GAS prices for Mornington Peninsula households are likely to drop between $40 and $185 a year from next year as network charges fall 11 per cent. This surprising revelation comes as most gas consumers fear increases as a result of soaring exports from the North-West Shelf and Galilee Basin projects in Western Australia and Queensland. But, for about 650,000 households and small businesses in Victoria and around Albury, NSW – including 150,000-180,000 on the peninsula and in Gippsland – the reverse is expected to be the case. This follows Australian Gas Networks (AGN) submitting to the Australian Energy Regulator its…
Author: Stephen Taylor
A DAY of fun in the water at Point Leo for up to 150 people with disabilities was called off on Saturday because of sharks. It was feared sharks would be attracted to the beach by a rotting whale carcass washed up on the beach at nearby Shoreham on Wednesday. The committee of the Disabled Surfers Association Mornington Peninsula changed the year’s first event from surfing to a barbecue – although the shark threat did not deter surfers enjoying the first swell in Western Port since the New Year. DSA Mornington Peninsula president Ashley Gardner said the event’s cancellation followed…
THE overwhelming stench of urine and cigarettes greeted Mt Martha resident Peta Donaldson and her eight-year-old daughter when they visited the Pillars after a heatwave weekend’s crush of young visitors had departed. “The weather was calm, with not a breath of wind, yet the Pillars literally smelt like a hideous concoction of a public toilet and an oversized filthy ashtray,” she said last week. “Thousands of cigarettes were left on the cliff. Wafts of urine hit us in the face as we climbed the coastline. So strong was the stench my daughter dry wretched – not ideal for a supposedly…
HEALTH risks associated with fire-fighting foams at HMAS Cerberus have been assessed as “very low”. However, the officer overseeing the clean-up of the potentially dangerous chemicals says those most likely to be affected are those in contact with contaminated ground water. These may include people who drink tank water supplemented by bore water, but could extend anyone eating fish caught near Hanns Inlet on which the base is situated in Western Port. A full-scale ecological risk assessment next year by GHD environment consultants will more fully analyse samples of soil, sediment, water and plants – as well as the areas…
HOUSES in some southeast suburbs are more than twice as likely to be burgled as the average Victorian home, the RACV’s analysis of the 2015-16 crime statistics reveals. The average burglary rate rose from one-in-74 homes to one-in-68 homes, as the number of burglaries reported to police increased by 10 per cent across the state. The RACV’s interactive digital map can zoom in on any postcode to find out its burglary rate. Mornington Peninsula postcodes continued to feature after making the top 10 for the first time last year. This year, Rye, Shoreham and Balnarring were all deemed riskier than…
TRADERS worried about losing their businesses to a Mornington arcade development were out collecting signatures for a petition in Main St last week. Plenty of sympathetic shoppers were eager to sign the petition which states in part: “Did you know that demolition is planned for 55-61 Main St, the lovely set of four shops in a heritage building dating back to 1901? A shopping arcade, offices and apartments (three storeys high) right smack bang in the middle of Main St’s quaint little shopping strip. “Please sign this petition if you are against the building of a shopping arcade.” The traders…
BLAIRGOWRIE boat-owner John Armstrong believes changes to Mornington Peninsula Shire’s boat launch permits are intrusive and restrictive. The $125 annual fee – as explained on the shire’s website – “entitles the applicant to launch and retrieve boats from the shire’s boat launching facilities and park in the designated car parks.” The new permit comes in the form of a windscreen sticker that must be attached to the bottom left-hand side of the vehicle’s windscreen. A letter to boaties from the shire’s environment protection unit said “feedback from customers advising of concerns with the practicality and reliability of the annual boat…
CONTROVERSY over a slew of speeding fines on Peninsula Link may have been avoided if motorists had been able to use Julian Varricchio’s latest innovation. The 24-year-old from Dromana has developed a free phone app that constantly displays and records a driver’s real-time speed – especially useful in point-to-point calculations, such as on freeways. The data can be used to determine an average speed and then be exported and possibly used as evidence to fight speeding infringements using what Mr Varricchio believes is incontrovertible data. “The end goal is that drivers will be recording all their trips and providing themselves…
ROSEBUD Police Station Commander Steve Wood is urging revellers to be aware of restrictions on New Year’s Eve festivities. “To ensure the safety of everyone celebrating New Year’s Eve on the Mornington Peninsula there will be no public entertainment, no public fireworks [at Rye] and bans on alcohol in all public places,” he said. “Entry to most hotels will be by pre-purchased ticketed events only and the Rye carnival will not be operating.” Gambling and liquor regulators will be working with police to make sure hotels and other licensed premises do not sell liquor to minors and drunks or allow…
THE release of a State of the Bays report is regarded as a “critical first step in securing the good health of our marine environments”, according to the Victorian National Parks Association. “Port Phillip and Western Port are under increasing pressure as the populations of Melbourne, Geelong and the bays’ catchments continue to grow,” the association’s marine and coastal campaigner Chris Smyth said. “As a result, urban and industrial development, climate change, introduced marine pests, fishing and shipping will continue to threaten the health of the bays.” The report studied the health of both waterways, providing a stocktake of the…
