantee a spot in this year’s Mornington Peninsula Nepean finals series. They achieved this with ease! The boys played a great style of team orientated football to set up a great clash next week against Frankston Bombers at Frankston. Now the club has secured another shot at this year’s premiership, it’s all systems go in preparations for this year’s finals series. Get down to training this week and show your support as we…
By Brendan Parnell LIFE on court is still getting back to normal for Western Port Basketball Association after the dramatic events of Sunday 1 May. That day – sometime before dawn – the Steelers’ long-time basketball home at Somerville Recreation and Community Centre was destroyed by fire. While Western Port was only one of 26 community groups using the centre, with more than 1500 players, 50 referees and a vast number of volunteers, coaches and team support staff the loss of the two-court facility hit them hard. The loss has had a galvanising effect on the community. “We’ve been getting…
A DOG was killed and two other dogs injured, one seriously, when a car they were riding in crashed into a pole at Rosebud, Thursday (4 August) night. The driver of the car, a 55-year-old Safety Beach man, was airlifted to Royal Melbourne Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The accident occurred at 6.40pm at the intersection of Point Nepean Rd and First Av. Sergeant David Collins, of Mornington Peninsula Highway Patrol, said the dead dog was on the front seat and hit the windscreen and the others were in the rear. He said marks on the rear of the front…
MORNINGTON Racecourse is “putting the peninsula on a plate” with a new food and beverage regime that supports local businesses, farms and workers. Under a five-year program with Chisholm Institute 50 trainees each year will gain on-the-job experience working across race days and events. As well as new management and staff, the racecourse is working with 30 businesses – from wineries, fruit and vegetable farms to meat and smallgoods suppliers – to ensure that what’s served up on the plate represents the produce available on the peninsula. Under the guidance of the new head of food and beverage operations, Paul…
Local Frankston band and teen sensations X MINUS took out the prestigious Frankston Freeza Fresh Start Battle of the Bands held at the Frankston Mechanics Hall on Saturday the 30th of July. All members hail from the Frankston area with only Bailey the drummer out of the area from South Yarra. Ben Gorman is the guitarist for X MINUS and he is modest about the bands early success “We are amazed and grateful for the comments we’ve been receiving. There were so many great bands on the night and we’re just happy we played tight on the night and the…
Direct from London, THE BOOTLEG BEATLES, the world’s first and finest homage to the Fab Four will be performing at the Frankston Arts Centre on Sunday September 4. Now in their 36th year, THE BOOTLEG BEATLES have performed over 5,000 shows worldwide. Their stunning authenticity coupled with their musical credibility has seen them perform at some of the world’s best-known venues such as Wembley Stadium, the Royal Albert Hall, Knebworth, Glastonbury Festival and the Budokan Stadium in Tokyo, where The Beatles originally played. They also performed on “The Graham Norton Show” in London. The legendary English Record Producer/Arranger/Composer Sir George…
LOLA the Molar and the Tooth Fairy explained to Western Port Primary School children how important it was for them to care for their teeth in this week’s Oral Health Week. They and Hastings Family Dental Care oral health therapist Hafize Coskun visited seven schools to share tooth tips and distribute healthy showbags. Pupils from Hastings, Wallaroo, Tyabb, Tyabb Railway, Somers, Crib Point and Moorooduc primaries got the message – and had fun at the same time. First published in the Western Port News – 2 August 2016
POKIES losses across Frankston rose slightly in the past 12 months and still topped $63 million despite the introduction of voluntary pre-commitment cards for gamblers last year. Pokies punters in neighbouring Mornington Peninsula Shire and Kingston lost $82,381,143 and $83,473,105 respectively in 2015-16. The Labor state government launched a $197 million YourPlay scheme in December last year allowing pokies players to preselect losses limits using a swipe card to gamble on poker machines. Critics of YourPlay note gamblers can simply increase the preselected limit if they want to play on. Uptake of the scheme has been slow. Just 8130 YourPlay…
HASTINGS FNC SATURDAY saw the Hastings Football/Netball Club travel to our neighbour Somerville, for what was going to a terrific game of local football between two very well drilled sides. They did not disappoint in a fabulous hard fought clash that the Somerville Football/Netball club came away with a slender victory. The game see sawed throughout the afternoon with not much between the two sides Hastings kicking with a strong breeze in the last quarter certainly had their chances to put the game to bed to only hit the post on a couple of occasions, it certainly shows that the…
