CONSTRUCTION has begun on ten new homes in Mornington, which will provide safe and secure housing for women and children experiencing housing stress and insecurity. YWCA and Mornington Peninsula Shire are delivering the project together, with Homes Victoria funding the housing and development component under the state government’s Social Housing Growth Fund. Mayor Cr Stephen Batty said the homes represent a tangible commitment to dignity, security, and opportunity for vulnerable community members. “Our region has some of the highest rates of homelessness in Victoria. We have the highest number of people over the age of 55 sleeping rough in the…
Browsing: Mornington Peninsula Shire Council
WHAT happens when we stop talking about people experiencing mental health challenges and start listening to their stories? Stories That Move Us is a community event presented by Kindred Clubhouse, with support from Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, bringing people together to hear real stories of mental health, recovery, connection, resilience and hope. Kindred Clubhouse has been building community for fourteen years. Based on the internationally recognised Clubhouse model, Kindred provides a peer-led space where people living with mental health challenges can find belonging, build confidence and relationships, and explore opportunities for education, volunteering and employment. Kindred Clubhouse Director Stefanie Poole…
CONCERNS have been raised over a proposed restructure of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s library system. Multiple library employees, who wish to remain anonymous, have expressed concerns over the proposed model, which is set to come into effect in early January 2027. Director of Communities at the shire, Cheryl Casey, said the community comes first. “We’re reviewing the shire’s library service to ensure it meets community needs and delivers the best outcomes for our residents now and into the future,” said Casey. “No final decisions have been made and consultation with employees is underway.” A staff briefing for library employees was held…
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has welcomed Christine Leahy as the new councillor for Briars Ward following her swearing in today (14 October). The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) officially declared Leahy elected following completion of the count for the 2026 Briars Ward by-election. Leahy attracted 64.17% of the vote in the two candidate contest against Sue Ellison-Whyte. The Mornington Peninsula Shire Briars Ward by-election was the result of a trickle-down of events first started by the resignation of the state Member for Nepean, Sam Groth, in February (“Groth resignation to trigger Nepean by-election”, The News, 4/2/26). A state by-election was called…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire plans to resurface and rehabilitate more than 200,000 square metres of road, clean 500km of beaches, and complete new social housing as part of its Annual Action Plan for 2026-27. At the 29 September council meeting, councillors voted unanimously to adopt the plan, which outlines the key actions the shire intends to deliver over the coming financial year. The annual plan translates the priorities set out in the shire’s 2025-29 Council Plan into specific actions, targets, and performance measures. The adopted plan includes quarterly progress reports following feedback from community engagement. Cr Paul Pingiaro said this is…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has decided to continue delivering aged care services after the federal government announced the Commonwealth Home Support Program will continue until 2029. At the 29 September council meeting, councillors unanimously voted in support of continuing Meals on Wheels, Community Transport, and Group Social Support until 30 June 2029. The decision follows the shire’s previous decision to stop delivering aged care services in June 2027 after the federal government’s aged care reforms were set to begin (“Shire to pull out of aged care services”, The News, 11/06/26). In August, the federal government announced it would be reversing the…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is set to reconsider whether it will continue delivering aged care services after July 2027. This comes following the federal government’s decision to extend the Commonwealth Home Support Program to 2029. In June, the shire made the decision to stop delivering Commonwealth-funded aged care services by July 2027. The three services affected were Meals on Wheels, Community Transport, and Group Social Support. At the 29 September council meeting, the shire will consider three options: following through with the plan to exit the delivery of the three services by July 2027, maintaining delivery of the three services until…
OPINION By Sarah Russell MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council needs to come clean about its roadside spraying policy – who is applying the chemicals, what instructions does council give the contractors and which herbicides are they using? There seems to be a pattern of concerning behaviour regarding dangerous chemicals, with ratepayers having just found out that we had to foot the bill when contractors applied the wrong chemicals to football ovals (“Huge bill after ovals’ turf accidentally poisoned”, The News, 8/9/26). In addition to ill-advised herbicide use, what responsibility does the council take when contractors behave aggressively towards a resident who…