DOZENS of dead fish have been turning up in Merricks Creek over the past few weeks. “Most of the fish carcasses, 30-40cm adult black bream, are on the creek margins to the west of the Balnarring Beach road bridge,” Barry Greer, of Balnarring, said. “I have contacted Melbourne Water and the Balnarring Foreshore Committee but both entities insist that it’s a natural event and there’s no cause for concern. “I have spent much time around the creek and have never seen this number of dead fish in the creek or estuary before. The strange part is that only these large…
FIRE danger periods for the Mornington Peninsula, Frankston and Kingston CFA districts will begin 1am, Monday 19 December. During this time fires cannot be lit in the open air without a written permit from CFA or a municipal fire prevention officer. Fire danger periods are based on local conditions and take into account fuel moisture, fuel loads, grassland curing, weather and rainfall. CFA District 8 operations manager Mark Kennedy said forecasts showed potential for an above average fire season, despite recent heavy rain and flooding in many parts of the state. “The rainfall we experienced in spring has produced a…
MAIN St traders fear a proposed three-storey mixed use development opposite Blake St will force them out of their businesses and ruin the heritage feel of the area. Their four shops, at 55-61 Main St, were sold in August 2014 for $4.2 million after being built in 1902 and renovated in the 1930s. Businesses affected are Eco D, Koh Living, an optometrist, and a tea shop, at least one of which has been trading for up to 15 years. It is believed the businesses – with the exception of Koh Living – are on short-term leases and the tenants could…
IT was 1968 and the Premier of Victoria was Henry Bolte, John Gorton was Prime Minister, Lionel Rose was world bantamweight champion, The Seekers were Australians of the Year and Rain Lover won the Melbourne Cup. On the roads, Victorian-built Holdens and Fords were the vehicles of choice. And David Bristow began his fledging career at Balnarring Motors. Last week, after 48 years and two months, Mr Bristow said goodbye to the business which has been a big part of his life and also that of his son, also David. A mechanical engineer, Mr Bristow, 74, started working at the…
ONE hundred years ago this month – on 11 December 1916 – a group of Mornington residents met at the Mechanics Institute in Main St to discuss forming a fire brigade. At that time, Mornington was a small but progressive township with a population of 1100. It had about 500 houses, four churches, four hotels, state school, girls’ private school, two convent schools, post office, courthouse, police station and a lock-up. It was the middle of World War I, less than a year after Gallipoli, and armies on both sides were bogged down in the trenches and sustaining heavy losses…
MOTORISTS who continue to drive while over 0.05 per cent are often certain they “won’t get caught” and can best avoid accidents by driving slowly. They ignore the risks while maintaining that it is more convenient, cheaper and quicker to take their chances than seeking alternative transport. Many blame alcohol for reducing their inhibitions and responsible decision-making. But the possible dangers for them and other road users is high, and the costs – after getting pulled over – far outweigh any presumed savings. These confronting findings emerged from a nation-wide online survey (Facebook, Twitter and Linked-In) by designated driver service…
A RECORD number of patients sought treatment at Frankston Hospital’s emergency department after an early evening cool change swept through last Monday (21 November). The thunderstorm asthma event described by senior Melbourne medicos as “a health emergency of unprecedented scale” put emergency medical services under pressure throughout Melbourne. Eight people have now died and thousands were left gasping for breath after wild winds coincided with a high pollen count. Such was the scale of the event that Ambulance Victoria was forced to issue an alert on Twitter. After the weather-driven disaster hit, Frankston Hospital’s emergency department was deluged with 77 patients…
ANIMAL advocates are protesting against the number of cats being killed after being held at Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Community Animal Shelter. Around 25 people from across Melbourne attended the rally on Sunday 20 November at the Watt Rd pound. Many are in animal rescue groups or advocacy work and used the time to discuss best practice management with colleagues. The shelter, which holds animals found wandering on the peninsula, has been criticised for its alleged high-kill rates, barriers to adoption and limited public opening hours. Rally organiser Rosy Fischer, a former volunteer at the pound, said she spoke out “after…
GUESTS at the Helping Hands morning tea, Friday, at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, were challenged by speaker Jules Allen to stand if they knew anyone experiencing either depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health issues, job loss, separation, loss of a loved one, or low self-esteem. “Wow, I think I can stop there,” she said, to a hall full of standing people. “Have a good look around, do a circle, look around the room. Where are they? They are right here, they are us and we are them, there is no them and us, there is only us.”…
THE Department of Defence has ordered a “detailed environmental investigation” in and around the HMAS Cerberus base after the discovery of traces of a chemical carcinogen outside the base. The per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) was contained in aqueous fire-fighting foams used in training and is suspected of infecting soil and ground water as run-off. Although phased out by the department in 2004, the chemical was used for decades at defence force bases throughout Australia. HMAS Cerberus is one of 12 sites under investigation, with some, such as the Townsville RAAF Base, and HMAS Stirling near Perth, already found to…
