AN Audi A6 valued at $80,000 was stolen from a Mornington house while its owner was in bed, Monday 2 March. Detective Senior Sergeant Miro Majstorovic, of Somerville CIU, said possibly one burglar entered the King Street house through an unlocked back door. The owner awoke to hear the garage door opening about 5am and saw the gold-coloured car being driven off. Forensic police were examining clues at the scene. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 10…
Author: MP News Group
CAMPAIGNERS against family violence Rosie Batty and Natasha Stott Despoja have helped launch Mornington Peninsula Shire’s first gender equality strategy. Last week’s launch – part of an International Women’s Day celebration at Mornington Racecourse, Monday 2 March – came 10 days after the passing of the state government’s Gender Equality Act. Ms Stott Despoja and Ms Batty spoke about their roles and explained how improving gender equality would reduce violence against women and their children. Ms Batty – whose advocacy has contributed to significant policy reform state-wide and, ultimately, the development of the strategy – said it was an “incredibly…
ALICE McKinnon, above, got a buzz showing off a robotic bee made from recycled materials at Our Lady of Fatima, Rosebud, last week. Her creation was made to form part of a mechanical garden sculpture display at the Red Hill Show over the Labour Day long weekend which reflected the students’ concerns about a world with only robotic bees and mechanical flowers. At the base of the sculpture a black spray can symbolised the reason for the declining bee populations: pesticide sprays. Visual arts teacher Amanda Heggen said the model bee helped teach the children about the decline of bees…
Officers from Mornington are investigating a serious assault which occurred in Mornington earlier this year. Investigators have been told a 19-year-old Mount Martha man was walking along Albert Street with friends when he was assaulted about 8.30pm on 19 January. An altercation had earlier occurred with a male at a nearby takeaway store and the situation escalated when the 19-year-old was assaulted by a second male. The offender then got into a dark grey Volkswagen Amarok ute and was driven from the scene by a third man. The offender is perceived to be Caucasian, in his 20s, medium build and…
REGISTRATIONS for children eligible to attend Mornington Peninsula kindergartens next year are open now. The on-time registration period closes 11.59pm, Sunday 28 June. Late registrations will be accepted from 9am Monday 29 June. Kindergarten, or preschool, for children aged 3-6 years will be delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher. Mornington Peninsula Shire uses the Kindergarten Central Registration system, which it says is a “streamlined and transparent application and allocation process that is fair and equitable for all families”. The shire says kindergarten is an important step for young children with research showing that early education helps set children up…
A VOLUNTEER group focused on suicide prevention in Frankston and on the Mornington Peninsula has been named as the major beneficiary of this month’s Tyabb Air Show. A national suicide prevention day walk run by Chasing Change last September attracted about 1000 people to a morning of reflection, conversation, and mourning. This led to its inaugural Chasing Change Blue Christmas event which brought people together during the often-trying festive period in which loved ones are often missed the most. The air show, held every second year, donates money raised to charities and not-for-profit groups. The air show is on Sunday…
SOUTHERN Buoy Studios is holding a solo exhibition by artist Morano, pictured, until Tuesday 10 March. Originally from Barcelona, Morano now lives on the Mornington Peninsula and this is his first exhibition in Australia. Morano says the works come “from memories of my childhood in the suburbs of Barcelona, from the images that I keep in my head painting murals over the train rails”. These memories from “a childhood looking to overcome the lack of opportunities” include factory workers, street culture and buildings surrounded by industrial estates. Morano sees his paintings as “a reflection of me comprehending that part of…
SORRENTO has been chosen as the next location in the rollout of plastic beach matting as part of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Disability Action Plan. The matting would make it easy for large mobility chairs to get across the sand and into the water. “Access for all of us to enjoy the stunning beaches and locations on the peninsula is important,” the shire’s community development manager Chris Munro said. “Installation of beach matting on our beaches is part of a range of measures we are undertaking to expand access for all.” Shire officers Virginia Richardson and Zach Grimes met at The…
THE Portsea Kings won the annual Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron 2020 team challenge last week. Members Andrew Nash, Peter Bolton, Drew McLennan and Nick Bowden came home in one hour, four minutes and 18 seconds. Challenge committee member Andrea Devereux said the event, in its fifth year, raises funds and awareness for vocation assistance and job opportunities for youth on the southern peninsula. She said all proceeds from the event will go to the new Headspace satellite at Rosebud. “Given the recent weather, it was a relief to have a glorious day for the event which saw 19 teams competing and…
DETECTIVES are investigating four commercial burglaries on the Mornington Peninsula in which thieves raided two post offices, a hairdresser and a Reject shop over three nights. Detective Sergeant Jason Hocking, of Somerville CIU, said two men used a sledgehammer to break into Dromana Post Office and steal 15 mobile phones valued at $7000, 2.50am, Wednesday 19 February. The same offenders are believed to have stolen 34 mobile phones valued at $8000 from the Rosebud Post Office, 1.30am, Saturday 22 February. The phones at both post offices range in price from $99 to $350. Soon after the second post office raid…
