Author: Stephen Taylor

SUMMER camping can’t come quickly enough for Capel Sound Foreshore manager Wayne Nicholls. He’ll be able to show off the new coastal amenity block that’s just been completed at the end of Truemans Road when campers flock to the reserves for the opening of the season on 19 December. It has four ambulant and one all-abilities toilet, as well as two outdoor showers. This, along with a rework of the car park area to move it away from the beach front and create extra parking, is the first stage of a proposed three-stage development that will make this beachfront reserve…

SOMERS has a new attraction – the Totem Trail – and an illustrated “map” to help users find their way along it. Although organisers had to cancel Somers Primary School’s arts fair this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, they have embraced a new way to celebrate the character of Somers and raise funds for the school. Artist Lizzie Dennis has created a map featuring 24 totem poles dotted around the area. It has been printed on tea towels. Visitors are invited to use the map to take a stroll through Somers and spot the totem artworks. Totem Trail tea towels…

CONSERVATION has always been of interest to Belinda Eden, but never more so than since moving to Balnarring two years ago. “We came here from Melbourne because Balnarring is a beautiful coastal town with a certain charm and character,” Ms Eden said. “It’s a special place and should be protected so that it does not become overdeveloped, or lose the habitat that is home to many species of precious wildlife, including koalas. “I think when we moved here, I felt a real responsibility to get involved and make it a priority to be informed about environmental issues. My passion has…

EAGER foreshore campers got a shock last week when Mornington Peninsula Shire pulled the pin on this year’s holidays. The shire emailed those with bookings at its Rosebud, Rye and Sorrento campgrounds on Wednesday night (4 November) notifying them of its decision to postpone camping until February. The 1136 campsites were expected to be available from the last weekend of October, in time for the Melbourne Cup weekend, until April. But a council risk assessment concluded it could not safely go ahead. Mornington Peninsula Shire CEO John Baker said the postponement was the “right decision with restrictions still in place…

A MAJOR section of Main Street, Mornington is about to be turned into a pedestrian mall, at least until the end of February. With state government approval cars will be banned from the street to encourage outdoor dining and shopping between Barkly Street and the Esplanade. Key commercial areas in other towns will also undergo changes to enable more open-air trading, with traffic speeds slowed and some parking spaces being used for outdoor eating. Mornington Peninsula Shire says the moves are part of a plan to help peninsula traders bounce back from lockdown. The decision was made by shire officers…

FRANK Brown and cycling go back a long way. The 90-year-old, of Hastings, is a member of the Spice cycling group at Balnarring and enjoys his weekly 40 kilometre Saturday ride with the group of mates he befriended in 1983. Last Saturday they held a “birthday ride” for their friend who celebrated his milestone birthday on 18 October. Mr Brown says he can “usually” keep up with the younger members but admits to finding the hills a “bit of a challenge”. During the week and depending on the weather he may go out for a solo ride on his carbon…

SORRENTO dining hotspots Morgan’s and Sardo Sorrento are taking their cleaning and contact tracing duties up a notch with what is described as the “gold standard” in cleaning and customer safety. The push for higher standards was motivated by the 28 October reopening date to ensure all hospitality venues are able to stay open. Morgan’s proprietor Julian Gerner says the Gold Standard Health and Wellbeing Plan is over and above the COVID Safe plans already submitted to the state government and was developed in collaboration with the Australian Hotels Association, industry gurus and after consultation with the Restaurant and Caterers…

MORNINGTON police took part in the recent Wonder Woman walk to raise money for ovarian cancer research. The walk began in 2016 when Senior Constable Andy Powell’s wife, Helen, was diagnosed with advanced stages of the disease. Six of her friends took part in a 30 kilometre walk from Safety Beach to Sorrento and it has grown in numbers every year since. Their red clothing honours TV’s Wonder Woman character. In 2017 the participants tripled to 18, then in 2018 it grew to 60. Last year there were more than 200 Wonder Woman walkers (including a few men). Helen Powell…

THE title of the book says it all: 2020 a year like no other. While nothing could have prepared Victorians for tragic surprises and uncertainties of this year, the writers’ group of U3a Dromana, has completed a book of short lockdown observations to illustrate how individual members fared during the pandemic. “Despite all the upheaval this year we kept on meeting virtually and decided to write a series of poetry and micro stories in the form of a journal,” organiser Sue Brown said. Nine others recorded their thoughts and observations on a weekly basis. “The writers’ group members have led…

THE only rule of the Tough Guy Book Club is that you do not talk about it. Described as a “fight club for your mind” the club is a “modern meeting place for guys of all walks of life to get together once a month to discuss not just the works of literary greats, but any and all of the issues that men tackle daily”. The inaugural meeting of the Mornington Tough Guy Book Club is 7pm tomorrow (Wednesday 4 November) at The Royal, 770 Esplanade, Mornington. Under discussion is Fahrenheit 451, a book by Ray Bradbury: the dystopian novel…

