A DILAPIDATED footpath that has posed a safety risk for senior pedestrians crossing a heritage railway in Mornington is set to be repaired early next year following community advocacy. Mornington Peninsula Shire has confirmed it will undertake repairs to the damaged footpath on Bungower Rd, which runs along the Mornington Tourist Railway. The footpath has caused difficulties for older residents, particularly those using walkers and mobility scooters with many unable to safely access the nearby Peninsula Homemaker Centre. The issue came to attention after Mornington MP Chris Crewther advocated on behalf of senior residents concerned about navigating the hazardous crossing.…
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Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate Troy Cunneen. The 35-year-old man is wanted on five warrants for burglary, theft of motor vehicle, theft, and contravening bail and a court order. Police would also like to speak to Cunneen in relation to a police car ramming in Mornington on 12 December. Cunneen is described as Caucasian in appearance, approximately 178cm tall, with a medium build and short red hair. He is known to frequent the Mornington Peninsula area. Investigators have released an image of Cunneen in the hope that someone may be able to provide information on his…
Mornington Crime Investigation Unit detectives are appealing for public assistance following a ramming in Mornington last night. Police were called to reports of a suspicious loiter at a unit complex on Fleet Street about 7.40pm on Friday 12 December. Officers attended and located a stolen black Toyota Land Cruiser utility in the driveway of the property. It is understood the utility rammed the parked police vehicle multiple times before it became wedged in the property’s driveway. The unknown male driver exited the vehicle and fled north bound on Fleet Street. During the incident, the two male senior constables retreated to…
MORNINGTON’S Alexandra Park Pavilion redevelopment has taken home a prestigious state accolade from AFL Victoria. The $10.5 million upgrade was made possible thanks to the Mornington Peninsula Shire, community groups, state and federal governments and AFL Victoria. The new-look pavilion, which opened late last year, had matches return on ground this season, marking a turning point for one of the region’s busiest sporting precincts. In recognition of its success, the project was announced as the winner of the 2025 AFL Victoria Best Community Football Facilities Project Award on 3 December. AFL Victoria venue and government partnerships manager Jessie Doull said…
RESIDENTS have expressed concerns following piles of dredging spoil being deposited on Mothers Beach following routine works at the Mornington boat ramp last week. The Mornington Peninsula Shire conducts regular dredging at the boat ramp to address sand buildup which interferes with vehicle and human access. This year, the dredged sediment was spread on Mothers Beach, which some locals say occurred without adequate consultation or warning and has interfered with the visual appeal of the beach. A member of Beach Patrol 3931, Susan Young, said the spoil was “visually polluting” and expressed concern regarding how close the busy summer season…
MORNINGTON’S Paris Lightfoot has completed an extraordinary 24-hour endurance challenge at Dallas Brooks Reserve, running, rowing and skiing the equivalent of 180km to raise awareness for men’s mental health. The 28-year-old Movember Ambassador took on what she called the “Mo-Athlon” on Saturday 8 November, involving 60km of running, 60km on the rowing machine and 60km on the Ski Erg trainer, in memory of her father, who she sadly lost to suicide three years ago. “The challenge was 24-hours with the 60km challenges recognising the 60 men across the globe we lose to suicide every hour,” Paris said. The event formed…
A NEW reef restoration project off Mornington that is creating vital habitat for fish and marine life in Port Phillip Bay has received a $98,000 grant. Fish habitat charity OzFish Unlimited was announced as a recipient of the funding last week as part of the latest round of the state government’s Fish Habitat Improvement Fund, which has delivered $670,000 across four projects statewide. “These grants will deliver more fish habitat, which means more shelter and food for iconic recreational species like Murray cod and snapper,” Victorian Fisheries Authority CEO Travis Dowling said. The Mornington project, located about 300 metres into…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has received two community petitions calling for road safety and traffic management changes in Mount Martha and Mornington. A petition signed by 25 residents has called for the installation of traffic calming treatments, such as speed humps, along Spray St and Foam St in Mornington. Following an initial study into the request, the shire found on average that 85 per cent of vehicles in both streets travelled below the 50kph speed limit, and there was no recorded crash history on either street. Based on this data, council advised that traffic calming work was not “currently warranted or…
The Mornington Yacht Club sailing season is well underway with racing on Tuesday afternoons, Thursday Twilight, Saturday Championships and Aggregate races as well as Off The Beach racing on a Sunday.Last Thursday’s Twilight race #4 was difficult with no breeze at the start and a stiff easterly to finish. The winner of the race was Daddy Cool skippered by Dave Eickmeyer with an elapsed time of 00:51:26. First published in the Mornington News – 11 November 2025
Dr James Louis Edgeworth Somers THE father of the three soldiers was a larger than life character in Mornington and the wider peninsula community for many years. In The Bush – A story of the Mornington Bush Nursing Hospital by Hilary Abeyaratne, we are given an insight into his contribution: “Pioneer practitioner” was the term used by The Peninsula Post to describe Dr J L Edgworth Somers when he was, on account of his long and meritorious service in the area, given the honour of addressing the gathering at the opening of the hospital in 1937. In practice on the…
