Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a woman found in Frankston overnight. Her body was sighted by a passer-by drifting in the water near Frankston Pier about 8.45pm. Officers and police Air Wing responded and located the woman, perceived to be of Asian appearance, who was pulled from the water. She is yet to be identified and the cause of death is yet to be determined. Investigators are keen to speak to anyone in the area with CCTV that may capture the woman’s movements prior to the incident. At this stage, the death is not being treated…
Author: MP News Group
THE next few performances by the Mornington Peninsula Welsh Ladies Choir are being seen as a lead-in to the choir’s inaugural international tour in September. The repertoire during the choir’s three-week tour of Wales will include Marrandil, by Yothu Yindi singer, Dr G Yunupingu, sung in the Yongu Indigenous language. The song opened a concert at the Red Hill hotel, Lancemore Lindenderry, on Sunday 18 June. Another treat for Welsh audiences will be the choir’s rendition of the traditional Welsh song, Hiraeth, which at Lancemore Lindenderry was accompanied by guest artist harpist, Marina van Leeuwen. Before leaving for Wales the…
TWO ill pelicans cared for by Rye wildlife rehabilitator Brenda Marmion were recently released and then recaptured with help from the Westernport Pelican Study Group. The birds, which were found in a garden and on the beach at Tootgarook, were initially taken to Newhaven, Phillip Island where it was thought they would have a better chance of joining a flock. However, they were recaptured when it was realised they were not thriving and have now been sent to Phillip Island Nature Park for further rehabilitation. Once released, the birds will be monitored to see how they move around. Gary Matthews from…
THE results are in for one of the largest reviews of heritage places in the Western Port and the hinterland region in nearly 25 years, with comment open until 28 July. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council recently commissioned a heritage review of Watson, Cerberus and Red Hill wards to identify places of heritage significance that should be protected under the heritage overlay of the peninsula’s planning scheme. The overlay is designed to ensure heritage places are conserved and enhanced and that new development does not adversely impact their significance. The review was undertaken by experts and identifies places recommended for heritage…
THE hunt is on for thieves who stole a bobcat from a house construction site in Point Leo Road, Point Leo, two weeks ago. The Case 85xt skidsteer loader, tools, a small bar fridge and a Milwaukee radio were believed to have been taken between 6pm on Thursday 15 June and 7am the following day. It is believed a person driving a 2015 gun-metal grey Mercedes Benz GL wagon and pulling a trailer allegedly stolen from a Bittern car trailer hire company around the same time may have information. It is also believed the same trailer was later found dumped…
ANYONE who believes vegetation has been illegally removed is being urged to make a report to Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. There have been complaints to council that developers are removing vegetation before submitting planning applications in order to speed up the process, and pressuring arborists to write reports that favour developers. The shire’s community safety, health and compliance manager Dale Gilliatte said Illegal vegetation removal was enforced through the provisions of the Planning and Environment Act 1987. “The council has enforcement powers under the Planning and Environment Act to obtain orders from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which secure…
Mornington Rotary Club and The Bays Hospital have launched a fund to pay for specialised training for nurses. The Rotary club has made an initial $25,000 donation to The Bays Nursing and Midwifery Education Fund and is urging members of the community to also contribute and support their local hospital. “We are thrilled to have had the support of Mornington Rotary Club over many years, and have worked with them over the last year to identify the most worthy project for them to support into the future. Nurse education is certainly that,” The Bays CEO Jade Phelan said. Incoming president…
MP for Dunkley Peta Murphy is urging anyone who wants clarification on the upcoming referendum on Indigenous Voice to Parliament to attend her community meetings in Mount Eliza. Federal parliament passed the Constitution Alteration Bill on Monday 19 June, meaning the referendum question and proposed amendment to the Constitution are now set. The passage of the Bill means the referendum can be held by the end of the year. But Murphy said there was still some confusion about what the Voice means, with many people not aware of the details of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, a 2017 petition…
THE Southern Women’s Action Network (SWAN) is holding a public forum to counter “misinformation” about the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum. What is the VOICE referendum? – A Community discussion will be held from 7pm on Thursday 20 July at Mount Eliza Community Hall. Guest speaker will be lawyer, writer and commentator Teela Reid, a Wiradjuri and Wailwan woman. “We hope people will come along to this public forum and hear the facts then make up their own minds about this important referendum,” SWAN Facilitator Erica Churchill said. She said Reid would focus on “properly informing people, irrespective of whether…
Volunteer deer hunters ‘professional operaters’ The opening line of your article “Non-professional deer hunters have been recruited by Parks Victoria to shoot deer at Devilbend Natural Features Reserve, near Moorooduc” is, in our view, leading, alarmist and not a true reflection of the level of training, expertise and oversight applied to SSAA Victoria’s Conservation and Pest Management (CPM) volunteers on these programs (“Hunters recruited for Devilbend cull” The News 20/6/23). While our CPM volunteers are not “professional”, paid, we are concerned that using the term “non-professional” will likely lead readers to conclude that CPM volunteers are unprofessional. Accepting that it…
