Acting on a community tip-off, Mornington Divisional Response Unit (DRU) detectives have today seized 1,500 cannabis plants with an estimated street value of $2.5 million. Police swooped on a commercial property in Keppler Court, Seaford at about 8am this morning, uncovering a sophisticated hydroponic set up where they seized the cannabis plants. During the warrant police seized: No arrests have been made at this time and investigation remains on-going. Police are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or lodge a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au. Quotes attributed to Mornington Divisional Response Unit Acting Detective Sergeant Chris…
Author: MP News Group
SUSIE Beveridge sees Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Watson Ward as “the forgotten corner of the shire”. One of six candidates contesting the seat left vacant by Paul Mercurio since he won the state seat of Hastings in the November election, Beveridge is no stranger to council politics. First elected to represent the then Truemans Ward at a byelection in 2007, then in 2008 re-elected a second time unopposed, Beveridge says she was “quite badly assaulted”, sustaining injuries which contributed to her “heartbreaking” decision to resign from council in 2010. Injuries from yet another attack sidelined her from running in the 2016…
MERRICKS author Megan Rogers has lived in many places, but says it was moving back to the Mornington Peninsula that became the inspiration for her debut novel The Heart is a Star. Rogers spent her primary school years “scribbling” in her mother’s 1970s cookbooks and then telling people they were novels she’d written and published. Now a mother of two, her own novel tackles the trials of middle age and second chances. The book centres around the mid-life predicament of many women: competing demands of work, families, and marriage, and trying to understand what their heart and sensual selves are…
No gain in Roper Gulf ‘partnership’ I seethe when I read that our dedicated councillors have decided to form a partnership with the Roper Gulf Regional Council (“Partnership ‘opportunities’ assured” The News 27/2/23). What earthly good will this do for the ratepayers of Mornington Peninsula? There is nothing we have in common with this area at all. It is touted as some kind of business partnership that will generate revenue for us ratepayers down here. I challenge the logic behind this proposition and would assert that it will generate absolutely nothing at all for us, financially or practically. As I…
MORE than 2400 people have “shared their ideas and priorities” with Mornington Peninsula Shire Council about how the shire’s money should be spent in the coming financial year. In December shire invited people to share their “ideas and priorities” online. The “budget portal” on the shire’s website will close next Wednesday (15 March). All contributions and feedback will be presented to councillors for their consideration. The shire has listed 14 themes where money can be spent: New footpaths; drainage and stormwater upgrades; coastal infrastructure and access; improving planning services and permits; community crisis and homelessness support; economic development, tourism and…
POLICE are continuing an operation targeting speeding drivers on Mornington Peninsula and Frankston roads after early results showed too many drivers were not getting the message about the dangers of speed. Somerville Highway Patrol Acting Sergeant, Christopher Spero says Operation SAST over the summer holidays showed that too many motorists were complacent when it comes to speeding, despite speed being one of the major contributors to road trauma. Operation SAST saw police targeting drivers on high-risk roads between November and February, with 241 traffic offences detected on the peninsula. Seventy per cent (169) of offences detected during the operation were…
A BURNSIDE Heights man has been charged following an investigation into a series of alleged fraudulent deliveries and scams on the Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne’s south east. The 57-year-old man self-presented at Sunshine Police Station where he was subsequently charged on Thursday March 2 with 22 counts of obtaining property by deception and two counts of attempt to obtain property by deception. The charges follow incidents where businesses and residences reported being approached by someone purporting to be a delivery driver who required cash up front before goods could be provided. However, the man allegedly left with the money without…
A TEENAGER has been arrested and charged with burglary and theft offences after Mornington Peninsula CIU detectives located two allegedly stolen vehicles at a Safety Beach home on Thursday 2 March. Officers from Rosebud were travelling west on Point Nepean Road when they observed a VW Golf without registration plates about 4.45am. The driver allegedly sped off before officers later found the same VW Golf parked in front of a residential address while patrolling. After searching the property, officers found a Mazda that had allegedly been stolen in an aggravated burglary in Cranbourne on 25 February. It is alleged the…
A 71-year-old Balnarring man has been charged by the Frankston Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team detectives with 17 historical sex offences. It is alleged the offences against two female victims took place between 2001 and 2007 in the Mornington Peninsula area. The man was arrested in August 2022 and has now been charged with 17 offences including sexual penetration of a child under 16, indecent act with a child under 16 and threats to kill. He will appear on 5 May at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 7 March 2023
DROMANA Fire Brigade has named a further two of its vehicles after long-serving past and present members. Robyn Desmond has been a Dromana brigade member for 31 years, was one of the first female lieutenants in a Victorian urban brigade and the first female deputy group officer in CFA’s District 8. Her husband Captain Timothy Desmond describes her as “a bit of ground breaker”, although Robyn says she is just doing her job. She has been the Dromana brigade’s president since 2008. The unveiling of the naming of the Dromana car and recognition of her more than 30 years’ service…
