THE driver of this Peugeot 307 convertible was slugged with a $645 fine for a “substantial load breach” after being spotted carrying an old gate in the back seat along Bittern-Dromana Road last week. The Rosebud woman told members of Somerville Highway Patrol she was planning to use the wooden panels in a renovation project. She said she thought the load was safe as she was “only driving slowly,” police said. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 15 January 2019
Author: MP News Group
A WOMAN in her early 20s was airlifted to The Alfred hospital from Somerville oval last week after the car in which she was a passenger crashed into a power pole. After being assessed she was found to be “not as badly injured as first thought”. Police said the late model Holden station wagon was travelling at up to 100kph in a 60kph zone along Frankston-Flinders Road, in the early hours of Saturday 5 January. They said they were not pursuing the car but caught up to it only after it crashed at the intersection of Bungower Road. The driver,…
THE theft of petrol from a service station on Pt Nepean Road, Tootgarook, in mid-December, was one of a string of thefts and burglaries allegedly committed by a Cranbourne North man arrested Wednesday 9 January. Detectives from the Cardinia CIU, Special Operations Group and the Dog Squad nabbed the 30-year-old in Hampton Park over the incidents which occurred between October-December across the south eastern suburbs and Ballarat. During the arrest the man was injured and taken to hospital under police guard. He faces 38 charges relating to an aggravated burglary at Ballarat East, burglary at a Beaconsfield Upper hotel, burglary…
Boat owners using Port Phillip and Western Port are being asked to make sure they are not spreading marine pests that can “cause significant harm to the health of marine ecosystems”. Parks Victoria’s Chief conservation scientist Dr Mark Norman said it was vital to protect the state’s marine waters which supported more than 12,000 species of plants and animals, “90 per cent of which are found nowhere else in the world”. “Marine pests are highly invasive animals and plants, usually from other parts of the world that have become established in Victoria and cause significant harm to the health of…
The judge at this year’s Mornington Art Show is Lynne Mellady, a professional artist of beach and landscapes for over 30 years. Mellady is a pastel artist with examples of her work represented in government collections in Australia and Japan. She has won many awards and has been teaching and judging art for more than 20 years. Cathy van Ee and David Brayshaw are this year’s “feature artists”. Van Ee, who is also a tutor, specialises in portraits and landscapes in oil and pastel. Her career in the arts has included working in the corporate sector in magazine and book…
THREE talented juniors from the Mount Eliza Tennis Club will finally get their chance to assist the world’s best tennis players at the Australian Open on Monday 14 January. Having spent the past nine months undertaking rigorous training and testing, Sam McComb, Hope Backx and Sophie Farish will step out onto the court alongside some of sporting’s greats. It’ll be Sophie’s second time assisting as a ballkid at the Australian Open, while 14-year-olds Sam and Hope will be having their first go at the trade. It’s no mean feat to make it through to the final group of 312 ballkids,…
MORNINGTON-based racehorse trainer Rod Grantley has his speedy mare Waterford Sound flying this preparation having claimed three of her past four starts in country Victoria. The eight-year-old mare made it back-to-back victories at her home track, Mornington, on Thursday 27 December and her trainer Rod Grantley has put the success down to the mare thriving with the addition of beach work. “She’s a lovely mare to train,” Grantley said. “We spent a lot of time down at the beach in Dromana with her and I think that is what has helped her through everything and has really helped with her…
JUNIOR and Senior athletes will be out to kick off the New Year with a bang when they line up in the 44th annual Rye Gift and Rye Junior Gift on Saturday 13 January. The Rye Gift and Athletic Carnival is set to lure over 600 professional runners from across Australia down to the RJ Rowley Reserve, Rye (Rye Football Ground) as they begin to build up towards the lucrative Stawell Gift in April. The Men’s Gift and Women’s Diamond will be worth a total of $5,100 and $3,000, respectively, while the junior competitors will run like the wind in…
OBSESSION: Devil in the detail examines our fascination with the meticulous and micro, the real and the hyperreal and brings together a range of historical and contemporary works under three broad themes of still life, portraiture and landscape. The exhibition seduces us with the power of realism and intricate detail and showcases 65 works across sculpture, painting, photography, drawing and video. Long before the onset of photography in the 19th century, painting was the means to realistically capture the world around us, with the technically brilliant artists of the Renaissance set the benchmark for realism. In the late 1960s photorealism…
COLOURFUL glasswear created by Leisa Wharington will be on display and for sale at this year’s Mornington Art Show. Wharington worked from her studio in Merricks North for more than 30 years, that evolved into an open, creative space for jewellers and painters. An annual market was held on the rural property. Glass blower Wharington and painter Julie Niekamp have now transported that same idea over to the new Studio & Co in Marine Parade, Hastings. Although Wharington’s environment has changed, she says her work and creativity has not. The “countless colours, shapes, and ideas” in her natural surroundings feed…