A CONTRACTOR employed by Mornington Peninsula Shire applied the wrong treatment to four ovals in February, killing the turf, with user clubs still dealing with the aftermath and the shire facing extensive repair costs. The wrong treatment was applied to RJ Rowley Reserve in Rye, Olympic Park Reserve in Rosebud, David MacFarlane Reserve in Sorrento, and Emil Madsen Reserve Oval 2 in Mt Eliza. Anthony Ring, president of Sorrento Sharks Football and Netball Club, said he noticed the field deteriorating around four to six weeks after treatment was applied. Ring said the poison applied is used to kill ryegrass on…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillor Cam Williams has been found to have engaged in misconduct following a series of comments about fellow councillors. On 24 August, arbiter Noel Harvey OAM determined Williams had breached three clauses of the Model Councillor Code of Conduct in relation to two incidents in December 2025. The arbitration application was made by Cr David Gill and Cr Kate Roper in March 2026. The first allegation concerned an interview Williams gave to the Somerville Times on 13 December 2025, in which he made a number of comments about fellow councillors and council matters. According to the report,…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is seeking community feedback on its draft Arts, Culture, and Events Plan, which has been placed on public exhibition for six weeks. The plan outlines the shire’s ten-year investment and support approach to the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, public art, the creative sector, festivals and events, and cultural heritage. The draft will be available online for public consultation and feedback until 19 August. Mayor Cr Stephen Batty said the draft plan reflects the community’s interest in the future of arts and culture. “The plan reflects on what makes our peninsula’s creative community distinctive and sets the direction…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire’s Draft Bathing Box Policy has been placed on public exhibition for a period of six weeks. The policy outlines framework for managing bathing boxes on shire managed land and is set to replace the existing policy which was adopted in 2000. At the 7 July council meeting, councillors voted unanimously to place the policy on public exhibition from 13 July to 25 August. Cr Kate Roper said the current lack of formal agreement creates a range of legal, operational and governance risks for council. “This draft bathing box policy is to replace the policy adopted in 2000,…
Mornington Peninsula Shire has launched its “Shout Out for the Peninsula” advocacy campaign, calling on all political parties and candidates contesting November’s state election to commit to investing in the future of the peninsula. The campaign outlines key priorities across the peninsula’s three state electorates: Mornington, Nepean and Hastings, with a focus on improving safety, liveability, connectivity and support for vulnerable communities. In the Mornington electorate, a $14m commitment to complete the Mornington-to-Moorooduc section of the Peninsula Trail heads the shire’s election wish-list. The missing 8.3km section would bring the shire one step closer to delivering a continuous 170km trail…
MORNINGTON Peninsula shire officers have prepared a draft submission regarding the partial divestment of HMAS Cerberus, with councillors unanimously voting to put it out for public consultation. In February, Defence Minister Richard Marles announced HMAS Cerberus would be “partially divested” as part of a massive sale of 35,000 hectares of defence real estate – including some of the nation’s most historic barracks – that is expected to raise almost $2b (HMAS Cerberus to be ‘partially divested’ in defence land sell-off, The News 10/2/26). At the time it was stated that 1164 hectares of the 1500 hectares that make up HMAS…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council has picked up two category wins and two finalist placings at the 2026 LGPro Awards for Excellence, presented on 17 June before an audience of almost 500 local government professionals from across Victoria. The Awards for Excellence are run by Local Government Professionals Victoria and recognise outstanding work by individuals and teams across the sector. Fifteen winners and 13 high commendations were announced at the ceremony. The shire won the First Nations Community Partnership category for the Ngawak Biik – Briars Junior Ranger project, a culturally led program connecting First Nations young people to Country. The…
Mornington Peninsula Shire is seeking community insight into its draft Integrated Transport Strategy, which will be placed on public exhibition for eight weeks. The strategy sets a long-term vision for a connected transport network across the peninsula. It provides framework for planning, investment, advocacy, and collaboration to help meet the peninsula’s growing mobility demands. At the 9 June council meeting, councillors voted unanimously for the draft to be placed on public exhibition from 23 June to 18 August. Cr Max Patton, who moved the motion, thanked council officers and the traffic and transport team for their work on the strategy.…
THE draft Mornington Peninsula Shire budget for 2026/27 has been presented to councillors with them approving the document be placed on public exhibition for a period of four weeks to seek community feedback. In the draft budget, general rates will be capped to the annual maximum raise amount of 2.75%, despite overall revenue rising 11.94%. General rates revenue is expected to rise by $13.2m for the year (up 7.63%), with a restructured waste service charge bringing in an extra $12.4m for the year: an increase of 29.29%. The waste charge has been broken into two separate charges with a waste…
A MOTION calling for stricter regulations on election donations in local government elections was rejected at the 2 December council meeting. The motion was presented by Cr David Gill and sought to advocate a series of reforms to the state government. These included restricting campaign donations to individuals listed on the local electoral roll, immediate disclosure of all donations on the Victorian Electoral Commission website, banning donations within two weeks of election day, and requesting state authorities investigate to ensure no donations are made after an election. “We need to ensure that companies are not set up to hide donors…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have backed a climate resilience framework just months after scrapping a climate emergency declaration and climate action plan. The decision was made at the council’s 2 December meeting which will see the proposed framework, subject to community input, to centre on “practical, place-based, costed and measurable outcomes” that address climate adaptation, hazard mitigation, biodiversity protection, and long-term sustainability of local infrastructure. Councillors supported the new framework for the climate resilience plan in an 8-2 vote. The plan will now replace the climate emergency declaration after deputy mayor Cr Paul Pingiaro successfully tabled a motion at the…