TWO people have been arrested and one charged with murder in relation to the death of Rosebud man Jake Bradford. The 21-year-old was reported missing by his mother on 29 January. Police conducted a number of inquiries following the report, including several public appeals for assistance. Detectives arrested a 25-year-old woman of no fixed address on Thursday 2 March and she remains in custody on unrelated matters. On Saturday 4 March a 25-year-old Korumburra man was arrested and has been charged with one count of murder. He has been remanded in custody to appear before Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court on…
The countdown is on for the Mornington Great Outdoor & 4X4 Expo. This four day event – held at the Mornington Racecourse, will showcase everything from the latest Caravans, Camper-vans, Camper-trailers and Hybrid campers, 4WD’s and 4 x 4 accessories to boats as well as fishing gear, demonstrations and activities for the whole family. The Mornington Great Outdoor and 4 x 4 Expo Mornington Racecourse Friday March 10th – Monday 13th 2023 Admission prices – Adults $16Seniors and Concessions $13Under 16s are free. greatoutdoorexpos.com.au
VOLUNTEERS joined OzFish and Landcare members over two days at the Hastings foreshore, 15 and 16 February, restoring and planting mangroves. The mangroves of Western Port play a vital role in the health of the local ecosystem, providing shoreline protection and critical fish nursery habitat for many of the species. The Reel Big Fish Mangrove restoration project is restoring mangroves across the bay, with OzFish members and the community rolling up their sleeves to help restore mangroves along the foreshore. Using a method developed and refined by John Eddy and the Bass Coast Landcare Network, mangrove seeds are attached to…
DWINDLING numbers of koalas and kangaroos “trapped” on private property at Cape Schanck have led to increased pressure on the state government to implement a wildlife management plan. Mornington Peninsula Shire last week decided to “immediately renew advocacy efforts” to convince the government of the need of a plan to manage wildlife on the peninsula. The shire will tell the government, “all relevant ministers and all local politicians” that “delays are not consistent with the aspirations of our community and the viability of our native wildlife”. Cr David Gill said there had been no indication “of action in the foreseeable…
TWO notable Mornington Peninsula properties are for sale after decades of family ownership. The former Arthurs Hotel and four adjoining blocks perched on top of Arthurs Seat Road is for sale, after failing to sell three years ago. Further east, the 340 hectare Boneo Park equestrian centre and surrounding wetlands is also on the market. The hotel closed in 2020, at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and was passed in at auction in mid-2021 after bidding reached $11 million, but short of the reserve. The property on five titles over 7254 square metres is opposite the Arthurs Seat Eagle…
LORD Sebastian Coe and Herb Elliott joined Mornington Peninsula Shire Council mayor Cr Steve Holland and CEO John Baker on Sunday at Portsea for the unveiling of a memorial plaque in honour of athletics coach Percy Cerutty. Cerutty was awarded the plaque in the posthumous category of Legend by World Athletics for his “outstanding contribution to the worldwide history and development of the sport of track and field athletics”. The unveiling at the Percy Cerutty Oval, Portsea coincided with the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst 18, 19 February. Cerutty MBE was an Australian athletics coach in the 1950s…
POLICE will prepare a report for the Coroner following the death of a man at a beach in Rye on Friday 24 February. The man was pulled from the water at the beach off Point Nepean Road about 3.30pm. Paramedics attended and worked on the man who died at the scene. He is yet to be formally identified. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 28 February 2023
THERE was a reunion of sorts on Saturday (25 February) when Sorrento-based couta boats sailed alongside their counterparts from Queenscliff. Sailors from both sides of Port Phillip came together for the first time in several years to compete in the two-day Couta Boat National Titles. The fleet of boats from Sorrento sailed the 12 kilometres to Queenscliff to compete races organised between the Couta Boat Association, Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club, Queenscliff Lonsdale Yacht Club, and the Queenscliff Cruising Yacht Club. Couta boats were developed for these waters at the start of the last century and during the 1920s and…
Bike jump not needed at ‘safe’ reserve A big “town hall” style Mornington Peninsula Shire Council consultation meeting over the proposed bike jump park in Somers took place at R W Stone Reserve on Monday 20 February. It was a show, by the majority of attendees, of opposition to the use of the dog leash-off and walking paths area to be reduced to accommodate a mountain bike jump park. So many of the attendees were in the seniors category and expressed the view that the area was a safe, flat, accessible and visually attractive to exercise by walking and socialising…
VISITING Kirk’s hotel, Mornington can include an easy-to -follow language lesson. The Australian Welsh Male Choir’s monthly concerts at the hotel include singing in English and Welsh. Musical director Tom Buchanan says choir members are “not native Welsh speakers” but help “preserve the language “and this comes to life every time these gentlemen start to sing”. “We also sing many songs in English and when the crowd is singing along, we find after a few drinks they get the confidence to sing in Welsh,” he said. “You don’t need to be the best singers; you don’t need to speak Welsh,…