CHARGES of negligence against a Rye carnival proprietor were dropped in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court last week. Worksafe had charged Wittingslow Amusements with failing to ensure people were not exposed to risks to their health or safety following the death of a boy on Easter Monday 2017. The six-year-old was flung out of the Cha Ch ride when he slipped under a guard rail. He died in the Royal Children’s Hospital four days later. The ride, built in 1961, was checked by engineers in December 2016 and no defects found. The ride was closed for two days after the fatality and…
THE screws are being tightened on Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors’ off-the-record expense claims. A three-part notice of motion put by Cr David Gill last week – and passed unanimously – will ensure councillors’ reimbursement claims and requests for training, personal development, entertainment or other expenses, including payments for tickets for functions, should only be claimable from their expense allowances and not through any other council accounts. Secondly, all past claims presented by councillors not claimable under legislation or Mornington Peninsula Shire Council protocols, must now be reported to council. The third part of the motion was to remind councillors that…
POINT Nepean Men’s Shed members are busy working on extra carts for competitors in the annual Billy Kart Derby to be held in Sorrento this month. Nearby primary schools have been informed the carts would suit younger age groups. Club vice president Terry Phippen said the club had been granted a permit for the Saturday 14 March event and that preparations are “in full swing”. “We have an extra 10 simple karts under construction and we have invited a lot of community groups to participate. “We are just hoping for good weather to attract a few interesting designs from these…
DIRECT from the USA “You Got It! – a salute to Roy Orbison” Live In Concert. Wesley Orbison, Roy Orbison’s eldest son is very proud to fully endorse and present this amazing live concert experience remembering his father as we relive the sound & all the magical hits of Music Legend Roy Orbison in an International production starring The sensational Voice From Downunder John Stephan. This is the only show of its kind in the world and is officially endorsed & presented by Roy Orbison’s eldest son Wesley Orbison. Featuring spoken word from Wesley with a very personal narrative of…
Fast-acting police have saved the lives of three male fishermen after they were swept from rocks at a Rye beach today. It is believed the men were fishing on rocks near Harold Road when they were swept into the water about 12.10pm. A nearby passer-by noticed the men struggling in the water and alerted emergency services who arrived on scene shortly after. Police Airwing searched the area for a short time before locating the three men with the assistance of local Mornington police. Police managed to winch two of the men to safety before attending to the third man struggling…
Mornington Peninsula Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating a burglary at a church in Red Hill on 10 February. It’s believed two unknown males have attempted to jemmy open the front doors of the Arthurs Seat Road church sometime between 12.10am – 12.30am. The males eventually gained access by forcing a side door. A distinctive religious icon that holds significant value to the church was stolen along with a green wooden donation box containing money. The silver icon was made in Greece in 1974 and would cost between $5,000 to $10,000 to replace. Investigators have released images and CCTV in…
A “DROWN-IN” by members of Western Port Extinction Rebellion at Balnarring last Friday aimed to raise “climate crisis as a local issue and not just city centric”. Organiser Murray Lindsell Turner said the action at the village shopping centre promoted the science behind climate change and asked people about their concerns about being in a time designated as a climate emergency. “Morning Peninsula Shire Council has already declared a climate emergency and are actioning the policies required to help future residents understand the effects of climate change at unprecedented rates,” Mr Turner said. “Already discussions of an 80 centimetre sea…
CAT and dog owners must renew their pet registrations with Mornington Peninsula Shire by Friday 10 April. It costs $45 per year to register a desexed dog and cat. Discounts apply for pension card holders. The current fine for owning an unregistered dog or cat is $330. In issuing a renewal reminder, the shire says registration fees enable it to provide such services as leash-free dog areas (mornpen.vic.gov.au/leashfree); the Community Animal Shelter and Pound for lost pets and finding new homes for unclaimed cats and dogs (mornpen.vic.gov.au/lostpets); rangers to respond to dog attacks and complaints; and, a state government levy.…
GET fit and get fearless is the theme of a women’s event at a Mornington kung fu school this month. With Sunday 8 March being International Women’s Day – a celebration of women’s achievements – Peninsula Kung Fu is inviting women to attend any women’s class for free during March. Instructor Sarah Hanna said this year she wanted to help as many girls and women as possible be safe by having the ability to defend themselves. She has “runs on the board” having organised an anti-bullying seminar 18 months ago. “I will be instructing the classes and offering a safe…
THREE teenagers from Mornington, Mt Eliza and Frankston have been arrested over a range of thefts from motor vehicles and burglary-related incidents. Detectives from Frankston Crime Investigation Unit charged the men – a 19-year-old from Mornington, 18-year-old from Mount Eliza and 20 year-old from Frankston with five petrol drive-offs in various suburbs, five thefts from motor vehicles overnight 11-12 February in Mount Eliza and Frankston South, and a burglary at Karingal Hub Shopping Centre on 11 February. All were bailed to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court on 4 August. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 25 February 2020