HAND therapy practitioners are campaigning to raise awareness of their role in restoring hand function following a workplace injury. Safe Work Australia statistics show that the wrist and hand were the most common injury site at 38 per cent of all work-related hospitalisations in Australia. Hand Therapy Week from 5-11 June will shed light on the advanced practice of hand therapy and the practitioners leading the way in assessing, diagnosing and treating upper limb injuries. The Australian Hand Therapy Association and 1000 practitioners across the country will educate the community about their ability to help patients with burns, scars, fractures,…
THE Premier Daniel Andrews was at Somerville Primary School last Friday (16 June) to meet the students and teachers and discuss plans to improve the school’s basketball courts. The school will receive $1million from the recent state budget to add a roof and lighting to its basketball courts. Andrews toured the school with Hastings MP Paul Mercurio, who said he had pushed for the improvements and was pleased to have had “a seat at the table” to make it happen. “This will be a great community asset, with the school able to make better use of a covered court and…
Waste charge to blame for shire’s ‘challenging budget’ Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has a “challenging budget” because of a rates cap of 3.5 per cent (“State blamed for shire’s ‘challenging budget’” The News 6/6/23). No mention of the supplementary waste services charge, a flat rate surcharge that is illegal if it is called anything else and has nothing to do with waste, which was always accommodated in the general rate. The charge, originally $50 and called a “municipal charge”, is this year $446, up another 21 per cent. The purpose of a rates cap is to reign in and control…
SEAS whipped by wild winds once again made Mornington pier a focus of attention on Saturday (17 June). While phones and cameras were used to record the ever-changing event from the safety of Schnapper Point, others decided to take a closer, wet look. Each time the spray from the crashing waves subsided, onlookers were also astounded to see anglers still trying their luck from the pier’s frequently doused boards. First published in the Mornington News – 20th June 2023
POLICE have called for witnesses to a single-vehicle accident at McCrae on Thursday 15 June on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway. It is believed the male driver of a 4WD was towing the caravan when it jack-knifed about 2pm. No-one was injured in the incident. Emergency crews were called to the scene to remove two gas bottles from the caravan. The 75-year-old Rye driver has been spoken to by the police and investigations into the circumstances surrounding the cause of the incident are continuing. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333…
MELBOURNE grandmother Jacqueline Wilson has been reunited with one of the Mornington Peninsula paramedics who saved her life after she suffered a stroke one year ago. On June 5 last year the then 55-year-old suddenly collapsed in the driveway while on a supposedly relaxing weekend away in McCrae while caring for her disabled cousin. When she regained consciousness, she was unable to talk or move her right side. Wilson said her main concern was the wellbeing of her cousin whose motorised wheelchair had tipped, causing her to fall. Her husband, Bill, said luck was on their side that day as…
MEN are a hot topic in Mount Martha this month, with Bentons Square Community Centre celebrating the 12 to 18 June Men’s Health Week with a new program called Voice Male. The theme of Men’s Health Week is healthy habits – focusing on encouraging men and boys to build healthy habits by identifying small changes they can make that benefit their health and wellbeing. The community centre’s Voice Male program aims to give men the opportunity to chat, socialise and listen to guest speakers in a relaxed social setting. Program coordinator Ian Easterby said the program would give men the…
I have been made aware that Willum Warrain Aboriginal Association is concerned by my reference to them when addressing the Indigenous Voice to Parliament in my speech in parliament on 22 May (“Elders ‘misrepresented’” Letters 6/6/23). In my speech, I said: “Today, the Indigenous people of the Mornington Peninsula include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders from across the nation. It makes for a warm, inclusive, wise, curious and open community with remarkable cultural leaders, like Peter Aldenhoven and Lionel Lauch, and those who embody that warmth and welcome in their every breath, like Uncle John McLean and Aunty Helen Bnads.…
Mornington Crime Investigation Unit detectives have arrested three teenagers following multiple aggravated burglaries in Mornington between 8 and 9 June. It’s alleged an offender entered a property on Nunns Road, Mornington and stole personal items about 2am on 8 June. It is also alleged the offenders reattended the Nunns Road address where an elderly female occupant was confronted and assaulted by one of the offenders before stealing her Hyundai i30 just after 11.30pm on 8 June. It’s alleged the same offenders then entered a property on Nelson Street, Mornington just after midnight on 9 June where a grey Toyota Hilux…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Regional Gallery warms up with some fantastic new exhibitions and programs. sea.liquid.sensation.flux.space is a large-scale solo exhibition by celebrated local artist Vera Möller. This exhibition brings together new small and large-scale works, including drawings and watercolours, collages, objects and paintings. It also features a selection of works from Möller’s studio collection. Now in its second year, the Koorie Heritage Trust’s Blak Design Program is about supporting, promoting and celebrating First Nations cultural innovation within the Victorian design sector while providing a platform for nurturing sustainable, First Nations design practices. The exhibition Layers of Blak presents the stunning work…
