Thankful for care THREE months ago my life hit rock bottom, literally, when a set of steps collapsed and I went through them. Today, I am back on my feet and beginning to regain my life and the reason for this is the quality of our public health system generally, and Frankston Hospital in particular. Every day we read about problems in our health system. How it is struggling to cope with unprecedented demand. This is certainly true, but for every case we read about there are hundreds or even thousands of cases where the system not only delivers, but…
Author: MP News Group
AUSTRALIA Day on January 26 on the Mornington Peninsula will be officially celebrated in several places, with a range of community events to mark the day. Community events will be held from Mount Eliza to Portsea, and all events will provide a free family day out with live music and plenty of activities to keep the kids entertained. Events funded through the council’s community grants program will take place in Dromana, Mount Eliza and Rosebud, starting at Dromana Pier from 8.30am to 1.30pm, Mount Eliza Village Green from 9am to 12pm, and Rosebud Village Green from 9am to 1pm with…
THE Mornington peninsula Shire Council and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action have agreed to allow paragliders to launch once again from Mount Martha. The sport was banned from the cliff areas of Mount Martha several years ago after concerns about safety. But the council, as the appointed land manager, has now decided that paragliding is an allowed activity on the Crown land reserve they manage near Craigie Road. As a result, DEECA has approved a one-year licence for paragliding at Mount Martha Foreshore Reserve. Paraglider and instructor Airie Merlin, from Melbourne Paragliding, says enthusiasts are pleased that…
A MOUNT Martha resident has thanked a community-minded couple who cleaned up after vandals trashed a community barbecue area and attempted to burn a nearby brush fence. Dee Matthews was walking along the Esplanade at Safety Beach on the morning of 15 January when she and a friend came across a burning mess beside the toilet block about 300 metres from the pier. Matthews said she first noticed fire damage in the bin before her eyes were drawn to more damage from a second fire – no longer alight – in a brush fence nearby. There was also a lot…
THE Mornington Yacht Club recently showed its community spirit, hosting more than 20 displaced Ukrainian youngsters who fled their homeland last year after the Russian invasion of their country. With the assistance the local Ukrainian community and Plast Ukrainian Scouts Australia, Mornington YC volunteers made sure the participants enjoyed some time on the water and a little bit of fun. On big boats, small boats and power boats all the kids got out on the water, with most taking the wheel or tiller. Then it was back to the club for a barbecue. Yacht club spokesman Peter Davey said the…
PENINSULA Community Theatre in Wilsons Road, Mornington, was packed to the rafters for the official opening of Mornington Art Show last Thursday 19 January. The 51st annual show features 750 works and is run by Rotary Club of Mornington. It is open from 10am–5pm daily until this Thursday 26 January at the theatre and online till 29 January. Four artists are demonstrating painting, ceramics, sculpture and metalwork on most days, and work by area school students is another highlight. Entry fee of $10 for adults includes a catalogue. Children free of charge. Details: morningtonartshow.com.au First published in the Mornington News…
A car fire in the early hours of Thursday (19 Jan) gave nearby residents a scary awakening as it spewed flames into the air. One CFA unit from Dromana responded to the car fire in Kangerong Avenue around 5.27am. FRV, Victoria Police and Ambulance Victoria were called to the scene. The incident was declared under control at 5.40am and safe by 5.54am.
A jet ski rider who allegedly rode dangerously close to a boat at Safety Beach this week will be charged by Water Police. Two police boats from Water Police’s strike team were deployed after receiving reports a jet skier was travelling at speed within metres of a stationary boat about 3.40pm on Monday 16 January. It’s alleged the rider deliberately sprayed the occupants with water before speeding off. With assistance from Dromana uniform officers, the jet skier was identified on the beach and subsequently interviewed by police. The 16-year-old boy who only recently obtained his marine licence, will be charged…
HASTINGS foreshore reserve is recognised as one of the town’s main activity centres, but was recently also the centre of criticisms aimed at Mornington Peninsula Shire. Heavy rainfall followed by bouts of warm weather had created ideal conditions for the grass to grow. And the foreshore reserve was just one of many sites needing a trim throughout the shire. Last week a small army of machines and workers descended on the reserve, cutting and clearing the grass. While the clouds of dust would have played havoc with anyone with a respiratory problem, the reserve was soon appreciably reclaimed by walkers,…
More bins are the answer to annual rubbish ‘gripe’ The article about rubbish reflects the annual gripe that appears every year for about six weeks (“Tourists told to ‘clean up’” The News 10/1/23). One of Mornington Peninsula Shire Councils titled “experts” rattles on about educating the masses, bla,bla,bla when blind Freddie knows that the solution which the council refuses to address is more bins. They pay lip service to the problem by trying to shut us up, explaining that they have increased the number of bins and frequency of emptying. It is still not enough and, rather than address the…
By Barry Irving R J Rowley Reserve was the venue for the running of the 47th Rye Gift on Saturday 14 January. After a two year covid hiatus, competitors and supporters of athletics turned up in numbers to watch this iconic Mornington Peninsula event. The Rye Cricket Club provided a sumptuous sponsors lunch that was enjoyed by all. Rye sports and Social Club President Gary Gillies welcomed the sponsors and guests thanking the sponsors once again for getting behind the event despite a tough couple of years. Major sponsor Bendigo Bank Community Bank Southern Peninsula board chairman Vin Cheers spoke…