Water Police Squad with the assistance of the police Air Wing rescued three men in distress from a yacht in Bass Strait overnight. Police were called after the 10-metre yacht was caught in big swells, strong winds and taking on water, about .75 nautical miles off St Andrews surf beach about 10.15pm. The skipper was unable to steer the yacht and it was blown out into Bass Strait. Due to the conditions, the helicopter was not able to winch the trio during the night however they remained on scene in an aerial position to assist with monitoring the incident. The…
UNAUTHORISED watercraft and boating equipment littering the coastal dunes of the Mornington Peninsula will be removed from Crown land foreshore reserves from next month. Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Steve Holland said foreshores were public spaces and removing unauthorised watercraft would enable “healthy foreshore environments and ensure everyone can continue to enjoy public spaces into the future”. Watercraft owners are being asked to remove their unauthorised vessels by 1 March, after which the shire and Whitecliffs-Cameron’s Bight management will begin impounding them. Holland said that while everyone knows dumping a personal watercraft, like a kayak, dinghy or yacht, at a…
Public safety should come first On 4 December 2022 I reported the appalling and extremely unsafe state of the main steps to Mills Beach, Mornington to Mornington Peninsula Shire via Snap Send Solve. I subsequently sent four emails following this up and, finally, on 3 February someone from the maintenance team bothered to call me in response – two months later. I was told that because this issue is not part of planned maintenance there is currently no funding available to fix these steps, which are a major public safety issue. I followed this up with the mayor Cr Steve…
THE 2023 football season Is on the horizon, and the Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League is preparing for another year of fun, exciting, grass roots football. The MPJFL has been a leader in junior sport on the peninsula for more than 50 years, providing a safe, welcoming and enjoyable environment for participants to learn important skills on and off the field, that are transferable to all walks of life. Spokesman Ben Lawrence said the MPJFL prided itself on creating opportunities for its participants at all levels, which included playing a role within the high-performance pathway that leads to the AFL…
POLICE want to identify a group of three men who allegedly bashed a 27-year-old man in Mornington early on Sunday (19 February), stamping on his head after he fell to the ground. The victim, believed to be from Mornington, was airlifted to hospital, where he was last reported to be in a serious but stable condition. Witnesses reported seeing the apparently inebriated victim set upon by three men at the corner of Blake and Main streets just after midnight. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at crimestoppersvic.com.au…
THE RSPCA is investigating reports of a sick foal seen on a Mount Eliza property that has alleged been linked to other reports of suspected animal neglect. The animal welfare organisation confirmed last week that investigators were looking into complaints that a new-born foal was seen by passers-by in a paddock on Monday 6 February, unable to stand or feed, and without human intervention for several hours. A nearby resident who phoned the RSPCA told The News that about 5pm she and other passers-by noticed a downed foal in a paddock near Emil Madsen Reserve, with its mother standing nearby.…
LIFESAVERS from across the Mornington Peninsula showed their skills in the water at the Victorian Masters Championships at Lorne Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC). Life Saving Victoria’s most experienced lifesavers from 23 clubs, plus visitors from Queensland and South Australia, put on a masterclass of skills at the championship event two weeks ago, which saw the Point Leo club announced as water champions on the day with 348 points, while Mount Martha claimed the beach events with 139 points. LSV senior manager sport Chris Schleusener said with competitors aged 31 to 76, the masters championships kept people engaged with lifesaving…
Mornington Peninsula Crime Investigation Unit detectives have charged six youths after a car was allegedly stolen during an aggravated burglary in Mount Martha early Friday morning. Patrolling officers came across the stolen BMW on Main Street in Mornington shortly before midnight on Friday, 17 February. Police attempted to intercept the vehicle however the driver allegedly sped off. The police Air Wing tracked the BMW overhead as it reached alleged speeds of up to 220km/h on Peninsula Link. Units on the ground were guided to Kirkwood Avenue in Seaford where the vehicle had been abandoned. All of the occupants allegedly fled…
THE recently completed mural in Hastings at Ritchies IGA on Salmon Street by Julian Clavijo has won bronze as the 2022 Australian Street Art Awards’ Best External Mural. The 40-meter Painting Our Future mural was commissioned by Mornington Peninsula Shire to raise awareness and inspire community action on climate change. The Australian Street Art Awards, established in 2018, recognise destinations using public art to engage their community while also attracting visitors and boosting their economy. First published in the Western Port News – 15 February 2023
HASTINGS Bowls Club is abuzz with warm chatter on the first Friday of each month as locals attend Scones on Hastings. And Friday 3 February was no exception with more than 50 attending the first Scones on Hastings for 2023. In the wake of the pandemic and being isolated in lockdowns a group of locals, with the support of the Hastings Bowls club, decided to hold a welcoming morning tea serving Devonshire teas and coffee to help bring people together. This has now been running for more than 12 months. Even though the cost is only $2 for tea or…