A UNION raid on a large Boneo vegetable farm on Tuesday was prompted by fears that workers at the site were not receiving their legal minimum entitlements. The National Union of Workers – acting under the authority of the Fair Work Commission – sent delegates to A & G Lamattina & Sons, of Browns Rd, Tuesday 15 November, to investigate claims the workers were being “systematically underpaid”. The unionists are believed to have demanded to see employment records of all workers. But the company, which did not respond to inquiries from The News, rejected the charges in a statement released…
RESIDENTS’ plans for a walkway along the cliff-face linking the increasingly popular The Pillars diving rocks with South Beach, Mt Martha, may be scuttled because of impracticalities and high costs. The group said in a letter to newly-elected Briars ward councillors Bev Colomb, Rosie Clark and Sam Hearn that a “timber boardwalk, like that at the Balcombe Estuary, would protect vegetation and Aboriginal middens, prevent any further soil erosion along the cliff, and keep people off the Esplanade and out of local streets”. “Already a pathway runs halfway from South Beach to the Pillars. It would be fenced, like the Cape…
A BLAIRGOWRIE cricket player has given a lot back to the game he loves. But now Luke Serong is preparing to bid farewell to his charity Cricket4Kids, which has donated tonnes of second-hand cricket equipment to needy children all over the world. After living in London as a flight manager with Qantas, Mr Serong, 38, flew home via Sri Lanka almost a decade ago with wife Bree. Visiting a school which had been devastated by a tsunami, they noticed hordes of children playing cricket in hand-me-down gear of poor quality. “We cooked up the idea for the charity there,” he…
BOB Cooper could talk about the joys of sailing all day. The Rye resident, who joined the local sailing club 40 years ago, has made sailing and teaching the sport his lifelong passion. And the effort has been worthwhile. Mr Rogers was recently named Sailing Instructor of the Year by yachting’s highest body, Australian Sailing, and presented with his trophy at a gala affair at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He also received a perpetual trophy. As the sailing school principal at Rye Yacht Club, Mr Cooper coordinates the training of all levels in the juniors to adults sailing program. He…
MORNINGTON Community Information & Support Centre staff got a smelly welcome to work on Tuesday morning. A blocked South East Water pipe had flooded their 320 Main St office with sewerage water through a pipe in the toilets. Manager Lisa Elliott said she arrived at work to “see a wave of dirty water drifting across the carpet”. “It was being pumped up through the drain in the bathroom like a fountain and swamped the centre in half an hour.” She said the sewerage water “destroyed” everything in the centre, with workman called in on Thursday to remove carpets and preparing…
INCREASINGLY busy roads and congested traffic are making it hard for families to get to beaches from McRae to Sorrento – let alone have a swim. The opening of Eastlink, allowing easier access to hordes of visitors, particularly during the peak summer season November-April, has swelled the number of day-trippers and road users. This, coupled with few designated road crossings, has made it “virtually impossible to cross the road safely”, mother-of-four Tiffany Wills, who regularly visits her mother-in-law at Kevin St, Tootgarook, said. “We live 50 metres walking distance from the beach. But to cross Point Nepean Rd safely with…
A HASTINGS man discovered sleeping in a car in a quiet lane off Oliver’s Hill, Frankston, last week, was reportedly one of the Mornington Peninsula’s most wanted men. The 25-year-old – who was accompanied by a woman – was seen by a local in what turned out to be a stolen Mercedes sedan about 7am, Tuesday 8 November. Frankston uniform police who attended allegedly found a rifle in the car which was allegedly stolen from a Somerville property on 31 October. Detective Senior Sergeant Peter Drake, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said the man was later charged with 40 offences, including…
LANGWARRIN fisherman Harry Sellers is the 2016 Victorian Amateur Snapper Champion after he landed an 11.866kg fish over the Melbourne Cup weekend. Jake Milligan, of Mornington, was a close runner up with a snapper weighing 11.620kg, while Rohan McRae, of Wonthaggi, caught the third heaviest Big Red at 9.840kg. The 2016 junior champion is Hunter Blackford, of Frankston, whose fish weighed 7.800kg. The 33rd Tea Tree snapper competition was held on both Port Phillip and Western Port bays with the weigh in and presentation at Mornington Racecourse. The 1492 competitors caught and weighed 1200 fish, with 719 fish coming from…
ROSEBUD residents Margaret and Mike Ringham are aware that fate moves in mysterious and wonderful ways. The couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at Trofeo Estate, Dromana, with their family and friends last week. But things would have turned out differently if British-born Mike, who was walking to work in a typical cold, dank London pea-souper in the early 1950s – with the foggy air invading his lungs – hadn’t thought that there had to be a better way of spending his life. Returning from lunch, he impulsively turned into the office of P&O Shipping Company and applied for a…
MORNINGTON Peninsula service stations are increasingly being targeted by late-night thieves. The Red Hill United servo was hit for the fifth time overnight on Wednesday 2 November, after previous robberies on 30 October, two in May – when doors to the servo were wrenched off their hinges – and one in September. Thieves used different vehicles on each occasion, with the latest getaway car a Ford Falcon utility bearing false number plates. A 23-year-old Clyde man was arrested on Friday and charged with the two most recent Red Hill United burglaries. He appeared at a bail hearing at Melbourne Magistrates’…