A MAN arrested over a series of burglaries of businesses and churches across the Mornington Peninsula and Frankston over the past four months has been remanded in custody to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court at a later date. The 37-year-old, arrested by Detective Sergeant Adrian Mizza, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, at his Rosebud home last week, is facing 28 charges over 14 alleged burglaries involving more than $60,000. The man appeared at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday on unrelated charges but detectives will apply for the burglary charges to be heard at Frankston Magistrates’ Court. More charges are pending as…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council’s recently adopted Wastewater Management Plan 2018-2023 aims to address the “environmental and public health risks posed by residential and commercial wastewater on the peninsula”. The term wastewater covers liquid waste from toilets, kitchen sinks, showers and basins. The peninsula’s environment is especially affected by wastewater because of the high number of properties serviced by septic tanks. In these cases, householders are responsible for installing and maintaining their own treatment systems. “The shire has the highest number of septic systems of any Victorian council, leaving over 22,000 properties across the peninsula without reticulated sewerage,” the mayor Cr…
A MOTORBIKE rider who tried to do a runner from police ended up getting his friend’s bike impounded, Tuesday 18 December. The incident occurred when Somerville Highway Patrol officers in Lyrebird Drive, Carrum Downs, spotted a motorbike with a false plate “RUNA” attached. The rider allegedly failed to stop and was clocked at more than 80kph in a 50kph zone before being pulled over in nearby Quarrion Drive. The rider, 18, of Skye, was found to have never held a licence and the bike was unregistered. He told police it was a friend’s bike, and that he hadn’t initially pulled…
NEW meeting procedure rules adopted by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council set “a new benchmark for local government”, according to a lawyer. Terry Bramham, of Macquarie Local Government Lawyers, who helped write the new rules, said “the protocol establishes a new benchmark for local government, with [the shire] leading the way”. Adopted at the shire’s Tuesday 11 December public meeting, the Meeting Procedures Protocol 2018 is described by the mayor, Cr David Gill, as being “a more transparent and accountable decision making process”. “I believe that the reforms will make MPSC the leader of municipalities in Victoria regarding open, fair and…
DESPITE publicity and the pleas for parents to use common sense, every year in Australia more than 5000 children are rescued after being left alone in hot cars. In the year to the end of August, Ambulance Victoria was called to 1587 cases of people locked in cars in Victoria – the majority being toddlers and babies. Last week, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and Kidsafe Victoria launched its Kids in Cars awareness campaign at Seawinds Community Hub, Capel Sound, ahead of the annual influx of an estimated 140,000 visitors over the summer holidays. The temperature inside a parked car could…
BELGRAVIA Leisure has been hired until 2022 to run the soon-to-be-completed $9 million Somerville Recreation Centre. The deal extends Mornington Peninsula Shire’s partnership with the sports management company which already runs the Pelican Park Recreation Centre, Civic Reserve Recreation Centre, Crib Point Pool, Western Port Gymnastics at Hastings Hub and All Access outreach programs. Belgravia will take over management of the Somerville stadium operation from 1 January with the rebuild expected to be completed by April. Somerville Health and Fitness Studio will cease operation and wellness programming will be provided from the new centre. The mayor Cr David Gill said…
PHOTOGRAPHER Kelly McDonald, above, is one of the master editors giving children in hospital a picturesque lift over Christmas. Volunteers from the The heART Project photograph the children in hospital and then digitally add a fantasy scene to the finished print. The project, which in previous years has gained widespread media attention, involved a team of 110 volunteer photographers 10 cities around the world photographing children on green screen. The finished portraits portrayed them in a magical Christmas scene with Santa. This was the first time the project has been taken overseas. “Working with kids is what makes my heart…
SHAKESPEARE’S Much Ado About Nothing will be performed at Coolart Homestead and Wetlands 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 5 and 6 January, at the Coolart homestead, Somers. The play is Shakespeare’s humorous guide to the “battle between the sexes”, full of comic incident, bumbling security guards, squabbling brothers, and mismatched lovers. It is a mix of suspense, high drama and delightful comedy, brought to life with powerful acting and exquisite costumes. This is the 12th year OZACT has been performing at Coolart Homestead. Details: Visit ozact.com for tickets which usually sell out before the performance day. First published in the Western Port…
MORNINGTON Little Athletics Centre topped off their year with their very own junior version of the Stawell Gift, the Christmas Handicap, on Saturday 8 December. Junior athletes from under-6s through to under-16s competed in the junior (under-6 to under-8) and senior (under-9 to under-16) handicapped races over 100m at the Mornington Secondary College in hopes of claiming the annual MLAC Christmas Handicap title. The girls reigned supreme in both of the handicapped races. The Inflatable Land Junior Handicap was won by under-6s girl, Amelia Carroll, while the Gravity Zone Senior Handicap was won by under-13s girl, Madalyne Mundy. Mornington Little…
THE State Triples and Fours bowls competitions have been run and won in the past two weeks. After a re-schedule of play, the Triples were played at the Mount Eliza Bowling Club on Wednesday 5 December where Frankston and Karingal came out on top in the men’s and women’s events, respectively. The Frankston team made up of Grant Catterick (CoF), Darren Mathers (Kar) and John Curtain (CoF) defeated the host club, Mount Eliza, in the men’s final and will make their way through to the next stage at the Brighton Bowling Club. Mount Eliza Bowling Club chairman Dale Verhagen said…