NOT too many weddings get interrupted by an air raid, but that’s happened when British couple Frank and Rena O’Neil, pictured, tied the knot during the darkest days of World War II. “We had just finished our wedding vows when there was an air raid and we all ran for cover,” Mr O’Neil said. “There were huge rations at the time so we didn’t have any champagne, wine or cake to celebrate with.” The October 1942 wedding – when Rena was 19 and Frank 21 – came after they met while playing in the street as teenagers. They celebrated their…

A STROLL along the Old Mornington railway line from Wooralla Drive convinced Mount Eliza couple Ann and John Scholes that any proposed bike path should be subject to an environmental effects statement to protect indigenous flora and fauna along the route. Ms Scholes was referring to plans by Mornington Community Safelink Group and Mornington Railway Preservation Society to complete the Peninsula Bay Trail’s missing links from Moorooduc to Mornington, (“Groups align for shared path” The News 27/7/20). She said an EES would be a “simple reflection on the beauty and extent of the endangered habitats and indigenous plant species and…

A MORNINGTON woman has complained to Mornington Peninsula Shire Council over the felling of five gum trees that created “a lovely park-like vista”. However, the shire says the trees were “close to death” and will be replaced. Lynette Catlin said the five gums at the corner of Barkly Street and Waterloo Place were “more attractive than any others in all of Mornington”. “It was a lovely park-like vista. They were not tall, straggly ones with messy bark, like most of the ones throughout the other streets, but low growing, slightly twisted with the most beautiful coloured trunks and weeping type…

MORNINGTON, Mount Martha, Mount Eliza and Frankston are ranked fourth in insurer AAMI’s list of storm-damaged suburbs. This comes after analysis of almost 19,000 storm-related insurance claims across Victoria from June 2019-July 2020. The suburbs are among areas in Melbourne’s south east that copped the most damage from storms over the past 12 months – especially after one storm in January that produced large hail, damaging winds and flash flooding. The damage led to more than 8000 insurance claims. The south east has consistently topped the list of storm damaged regions over the past three years, with significantly more home…

A “LIGHT touch, streamlined permit system” for extended outdoor trading is part of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s strategy to help businesses get back on their feet now that COVID-19 restrictions have eased. Features include extending footpath space and adding parklets – which repurpose car parking spaces outside shopfronts – to make more space for diners. CEO John Baker said the shire was also working with the business community to identify key shopping strips that could be opened up to pedestrians and diners. “We want to provide more options to enable people to support our local economy and enjoy all the peninsula…

RYE-based Maddy Herbert, pictured above right, sings and writes for the neo-soul, alternative-pop and jazz-rock “project” Velvet Bloom. While Bloom members have performed together for three years Herbert, 24, also sings solo or with different variations of her band The Vito Collective’s repertoire with the project. Her debut EP in 2019, Bitter Sweet, as well as singles Isobel’s Song – Live at Box Hill, Teach Ya and DM ME received praise and airplay from Triple J and on Triple J Unearthed. Velvet Bloom also won Listen-Up Music Org’s 2019 national Songs That Heal competition. Earlier this year the band released…

FOOTY fans desperate for a slice of the action were denied their chance to watch the AFL’s first interstate Grand Final live at Dromana Drive-In on Saturday. Proprietor Paul Whitaker said he was “gutted” by the state government’s refusal to allow the live telecast which would have been even more special with fans allowed to attend from up to 25km away. In the weeks leading up to the big night it seemed the planets were aligning with both the AFL and broadcaster Channel 7 giving him the thumbs up. All that was needed was a nod from the government and…

RESTAURANTS, cafes and pubs are being given the green light to extend their table service outside as Mornington Peninsula Shire – and the state government – relax rules around outdoor dining permits. Hundreds of hospitality businesses are expected to apply for free, temporary extended outdoor dining permits, in advance of next Monday’s (2 November – since publication date has been brought forward to Wednesday 28 October) opening. Planning Minister Richard Wynne said venues could use open spaces, including streets, footpaths and car parks to “add to venue capacity while restrictions reduce the number of patrons allowed for indoor dining”. Businesses…

A GROUP of Peninsula Grammar students are determined to keep themselves active and involved in making jumps for their bikes – despite Mornington Peninsula Shire confirming their actions contravene local laws. A group of grade 5 boys has written to The News after reading about other boys building bike jumps at Mountain View park, Mount Eliza (“Bike jumps now an election issue” The News 12/10/20). Fintan Odea, Angus Donges, Jack French and Ethan Drummond want the shire to understand their needs and let them continue making the jumps as a way of “letting off steam” and allowing them to stay…

REPORTS of underage drinking, graffiti attacks, verbal abuse of neighbours, assaults, throwing rocks and leaving rubbish in Somerville prompted a fast response from Hastings police. Senior Sergeant Warren Francis-Pester met with Hastings MP Neale Burgess last week after Mr Burgess was told by the principals of Somerville Secondary College and Somerville Rise Primary School about anti-social behaviour on school property. They blamed a group of six “squatters” in the wetlands behind the two schools for the offences. While patrolling the problem area, Saturday 10 October, as part of the new Operation Miscreant, Hastings police spotted eight youths drinking. The group…