THREE people are dead after a horrors few days on the water last week.Two men died in the water at Frankston Beach during a wild storm last Wednesday, 22 October.Emergency services were called to the beach after two people were spotted in trouble in the water. Police believe that one of the men was surfing when his board snapped, prompting the second man to jump into the water to help. At around 5pm, the police Air Wing helicopter located the two people unresponsive. The men were winched back to shore, but could not be resuscitated. They were declared dead.Frankston mayor…
Police are appealing for witnesses following a near-miss at a pedestrian crossing in Mornington earlier this month. It is understood a red Mazda 121 was speeding southbound on the Nepean Highway and failed to stop at a red light at the intersection of Main Street about 10.30pm on Friday, 3 October. Five pedestrians were walking across the road at time and were almost struck by the car. They narrowly escaped any physical injuries. Police believe some of the pedestrians filmed the offending vehicle as it continued driving, just after the red light camera flashed. Investigators would like to speak to…
Emergency services are continuing to search for a man missing in the waters off Mornington Pier. By midday, the man had been missing in the frigid waters for over 12 hours, and distraught family had gathered at the pier waiting for news. A large contingent of television media were also assembled on the point above the pier. It is understood a small boat, with two people onboard, overturned around 1km from the shore late last night (Friday 24/10), with emergency services were called to Schnapper Point Drive about 11.15pm. One man was rescued by another boat. He was assessed by…
Police are currently searching for a man in water near Mornington Pier. It is understood a small boat, with two people onboard, overturned around 1km from the shore. Emergency services were called to Schnapper Point Drive about 11.15pm. One man was rescued by another boat. He was assessed by paramedics and was not seriously injured. The second male occupant, believed to be in his 20s, is outstanding. An immediate search commenced involving Water Police, Air Wing and Uniform officers, with assistance from HEMS, Life Saving Victoria and the coast guard. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information is urged…
MORNINGTON Little Athletics Centre is kicking off the new season with a $1600 grant from Coles to support young athletes and dedicated volunteers. The centre was named one of 72 grassroots Little Athletics Centres across Australia to receive funding from the 2025 Coles Little Athletics Community Fund.Mornington plans to use the grant to invest in new shot puts, relay batons, high jump bars, discuses and javelins. Centre president Brett Perez said the equipment would play a key role in helping volunteers deliver a fun, safe, and high-quality program for young athletes.“This new equipment will make Little Athletics sessions more engaging…
JOSHUA Searle is an emerging Mornington Peninsula-based artist with an increasing national and commercial profile. His work examines socio-cultural issues and his own diasporic identity. Searle has been a finalist in the Sir John Sulman Prize (AGNSW) (2025, 2023), Fremantle Print Art Award (2025) and a finalist in MPRG’s National Works on Paper (2024).In 2024, Searle was awarded a Mason Family Trust Fellowship which supported a research trip to his mother’s homeland in Colombia. He explored Indigenous goldsmithing and sculptural practices through museum collections and meeting with archaeologists whilst visiting archaeological sites. There he studied Pre-Columbian artefacts as a means…
A MORNINGTON man has been joyfully reunited with his prized vintage model steam train more than a year after it was stolen from his backyard shed.Geoff Woods, 64, a lifelong train enthusiast and passionate collector, had nearly given up hope of ever seeing the 80-year-old gem again, but thanks to an unexpected tip-off that came through a chain of personal connections to the thief’s partner, he was able to recover it.“Little did I know the thief was right under my nose and never left Mornington,” Woods said. Police arrested the thief at his Mornington property in June after executing outstanding…
Ambulance Victoria has expressed serious concern after two female paramedics were allegedly set upon in a violent assault on Main Street, Mornington earlier today (13/9). The paramedics were walking the street at approximately 11:30am when they were allegedly attacked. They were not treating a patient or attending a case at the time. One of the paramedics sustained injuries after allegedly being kicked by the alleged offender and is currently being assessed in hospital. The matter is now in the hands of Victoria Police, who are investigating. Members of the public who witnessed the alleged assault came to the paramedics’ aid.…
A CONTENTIOUS plan to build a 250-home housing estate near Mornington Racecourse is set to go before an independent panel to consider community concerns of traffic impacts, public space, and residential density. Mornington Peninsula Shire has received two planning applications that propose to subdivide land into 116 lots that border Racecourse Rd, Watt Rd and Carbine Way, covering 13 hectares; about six times the size of the MCG playing field. Named the “Woodbyne Estate”, the proposed precinct would apply to privately owned land at 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 Woodbyne Cres and 1, 2, 3 and 4…
Major job cuts have been announced at Mornington Peninsula Shire as the new CEO, Mark Stoermer, enacted a plan to change the operational structure of the organisation. Shire mayor Cr Anthony Marsh has also called out reports that he is responsible for the job losses as an “absurd misrepresentation”, saying “The council sets the budget, and it is the CEO’s responsibility to implement that decision through operational changes, including any staffing matters”. A statement issued by the shire on Thursday (21/8) stated “The restructure will result in up to 48 redundancies with redeployment opportunities identified for many of these staff…