DESPITE the publicity, and the pleas for parents to use common sense, every year in Australia more than 5000 children are rescued after being left alone in hot cars. In the year to the end of August, Ambulance Victoria was called to 1587 cases of people locked in cars in Victoria – the vast majority toddlers and babies. Last week, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and Kidsafe Victoria launched its Kids in Cars awareness campaign at Seawinds Community Hub, Capel Sound, ahead of the annual influx of an estimated 140,000 visitors over the summer holidays. The temperature inside a parked car…
SEVEN out of 10 cars are stolen with their own keys – a statistic that’s alarming police. Crime Stoppers Victoria is urging drivers to consider how easy they are making it for thieves by leaving their keys in accessible areas of their homes. Next month, Crime Stoppers Victoria together with police, National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council, Department of Justice, and Neighbourhood Watch, will begin a community awareness campaign to highlight what they call crimes of opportunity. Thieves take advantage of unlocked doors and open windows in homes and cars – especially where they can see valuables inside. Also, 70…
THE driver of a black SUV involved in a hit-run collision at Lyndhurst, Saturday 1 December, is being sought by police. Somerville Highway Patrol members said the incident followed an argument between two drivers travelling north on Dandenong-Frankston Road, Carrum Downs, heading towards Dandenong, about 5:55pm. The driver of a Volkswagen sedan turned into Glasscocks Road, Lyndhurst, where he and a passenger got out. The SUV also turned into Glasscocks Road and then drove into the other driver. The SUV, believed to be a 2001-2006 Ford Explorer, quickly left the scene and is yet to be found. The man police…
By Barry Morris Environment group BERG Mt Martha has celebrated 21 years protecting and enhancing the Balcombe Estuary by announcing it is expanding its activities around the bayside village. Speaking at an end-of-year Christmas party, president Graham Hubbard said BERG MM had completed much of the on-ground restoration work for the reserves and was now largely in a maintenance phase. “Consequently, we have taken the bold step to widen our strategic vision, to be concerned with all natural environment issues in and around Mt Martha and Balcombe Creek, such as plastic pollution and coastal erosion,” he said. “We believe that…
ALTHOUGH coronary care nurse Aida Singer turns 75 in January, she has no plans to retire. Ms Singer has just clocked up 45 years’ service with Peninsula Health and last week received a Service Milestone Award. “I love nursing and I love all the people,” says Ms Singer, an associate nurse unit manager at Frankston Hospital. Ms Singer moved to Australia from the Philippines in the 1960s after studying her Bachelor of Nursing and Science. “My father was a doctor and my sister, cousin and brother all work in health,” she said. “I was exposed to nursing growing up as…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire along with Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation and Victoria Police have again launched a summer road safety campaign for pedestrians. The nation-wide campaign now involves 39 municipalities in four states. Road safety banners and signs will be placed at tourist hotspots and main roads urging drivers to slow down and for pedestrians to take care. Signs designed to appeal to children, with phrases such as Slow Down, Kids Around and Hold my Hand will be displayed at Dromana, Rosebud and Rye. The surge in visitors during school holidays means thousands of children will be using peninsula roads over…
HEAVY rain and un-summery weather late last week was expected to further degrade water quality at peninsula beaches “for at least the next few days”, the Environment Protection Authority says. “There’s a 28 degree day forecasted for Wednesday (19 December) so EPA is encouraging people to check the water quality website before swimming and consider the local pool instead.” Thursday’s thunderstorms dumped as much as 48mm of rain in bayside areas and showers are forecast to continue this week. “These heavy rains will result in poor water quality for a number of days,” EPA marine specialist applied scientist Alison Kemp…
OFFENDERS used a Holden utility to ram their way through the front glass doors and into the K-Mart store in Victoria Street, Hastings, early Sunday 9 December. Somerville CIU detectives said two men were seen on CCTV using a crow bar to force open internal doors and enter the self-checkout area. They left empty handed. One was wearing a fluoro green tradie top and green hoody; the other a blue hoodie. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000. First published in the Western Port News – 12 December 2018
TWO sites are being considered for a new boat ramp in Western Port: Yaringa Road, Somerville or Stony Point. Shane Murphy, executive director of the Mornington Peninsula Marine Alliance, said a feasibility study had shown the locations were the “only two sites as having the capability of providing 200-300 car and trailer parking alongside”. The Yaringa site was south of Yaringa Marina while the Stony Point location would involve expanding the existing boat ramp. “Existing marine infrastructure around our bays needs substantial investment to improve boating safety and, most importantly, a new major ramp to cater for the strong growth…
LONG time environmental campaigner Greg Hunt has been appointed executive officer of the Western Port Biosphere Reserve Foundation. When announcing Mr Hunt’s appointment at the foundation’s annual general meeting, foundation chair Duncan Malcolm, that the new executive officer was “not the Flinders MP”. “It’s not Greg Hunt whose job as federal minister for health means he’s a bit busy for this job, but rather the Greg Hunt who many in the region will know as the previous executive officer of the South East Councils Climate Change Alliance,” Mr Malcolm said. “Greg brings deep knowledge of the area, broad networks and…