Author: Stephen Taylor

OPPONENTS of development plans on the former Ranch Motel site at Mount Martha are celebrating its refusal by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council last week. The plan, put forward by applicant George Makool, included two three-storey buildings with a 96-place childcare centre and 53 serviced apartments – including five for social housing – on the 5630 square metre property at the corner of Nepean Highway and Bentons Road. The Makool family previously had the Oasis Cafe on the site which closed in 2016 in a dispute over permit requirements. Councillors unanimously supported Cr Anthony Marsh’s motion to knock back the plan…

A CLASH among Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors over climate targets has led to one saying he has been unfairly labelled a “liar”. Cr Steve Holland, who last week failed in his bid to have the council confirm that it would “not abandon natural gas for heating” in the run up to 2040 Climate Emergency Plan deadline, said: “Since the initial vote four weeks ago which progressed plans to phase out gas in new developments, I’ve been accused of lying, playing politics, scaremongering and spreading misinformation for personal gain. “[These] smears, from people who play the man and not the ball,…

ENVIRONMENTAL groups across the Mornington Peninsula are applauding the state government’s ban on releasing helium balloons into the environment. Environment Protection Authority laws introduced last week make it illegal to deliberately release balloons in Victoria, with a fine of almost $1000 for those caught doing so. The laws have been put in place to help protect wildlife and prevent environmental damage. Zoos Victoria conservation campaigner Darcie Carruthers said the balloons “popped eventually and often landed in waterways where they’re eaten by fish or other wildlife”. He said released helium balloons come back to earth as litter and threaten wildlife. “Turtles,…

CAMPERS will be able to savour the delights of a night under the stars at the Old Quarantine Station at Point Nepean from mid-next year. A camp ground is being prepared among the moonah trees as part of the latest phase of the Point Nepean National Park masterplan approved in 2018. (“Plan for Pt Nepean’s future” The News 22/1/18) Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio said at the time that the plan was about “better protecting and conserving the Point Nepean National Park – but also making sure visitors can make the most out of this incredible…

TACKLING the Simpson Desert in a Porsche might seem a daunting challenge, but a group mates from Flinders believe the cause makes it all worthwhile. They are hoping to raise $100,000 for research – and, more importantly, greater awareness – of the fight against motor neuron disease. Tom Barr Smith, his son Tom, and five old friends, took off at the crack of a cold Flinders dawn, Saturday 10 July, in the 2003 C4S Porsche knowing it was a mad cap idea but oh so exciting for the 80-year-old Tom Barr Smith and his team of seven. They did…

A WOMAN described as a “national treasure” has celebrated her 100th birthday at Somerville Community House. Marjorie Darling Ward was surrounded by family, friends and the Mornington Peninsula’s writing community to celebrate her birthday, career and contribution to the arts, Saturday 10 July. “Of course, Marjorie is more than just a writer,” Rob Clarke Mornington Peninsula Writers said. “She is, or has been, a wife, a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She’s also been a one-time working partner on three country newspapers, hotelier, Riverina farmer, real estate agent, and so much more beside.” Ms Ward has written fiction, non-fiction, poetry and…

A GOLF driving range has been given the nod at Balnarring despite previously being knocked back by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and opposed by 51 objections and a 300-signature petition. The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled that the range, in Sandy Point Road, Balnarring, was an appropriate use for the 20-hectare former grazing site. The land is in the green wedge with Balnarring to the west, Balnarring Beach and Merricks Beach to the south-west, and Somers in the south-east. It is surrounded by properties with single dwellings and a variety of agricultural uses, including cattle, sheep and horse breeding,…

THE Flinders ocean-front mansion Horizon fell short of its asking price but still topped records when its sale was announced last week. A family from the United Kingdom paid $23.5 million for the 21,528-square-foot glass and concrete mega-home at the beach end of King Street. This is down from its $30 million asking price but still “far and away” the highest price paid for a Flinders property since Miramar, on 70 acres, sold for $17.5 million in 2017. Peninsula Sotheby’s director Rob Curtain – who sold both properties – said the new owners had “moved in a week after they…

A MOUNT Eliza children’s book illustrator is playing a role in helping children overcome the ordeals they experienced during the East Gippsland region’s terrifying 2019-20 bushfires. The Heroes of Black Summer picture book tells the stories of the “heroes” who helped protect them and, through this, aims to help children process the trauma without suffering stress, anxiety or depression. Karen Erasmus, who has lived in Mount Eliza for 15 years, drew 16 full-page illustrations in the book which was written by Kylie Miller and Craig Sheather and published by Australian Geographic. It was published with a One Good Community Wellbeing…

FLYERS Swimming Club members will be, well, flying after coaching by dual Olympian Samantha Purvis. Purvis, who lives in Mornington, has been appointed primary swim coach at the club, which is based at the Yawa Aquatic Centre, Rosebud. A free community celebration will mark the opening of the aquatic centre, 11am-4pm, Sunday 18 July. Purvis will take up her role full time from this month and will be the point of contact for families living on the peninsula who wish to be involved in squad training and competitive swimming. With more than 25 years coaching experience at a state and…