FRANKSTON Skate Park will host an Australian Skate Park League competition next month. The league will host a Metro series event at the skate park. Skaters of all ages will compete for prizes. YMCA Victoria, the Victorian Skateboarding League, BMX Victoria, and participating local government areas combine to put on around 100 events a year to make up the Australian Skate Park League. “Over the years, the SPL network has grown to over 3000 participants. Despite the numerous lockdowns and rescheduled events throughout 2020 and 2021, the anticipated increase in participants across all disciplines will ensure the success and longevity…
MORNINGTON Croquet Club has successfully secured $750 travel grants from Sport and Recreation Victoria to help pay travel costs for two of its rising stars. John Carr and Janine Sisson, pictured above, have the ability “to make steady progress to state and national level competition”, club secretary Lynn Loutit said. “They started as beginners – Carr in 2019 and Sisson 2021 – and so are not of long standing, particularly when we take COVID into consideration. “Both have been playing in shield competitions for Mornington and in the South East Metro Croquet Association competition. “They are very keen, entering as…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council is likely to consider providing more foreshore car parking at McCrae as part of a McCrae lighthouse master plan. McCrae resident Kathy Ball said the recent loss of some parking spaces had led to parking chaos for locals. Ball said she and other residents had approached the council many times regarding the removal of at least 15 car spaces opposite Penny Lane to make way for a garden area. Visiting beachgoers are now double parking on the main road and clogging up side streets, leaving residents with nowhere to park, she said. “If you drive down…
MORNINGTON Peninsula police are reminding residents and visitors that riding personal e-scooters on public locations is illegal. Police say they have seen e-scooters out and about after Christmas, suggesting many were likely to be presents bought by unsuspecting parents. But the law states that although it is not illegal to own one, it cannot be ridden on any Victorian public road, cycle lane or footpath. The only place an e-scooter or e-skateboard can legally be used in on private land. Privately-owned e-scooters that are over 200 watts or can travel at more than 10kph are classified as motor vehicles and…
THE Marine Investigation Unit is investigating the circumstances around an accident between two jet skis at Safety Beach around 2pm on Saturday that left with one man in his 20s with serious lower body injuries. The man was airlifted to the Alfred Hospital after the two jet skis allegedly collided around 2pm. The driver of a second jet ski, a woman in her 20s, was treated at the scene for a foot injury. Police, including the water police, say they will be focussing heavily on water safety for the rest of summer to ensure people utilising boats and jet skis…
REVEGETATION expert Jo Ferguson garden at Flinders is an experimental mix of wind-tossed native and exotic grasses, alongside colourful perennials. Her Family Garden in Flinders will open to the public with Open Gardens Victoria on the weekend of 21-22 January. The garden designer and environmental horticulturist’s home garden is on an exposed hilltop paddock, with views out to Bass Strait. “This is a family garden; a garden to immerse ourselves in, to work in, and to relax and experience deep peace and joy,” Ferguson said. “Gardens are transient; nothing stays the same year to year, and it is the experience…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council is urging people to dispose of flammable items such as car batteries responsibly after a fire started at the Rye waste transfer station on Wednesday 11 January. The fire was detected at 4.15pm in the section where hard waste is received but was extinguished not long after by staff and CFA volunteers. The shire’s circular economy and waste team leader, Daniel Hinson, said no one was injured and there was no damage to property or infrastructure. Hinson said the site was already closed to the public and while the cause of the fire has not been…
UNTIL 19 February, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery has a great mix of exhibitions and events. Julian Opie is a major international artist whose work often depicts figures and landscapes reduced to their essential outlines and flat colours fields. Judith Alexandrovics is a Melbourne artist whose oeuvre spans the decades since the early 1970s until 2019. MPRG’s current exhibition draws these two artists together so that visitors can see common threads throughout their work. Exhibition curator Angie Taylor says, ‘Both Opie and Alexandrovics create a snapshot of people in unremarkable moments such as walking through the city, making their way to…
Avoid electing ‘stepping stone’ council candidates As the dust settles on Christmas and New Year’s Eve, I’m betting neither the [Mornington Peninsula Shire’s] CEO or councillors were left sitting in detritus, without decent access to good food and a clean bed. I continue to question their reliability and accountability. How many people have been left hanging with no in-home support, including the person I heard of recently who suffers MND? With a by-election [in Watson Ward] in the offing, it is critical that people elected have the interests of residents and ratepayers front and centre and are not using this…