POLICE on a drive-by say they spotted cannabis plants growing in the backyard of a house in Rye last week before arresting the occupant. Senior Sergeant Steve Duffee, of Rosebud police station, said the officers acting on a tip-off “looked over the fence” of the Dundas Street property before returning with a warrant, Saturday 9 February. As well as the six cannabis plants they allegedly found stolen tradies’ tools valued at $10,000. A 64-year-old Rye man was later charged with cultivating a drug of dependence and handling stolen goods. He was bailed to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court in July.…
ROSEBUD police stopped a bus last week to catch a couple of suspected crooks. A 35-year-old man and woman, 32, of Tootgarook, were later charged with theft from a motor vehicle, handling stolen goods and handling the proceeds of crime. A woman who spotted the couple loitering in a business park near Rosebud Plaza later realised items, including an iPad, portable speaker, and personal id, were missing from her car. She activated her Locate-My-Device App and tracked the items to a nearby bus stop where, coincidentally, the couple she saw earlier were waiting. When the suspects boarded the bus, she…
HOODED plovers are moving into Sorrento in a big way. The small birds are usually spotted darting around near the waterline or, when nesting, protecting their exposed eggs from predators and the elements (just 2.5 per cent of the birds survive from egg to fledgling). But now there’s no excuse for not knowing what a hoodie, as they’re affectionately known, looks like. Jimmy “Dvate” Beattie has used his aerosol paints and mural skills to cover a wall at Sorrento back beach with a hooded plover and chick. Beattie is known for his work on Victoria’s silo art trail and spaces…
ENTRIES are still open for the 92nd Red Hill Show to be held on Saturday the 7th of March. The Red Hill Showgrounds come alive with the festivities of one the State’s most popular agricultural shows. Kids and Adults can enjoy a full day of activities at this “Community Event of the Year 2019”, now in its 92nd year run by the Red Hill Agricultural & Horticultural Society. Visit our website and enter online: www.redhillshow.com.au/forms $10 Kids | $20 Adults | $60 Family | $10 Student & Pensioner Once you enter the showgrounds pavilions, activities, entertainment and RIDES FREE (with…
FREQUENT attacks by vandals on toilets at the Jacks Beach picnic area – the first on the day they opened – has members of the Crib Point Stony Point foreshore management committee tearing their hair out. “We can’t understand what makes the block a target for repeated vandalism attacks,” secretary Cecelia Witton said. In September, the volunteer community group replaced the old toilets with money they raised themselves. “Since they were opened – in fact on the very day they were to open – vandals struck [by] spraying graffiti over the building,” she said. “Since then they have been the…
A CHARITABLE service providing housing for adults with intellectual disabilities has opened its third property on the Mornington Peninsula. Bittern House on Frankston-Flinders Road, built by Frankston Peninsula Carers, is 150 metres from Bittern Fields shopping centre, with its supermarket, restaurant, pharmacy and medical clinic, and near Bittern train station. The residents will be looked after by genU – which provides disability services, including individual support, accommodation and recreation activities, to its members. Frankston Peninsula Carers secretary Leon Black said: “It was lovely having the families at the opening whose children will live there. “We have spent five years fundraising…
DRIVERS using towbars are being urged to check that they are properly connected to their vehicles after one was found on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, McCrae, Wednesday 5 February. Officers on patrol found the towbar, pictured, in the middle of the outbound lanes. In December a tow bar on a road west of Melbourne was flicked up by a truck and smashed through an oncoming car’s windscreen killing a mother and injuring her baby son. Visit bddy.me/2Utbjog First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 18 February 2020
A MT ELIZA woman has been reunited with jewellery valued at $35,000 after it was stolen from her Walkers Road house, Monday 10 February. Detective Acting Sergeant Steve Reidy, of Somerville CIU, said the jewellery was found at the home of a 28-year-old Frankston man, Thursday 13 February. The jewellery was returned to the woman – a widow – who was said to be “overjoyed”. The man appeared before Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Friday and remanded to reappear at a later date. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 18 February 2020
POLICE have charged 10 drivers on summons with a range of offences after a crackdown on hoon and anti-social behaviour at the summit car park at Arthurs Seat lookout, Thursday 6 February. The charges include reckless conduct endangering serious injury, criminal damage, drive in a manner dangerous, careless driving, improper use of vehicle involving loss of traction and drive vehicle causing undue noise and smoke. Two drivers have had their vehicles impounded for 30 days and a further seven have been issued with infringement and defect notices. Tyre marks, pictured, were all over the car park last week. Leading Senior…
A MEMORIAL “pilgrimage” conducted at Queenscliff last week has special relevance to families living on the Mornington Peninsula. It marked the date 60 years ago when three young Army commandoes lost their lives in a training exercise while crossing The Rip, 17 February 1960. A ceremony marking the tragedy was held at Shortlands Bluff, Sunday 16 February. Soldiers involved in the exercise still living on the Mornington Peninsula are Bob Dunball, Dave Gilder, Leigh Power, Wil Vicum and Winston Trood. A keen historian – and skipper of an army vessel involved in the disaster – Mr Trood said on that…