STUDENTS, volunteers and the community can now help protect the environment through hands-on opportunities to monitor the health of waterways and wildlife at the Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park. Water Minister Harriet Shing last week officially opened the South East Water Discovery Lab at the Pearcedale sanctuary. The new education centre was made possible through the support of South East Water’s annual community grants program, which has so far provided $230,000 to 50 community groups across Melbourne’s south-east. The South East Water Discovery Lab provides ongoing water quality testing to preserve the health of Langwarrin Creek, which flows through…
HASTINGS Coast Guard captain Jeremy West has etched his name in CFA history, becoming the first deputy group officer to be elected in a coast guard-brigade associated group. Joining the management team of the Western Port group, West will begin the role on Saturday, 1 July. “It’s the first time since we’ve established the Coast Guard Brigades that we’ve had representation at this level within the CFA and it’s going to be really beneficial moving forward,” West said. “I’m looking forward to bringing more of a focus to inter-agency services and showcasing the diversity of emergency situations that we respond…
AFTER successfully relaunching programs for their artist members earlier in the year, Baluk Arts in Mount Eliza is set to relaunch its public access programs. The first event will be with cultural leader Vicki Couzens as she explores the reclamation, regeneration and revitalisation of cultural knowledge and creative cultural expression in a two-hour presentation from 1pm to 3pm on 24 June. Couzens is a Keerray Wooroong Gunditjmara woman from the western Victoria and has worked in Aboriginal community affairs for more than 42 years. She is a senior knowledge holder for the Possum Skin Cloak Story and Language Reclamation and…
RED Hill South, Sorrento and Frankston are among 17 finalists competing for the 2023 Victorian Top Tourism Town award. The annual award recognises Victorian towns that provide exceptional experiences for visitors by working together with businesses, tourism operators and the community. The three award categories this year are Top Tourism Town (population above 5000), Small Tourism Town (population 1500-5000) and Tiny Tourism Town (population less than 1500). To make it to this stage, each of the towns had to demonstrate commitment to being the best destination they could be. The public now gets to vote before 5pm on 22 June…
WORK has started on the final stage of reconstructing Rye pier, with contractors renewing and upgrading the outer structure. The $3.95 million project began in 2022 with the renewal of the pier approach. The second and final phase includes a wider timber deck, solar lighting and safety handrails. The pier’s low landing will be extended to provide extra berthing space. The pier will be closed on weekdays and the first 300 metres opened on some weekends for walking, fishing and sightseeing. Boats will need to berth in an alternative location as the low landing will be unavailable until later this…
WILLUM Warrain Aboriginal Association CEO Peter Aldenhoven (pictured) is guest speaker at The Case for Yes – An afternoon of listening about the proposed national referendum, 2-4pm on Sunday 2 July at St Mark’s Uniting Church, 50 Barkly St, Mornington. The Uniting for the Voice event has been organised by St Mark’s Social Justice Network. Convenor David Price said the Rev Joy Blamires would chair the event and audience members can ask questions. It is free of change, but donations are welcome. Details: David Price, 0418 752 093 or by email. First published in the Mornington News – 6th June…
THREE people have been arrested after drugs and weapons were found at properties in Rye on Wednesday 31 May. Police from the Southern Metro Division 4 Divisional Response Unit, with assistance from Mornington Peninsula priority tasking unit and the drone unit, executed simultaneous search warrants at two Rye properties. During the searches, police located prohibited weapons, ammunition, methyl-amphetamine, cannabis, cocaine and various other drugs. Three offenders were arrested in relation to the offences and were remanded in custody until mid-June. First published in the Mornington News – 6th June 2023
Yes to Voice will not make parliament unworkable As a voter in the electorate of Flinders I was saddened and very disappointed by [Flinders MP] Zoe McKenzie’s article and her address to the Parliament in support of the No vote, although not surprised (“A risk to executive government” The News 30/5/23). Both the High Court Judge Kenneth Haynes and Professor Anne Twomey have refuted the claim that giving our First Nations people access to executive government will make our parliament unworkable. The Voice is only advisory. The power to make laws and policies lies with the government and parliament. We…
THEY might be considered “little stories”, but the bigger picture behind the words often speaks volumes. A fledgling writers’ competition is illuminating the importance of celebrating the imaginations and creativity of young writers. The first year of the local writers award section of Little Stories Big Ideas has unearthed talent that has enthralled adjudicators. First prize for local best entry in the 2023 competition went to year seven Mount Eliza Secondary Student Sophia van Zanten, 13, who wrote an insightful and moving piece to the theme of Love earning praise from the judges for her creativity and symbolism. The writers’…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Council is considering a paid parking trial along some of its busiest foreshore areas. The move at this week’s public meeting (Tuesday) is believed to have been instigated because of parking congestion over summer, and the increasing costs involved in providing tourism-related infrastructure. Ratepayers now pay $8 million a year for the maintenance of foreshore-related council infrastructure, such as car parks, public toilets and access paths. Last summer brought the issue of lack of parking to a head, with council flooded with complaints that residents were effectively blocked from parking at shopping centres, in residential streets and near…