A BID to revoke the council’s new planning matters policy has failed in a tied vote after concerns were raised about its last-minute release and lacking proper scrutiny. The policy, which sets out a framework for “consistent, lawful, efficient, transparent and best practice approach” to decision making in both statutory and strategic planning matters, was endorsed by Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors in an 8-3 vote at their 5 November public meeting. The council had previously been without a policy for about four years, and it will now replace the now discontinued planning services committee and its terms of reference. However,…
THE state government has rejected a Mornington Peninsula Shire application to mechanically rake beaches in areas with an endangered native plant, forcing a shake-up as planned works are scrapped in favour of hand cleaning. The decision comes after councillors voted in May to reinstate mechanical raking on accessible beaches, covering about 80 percent of the beaches on Port Phillip Bay while hand-cleaning would continue at beaches unreachable by tractor. But in a letter to the shire responding to its application to remove native vegetation as part of a mechanical beach cleaning program at Ranelagh Beach in Mt Eliza, Safety Beach,…
A SORRENTO couple have expressed concern after incomplete fire-prevention works left their roadside vegetation a “dead and dying mess,” raising fears it may increase fire risk. Residents Helen and Bruce, who asked not to use their surname, said contractors engaged by Mornington Peninsula Shire removed some dead ti-trees and undergrowth along Hughes Rd but left large amounts of vegetation behind. The leftover debris, they said, located between their front fence and the road, was both a fire hazard and an “ugly eyesore”. Despite repeated calls and emails, the couple said the shire appeared to have no plans to return to…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has gone three years without a planning policy which was only made available to the public just hours before councillors endorsed it, sparking transparency concerns. The long-awaited planning matters policy, which is designed to provide a clear framework for “consistent, lawful, efficient, transparent and best practice approach” to decision making in both statutory and strategic planning matters, was endorsed by councillors in an 8-3 vote at their 5 November meeting. It will now replace the now discontinued planning services committee and its terms of reference. But councillors opposing it called for greater transparency, saying it wasn’t acceptable…
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…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has finally clarified its flag policy, declaring the Australian flag must be “the primary and most prominent” after it was controversially left off a kindergarten flyer this year. The updated policy was formally adopted at the council’s 12 August meeting which will govern how the flag is “flown or displayed at all Mornington Peninsula Shire Council buildings, sites, events, and communications where flags are used”. The move also means councillors will be handed back the ultimate authority and decision making as to how and when the Australian flag is used after rejecting it be kept as a…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire will cut its public meetings from 13 to nine for the remainder of the year after citing an “intense schedule” including working with three different CEOs and producing its biggest budget ever.The decision was adopted unanimously by councillors at their 17 June meeting which will see their future ordinary meetings held every three weeks rather than fortnightly. However it maintained it “will continue to provide opportunities for council to meet its legislative responsibilities and maintain public transparency”. An additional meeting will be held on 16 December for councillors to address any urgent items before Christmas.Deputy mayor Cr…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have adopted a record budget of $326.3m amid growing community angst over cuts to arts, culture, and environmental programs. Deputy mayor Paul Pingiaro conceded some “tough decisions” were needed to move the council forward, noting “there was a lot of things that we can always do better – but moving forward, that’s what we’ll do as an organisation”. “What we have in front of us is a budget that will hopefully deliver quite a few savings – they’re unrealised at the moment, the work’s getting done, and if the work gets done, we can open up…
By Tracee Hutchison* SOME of the peninsula’s highest profile artists, actors, musicians, film-makers, writers, creative producers and festival directors have joined forces urging Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors to rethink their recent decision to slash arts and culture funding in the upcoming budget. Over a hundred local creatives gathered at the Pig & Whistle’s Shed Theatre in response to proposed cuts to the arts and culture allocation in council’s Community Investment Fund in the FY25/26 budget, including Performing Arts Development grants and Creative Fund grants, to zero. Among those calling on council to reverse the decision is peninsula-based art writer and…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have voted to create a clear framework that governs the forced sale of property for the recovery of unpaid rates.The policy, to remain in place for three years, governs the criteria that the shire will use to enforce s 181 of the Local Government Act 1989 (Vic) titled “Council may sell land to recover unpaid rates or charges”.Under the Act, the shire can seek to sell property where the outstanding rates are more than three years overdue, no current arrangement exists for the repayment of that amount, and the council has a court order requiring payment…
A GROUP of Flinders residents have banded together to put pressure on the Mornington Peninsula Shire to better service the elderly in the community.“It all came about after we conducted a survey of the elderly, and heard about their lived experiences and key issues,” said a spokesperson for the group, Sandy Grant. “What became clear to us is that many services exist for the elderly, but there is a lack of knowledge about them, and lack of capacity to go through the complex maze of information to find them. “We are wanting to work with the shire to facilitate better…