THE four First Nations artists chosen to undertake a residency at McClelland Gallery, Langwarrin have been announced. The successful applicants for the residency were Robert Fielding, Amala Groom, Caleb Nichols-Mansell and Steaphan Paton. McClelland Gallery revealed plans for its first ever Bunurong Fieldwork Residency for First Nations artists last year. The four artists will live at the studio cottage for six to 12 weeks developing public artwork. McClelland Gallery director Lisa Byrne said the program would help address a shortage of “First Nations cultural markers” on the Mornington Peninsula. “The residency program will provide the First Nations artists with the…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating a fire in Hastings on Friday 6 January. Emergency services were called to the fire at a property on Elizabeth Street about 4.50am. No one was inside the house at the time. It is alleged a man started the blaze following an earlier altercation with a woman known to him in the house. A 43-year-old Hastings man was arrested a short time later. He was later released pending further inquiries. There were no reported injuries. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential…
EIGHT youths, including a 12-year-old, have been remanded and a further 12 arrested following a string of property and vehicle crimes across the Mornington Peninsula and in Melbourne. As part of Operation Alliance, detectives from the Southern Metro Crime Team and the Dandenong based Youth Gang Team joined forces between Friday 30 December and Tuesday 3 January. Detectives will allege the 20 youths – arrested across Melbourne’s south and south-eastern suburbs – were involved in 61 incidents between 23 December and 3 January, including aggravated burglary, theft of motor vehicle, burglary and attempted aggravated burglary. Suburbs where the incidents occurred…
THE distressing sight of two seabirds tangled in discarded fishing line at Mornington pier last week has prompted calls for fishers to be more responsible. Wildlife Victoria says entanglement of birds and wildlife in discarded fishing lines, plastic bags and rubbish is an “all-too-common” occurrence in Victoria. Hundreds of entanglements are reported to Wildlife Victoria every year, with hooks often caught in birds’ mouths or throats, which can lead to infections, abscesses, and starvation. Wildlife Victoria also sees birds’ feet entangled in fishing line, restricting their mobility, and causing them to become easy prey for other animals. A peninsula-based wildlife…
WESTERN Port Community Support prepared 350 hampers of food and toys to be handed out on 13 December during its annual Christmas Giving Program. Businesses, churches, schools, community groups, and individuals helped donated and helped pack and hand out hampers. The Hastings-based group is the largest provider of emergency relief and crisis support in the region, including food, material aid, housing and homelessness support. Executive officer Georgia Hourn said rising living and rental costs were forcing vulnerable community members into greater financial hardship, exacerbated at Christmas when there are additional expenses. The 20 volunteers who helped sort toys, pack and…
UPDATE: All four teenagers have been located about 20km from the beach where they went missing. Police and emergency services have been searching in waters off Rosebud overnight for four missing people. Two 18-year-old males, an 18-year-old female and a 19-year-old female are believed to have been using inflatable paddle boards at the beach just off Point Nepean Road on 19 December. A passer-by located belongings on the beach around 8pm and reported to police. A large-scale search of the area was initiated with the assistance of Police Air Wing, HEMS ambulance choppers, Water Police and local rescue boats throughout…
Supermarket etiquette can make a shopper’s day I am a female, not very tall, and now rather elderly. There are many kindly men and women in the supermarket who pick up goods from the shelf when it is too high for me to reach and others who let me through a doorway first as I have a walking stick. I always thank these courteous people for whatever they have done. However, there are also many incidents when a shopper, maybe a middle aged woman with a frenetic look in her eyes or, more commonly, a man, often a lot taller…
MOUNT Martha 12-year-old Mathew Basso travels the country to race go karts. Basso has just wrapped up the 2022 karting race season by taking out the six-race Victorian country series, which saw competitors travel all around state. The win adds this title to his Australasian Kart Title, Ultimate Club Racer Title, second place in the Northern Territory championships, second in the Junior Top Guns State Cup and his first place at the Oakleigh Club championships. Basso competes against racers up to 16 years in the KA4 Junior Light Class, where they race 100cc engines and reach speeds of up to…
THE owners of watercraft left for storage at Mornington Peninsula beaches may early next year be wondering where they have gone, especially between Blairgowrie and Sorrento. Mornington Peninsula Shire and Whitecliffs management committee have joined forces to remove kayaks, dinghies and yachts being stored illegally on beaches and foreshores. The clean-up will begin in March. “Our foreshores are public spaces where everyone is welcome. Removal of unauthorised watercraft will enable healthy foreshore environments and ensure everyone can continue to enjoy these public spaces into the future,” the mayor Cr Steve Holland said. He said some of the watercraft had been…
PEOPLE in need on the Mornington Peninsula and beyond will receive a helping hand this Christmas with South East Water employees raising almost $12,000 through their annual appeal. The Christmas Giving Appeal supported three charities – including Ford For Change in Mount Martha and Clayton, and Seaford-based Mums Supporting Families in Need (MSFIN) – to provide food, clothing, clean drinking water and health care. MSFIN marketing and fundraising manager Kim Michod said it was exciting to see donations of toys, clothes and essential food hampers left under the organisation’s Christmas tree to be distributed. “Thanks to the employees at South…