CONSERVATION groups are stepping up their campaign against a proposed quarry right next to Arthur’s Seat State Park. The #SaveArthursSeat petition passed 18,000 signatures last week. “We have seen an incredible outpouring of community concern about this new quarry proposal,” Michelle de la Coeur, of lead campaigner Peninsula Preservation Group, said. “We have been inundated with inquiries from people across the Mornington Peninsula and the greater Victorian community wanting to understand its potential impact on the Arthurs Seat State Park biolink, remnant bushland and our native animals, including koalas and other small mammals. “We have also seen a steep escalation…

NOT one to do things by halves, Sorrento restaurateur Julian Gerner is leading what’s been described as a “novel” and “bold” High Court bid to force a relaxation of Victoria’s tough COVID-19 lockdown rules. The proprietor of Morgan’s bar and restaurant and former owner of The Continental hotel will argue that the five-kilometre rule and essential worker permits are a disproportionate response in the fight against the virus. Mr Gerner will contend that the restrictions go against citizens’ implied rights of freedom of movement within the states to take part in personal, family, recreational and commercial activities – in short,…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire planning compliance officers conducted an “urgent inspection” at a Rye property earlier this month after neighbours complained of unauthorised and extensive tree felling. The department’s manager Paul Lewis later confirmed that “trees were removed from shire land [the nature strip] without consent”. He did not mention tree felling inside the property, adding: “The matter is still being investigated so we cannot comment further at this stage.” Outraged neighbours said the owners had “cleared the block of every single tree” as well as several large trees on the nature strip, displacing wildlife, including baby magpies, parrots and rainbow…

MOUNT Eliza resident Joanne Gunnersen believes Christmas is a time for giving, not receiving, and has seen her bountiful taste treats raise more than $162,000 for the Cancer Council of Victoria over the past 12 years. The founder of Christmas Cakes for Cancer, Ms Gunnersen has worked diligently to develop Joanne’s Handmade Christmas Cakes from baking 200 cakes at her home when she started in 2008 to a high of 10,500 in 2017. The money goes to fight bladder, pancreatic and kidney and other “insidious and hidden” cancers which, she says, tend to be under funded. This year, because of…

THE Friends of Williams Road Beach are pleased that Hengyi Pacific has acknowledged the public open space between its proposed retirement centre at Mount Eliza and the foreshore. The developer is keen to transform the 3.41-hectare site at 33 Jacksons Road into a $160 million “retirement community” overlooking Canadian Bay. A 19th century residence and two other buildings date from 1878. They were also previously a hospital and aged care facility and have heritage protection (“Big plans for Beachleigh” The News 29/9/20). Plans lodged last month seek approval to build 105 low density dwellings with a two-storey height limit, wellness…

THE proprietor of the Big Goose animal petting farm Justin Orr says, with some irony, that he has never sought charity, but that’s exactly who came to help as he battled to supply food to his animals during the COVID-19 closure. Mount Martha mum Charity Cooper – who says Big Goose is the “saviour of sunny days and stay-at-home parents all year long” – started a campaign to raise money to feed the animals during the stage four restrictions and surprised herself by generating $4300. The money went towards filling one of the Moorooduc farm’s silos with feed for the…

NEIL Farnsworth was buying hardware at Red Hill South when he learned his wife and two of his sons had been involved in a horrific car crash on the Point Leo Road, about five minutes’ drive away, early in 2019. What followed was a cruel race against fate and destiny with generous help from a close-knit rural community – help which Mr Farnsworth admits he will never be able to repay but for which he is eternally grateful. “They are my saviours,” he says. The crash, about 4.30pm, Wednesday 13 February, turned family life on its head. Nothing would or…

DROMANA Drive-In has scored two quick goals in getting permission from the AFL and Channel 7 to live telecast the AFL Grand Final. But the result won’t be known until owner-operators Paul and Shelley Whitaker get the nod from the state government to screen the event before an anticipated crowd of hundreds on Saturday 24 October. Following on from the successful Saints versus Bulldogs match at the drive-in last June, they said that to host the big game on Victorian soil “would be so important for many fans and even those watching for the first time”. “It’s been a team…

SOPHIE Jackson took after her father and grandfather in learning to sail in the sheltered waters of Mornington harbour beginning in the summer of 2009. Although she was always known around the Mornington Yacht Club, the gifted sailor has charted her own course in the sport and is making a name for herself not only in Mornington but around Australia. Jackson – an instigator of the TrySail initiative to introduce the sport to 8 to 10-year-olds – has also been female state champion in her Optimist dinghy for a record three years in a row. Commodore Greg Martin said Jackson…

KIDS were out in the fresh air, using their initiative, having fun, and letting off steam last week on improvised bike ramps – but some people saw their antics as vandalism of a public park and leaving a mess for others to clean up afterwards. The two schools of thought have parents on one side happy to see their kids occupied outdoors and amazed that some of their neighbours could take an opposing view and report them. Police arrived at Mountain View playground in Mount Eliza last week and asked children playing on the jumps for their names, addresses and…