A DRIVER charged over the death of Mornington Cycling Club member Joel Hawkins in June last year has been bailed to appear at the County Court in April. The Rosebud man, 47, fronted a committal hearing at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court last week on charges of culpable driving causing death, dangerous driving causing death and summary charges. A “ghost bike” memorial near Ponderosa Place, Dromana, honours the memory of the 17-year-old, of Mt Martha, who was a popular clubman and member of the Victorian cycling team. “Joel was an extremely talented rider with dreams of riding in the Tour de France.…
TWO people are in custody after police found a “clan lab” – possibly used for manufacturing drugs – in Rosebud. Detective Senior Sergeant Miro Majstorovic, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said the clandestine drug unit, as well as a large amount of fertiliser, was found at the house in Balaka St, Wednesday 27 July. A Rosebud West man, 48, has been charged with drug-related matters and possession of possibly explosive materials. He appeared at Frankston Magistrates Court, Wednesday, and was further remanded to appear on 25 August. A Rosebud woman, 37, was released pending further inquiries. First published in the Southern…
A FRANKSTON South man hid from police for more than an hour in the dark, cold waters of Martha Cove, 5.30am, Saturday 23 July. Police called in the Air Wing to help search for the man, 21, and he was soon hauled aboard a pontoon after 90 freezing minutes. Police allege the man and a mate, 24, of Patterson Lakes, stole a white utility in Frankston and drove to Safety Beach where they stole another car after pushing it down a driveway. Martha Cove security staff intervened and called Rosebud police when the men “did a runner” – straight into…
ROSEBUD Police Senior Citizens Register has clocked up 21 years of providing peace of mind to more than 3500 older residents of the southern peninsula. Since 1995, co-ordinators Marie Parkinson and Elaine Wallbridge have worked with 35 other volunteers to provide assurance and security among senior citizens from Mornington to Portsea. For 21 years Ms Parkinson has been overseeing and updating the growing client list, ensuring the welfare of disabled, retired or isolated elderly via regular phone calls and home visits, as well as providing ongoing support and coordination with Rosebud Police. Ms Parkinson has been running things out of…
‘Human sound-effects machine’ Michael Winslow will be back in Australia this July and August for his most extensive stand-up tour of our shores to date. Winslow’s mastery of vocal gymnastics first came to prominence on the stand-up circuit in the early 80s after doing voiceovers for both Disney and Universal Studios for films like Back to the Future and Terminator. His performance as Sgt. Larvelle “Motor Mouth” Jones in the Police Academy movie series saw Winslow become a household name, a role specifically created to showcase his vocal talents. Notably, his is the only character to appear in all instalments…
Locals will be able to hear tracks from ‘Strange Loop’ live as Paul Dempsey heads to The Grand Hotel in Mornington on 9 September. Arriving seven years after the Something for Kate front man’s acclaimed solo debut, 2009’s top five ARIA charts success ‘Everything Is True’, ‘Strange Loop’ –is freewheeling in form but precisely executed; it’s a record that knows what it wants to say, what it needs to be – 11 tracks that enclose surreptitious dry wit, the irregularity of the everyday, and the pathos of longing in a mix of magic hour melodies, striking instrumentation, and tenderly charged…
The Bennies recently wrapped up their Wisdom Machine Australian tour in Maroochydore on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Two weeks and 15,000 kilometres later they were playing a festival in Berlin, Germany. It’s indicative of the work ethic for the Melbourne band who have earnt a reputation for not only hard partying but heavy touring. So far 2016 has been a whirlwind for the band. In January, Wisdom Machine’s first single ‘Party Machine’ reached number 88 on triple j’s Hottest 100, some two months before physical copies of the album were even available. They toured the country and sold out shows wherever…
SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie ROSEBUD Heart maintained its push towards a maiden championship by smashing arch rival Baxter 5-0 in their State 5 South showdown at Baxter Park on Saturday. Baxter has been smarting ever since losing 4-2 to the champion elect earlier in the season in a fiery encounter that saw two Baxter players sent off for violent conduct. Baxter thought that it was the better side that day and few at the club could have anticipated Saturday’s whitewash. Heart star Dave Greening missed two chances in the opening 20 minutes but in the 40th minute made no mistake…