A SPATE of “mindless vandalism” at Rosebud Heart Soccer Club caused lots of damage but failed to dent members’ spirit of optimism. “What a weekend,” a shocked secretary Lyndsay Richmond said when players and their mums and dads discovered the damage, Sunday 27 June. Equipment and other property at the Truemans Road Recreation Reserve, Capel Sound, was in a shambles. “Unfortunately, this week has been a challenging one for the club. Sadly, we have experienced some mindless vandalism,” Ms Richmond said afterwards. “Our COVID-19 signage has been ripped down and someone with too much time on their hands and a…

THE wonders of the natural world were the focus at Flinders last week when environmentalist Sir David Attenborough stepped in to bat for Victoria’s marine emblem: the weedy sea dragon. The legendary eco-warrior joined members of the Flinders Community Association in their quest to save the threatened 180-metre section of the old timber pier whose demolition, the locals fear, will threaten the endangered creature’s survival (“Heritage pier faces partial demolition” The News 23/3/21). Reportedly more than 15,000 people have signed an online petition urging the state government to repair the Western Port pier’s damaged piles, with the support of a…

THE opening of the long-awaited community shed at Willum Warrain Aboriginal Association last week will provide a space for year round, weather-proof activities for everyone who comes to visit. The new space includes a kitchen, toilet and shower, and a large open area suitable for cultural programs and tours, as well as public events. The shed, which was opened Thursday 1 July, was initially paid for by the now-Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, Gandel Philanthropy and Erica Foundation, Mornington Peninsula Shire and public donations. The Aboriginal Gathering Place in Pound Road, Hastings has grown over the past seven years.…

MORNINGTON and Mount Martha residents are questioning the suitability of a three-storey development set to combine a 96-place childcare centre and 53 serviced apartments – including five for social housing – on the corner of Nepean Highway and Benton’s Road. Neighbours want Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors to reject the application for the 5630 square metre block at 61 Bentons Road following a conference they say “raised more questions than it answered”. Initially proposed as a motel with an attached childcare centre on the site of the former Ranch Motel, the residents said plans to include social housing were only revealed…

THE Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has knocked back Ryman Healthcare’s proposed retirement village at Mt Eliza. The VCAT hearing centred around the New Zealand-based company’s attempts to overturn Mornington Peninsula Shire’s 2020 refusal. On 23 March this year the shire reaffirmed its earlier decision by saying: “The council also affirms the view that the proposal for a large scale residential aged care facility and/or retirement village, on land which is outside the urban growth boundary, is an inappropriate development at odds with the amenity of the surrounding green wedge.” The 82-page VCAT determination, handed down Friday 2 July, confirmed…

THE stricken Otama submarine is likely to be towed closer into the shallows at Crib Point to stop it sinking in deeper water. Port of Hastings tenders were last week working alongside the former HMAS Otama last week to stabilise it before it could be moved. A source close to the vessel’s owner, the Western Port Oberon Association, told The News that Parks Victoria had issued an order for the Otama to be moved by Thursday (8 July). The expectation is that tugs will move the stricken 1500 tonne vessel to just north of the Crib Point jetty, nudging it…

ROGER McMillan Real Estate Dromana is negotiating with “multiple bidders” after Arthurs Hotel atop Arthurs Seat was passed in at auction last week. About 60 people watched as bidding reached $11 million without the hammer coming down on a deal. The property on five titles over 7254 square metres is opposite the Eagle Skylift. The hotel, built in the 1930s and formerly known as Garden of the Moon and then the Mountain Peak Restaurant, is at 790 Arthurs Seat Road. It is on one title of about 3270 square metres with a restaurant, sports bar or wine bar, beer garden,…

THE installation of an illuminated advertising sign out front of the Arcare Aged Care home being built at Balnarring is upsetting nearby residents. The Arcare building, near the corner of Brooksby Square and Balnarring Road, is due to open towards the end of this year. The aged care provider won the VCAT fight to build the 75-bed facility in 2019 despite residents being concerned about tree loss, high traffic flows, noise associated with changes to workers’ shifts, and service and garbage truck vehicles arriving at all hours from the commercial facility running 24 hours a day. (“Parking protest over care…

A BOY’S body was found at the Pillars, Mount Martha, on Saturday morning, 26 June. Sergeant Daniel Patton, of Mornington police, said the circumstances surrounding the 16-year-old’s death were unknown. He said it was unclear whether the Mornington boy was in or out of the water when the tragedy occurred. The Pillars is on the Esplanade between Deakin Drive and Marguerita Avenue. Sources said the road was closed to traffic and a police helicopter was hovering overhead about 10.30am.