WOMEN’S DIV ONEMORNINGTON are the MPFNL Women’s Division One premiers. Mornington played Warragul Industrials in the Grand Final at Kinetic Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The two sides have been evenly matched all season – in the first final Mornington narrowly beat Warragul by five points. It was a different story on Saturday, as Mornington was in control for most of the day. After a goalless opening term, the Bulldogs took the game by the scruff of the neck. Warragul had a tough day at the office, failing to score a goal. Mornington claimed the win 5.4 (34) to 0.5 (5).…
A STRETCH of under-used space behind The Bays Hospital has been turned into a vibrant green space thanks to a partnership with the Rotary Club of Mornington and the Mornington Peninsula Shire.The first section of the project called the Mornington Rotary Greenway was successfully planted at the end of July, which the Rotary Club’s secretary Tanya Chambers said was a transformative project that is set to create a vibrant green corridor connecting Mornington’s foreshore to the hinterland. She also said it marked a significant milestone “in bringing more green spaces into the region’s urban areas, much like the Briars Forest…
A MULTI-agency working group has been formed to address urgent tenant welfare concerns and long-standing maintenance issues at the Main St public housing complex in Mornington.Mornington Peninsula Shire set up the group to tackle to “significant challenges” including maintenance, systems, tenancy placement, and ongoing improvements for the area. Renovations were also undertaken after fire destroyed several units, which have been re-tenanted by locals on the Housing Register.Several agencies have been working closely together since October last year to improve the living conditions at the complex. The working group includes representatives from the shire, Mornington Community Support Centre, Western Port Community…
By Renée E. Gatt*THE Mornington Peninsula boasts a scant number of historic buildings, remnants from the early days of our towns. These structures laid the foundation for the vibrant communities we cherish today. Yet, their survival is under constant threat.Over my 25 years on the peninsula, I’ve actively championed the preservation of our architectural heritage—landmarks that not only define our local identity but also attract tourists eager to experience our unique history. Alarmingly, these irreplaceable assets are vanishing.Both residential and commercial heritage structures are succumbing to lucrative financial offers and unchecked greed. Their cultural and historical significance is often deemed…
THE historic Grand Hotel in Mornington is undergoing its first turret tower restoration in 40 years, with the project expected to be completed next month. The works, which began at the start of this year, will also see upgrades to the original windows and doors on the first floor, as well as to the slate roof and the front façade by blending its historic charm and contemporary comfort for visitors.Located on Main St, the 125-year-old building is considered of historical significance by the National Trust of Australia. The original building (at the time called the Grand Coffee Palace) was only…
MEET dolphin #89, a resident of Port Phillip Bay’s unique community of common dolphins. Photographed recently by Ella Hutchinson, the Williamson Research Fellow with the Dolphin Research Institute, #89 was first identified in 2022, and is a playful individual that has been sighted regularly every year since.Earlier this year, #89 was even seen “babysitting” another dolphin’s young calf. Now the institute is calling on the community to help give this curious dolphin a proper name. “With 166 individuals in our catalogue, we only name a special few,” Hutchinson said. “We thought with such a great display with the Mornington Yacht…
MORNINGTON Fisheries office will remain open after a strong community backlash and concerns from Mornington Peninsula Shire over proposed changes that would have led to its closure.The Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) confirmed on 21 May that four Fisheries officers will continue to be based in Mornington. All four current officers will be required to reapply for their jobs through an expression of interest process.A VFA spokesperson said in addition to Mornington, the Cowes and Queenscliff stations would also remain open, and four Fisheries officers will work from each of these locations. Staffing arrangements will be finalised in coming weeks, the…
LAST Thursday (29 May) the Mornington Junior Football Club U14 blue & U16 blue girls teams welcomed AFLW players from Melbourne Football Club for a special training session at their home ground at Narambi Reserve. The players engaged in a mix of skill development, agility and game-play drills. The training is part of a MJFC initiative in 2025 to develop players and coaches as part of a program organised by Brad Sykes Sports. Pictured are (back row)AFLW player Alyssia Pisano, U16 vice captains Izzy Hayter and Chloe Shaw, AFLW player Georgia Campbell, U16 captain Willow Reints, U16 vice captain Lily…
SIXTEEN-year-old dancer Hailey Krongold from Safety Beach is proving that you can make a difference with a few good moves – and a big heart. Last month she organised her first dance workshop called Aspire for dancers aged over 12 at Inspirations Performing Arts Studio in Mornington.“I felt as if there are so many aspiring dancers on the peninsula who may not have access to the same teachers and mentors as those in the metro areas due to the travel distance to get to these open classes and programs,” she said. “So why not bring these incredible choreographers to the…
A woman missed out on her fast-food order in Mornington overnight after being caught allegedly three times over the alcohol limit. Police responded to reports of a woman driving erratically at a drive-thru on Nepean Highway about 11.45pm on 26 April. Officers approached the vehicle and gave the 56-year-old driver a preliminary breath test which returned a positive result. She was conveyed to a police station for an evidentiary breath test, where she allegedly returned a reading of .149. The Somerville woman did not get what she ordered. Her car was impounded and she will be charged on summons with…