TWO cars were stolen from a house at Mount Martha, Saturday 26 June. Sergeant Daniel Patton, of Mornington police, said it was believed a man and a woman entered the house in Bennie Court and took the keys to the Toyota Hilux and Ford sedan just before midnight. The cars, valued at $50,000, were seen on CCTV at Dandenong being refuelled but no descriptions of the man and woman are available. The Toyota has since been recovered undamaged while the Ford was involved in a collision at Avondale Heights. The driver of the other car, a 48-year-old man, was taken…

WELLWISHERS filled Baden Powell Park Scout Hall last month to mark the passing of Mount Eliza resident John Scholes. The dedicated civil engineer and environmentalist was remembered by wife Ann as a “gentle man of measured words, deep-thought and boundless practical skills”. Theirs was a life of family, Scouting, travel and care for the environment – all things dear to Mr Scholes’ heart. The couple met at RMIT in 1968 where he was studying chemical engineering and married at St James the Less Church, Mount Eliza, on the day of Gough Whitlam’s election in 1972. Their wedding breakfast was held…

NEW bike tracks and an increased capacity to respond to coastal hazards are features of the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s 2020-21 Budget adopted on Tuesday night. Afterwards the mayor Cr Despi O’Connor said the Chair of the Australian Local Government Association had told the National Press Club that, nationally, local governments receive 3.6 per cent of all tax income (including rates) yet deliver 33 per cent of the nation’s infrastructure. “We have an important role to play in our community with a very tight budget,” she said. “Each year [we] aim to deliver on our Council Plan and its four…

THE stakes in the war-of-words over the catching of giant spider crabs at Rye and Blairgowrie took a strong political turn last week. In a full page advertisement in The News the Victorian Recreational Fishing peak body VRFish slammed those opposed to catching the crabs during their annual moult as an “attack by a loose association of conservation, NIMBY, and self-interested water user groups in a campaign coordinated by an avowed anti-recreational fishing group”. It even posed the inflammatory headline: “Is a ban on snapper fishing next?” VRFish took aim at Mornington Peninsula Shire, which wrote to Fishing and Boating…

THE pending removal of a row of 150-year-old cypress trees at Sorrento is upsetting some residents. Mornington Peninsula Shire is currently conferring on the lopping of the iconic pines at Sullivan Bay and replacing them with indigenous plantings and a shade structure. Consultation closes on July 2. The trees’ removal was referred to on page 78 of the Sorrento Coastal and Marine Management Plan 2018, which is said to inform the current plans. Resident Andrea Allen said the trees were referred to as senescent, which means “getting old rather than dying”. “I am hoping to make people aware that the…

THE capital improved value of residential properties on the Mornington Peninsula rose 9.04 per cent in the year to January 2021. The shire comprises 103,294 rateable assessments of which 91.83 per cent are residential properties, 1.12 per cent are farm rate properties, 3.37 per cent are commercial properties, 2.42 per cent are industrial properties and 1.27 per cent are boat sheds. Over 2020-21, site value (SV) rose 9.87 per cent, capital improved value (CIV) 8.72 per cent and net annual value (NAV) 9.87 per cent. Capital Improved Value will be used as the basis for rating of all properties in…

An emergency direction has been issued by Maritime Safety Victoria warning that HMAS Otama is at “risk of capsizing or possibly sinking imminently”. The submarine, currently moored 800 metres north of Crib Point refinery jetty, is listing significantly to the starboard side. An exclusion zone has been established by Maritime Safety Victoria prohibiting non-authorised personnel from entering within 200 metres of the stricken vessel. A source has told The News that the submarine has suffered a catastrophic failure of the ballast tank on the starboard side and is taking water. It is believed the rupture of the tank is due…

EIGHT Mornington Peninsula residents were named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, Monday 14 June. They received Medals of the Order of Australia in the General Division as announced by the Governor-General David Hurley AC DSC (Retd). Sarnia Birch MOUNT Martha’s Sarnia Birch says Australia owes a debt of gratitude to its volunteers. “To be recognised for service to veterans and their families as a volunteer is an honour,” she said. “I have been greatly blessed in my life and one way of giving back is to help others.” The former lawyer has served Legacy Australia in a variety of senior…

A COMBINATION of factors is making it harder for prospective renters on the Mornington Peninsula to find suitable homes to live in long term. Anecdotally, the shortage of medium-and-long-term rentals is being caused by landlords taking advantage of the money to be gained from short-stay rentals, such as AirBNB, where they can make as much over a few weekends as over the long-term, and then have the flexibility of using their property when they choose. Also, as a result of changed habits due to the COVID pandemic, holiday home owners are moving to the peninsula and working from home, while…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council went further down the track towards a zero-carbon future last week by voting to explore only net zero carbon design in shire buildings – meaning new buildings would ideally produce no emissions. Councillors at the 15 June planning services committee meeting moved to join others on the Council for Alliance of Sustainable Built Environment project to “advance environmentally sustainable development planning policies to achieve net zero carbon and climate resilience development”. This means any new buildings should be designed to be highly energy efficient and to not use gas or coal-fired electricity through having a combination…

A WOMAN was trapped inside her car overnight after plunging over a cliff off the Esplanade, Flinders last week. The woman, in her 50s, was said to have accidentally driven her Mazda sedan over the edge between Cook and Barker streets and nearly down to the beach, Thursday night, 17 June. She called for help on Friday morning when she was able to find her mobile phone. Five CFA vehicles and SES crews from Sorrento and Hastings rushed to the scene. Crews performed a high-angle rescue to stabilise the car and free the woman who was reportedly in a “reasonable…